An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
2012
Theatre
The show has suddenly become quite wonderful, and the galvanising factor is the terrific stage debut of Melanie C
Blood Brothers
Music
The British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeed
Muse
I was smitten by both Gilberts enormous luxuriant moustache and the intelligence and nuance of this highly entertaining play
I totally recommend Babbo to anyone who is looking for really good and traditional Italian food
Always been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!
London,
Epic: Flags Of Our Fathers is shot entirely from the 'winning' US perspective
Spooky: But Premonition is not very good
Inspirational: Freedom Writers
Hefty: Eddie Murphy stars in Norbit
Dysfunctional: Running With Scissors
Clint Eastwood's Letters From Iwo Jima, Sandra Bullock has a Premonition and Eddie Murphy dons the prosthetics again in the week's top DVDs.
Flags Of Our Fathers/Letters From Iwo Jima
Warner Home Video, 15, £22.99 each/£39.99 box set
****
Clint Eastwood's powerful war epic was garlanded with Oscar nominations, yet bombed at the US box office. It's not hard to see why: for a start, its complex examination of the propaganda surrounding the World War II fight for the Japanese island of Iwo Jima would hardly have gone down well with hardcore flagwavers. But it's probably more to do with the fact that these movies only become truly outstanding when seen, as Eastwood intended, as illuminating companion pieces on the same war.
Thus, 'Flags' (pictured) is shot entirely from the 'winning' US perspective; contrasting the tragic unheroic cost behind the iconic image of the raised flag with gung-ho, truly kick-ass battle scenes. It's good stuff, but familiar - the constant flashbacks emotionally distancing the characters. 'Letters', on the other hand, reveals the Japanese perspective. Fascinating, not least for its cultural unfamiliarity - soldiers are expected to kill themselves rather than suffer the dishonour of retreat - its chilled, washed-out light brilliantly conjures the isolation of a volcanic rock few of the men or their masters believe is worth fighting for. Watch the films back-to-back for the full impact.
Extras: Each film comes with a separate disc of featurettes but, sadly, no Clint commentary. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
Premonition
Entertainment In Video, 12, £19.99
**
Ever had a sixth sense that a movie isn't going to be very good? Premonition lives up to its name.
A kind of mumsy Memento - at least, that's what it's striving for - it's an exasperatingly illogical thriller/relationship drama about Linda (Sandra Bullock), a devoted wife and mother who gets a call saying that her hubby (Julian 'Nip/Tuck' McMahon) has been killed in a car crash.
But when she wakes up the next morning, he's still very much alive - until the next day when he's dead again. As Linda tries to trace the patterns, the tangled plot isn't content merely to tie time into knots, it crochets an entire twinset and matching hat out of it.
Be warned: basically, it all makes no sense and could cause arguments with your viewing partner but it's still a watchable one to catch on DVD. And Bullock as the loopy wife (or is she?) is certainly not the worst thing on screen. That said, she has a fair amount of competition.
Extras: Commentary from director Mennan Yapo and Bullock, deleted scenes, making-of doc, US TV doc about psychic conspiracies. LI-Z
Freedom Writers
Paramount Home Entertainment, 12, £15.99
***
Hilary Swank does her best inspirational teacher act in this efficient kids-inthehood drama. She's Erin Gruwell, the bright new member of staff who dreams of shaping eager young minds at an urban California high school. She seems destined to fail, faced with scornful, dejected youths more concerned with dodging bullets than learning about Shakespeare. But, in timehonoured fashion, she manages to connect with them using charm, music, sympathy and - most significantly - The Diary Of Anne Frank, which leads them to begin their own diaries. It would all be a bit sickening if it weren't true - this saving grace means it's an often emotive watch, albeit one that neglects some of its characters and their back stories. Imelda Staunton is wasted in a one-note turn as a disapproving head teacher.
Extras: Commentary with writer/ director Richard Lagravenese and Swank, deleted scenes, making-of doc, feature on the real-life teacher and pupils who inspired the film. Anna Smith
Norbit
Paramount Home Entertainment
12, £19.99
**
Is it wrong to laugh at stupid, fat people? Not according to Eddie Murphy.
In this massive US box office hit, he again dons heaps of prosthetics to play not only doormat Norbit but also his gargantuan, domineering wife Rasputia and Mr Wong, owner of the orphanage where Norbit and Rasputia met. The couple's life is far from blissful but then Norbit bumps into sexy former orphanage pal Kate (Thandie Newton), old feelings are rekindled and apple carts seriously upset. The hapless Rasputia raises a few guilty belly laughs - although that's more because she recalls Murphy's famous Delirious stand-up routine about his 135kg Aunt Bunny. Murphy does a reasonably good job fleshing out all three key parts but it's a rather indulgent exercise in actor showboating. The film's follow-your-dreams message is sweetly noble. However, the movie plays too much to racial and ethnic stereotypes and, ultimately, falls down by being rather crude.
Extras: Making-of doc, Man Of 1,000 Faces and Norbit Stunts featurettes, deleted scenes, photo gallery, trailers. SL
Running With Scissors
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
UK, 15, £15.99
***
If you ever thought your childhood was dysfunctional, get a load of Augusten Burroughs's. It's the 1970s. Faced with contempt and rage from her alcoholic husband (Alec Baldwin), Augusten's deluded mother (Annette Bening) seeks aid from maverick therapist Dr Finch (Brian Cox), a man as insane as his patients. While Finch subjects mum to a wallet-slooshing course of unorthodox drugs, she abandons budding young homosexual Augusten (Joseph Cross) to be raised by Finch's own dysfunctional family. The older daughter (Gwyneth Paltrow) is an Electra complex poster girl who catnaps in her father's private 'masturbatorium' and the younger sister is a teenage tearaway (Evan Rachel Wood) - neither bats an eyelid when, at 15, Augusten has an affair with a schizophrenic (Joseph Fiennes).
At times wearingly affected, as a 'family comedy' it ODs on quirkiness. But however much Burroughs has embellished his coming-of-age memoirs (and you hope he has), this ambitious realisation remains slashed through with compelling honesty.
Extras: Three short featurettes of cast and writer interviews and set decoration tips.
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