Quick DVD Reviews

Once
I had heard good things about this one, but I had concerns that it would be too cute and weird for me. Thankfully, I was wrong. It is earnest without being overbearing and both leads are very compelling. The songs are quite terrific and having a peek at the struggling class of the Celtic Tiger is quite novel. It comes across as a less cartoony version of The Commitments. Grade: B+

The Wackness
Much like Once, I had initial apprehensions regarding this movie. Was it just going to be another fairly charming, yet meandering pseudo-indie film? In some ways it was, but in other ways it totally sucked me in. There a whole rhythm to the film that really intrigued me. The young male lead (Josh Peck) quietly builds himself into a very sympathetic character. Ben Kingsley manages to stay a couple of levels below hamminess with a very fun performance. This one is definitely worth checking out. Grade: B+

American Gangster
This was a real disappointment for me. It’s a long, meandering mess. I fell that at least 20 minutes could have been trimmed. I watched the theatrical cut and check the running time constantly. I can’t possibly imagine sitting through the Director’s cut. Both leads are fine, but the whole movie feels like a middle act. Ridley Scott set out to make his Goodfellas or Godfather, but came home with a Blow (another film that didn’t work for me). Grade: C+