Insomnia (DVD) Widescreen In a remote Alaskan town called Nightmute, the murder of a teenage girl has shocked the tight-knit community. The Los Angeles Police Department sends two of its cops--both under investigation by Internal Affairs--to try to s...
In a remote Alaskan town called Nightmute, the murder of a teenage girl has shocked the tight-knit community. The Los Angeles Police Department sends two of its cops--both under investigation by Internal Affairs--to try to solve the crime in Christopher Nolan`s film based on Erik Skjoldbjfrg`s 1997 Norwegian film starring Stellan Skarsgerd. The experienced, weathered Will Dormer (Al Pacino) has nothing in life except for the force. His younger partner, Hap (Martin Donovan), has a family to support and is willing to turn state`s evidence to protect them. Local cop Ellie Burr is excited to work with her hero, Dormer--until she starts uncovering some questionable situations. It isn`t long before Dormer finds the murderer--writer Walter Finch, played with subtle nuances by Robin Williams--but Finch knows a secret that could bring Dormer down. Director Nolan, who stunned audiences with 2001`s inventive MEMENTO, here crafts an atmospheric psychological thriller that is bathed in whites and grays. The acting is uniformly excellent, especially Pacino`s performance as a cop on the edge and Williams as a soft-spoken, low-rent crime novelist. Because it never gets dark in Alaska at this time of year, Dormer (a play off the Spanish word dormir, which means to sleep ) is unable to fall asleep, light always streaming into his hotel room; watching him slowly unravel is a treat.
R"
Director: Christopher Nolan
ACTORS: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Paul Dooley, Maura Tierney
Surviving Desire (DVD)
Filmed for PBS`s American Playhouse, Hal Hartley`s one-hour romantic comedy focuses on Jude (Martin Donovan), a Dostoevsky-obsessed English professor whose life is turned upside down when he falls head over heels for Sofie (Mary Ward), one of his best students. As Jude negotiates the precarious terrain of their relationship, he seeks the advice of his bookish friend Henry, (Matt Malloy).
In one scene, Jude writes Knowing is not enough on the chalkboard of his classroom--a statement that concisely sums up the film`s central theme. This engaging featurette contains many of Hartley`s quirky trademarks, including clipped philosophical discussions and seemingly spontaneous actions--in this case, Donovan`s character suddenly breaking into a hilarious silent dance rountine. Also included are Hartley`s short films THEORY OF ACHIEVEMENT and AMBITION.NR"
Director: Hal Hartley
ACTORS: Martin Donovan, Mary Ward, Matt Malloy, Rebecca Nelson
A Love Divided (DVD)
The personal and the political collide in Sidney Macartneys`s A LOVE DIVIDED, a compelling cinematic rendering of a notorious sectarian conflict in small town Ireland of the 1950s. Transcending the decade`s long, carefully tended barriers between Catholic and protestant, young lovers Sheila Kelly (Orla Brady) and Sean Cloney (Liam Cunningham) marry. Their hometown of Fethard-on-Sea is exquisitely rendered by Macartney, giving a moving portrait of the earthy reality of a small town and its residents bound by history, family, and religion. During their Catholic wedding (the couple marries thrice: Catholic, protestant, and civil) the protestant Sheila is made to sign an agreement promising to educate their children in Catholic schools. The idyll of their family farm and passionate devotion to each other is shattered, however, when Sheila suddenly decides to reject the edicts of the demanding Catholic parson, enrolling her daughter in the local protestant school. When Sheila eventually absconds with the children, Sean`s strong reaction is pushed to extremes of hysteria and animosity by the town`s Catholic community, which orders a protestant boycott. Becoming pawns of age-old animosities, the couple`s dispute becomes a political crisis and a devastating allegory for the convoluted religious conflicts of Ireland.NR"
Director: Sidney Macartney
ACTORS: Liam Cunningham, Orla Brady, Tony Doyle, Nicole Bohan, Sarah Bolger
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (DVD)
The story based on Victor Hugo`s classic tale of undying devotion between the grotesque hunchbacked bell ringer Quasimodo and the object of his affection, lovely Esmerelda.NR"
Are You Being Served? - V. 11 (DVD)
This British comedy series detailing the eccentric staff of a department store is a classic in England and has become a favorite import for American audiences. The salespeople, ranging from pompous snobs to oblivious idiots make shopping at Grace Brothers a rather humorous experience. Of the six episodes in this collection, only one has been released to home video before. Included are Heir Apparent, Closed Circuit, The Erotic Dreams of Mrs. Slocombe, Roots, Sweet Smell of Success, and Conduct Unbecoming. NR"
