The Bourne Identity (Widescreen Extended Edition)

Amazon.com

Freely adapted from Robert Ludlum's 1980 bestseller, The Bourne Identity starts fast and never slows down. The twisting plot revs up in Zurich, where amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), with no memory of his name, profession, or recent activities, recruits a penniless German traveler (Run Lola Run's Franka Potente) to assist in solving the puzzle of his missing identity. While his CIA superior (Chris Cooper) dispatches assassins to kill Bourne and thus cover up his failed mission, Bourne exercises his lethal training to leave a trail of bodies from Switzerland to Paris. Director Doug Liman (Go) infuses Ludlum's intricate plotting with a maverick's eye for character detail, matching breathtaking action with the humorous, thrill-seeking chemistry of Damon and Potente. Previously made as a 1988 TV movie starring Richard Chamberlain, The Bourne Identity benefits from the sharp talent of rising stars, offering intelligent, crowd-pleasing excitement from start to finish. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Bourne again?.......2007-09-11

He comes to on a fishing boat with bullets in his back and no idea how he got there, who shot him, or why. Oh, and he's got a bank account number on his body.

When he goes to the bank, the safe deposit box is full of money and at least half a dozen passports with different identities. So, which one is his? In some ways, he has a chance to start a new life--but the old one really isn't leaving him behind.

People are chasing him--with guns. More important than that, how does he know just how to evade them?

"Bourne" is a riveting story about a man who's in a terrible position and unable to really know who is friend or foe. This film has one of the best car chase scenes I have ever encountered--with a Mini Cooper, no less! The book was good, the film almost better.

The Good & Bad Of ''The Bourne Identity'.......2007-09-09

This is a solid suspense-spy film with an agent-on-the-run scenario. People who like a paranoid theme, where everyone is after you (I plead guilty) will love this.

The amount of violence in here was just about right, not too much and not too little. I also enjoyed the Paris scenery, both the street-level shots and the aerial photography. Ovrall, the cinematography is very good in this film. It's an involving story that once you're hooked, you stay that way. The two hours go by pretty quickly.

On the negative side, I get tired of American filmmakers trashing their own government all the time, in here its them trying to kill one of their own agents. I hear the third movie is really bad in that regard. I'm sorry to hear that as I liked the sequel ("The Bourne Supremacy") even better, although part of the reason was that I was now familiar with the main characters after watching this film. Anyway, I highly recommend the first two Bourne movies for fans of suspense, crime, intrigue, good locales, etc.

The Bourne Identity.......2007-09-08

Although I am not that much in action movies, I really enjoyed this one, maybe because of Matt Damon who is such a good actor. Also this was the first one so the story hadn't been worn out yet. I just saw #2 and #3 and it really repeats. It reminds me of the TV program "The Fugitive". But all in all, I give it thumbs up.

Bourne is better than Bond.......2007-09-08

The All American spy -- Jason Bourne stands toe to toe with the best of Britain! this is a great series!

great movie!.......2007-09-03

It is a very good dvd set! Love the quality of the picture and the sound! And of course Matt Damon is always so nice to look at. haha...

Pan's Labyrinth (New Line Two-Disc Platinum Series)

Average customer rating:

Fantasy Verses Reality
Fiction at its finest!!
A Spanish-Language Film Suited For Any Audience
Pan's Labyrinth Review
A Master Class in Cinematic Myth Weaving

Pan's Labyrinth (New Line Two-Disc Platinum Series)
Starring: Ariadna Gil , Ivana Baquero , Sergi López , Maribel Verdú , and Doug Jones
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
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ASIN: B00005JPA6
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Amazon.com

Inspired by the Brothers Grimm, Jorge Luis Borges, and Guillermo del Toro's own unlimited imagination, Pan's Labyrinth is a fairytale for adults. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) may only be 12, but the worlds she inhabits, both above and below ground, are dark as anything del Toro has conjured. Set in rural Spain, circa 1944, Ofelia and her widowed mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil, Belle Epoque), have just moved into an abandoned mill with Carmen's new husband, Captain Vidal (Sergi López, With a Friend like Harry). Carmen is pregnant with his son. Other than her sickly mother and kindly housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verdú, Y Tu Mamá También), the dreamy Ofelia is on her own. Vidal, an exceedingly cruel man, couldn't be bothered. He has informers to torture. Ofelia soon finds that an entire universe exists below the mill. Her guide is the persuasive Faun (Doug Jones, Mimic). As her mother grows weaker, Ofelia spends more and more time in the satyr's labyrinth. He offers to help her out of her predicament if she'll complete three treacherous tasks. Ofelia is willing to try, but does this alternate reality really exist or is it all in her head? Del Toro leaves that up to the viewer to decide in a beautiful, yet brutal twin to The Devil's Backbone, which was also haunted by the ghost of Franco. Though it lacks the humor of Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth represents Guillermo Del Toro at the top of his considerable game. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Following a bloody civil war, young Ofelia enters a world of unimaginable cruelty when she moves in with her new stepfather, a tyrannical military officer. Armed with only her imagination, Ofelia discovers a mysterious labyrinth and meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother. But soon, the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, and before Ofelia can turn back, she finds herself at the center of a ferocious battle between good and evil.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Video Prologue by Guillermo Del Toro Audio Commentary by Director Guillermo Del Toro
Featurette:The Power of Myth Featurette The Faun and the Fairies Featurette The Color and The Shape Featurette The Charlie Rose Show featuring Director Guillermo Del Toro The Director's Notebook
Production Sketches
Storyboards:Storyboard Video Prologue by Guillermo del Toro. Storyboard/Thumbnail compares
Theatrical Trailer:Theatrical teaser, Theatrical trailer, TV spots

Customer Reviews:

Fantasy Verses Reality.......2007-09-15

Bravo!! A well done movie! This is an excellent movie and I would highly recommend it.... Although, I wouldn't recommend this movie for children. It is for ADULTS ONLY due to the content of the film.

You can read the description of this movie's storyline above, so won't rehash it here. I will however share my impressions of the movie below: The cinematography is brilliant & so was the computer graphics in this movie. I also enjoyed the acting and storyline of this movie as well. It was all so captivating. I found myself wanting to know how the story was going to unfold/end. No Hollywood ending here. This movie is anything but predictable, which is quite refreshing!

