DVD Review: I Love You, Man
Garrett Conti - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Aug 12, 2009
In this ever-evolving world of buddy comedies, thanks in part to Judd Apatow and his stable of comedic sidekicks, "I Love You, Man" finds its place just above the middle of the pack. Director John Hamburg's feature -- starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel -- is an enjoyable one, in that it paints an entertaining and humorous portrait of friendship and capitalizes on the strengths of a talented cast. However, the story turns out to be all-too predictable, and even repetitive, heading into the closing credits. Rudd stars as Peter, an out-of-touch real estate agent looking to make some friends. Upon his engagement to Zooey (Rashida Jones), he realizes that he doesn't have anyone to be his best man. Peter has been in relationships for most of his life, and his buddies have fallen by the wayside. After several failed attempts to find a good group of pals, Peter soon runs across Sydney (Segel), an eccentric fellow with a loose lease on life. As the pair becomes closer, Zooey gets jealous, and eventually walks out on Peter. When Peter breaks things off with his new best friend to get his girl back, Zooey realizes how much her fiance misses Sydney, and attempts to get the guys back together. While Rudd and Segel are superb in their roles, Jon Favreau and Jaime Pressly -- coupled together as an embattled married couple -- lock up some of the funniest moments. The DVD offers some funny special features, including deleted and extended scenes and outtakes where Segel and Rudd work out alternate versions of scenes, a making-of featurette. Commentary and a gag reel also are on board.
R; 2009.
Our Take: 2.5 Stars.
Rent It: An OK bromance tale with moments of levity.
Zac Efron, the dancing and singing heartthrob from "High School Musical" fame, is on a mission to break away from teen idol status and establish himself as a serious player on the silver screen. "17 Again" is one of the actor's first steps in that process, with Efron in the lead role of this romantic comedy about a married man (Matthew Perry) with plenty of regrets. Efron shows some range. More importantly, though, it's not his fault that "17 Again" is a predictable feature film that offers few laughs. Directed by Burr Steers, the film follows Mike O'Donnell (Perry), a man that was forced to give up on his basketball dreams in high school because he got his girlfriend pregnant. Some 20 years later, Mike is still sulking about missing his big chance, and his high school sweetheart (Leslie Mann) wants a divorce. With his life falling apart, Mike makes a wish to go back and start all over again. To his surprise, the wish comes true, and now young Mike (Efron) is back in high school, with his two kids as his classmates. When he realizes what he's been missing out on in his marriage, he goes out of his way to return to his older self. Standard single-disc DVDs don't include any special features. Blu-ray, however, is filled with extras, with deleted scenes, commentary, outtakes, featurettes and an interactive trivia track.
PG-13; 2009.
Our Take: 1.5 Stars.
Skip It: Don't worry too much about missing this high school reunion.
'The Class'
Based on a 2006 semi-autobiographical book of the same name by Francois Begaudeau, "The Class" is a turbulent and moving look inside the classroom of an inner-city middle school classroom in Paris. Besides penning the inspiration for this one, Begaudeau also stars in the leading role of the French teacher. At its best, the film is layered with honesty and the real-life situations a teacher is faced with on a daily basis, and that's what makes this film special. Unlike most features based on the educational system, "The Class" doesn't fall into the trap of endless cliches featuring tough kids suddenly taking a liking to ballroom dancing or the obscure poetry of some literary giant. Nominated for a 2008 Academy Award for best foreign language film and winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, "The Class" tracks Begaudeau's experience through an entire school year. The viewer experiences the teacher's tough responsibility of handing out discipline, making the "Diary of Anne Frank" relevant, dealing with out-of-classroom issues in a melting-pot neighborhood and, most importantly, drawing the brightness out of his students. There's no flinching. Special features include a solid making-of featurette that expands on the story and the great cast of characters, and commentary. There's more on Blu-ray.
PG-13; 2008.
Our Take: 3.5 Stars.
Buy It: Honesty is the best policy in this French classroom.
'Katyn'
Nominated for a 2007 Academy Award for best foreign language film, "Katyn," by famed Polish director Andrzej Wajda, is an impactful and emotional drama that covers one of the worst wartime massacres in history. The film, based on the book "Post Mortem: The Story of Katyn" by Andrzej Mularczyk, details the stories of wives, girlfriends, parents, children and soldiers who were directly impacted by the massacre that happened during World War II in the Katyn forest in Russia. More than 20,000 Polish authority figures, intellectuals, soldiers and prisoners of war were killed by the Russians and buried in mass graves. After the discovery of the bodies, there was speculation as to who was responsible for the massacre, the Russians or the Germans. This powerful feature puts its fictional characters in and around the massacre, and the viewer's privy to events leading up to the horrific massacre and the fallout. Especially intriguing were the measures taken by the Russians -- after the war -- to cover up what transpired there. "Katyn" has plenty of strengths -- eye-opening cinematography and standout performances included -- the best one being its ability to be personable. The range of emotions carried from script to silver screen by the affected characters make "Katyn" a tremendous accomplishment among wartime films. A quality making-of featurette, interviews with the cast and crew, and commentary shore up this wonderful DVD package.
NR; 2008.
Our Take: 3.5 Stars.
Buy It: A piece of World War II history that many know little or nothing about.
'Gigantic'
This independent film -- starring Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel in lead roles -- is a little too quirky for its own good, as it details the beginnings of a relationship between two people that come from off-kilter families. Making his debut as a director and screenwriter, Matt Aselton's film shows plenty of potential -- specifically in some of its more endearing moments -- but this romantic comedy just goes out of its way to be offbeat, which hinders a story that feels too awkward in key moments. A nice collection of deleted scenes and a stills gallery are the extent of the extras.
R; 2008.
Our Take: 2 Stars.
'Paris 36'
It's easy to get swept away in this enchanting French film directed by Christophe Barratier. It's a visually captivating feature that includes a warm and somewhat gushy story. "Paris 36" focuses on a French playhouse trying to stay in business during tough times. A host of likable characters do their best to keep the magical showplace open even though they're not being paid for their efforts. A few featurettes, the best one zeroing in on newcomer Nora Arnezeder and her leading role, and commentary are available as special features.
PG-13; 2008.
Our Take: 3 Stars.
'London to Brighton'
Gritty and realistic, "London to Brighton" follows a prostitute and a young girl running from gangsters after knocking off one of them. Directed and written by Paul Andrew Williams, the film originally was released in 2006, and it's just now making its way onto DVD here in the States. Better late than never, as this feature film carries with it an incredible intensity within an extraordinary story that's hard to forget. Deleted scenes, an alternate ending, some behind-the-scenes footage and commentary make up the special features.
R; 2006.
Our Take: 3 Stars.
More movie releases:
"The Wild Man of the Navidad" (Justin Meeks, NR, extras), "Mutant Chronicles" (John Malkovich, R, extras), "Lonely Street" (Joe Mantegna, R, extras), "Apres Lui" (Catherine Deneuve, NR, extras), "Demon Warriors" (Somchai Kemglad, R, extras), "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition" (includes all four TMNT films, NR, extras), "Dark Rising" (Jason Reso, NR, extras) and "The Art of War III: Retribution" (Treach, R).
More TV releases:
"90210: The First Season" (six discs, 23 episodes, extras) and "Pulling: The Complete Second Season" (one disc, six episodes, extras).
---
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion
Copyright 2009 by Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
