New in Home Entertainment
July 17, 2012
Friends with Kids
Rated R for sexual content and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
The very beautiful and talented Jennifer Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein) writes, directs and stars in this terrific little ensemble piece about about two BFFs (Jennifer and Adam Scott) who don’t want to end up bitter and unhappy couples/parents like their miserable married friends so they decide to have a baby together as just friends, in the hope of saving themselves from the complications they’ve seen from other couples. Rounding out the wonderful ensemble are Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd (yes that’s half the cast from Bridesmaids), Megan Fox and Edward Burns. It’s not really a romance or a comedy, but it works on many levels to tell a moving and witty story about relationships once children enter the picture. While not a big earner at the box office, this film deserves a larger audience and will certainly make for a good rental you can watch together when the kids are asleep. A-
Margaret
Rated R for strong language, sexuality, some drug use and disturbing images
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Filmed in 2005, long before she starred in HBO’s True Blood, Oscar-winning actress Anna Paquin is Lisa, a self-serving teenager who is partly the cause of and witness to the accidental death of a woman who is hit by a bus. Co-starring Matt Damon, Matthew Broderick, Mark Ruffalo and many other recognizable faces, the film went through a horrendously long editing process before it was released in 2011 with an edit from Martin Scorsese. Seven years later, writer/director Kenneth Lonergan’s never-before-seen vision for the film is being released on DVD and Blu-ray. At three hours of length the film is definitely a chore to watch at times, but you can tell there is some real talent involved at all levels, and the pretentiousness of the project is intriguing. The writing is solid, the acting is excellent but I feel like the film is trying to say something and I just don’t know what that is yet. This might just be one I pull out from time to time to try to figure out. B
Casa de mi Padre
Rated R for bloody violence, language, some sexual content and drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
If you’ve never been exposed to bad Mexican cinema, then you will probably feel slightly left out of the joke in this new Will Ferrel comedy, filmed almost entirely in Spanish, about the simple son of rancher who seeks revenge for his father’s murder. Ferrell goes completely over-the-top in this spoof of movies that not many folks will understand, but don’t worry, even if you aren’t familiar with the genre, you will still find the movie to be pretty darn funny and at the very least entertaining. B-
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Rated PG-13 for some violence and sexual content, and brief language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Director Lasse Hollstrom (Chocolat) tells this cute little tale about a wealthy Arabian Sheik who loves fly-fishing so much that he hires Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor to find a way to have Salmon run in the desert. This imaginative story based on the book by Paul Torday is a sweet little comedy that will bring a smile to anyone watching. Some of the story, like the disappearance of Blunt’s fiancé, seems fancifully brushed over, but understandable in the spirit of keeping it light-hearted. B
The Inbetweeners: The Complete Series
Available on DVD
This British television import at first look feels like a retread of Freaks and Geeks or American Pie but eventually evolves into a very funny and extremely raunchy coming of age tale about four uncool high schoolers with raging hormones getting into all sorts of trouble. Many of the jokes and antics might be lost due to cultural differences, but it will most likely make many British television lovers very happy. B-