Fiction at its finest!!.......2007-09-14

This movie is the perfect combination of fantasy and reality!! I just finished watching it on HBO and now I want to see it again.

A Spanish-Language Film Suited For Any Audience.......2007-09-14

Firstly, and most importantly, everyone must know that this film is Spanish language with English subtitles. Quick, before you go and vote this review unhelpful for stating the obvious, let me tell you this; most people don't READ Amazon's product info. They skip right to the reviews. The thing I first came here to look for is if the fact that it's in a different language take away from the film.

After seeing the entirety of "Pan's Labyrinth", the answer is quite simply 'no.'

What we've got here is a visual and graphic masterpiece of a story. The fantasy elements mingle seamlessly with the real-life portions, bringing up questions that will leave you thinking about the movie for hours. Is the fantasy aspect of the story really happening, or is it all in Ofelia's mind? What does it mean when the fantasy monsters (which are quite horrifying) not even a fraction as frightening as the evil of the human characters? This isn't just one of those films you can watch. It's bloody violent, while also managing to be visually astounding. The deepness and the heart of the story leaves such an emotional impact, which is only expanded by the simple yet effective use of music.

This is a movie one can truly get involved in; you root for the characters, you relate to and cry with them, and--from the way the film is shot--you go on the fantastic journey with them. There is nothing negative to say about this film at all, except for the fact that even the least squeamish of viewers may wince at some of the most violent scenes. This is no child's fairy tale.

10/10 Classic.

Pan's Labyrinth Review.......2007-09-13

Although this is a subtitled film, it is a wonderful movie. Time well spent.

A Master Class in Cinematic Myth Weaving .......2007-09-12

Take note, Spielberg and Lucus! Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth is a master class on how to go about capturing real magic on film. In order to have true resonance, cinematic myth weaving requires soul, and this film bleeds it with each ensorcelled frame.

Average customer rating:

mat is air-bourne
Great movie
Great movie even greater on HD-DVD
Great PQ, and great movie....recommended
Be Ready for Phenominal Sound!

The Bourne Identity [HD DVD]
Starring: Matt Damon , Franka Potente , Chris Cooper , Clive Owen , and Brian Cox
Director: Doug Liman
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000QEIOTO
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Customer Reviews:

mat is air-bourne.......2007-09-16

The Bourne Identity is one of the best spy characters ever. Bourne isnt dramtic but silent and to the point. Like a professional assasin would be portrayed in the movies, and it works. Haunted by the past with amnesia he struggles around the world fleeing an unknown and deadly enemy. The action a la car chases, and well choreagraphed fight scenes supplement the plot about a monkey ranch in the well laid plans of an illegal cia dept. that employs death to protect national security, a dept. which Bourne was a part of, now a liability. Can stand alone without the sequels.

Great movie.......2007-09-02

This movie was already great but in HD DVD it looks 10 times better i recommend people to buy it

Great movie even greater on HD-DVD.......2007-08-26

I am a big fan of the Bourne movies. Seeing them in HD makes them even more enjoyable to watch. If you are Bourne fan you really need to check these movies out on HD-DVD. Can't wait for Ultimatum to come on HD-DVD.

Great PQ, and great movie....recommended.......2007-08-01

If you love the Bourne series you definitely need to pick this up in HD. PQ is great, and if you dont have Bourne Supremacy either you might as well get that too since they are both great movies.
With Bourne Ultimatum coming out in a few days it helped refresh my mind....

Be Ready for Phenominal Sound!.......2007-07-23

SPATIAL DYNAMICS - Music Experience in 3-Dimensional Sound Reality TM, DTS ES 5.1 and 6.1 Extended Surround Music Disc

SIXTH SENSE - Music Experience in 3-Dimensional Sound Reality TM, DTS ES 5.1 and 6.1 Extended Surround Music Disc

SOLARIS - Music Experience in 3-Dimensional Sound Reality TM, DTS ES 5.1 and 6.1 Extended Surround Music Disc

Experience ecstatic multichannel home theater mix of "The Bourne Identity" in HD.

For information of how to set-up your home theater system see my comment below.

Average customer rating:

Fantasy Verses Reality
Fiction at its finest!!
A Spanish-Language Film Suited For Any Audience
Pan's Labyrinth Review
A Master Class in Cinematic Myth Weaving

Pan's Labyrinth
Starring: Ariadna Gil , Ivana Baquero , Sergi López , Maribel Verdú , and Doug Jones
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000O76ZQC
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Amazon.com

Description

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Fantasy Verses Reality.......2007-09-15

Fiction at its finest!!.......2007-09-14

This movie is the perfect combination of fantasy and reality!! I just finished watching it on HBO and now I want to see it again.

A Spanish-Language Film Suited For Any Audience.......2007-09-14

Pan's Labyrinth Review.......2007-09-13

Although this is a subtitled film, it is a wonderful movie. Time well spent.

A Master Class in Cinematic Myth Weaving .......2007-09-12

Average customer rating:

fascinating
Seeing Downfall is a Must
Gripping portayal of the last days of Hitler and the Third Reich
Depressing but amazing.
Realism at its best

Downfall
Starring: Bruno Ganz , Alexandra Maria Lara , Corinna Harfouch , Ulrich Matthes , and Juliane Köhler
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B0009RCPUC
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Amazon.com

The riveting subject of Downfall is nothing less than the disintegration of Adolf Hitler in mind, body, and soul. A 2005 Academy Award nominee for best foreign language film, this German historical drama stars Bruno Ganz (Wings of Desire) as Hitler, whose psychic meltdown is depicted in sobering detail, suggesting a fallen, pathetic dictator on the verge on insanity, resorting to suicide (along with Eva Braun and Joseph and Magda Goebbels) as his Nazi empire burns amidst chaos in mid-1945. While staging most of the film in the claustrophobic bunker where Hitler spent his final days, director Oliver Hirschbiegel (Das Experiment) dares to show the gentler human side of der Fuehrer, as opposed to the pure embodiment of evil so familiar from many other Nazi-era dramas. This balanced portrayal does not inspire sympathy, however: We simply see the complexity of Hitler's character in the greater context of his inevitable downfall, and a more realistic (and therefore more horrifying) biographical portrait of madness on both epic and intimate scales. By ending with a chilling clip from the 2002 documentary Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary, this unforgettable film gains another dimension of sobering authenticity. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

fascinating.......2007-09-10

This slightly fictionalized docu/drama is amazing. It takes you inside the final command center of Nazi Germany. Most of our story takes place in a bunker, during the last few days of the fighting for Berlin and the surrounding area. It pulls no punches about who knew what and how they did or didn't feel about it. This is more than raw, its soul naked. It makes no attempt to apologize for the actions of anyone, it just shows and tells things as they happened.

This is a must see for _everyone_; history student, world war two aficionado, writer, war hawk, peace dove, everyone.

Seeing Downfall is a Must.......2007-09-09

Rarely are films made of such importance, and in such a quality manner. The acting is fabulous, but the film goes well beyond that. We all sense we have a notion of the last days of Adoph Hitler, Eva Braun, and Hitler's key staff. But this dramatically depicts the details. No one should miss this film, including children attending school.

Gripping portayal of the last days of Hitler and the Third Reich.......2007-09-09

Der Untergang is based on the memoirs of Hitler's secretary, Traudl Junge, Until The Final Hour, and Joachim Fest's Inside The Bunker, and chronicles the last days of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich, beginning from his 56th birthday to the surrender of Germany to the Russians. However, there is a brief aside in the beginning, in November 1942, chronicling the scene where young doe-eyed Traudl Humpts is hired as der Fuhrer's secretary.

The Third Reich is on the verge of collapse throughout this film. Certain bigshots are positioning themselves, whether to remain in Berlin, loyal to the end (Goebbels, Martin Bormann) or to flee (Heinrich Himmler). Hitler himself is told by his architect Albert Speer that he must be on the stage when the curtain falls. And acts of desperation also take effect on that stage. Josef Goebbels has recruited defenders of the city, many of them in their early teens, who are impressionable enough to want to become heroes. Sadly, most of them end up as shell fodder for the Russians.

As for the Fuhrer, he is out of touch with reality, the divisions on his map existing only in his imagination. He still believes that two divisions can regroup and take the Russians from behind, but alas. And when things don't go his way or he hears reports of lines having fallen, he blames the generals and soldiers, even going out of his way to insult them. It's ironic how his ideology placed the Germans as the superior race, but when the end is near, he dismisses them of being unworthy of survival and deserving to die. Quite an about-face there...

Traudl aside, there are others of honourable mention. Professor Dr. Schenke is concerned with the fate of the civilians during this critical time and is one of the more humane characters involved, as he risks going into Russian held territory to get medical supplies for the wounded. And as for the wounded, the scene of the limbs being dumped into plates, saws used to amputate, and the sight of the injured are pretty grim, but then again, Germany was up the creek without a paddle, so to say.

Eva Braun's life of the party personality boosts flagging morale during those last days, in the impromptu parties she stages, leading to dancing and drinking. She even befriends Traudl, confiding in her at one point how she hated Blondi, Hitler's dog and even kicked it when the dictator wasn't looking.

One debit for Nazi history buffs is the where certain major players aren't clearly identified. Only later in the epilogue, do we realize, "oh, that was supposed to be Goering, Jodl, Martin Bormann etc."

I marveled at Bruno Ganz's performance as the angel Damiel in Himmel Uber Berlin, and he outdoes himself as Hitler in this movie, getting the dictator's nervous twitch in his left hand to a tee. He exhibits bouts of madness, outright callousness, and a man totally out of touch with the reality of the situation. Yet, he is shown to be gentle and caring to certain individuals, such as his secretary and to Eva Braun. When one of his trusted henchmen Albert Speer announces his decision to flee, Hitler is saddened, even heartbroken at this desertion. Ulrich Matthes's portrayal as Josef Goebbels is amazing, as when comparing him to photos of the propaganda minister, there is a striking resemblance.

Alexandra Maria Lara (Traudl) is the other great performer that boosts Der Untergang. Not even a strong National Socialist, she still remains loyal to the Fuhrer, believing in him till it becomes apparent that Germany's defeat is certain. With the real Traudl Junge bookending the movie in two scenes, I have to say she is hard on herself for not realizing the atrocities that went on during the Reich, even though she wasn't an avid Nazi.

But it's Corinna Harfouch as Magda Goebbels, she who believed that there was no future in a world without National Socialism, and coldly poisoned her offspring, making her with someone with more backbone than her husband. The actual scene when she poisons her children is also quite disturbing.

One of the best movies on Hitler, with the best ever portrayal of him in a movie. To accompany this, I also recommend the documentary Death In The Bunker, whose events parallel that of Fest's book and this movie.

Depressing but amazing........2007-09-06

I didn't see this movie until recently. I've been a real WW2 buff since junior high but this aspect of it was something I didn't realize or think about. The only other doc I've seen about this subject is a History Channel doc called "Days That Shook the World" which was basically high quality renactments with Edward Hermann's fantastic narration.

Based on that and other things I've read, I can honestly say that this is the most accurate WW2 film I've seen in a long time. The events that happen in this film are true to what happened, although they did compress things. They created some moments, such as the young boy Peter Granz, that distilled the real situation. More than that, they do a better job than most WW2 films of showing that these Germans, even Hitler and Goebells, as human beings, psychotic human beings, but human none the less.

Amazing cinemtography captures the darkness of the time, when the city was being shelled and attacked by the Russians. It's dirty and never glamourous and clean and even when it is, it looks surreal and almost ridiculous.

There are moments that cause you to look away from the screen, the Goebells' children cheif among them. But it makes it that much more amazing.

The performances make you feel like the cameramen were embedded with the nazi's in the bunker. Bruno Ganz channels Hitler, his seductive qualities as well as his psychotic qualities. Yelling at his officers and staff, calmly talking about suicide, being almost fatherly to Eva and Traudl, all of that add's to his complexity. It's a stunning performance. My other favorite performance comes from Christian Berkel who plays Dr. Schenk.

The fact that this is a German film makes it even better. For once, you see Germans, Nazi's speaking in German. It brings the authenticity to the film.

Amazing piece of work.

Realism at its best.......2007-08-31

Outstanding reality and production value highlight this engrossing film.
Gantz is superior in his turn as Hitler. The subtitles take away from the overall experience--- this needs dubbing or an English version to make it truely outstanding. A 4 1/2 star rating instead of 5 because of the distracting subtitles

Average customer rating:

Something Different
THE POSSIBILITY OF THE HUMAN RACE ON THE EXTINCION LIST!
Prepare to snooze
AN UNIQUE CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE in HI-DEF GLORY
If this is what the world's going to come to ... Why are we here?

Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Juan Gabriel Yacuzzi , Michelle Hussain , Rob Curling , Jon Chevalier , and Rita Davies
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000N6TX1I
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Amazon.com

Presenting a bleak, harrowing, and yet ultimately hopeful vision of humankind's not-too-distant future, Children of Men is a riveting cautionary tale of potential things to come. Set in the crisis-ravaged future of 2027, and based on the atypical 1993 novel by British mystery writer P.D. James, the anxiety-inducing, action-packed story is set in a dystopian England where humanity has become infertile (the last baby was born in 2009), immigration is a crime, refugees (or "fugees") are caged like animals, and the world has been torn apart by nuclear fallout, rampant terrorism, and political rebellion. In this seemingly hopeless landscape of hardscrabble survival, a jaded bureaucrat named Theo (Clive Owen) is drawn into a desperate struggle to deliver Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the world's only pregnant woman, to a secret group called the Human Project that hopes to discover a cure for global infertility. As they carefully navigate between the battling forces of military police and a pro-immigration insurgency, Theo, Kee, and their secretive allies endure a death-defying ordeal of urban warfare, and director Alfonso Cuaron (with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) capture the action with you-are-there intensity. There's just enough humor to balance the film's darker content (much of it coming from Michael Caine, as Theo's aging hippie cohort), and although Children of Men glosses over many of the specifics about its sociopolitical worst-case scenario (which includes Julianne Moore in a brief but pivotal role), it's still an immensely satisfying, pulse-pounding vision of a future that represents a frightening extrapolation of early 21st-century history. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Something Different.......2007-09-15

This is one of those movies that presents a possible future of what the human race might look like after some catastrophe occurs.

What that catastrophe was I don't know but somehow women cannot become pregnant.

Why the world (or at least England) has descended into chaos and despair I also don't know. Perhaps as nobody was born and the work force retired there was nobody left to take their place. There were no kids left to work at McDonalds, etc.. so anarchy eventually broke out perhaps.

This is an interesting concept as far as what sorts of things could really destroy the human race or at least put the world into a similar state. Pathogens were created in the former Soviet Union during the cold war that could do something like this. Hopefully these will never fall into the wrong hands.

Mainly I picked up this movie to see the sniper from 'The Bourne Identity' in another role. He's more of a good guy in this movie although he's back in the cross hairs again.

To me Clive is a great actor.

Clive is the main character so I wonder why he's not listed in the description on amazon.com:

Starring: Juan Gabriel Yacuzzi, Michelle Hussain

Jeff Marzano

The Bourne Identity (Full Screen Extended Edition)

THE POSSIBILITY OF THE HUMAN RACE ON THE EXTINCION LIST!.......2007-09-13

this film was great. it was deep, and had a lot to say. really makes you think, about the world and the population in general. petty things that don't matter compared to a fear of us being no more on this earth. another point made is that mother nature is above all science, and man here. very well written, the whole story was very interesting, and shows what one man with nothing to live for, would do for mankind. clive owen gives a brilliant performance. this put his name on the map, defenitly. well acted, nailed his character right on the mark. from an ordinary man to a hero in a day. julianne moore and michael caine played meaningful roles, both gave a huge sacrifice for the miracle of the world. this movie is very entertaining, shows how the world because of us has gone to hell, all hope is lost, when out of nowhere we get a second chance. brilliant idea, loved it.

Prepare to snooze.......2007-09-01

What a great concept for a movie and what a poor execution of it! The story is that the world has gone sterile (no more babies being born) but nature has fought back and one woman is finally pregnant. Trouble is, she's not part of the "preferred" class and the upper-echelon would disect her and her child if given half a chance. Clive Owen is called into service to shuttle her through numerous dangers and get her to a rebel group called "The Human Project" where she'll be safe. The downside to this movie is that it takes FOR FRIKKIN' EVER to tell that story and there's way too much exposition that takes place. The story moves about as slow as molasses on a cold day in January.

There are good performances. Clive Owen does great. Michael Caine is hilarious with his "pull my finger" bit. Some of the other lesser-known actors turn in competent performances as well.

The movie just lasts too long and moves way too slowly for me to reccommend anyone see it...unless you've got insomnia and need something to help you go to sleep. It's a shame because when I heard the premise for this story, I thought it was going to be a real winner.

AN UNIQUE CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE in HI-DEF GLORY.......2007-08-29

Two things can be said about this product:
a) This is a great film.
b) This is a great HD DVD edition.

SYNOPSIS: The world is in chaos in 2027. Mankind decays slowly and faces its extinction as infertility has been the rule for over 18 years. Theo (Clive Owen), a disillusioned man, must escort through a sea of unimaginable adversities the most precious person: a pregnant woman.

THE FILM is great at many levels. First, I'd say it is because of a great cast. Clive Owen is the perfect "zombie", a man who just lets himself go on with nothing to look forward to. His performance is unforgettable as a passive anti-hero who'll go all the way in order to accomplish his mission. Julianne Moore is also perfect as she gives a very quiet and underplayed performance as an activist hunted by the police (with whom Theo was once in love). Michael Caine shines (as usual) as an old hippie who now lives in the woods - in fact, his performance made me go back many times because it is so rich and physical... I really had to see it again several times at certain scenes.

The Production Design is a landmark.
Rarely we have seen such a puzzling look at the future. It is not Blade Runner. It is not Star Trek. It is not I, Robot. It is simply (if I try to define it) a version of the future which is incomplete... as (like i said before) mankind is slowly disappearing, the future becomes stagnant and reduced to minimum signs of utopia and evident signs of dystopia.

The direction is precise and creative.
The director really succeeds in giving us his full vision of the story, in scenes that are absolutely great. Using excruciatingly long takes, he really succeeds in giving us the true feel and the emotion behind the story. The car sequence is unbelievable. The old building shootout scene is unbelievable - just to chose two.

The cinematography & camera work are perfect.
From the composition of the shots to the light in each shot/scene... the camera movements, the focus... everything here is right. I loved the blood drops on the lenses. you really don't see things like that every day...

The screenplay is near perfect.
Well paced and well developed. It makes all journeys though "urban chaos" look like Disneyland. Characters and situations are very well written. I really felt the screenplay went where the story needed to go.

Special effects are perfect.
THEY ARE UNBELIEVABLY GREAT!!!!!

This HD DVD edition is a combo disc meaning that the disc comes with two sides: side A is a HD DVD side. Side B is a regular DVD side you can play everywhere.

Isn't it great?

The extras are great:
- Picture in Picture interviews with the director, crew and cast. (an exclusive HD DVD format feature not possible in the Blu-ray format).
- U control feature: exploring the imagery (another HD DVD exclusive feature that takes advantage of HDi).
- Info & Commercials: expanded from what we saw in the movie while we watch the movie. VERY DISTURBING! (another HD DVD exclusive feature).
- The Possibility of Hope: a documentary exploring the themes you'll find in the film.
- Under Attack: a short piece showing us how they made two very hard scenes (yes, the car sequence is there!).
- Deleted scenes (the one in the Art Ministry is my favorite).
- Theo & Julian: a short piece detailing the characters/actors relationship.
- Futuristic Design: a short piece on the stunning visual aspects of the film (a must see!).
- Commentary.

This is one those titles that really show you how great HD DVD is.
HD DVD is truly a great format. It delivers the goods. It is the best choice.
A treasure!

If this is what the world's going to come to ... Why are we here?.......2007-08-28

Amazing how two films about babies that I've seen in the past couple of days (this and Knocked Up) can make me feel so differently about the world. For starters, Knocked Up made me feel depressed about relationships in general. Children of Men ultimately makes me feel like getting on a roof top and shooting all the zombies.

Wrong film.

Children of Men ultimately makes me feel like getting on a roof top, with a megaphone, and telling everyone to throw away their pill, their condoms, etc. If every woman in the world is going to end up infertile, then lets get procreating now!

Hahahahaha.

OK, a bit OTT, but what a harrowing film this is to watch. It's all about the world in 2027 (twenty years away) when no child has been born in 18 years, as all women are infertile, and the world's youngest human is murdered. Clive Owen (I know!) is sought out by an ex girlfriend (played by Julianne Moore) to help protect a pregnant girl.

It's set in a very dark and depressing England, filled with guns, violence and lots of not very nice things. The film did grip me from beginning to end, purely because of how shocking it is, despite the fact I hate Clive Owen's acting with a passion. It's a infinitely shocking movie, which will leave you depressed, full of no passion for life anymore - yeah, I do let myself get too affected by movies sometimes. Give me a couple of days. The best thing to do after watching this movie, is to get into bed with the person you love and stay there. Hehe.

Average customer rating:

The Lord works in strange and inconvenient ways.
A Little Stoic
The Humble Jewish Origins of Yeshua, Mary, and Joseph
A wonderful and surprisingly moving look at the story of Jesus' birth
Beautiful depiction of Christ's birth

The Nativity Story
Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes , Oscar Isaac , Hiam Abbass , Shaun Toub , and Ciarán Hinds
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
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ASIN: B000MGBM1I
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Amazon.com

The Nativity Story is a remarkable, if frustratingly restrained, act of imagining the tale of Christ's birth as a flesh-and-blood drama actually set in Israel two millenia ago. Written by Mike Rich (Finding Forrester) and directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen), the film makes very strong impressions in a scene-by-scene way. Beginning with the slaughter (bloodlessly portrayed; this is a PG movie) of Bethlehem's innocents under orders from a paranoid King Herod (a dark and knowing Ciarán Hinds), the film then jumps back a year to the prophecy that informs Zechariah (Stanley Townsend) that his wife, Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo), will bear a child. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's cousin, the adolescent Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes), struggles with her family to make ends meet and is promised to the carpenter Joseph (Oscar Isaac). Soon comes word to Mary, via an angel, that she will carry, while still a virgin, the long-awaited Messiah who will liberate the Jews from Herod and his Roman benefactors. Thus begins a detailed account of Joseph and Mary's hard travel to Bethlehem, while three Magi spend months crossing the desert trying to rendezvous with some point below the convergence of three heavenly bodies in the night sky. Hardwicke and Rich anchor all this in period detail, though what proves most moving are relationship nuances, especially the friendship and trust that emerge between Mary and Joseph after he is told in a dream that she speaks truthfully about her miraculous pregnancy. While The Nativity Story should appeal to almost anyone as a straightforward narrative, it is far from a secular version of the familiar Biblical tale, and thus feels a bit stifled. It might have been nice if the film could have breathed a little more with imagination, but The Nativity Story makes up for it by ingeniously weaving hints of things to come, later in Christ's life, into the action. --Tom Keogh

Description

It was the cruelest of times. Under Herod's torturous reign, families struggled to survive and yet, in the midst of utter turmoil, a young woman's faith is put to the test. Join Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) and Joseph (Oscar Isaac) on an incredible journey of hope and discovery. Epic in its scope, yet intimate in it's portrayal of this historical family, this "wonderful film" (Bill Zwecker, Chicago Sun Times) is "a family feature that will be cherished for years to come!" (Greg Russell, WMYD-TV, Detroit).

Customer Reviews:

The Lord works in strange and inconvenient ways........2007-09-14

The great thing about this movie is that it shows the unfolding of the events surrounding the birth of Christ is something like "real time". We get to see day-to-day life in Nazareth, and how the lives of Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and their families were impacted by Mary's pregnancy and the attempts by the Romans to keep the Messiah from being born.

I thought the sets were great, the photography beautiful, and the soundrack very appropriate.

My one criticism is that the acting was for the most part dry and emotionless. It's like there wasn't a lot of acting in the acting, if that makes any sense.

Certainly worth seeing once, epecially for Christians, but as for me I don't think it will be one of the movies that will be come a Christmas tradition. Once through is enough.

A Little Stoic.......2007-07-24

While the story is powerfully displayed, Keisha is terribly stoic in her acting. Mary is supposed to be the Jesus-loving humble servent of God. But Keisha hardly shows emotion except for anger at an arranged marriage. For instance, when Joseph finally believes that she is pregnant by the Holy Spirit, she just simply says, "you believe me". No emotion or relief in her voice, but rather almost sadness. That should've been a joyful scene because she is no longer believed to be a harlot or a whore by the man who's going to spend the rest of his days with her. Other than that, the added fiction about the stars and the development of the three wise men was very interesting.

The Humble Jewish Origins of Yeshua, Mary, and Joseph.......2007-07-17

A human portrayal of the humble and human origins of Jesus through the Nativity story of Mary and Jospeh, Zachariah and Elizabeth, under the oppression of King Herod's paranoid lust for power. Three wise men in Persia read the stars to decipher that a Messiah is soon to be born while a poor Jewish girl of 13 is approached by an angel informing her that she is to give brith to the Messiah. People often forget that Jesus was born in a very meek circumstance and his mysterious origins brought on defilement and rage from the proud Pharisees. The Nativity story portrays the political and social context that the Jews were living in and how the promise of the Messiah brought a tyrannical King to fear. This also depicts how a young girl faces ridicule for faith and the near blasphemous claims that preceeded the birth of Christ in an obscure Jewish village called Nazareth.

A wonderful and surprisingly moving look at the story of Jesus' birth.......2007-07-07

When you're talking about film adaptations of the story of Christ's birth, the old rubric "if you've seen one, you've seen them all" just does not apply. That is especially the case with The Nativity Story, a truly wonderful film that conveys great spiritual power, even as it brings home the humanity of Mary and Joseph to a degree few of its predecessors ever even attempted. Keisha Castle-Hughes is wonderful as young Mary, but I tend to look upon this film as Joseph's story, and Oscar Isaac is more than up to the task of bringing this humble carpenter to vivid life.

The Nativity Story basically tells the story of Mary and Joseph from the time Mary is betrothed and then finds out she is to give birth to God's Son up through the time of Jesus' birth and the family's evacuation to Egypt. It does an exceptional job of humanizing Mary and Joseph. At 14, Mary is on the brink of womanhood, and early on we are treated with several moments showing us a glimpse of the normal child she was. Her sudden betrothal to Joseph is not something she welcomes, but we see it as a reality of family survival in those troubled times under the double domination of Herod and Rome. When the angel appears to her, she accepts the good news he brings - yet she doesn't completely believe it until she finds her much older cousin Elizabeth carrying the child who would be Jesus' messenger. Her most trying time comes when she returns home. A lot of adaptations tend to gloss over this part. Put yourself in her place, though - she's a 14-year-old girl, betrothed to a good man, who returns home with a child she claims to have been miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit. Her story was even less plausible back then than it would be today. Suddenly, she is a pariah of sorts, looked down upon by all who know her, her very future very much in doubt.

The thing I loved most about this film is the depth of its portrayal of Joseph. All too often, Joseph gets short shrift in the story of Christ's birth, but this film has one of the best characterizations of Joseph I've ever seen. Obviously mortified by Mary's pregnancy, he refuses to accuse her (thus very probably saving her life). Even after he is visited by an angel and told that Mary is indeed carrying the Son of God, it takes a lot of courage for him to take Mary as his wife and to claim a child that is not his. On the long and hard road to Bethlehem, we see many small yet all-encompassing examples of his sacrifice for Mary and the Child. After their arrival and frantic effort to find a room, it is Joseph who delivers the child himself. The bond that grows between he and Mary is one of this film's many great strengths.

The portrayal of the three Wise Men from the East is especially interesting, as they sometimes serve up a few bits of comic relief. One of them, for example, is less than enthused about actually traveling to Judea to find the child whose birth they have predicted based upon their study of the stars (with the star of Bethlehem being attributed to the rare convergence of three heavenly bodies). It really was a hard journey, requiring several months of travel across deserts and mountains. By conveying their journey basically in its entirety, this film produced in me a new level of respect for these men and their significance in the story of Jesus' birth.

The final half hour of the film pretty much blew me away. The light of the Star shining down on the manger, the depiction of the shepherds, the arrival of the Magi - it all really brings home the significance of this newborn baby. As if that isn't enough, the story also features some subtle and profound foreshadowing of later events in Jesus' life. For Christians, the film is truly a blessing, but even nonbelievers should appreciate the poignancy of the story, the fine acting, and the excellent cinematography - and everyone should welcome the opportunity to glance into the rearview mirror of time and get a sense of life as it was just over two thousand years ago.

Beautiful depiction of Christ's birth.......2007-07-07

The story of the Nativity has been told and retold, yet somehow this movie manages to make it seem new, by an honest and moving retelling of the story of the birth of Christ. Following the accounts told in the Bible by Matthew and Luke, the filmmakers create a dignified depiction of the events and the people surrounding Christ's birth. The shame of Mary's pregnancy is shown from the point of view of Joseph and Mary's parents. After an angel appears to Joseph and explains that Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit, his relationship with Mary grows in a beautiful way. The film makers wisely resist Hollywood glitz and keep the story simple and human, while still impressing viewers with the importance of the world-changing event they are re-enacting.

Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

a majestic masterpiece.........
A treasure to own
Beautiful Film
Watched this when
Gandhi

Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Ben Kingsley , Candice Bergen , Edward Fox , John Gielgud , and Trevor Howard
Director: Richard Attenborough
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000KX0IOA
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Amazon.com

Sir Richard Attenborough's 1982 multiple-Oscar winner (including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Ben Kingsley) is an engrossing, reverential look at the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi, who introduced the doctrine of nonviolent resistance to the colonized people of India and who ultimately gained the nation its independence. Kingsley is magnificent as Gandhi as he changes over the course of the three-hour film from an insignificant lawyer to an international leader and symbol. Strong on history (the historic division between India and Pakistan, still a huge problem today, can be seen in its formative stages here) as well as character and ideas, this is a fine film. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Gandhi (click for larger image)

Beyond Gandhi on Amazon.com

Other Oscar Winners at Oscar Central
More Biographies on DVD
The Films of Ben Kingsley

Description

A critical masterpiece, GANDHI is an intriguing story about activism, politics, religious tolerance and freedom. But at the center of it all is an extraor- dinary man who fought for a nonviolent, peaceful existence, and set an entire nation free. Winner of 8 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Best Director (Lord Richard Attenborough) and Best Actor (Sir Ben Kingsley), GANDHI's highly acclaimed cast also includes Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, Sir John Gielgud, Roshan Seth and Martin Sheen.

The extras include more than 90 minutes of new material, including interviews with director Lord Richard Attenborough; actors Geraldine James, Saeed Jaffrey, and Edward Fox; Diana Hawkins (Director of Publicity), Terry Clegg (Executive in charge of production), Billy Williams (Cinematographer) and Stuart Craig (Production Designer). The DVD includes a Director's commentary with Attenborough, who also filmed a personal introduction to the film. The featurettes include In Search of Gandhi, Reflections on Ben, Madeleine Slade: An Englishwoman Abroad, The Funeral, Shooting an Epic In India, Looking Back, Designing Gandhi (3 mini featurettes) and From the Director's Chair (2 mini featurettes).

Customer Reviews:

a majestic masterpiece................2007-09-09

GANDHI is nothing short of a beautiful work of cinematic art. Director Lord Richard Attenborough beautifully recounts the life of the late, great Mahatma Ghandi. His journey as an aspiring young lawyer in South Africa is forever changed when he is thrown off of a train for being a "kaffir" (a pejorative term for dark-complected South Africans). It was then that he realized just how biased the laws were against Indians, and, thus, began his life long dedication to non-violent protest as well as working as a proponent of the campaign to emancipate India from the oppressive British rule.

Ben Kingsley beautifully portrays the title character and won a well-deserved Academy Award for his performance. The cinematography is gorgeous, the supporting cast works great together as an ensemble, and the production truly honors Gandhi and his message. This film is one of the most important historically-based biographical films out there. See this today.

A treasure to own.......2007-08-26

I was born many decades after the Mahatma's passing, and was privileged to see this picture when it premiered in our town in India. I bought the DVD so my children could learn of the man who played a central role in setting India free.

It is in some sense, entirely befitting that the movie was made by a Britisher, and an actor of British/Indian origin in the lead role. Other reviwers have complained of a bias -- I see none, except perhaps a bias towards the deification of Gandhi. I would have liked to see more of the human side of the Mahatma in the movie.

The DVD has been beautifully mastered, and plays very well on an HDTV. It definitely has a place in the library of anyone else interested in the impact of Gandhi's principles on history.

Beautiful Film.......2007-08-24

The film opens with Gandhi's assassination. The next scene, his funeral, is one of the greatest scenes in cinematic history. Attenborough managed to recreate Gandhi's funeral on January 31st, 1981, the 33rd anniversary of the actual funeral. It is estimated that nearly 400,000 people were on hand to be a part of the filming the recreation. This film was made before CGI, so the funeral scene is probably the last live action crowd of that magnitude that will ever be filmed.

Chronicling the rich, unforgettable life of a one Mohandas K. "Mahatma" Gandhi - played to shocking perfection by the wonderful Sir Ben Kingsley -this is a film that I can say really, deeply affected me with its power, its scale, and of course, its timeless message of love and non-violence. As a matter of fact, ever since I first saw the film, and became much more aware of the back story, I can also say that Gandhi is now one of my biggest role models in life. I cannot fully express how much this great man's way of thinking - his words, his struggles, his accomplishments - has affected my own.

Ben Kingsley played Gandhi. He was the perfect for the role. He resembled the real Gandhi. He was young enough to portray Gandhi as a young man. He is a British actor that nailed the British influenced Indian accent. He is a wonderful actor that was patient and humble with such an important part. And he was a relatively unknown actor at the time, so the "big-time actor" persona did not get in the way of viewing the film.

No other film biography I ever have seen works so well. It will stand the test of time and inform multiple generations.

Watched this when .......2007-08-14

I was younger and was bored out of my mind. Watched it this evening and was enthralled. A very good film about Gandhi. Excellent movie showing the truth about his life and struggle to bring independence to India and freedom to humans.

Gandhi.......2007-07-06

The multiple-Oscar-winning "Gandhi" explores the life and principles of an extraordinary man who became an enduring example of holiness, humility, and humane resistance. Ben Kingsley inhabits his role with saintly authority, brilliantly conveying Gandhi's charisma and unwavering courage, while Candice Bergen (as photographer Margaret Bourke-White) and John Gielgud (as Lord Irwin) also shine in their respective roles. Melodramatic epic sequences--especially the Salt March and massacre scenes, which required Attenborough to direct 300,000 extras--are handled with graceful verisimilitude. A deeply moving, masterful epic.

Average customer rating:

Call me a killjoy but...
Great Great movie
Volver lives up to Oscar Hype!
Loud Kisses of Almodovar's Women
Absolutely Delightful!

Volver
Starring: Penélope Cruz , Carmen Maura , Lola Dueñas , Blanca Portillo , and Yohana Cobo
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000N3T0DW
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Amazon.com

Spanish for "Coming Back," Volver is a return to the all-female format of All About My Mother. Unlike Pedro Almodóvar's previous two pictures, the story revolves around a group of women in Madrid and his native La Mancha. (The cast received a collective best actress award at Cannes.) Raimunda (a zaftig Penélope Cruz) is the engine powering this heartfelt, yet humorous vehicle. When husband Paco (Antonio de la Torre) is murdered, Raimunda makes like Mildred Pierce to deflect attention away from daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo). After telling everyone the lout has left, she struggles to conceal his body. The other women in her life all have secrets of their own. Her sister, Sole (Lola Dueñas), for instance, has taken in their mother, Irene (a sprightly Carmen Maura). Since Irene perished in a fire, is this person a ghost or simply a woman who looks like her? Then there's their childhood friend, Agustina (Blanca Portillo), who is desperate to find out why her mother disappeared after the blaze. Was she responsible? Almodóvar deftly blends the ghost story with the murder mystery in his tribute to the Italian neo-realist films of the 1950s. The resilient Raimunda is a throwback to the earthy heroines of Sophia Loren and Anna Magnani. The latter appears in Luchino Visconti's Bellissima, which shows up on Sole's television one night (thus confirming the link). If Almodóvar's 16th feature lacks the emotional punch of the more audacious Talk to Her, it's less heavy-handed than Bad Education and Cruz is a revelation. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

Call me a killjoy but..........2007-09-11

I don't think we women need a man to tell us that we really don't need men in our lives (even when we need to move a huge freezer with a dead guy in it), that we're capable of supporting each other and forming happy little communities of just our strong selves that reject all those perverted male slackers and any other men that might come sniffing around (What? I am a feminist). Almodovar's story is so been-done-already. Anotonia's Line did it much better and won the 1995 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. It was even less subtle, but at least it was written and directed by a woman.

I was really bored by this little soap opera, but kept watching because I was hoping for a twist in the end. I thought that maybe, in the end, the little family might make sense because it would turn out that ridiculously gorgeous Raimunda was actually not related by blood to her mother Irene and sister Soledad, who, played by Carmen Maura and Lola Duenas, actually look believable and very much like mother and daughter but nothing like Penelope Cruz who got so much attention for her portrayal of Raimunda. But no such luck. Evidently, Almodovar just had to have Penelope, with her cleavage and pouty mouth, in his movie, whether she made sense or not.

Great Great movie.......2007-09-08

Memorable lines, memorable characters and a certain magic only Almodóvar can bring...This is a great movie in the true style of Almodóvar films. Penélope Cruz powerfully acts the character of Raimunda and shines doing so. This powerful cast of women act with the poignant entonation that is reminiscent of theater (with their strong and paused acting perfectly queued to deliver the perfect lines) but with the allure and aesthetics of film. The actress that played the daughter is not as good though: a little bland or jaded. This is defiantely a movie to see.

Volver lives up to Oscar Hype!.......2007-08-28

I loved this movie. All the female stars are excellent. It was hard to know if it was a ghost story or real. The director is always great with the way he tells stories from a women's point of view. This film was even better than his classic, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." I highly recommend this film! Cruz shines!

Loud Kisses of Almodovar's Women.......2007-08-27

Along with "El Laberinto del fauno" and "Babel", "Volver" (2006)- written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar tale of family ties, hidden secrets, deaths, and forgiveness is a disappointment for me. One of the most praised and showered with the awards films from last year, "Volver", is IMO dull, non-compelling, and often laughable when supposed to be sweet, moving, and dramatic. I see what Almodovar was trying to do in "Volver". It is his own "Amarcord", his tribute and loving dedication to the women in his life, his admiration for mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts; for eternal femininity as a driving force of life, for women's love, strengths, understanding, and their complicated but caring relationships. "Volver" is above all about the closest, the most tender and most complex relationship two women may have, that of a mother and her daughter, and how far a mother would go to protect her child, her girl who is always a little girl for her no matter how old she is, and how much a mother would regret and blame herself for not having noticed things that would ruin her child's life and forever alter in the most devastating ways the child's love and trust for her mother.

In "Volver" ("To Return" in English), a mother (Irene, played by Carmen Maura) comes from dead to resolve the problems and to settle the affairs she could not finish during her life and by doing so, she would repair and re-vitalize her relationship with her daughters (Penélope Cruz, in an Oscar-nominated performance, and Lola Dueñas in an understated, subtly humorous performance) and her teenage granddaughter (Yohana Cobo, Cruz's daughter).

"Volver" is also the writer/director's love letter to the Italian films of 50th and 60th with the great stars Anna Magniani and Sophia Lauren shining as strong earthy beautiful and sensual women - mothers. It is for that reason, in one of the scenes of "Volver", Irene watches on TV an old movie, "Bellissima" (1951) directed by Luchino Visconti with Anna Magnani as a mother who desperately tries to make her little girl's life better than hers. It is also for the same reason, Penelope Cruz had to put on few pounds for her Raimunda and to use a prosthetic device that artificially enhanced her rear end and widened her hips which along with her huge dark eyes and voluptuous sex appeal made her look like Sophia Loren's of the "Two Women" (1960 ) re-incarnation. I am gladly joining the legion of viewers for whom Cruz was a revelation in her third Almodovar's film. She's never looked more stunning and I am sure that she is a much better actress in Spanish films where she is natural, confidant, comfortable, and commands the screen. "Volver" has been her best achievement so far. Her Oscar nomination is well deserved as the Cannes Best Actress award to the female ensemble cast is. All performances in "Volver" are above average and deserve the praise.

As for the movie itself, I think Almodovar went too far in his idolizing and idealizing women and depicting all males in the movie as no good, cheating, and abusive evil presence. His verdict for them - they don't deserve to live. Not only that, the men in "Volver" don't even deserve their mysterious disappearances and/or suspicious deaths be investigated properly because nobody seem to care, and the least - Pedro Almodovar. He is too busy to photograph the women kissing each other so often that it becomes irritating and annoying.

While watching the film, another famous European director, no less ambitious with the distinguished style, came to my mind - Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Almodovar has been often compared to Fassbinder because of similar for both directors' approach in creating iconoclastic films with elements of gay and counter culture incorporated into mainstream genres; the films that masterfully combine violence and sensuality, sentimental melodrama and soap opera with dark comedy, and the ambitious use of prime colors. Both directors have made wonderful movies about women. While Fassbinder was able to show his admiration for but never idealization of women, Almodovar was not fully successful in his latest film due to the story which is inconclusive, non-logical, often implausible, and more than often simply non-involving with many plot lines never been resolved, many questions never been answered, and with the ending, abrupt like in the middle of the conversation

Absolutely Delightful! .......2007-08-17

Almodovar never fails when it comes to heartfelt entertainment. I'm a huge fan, and "Volver" did not disappoint. The very simple, yet very complicated, scenario is populated by real, fleshed-out characters, given complete interpretations by a stellar cast. Ms. Cruz, of course, is luminous, and her talents belie atrocious handling in Hollywood. Those beautiful eyes say so much, and her control centers the crazy goings on. It's hard to describe the plot, even a bit, without blabbing away vital plot-points, but it's certainly a showcase for women, which is where Sr. Almodovar excels. All of the women fit their roles perfectly, and the great Carmen Maura is back to add endless intrigue. Indeed, so many women with so many completely different issues, in this age of "thankless role for women", is certainly a treasure. The brilliant use of color to enhance the proceedings, as well as the mind-blowing plot(s), put this high on Sr. Almodovar's list of fine achievements.

The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Ok movie, but no hit....
A rough transistion from book to movie
Disappointing
DaVinci Code more truthful than the Fiction in the Bible!!!
ugh Tom Hanks...

The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Tom Hanks , Audrey Tautou , Ian McKellen , Jean Reno , and Paul Bettany
Director: Ron Howard
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD