DVD Reviews: 'Bruges,' 'Spiderwick,' 'Persepolis'

Barry Caine - Contra Costa Times

Jun 24, 2008

Postcard pretty:

In Bruges could just as easily be called "Gangsters in Wonderland." The pitch-black comedy-drama kicks off after a volatile London crime boss (Ralph Fiennes) orders two hit men (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) to lay low in Bruges, the oldest medieval town in Belgium, after a hit goes bad.

The fairy-tale-like city gets almost as much screen time as the stars. Years ago I spent a week in this charming town of lazy canals, old architecture, lace-making and great beer; all the sorts of things (except for the beer) that make the coarser killer (Farrell) think he's landed in hell.

His attitude leads to most of the quirky humor in this brew of bloody murder, mayhem, odd-couple comedy (with the excellent Gleeson as a more refined hit man), romance and movie-making.

The story doesn't always gel -- some of the humor's forced and Farrell's whining grates -- but it picks up near the end with splashes of violence and poignancy. (Warning for those with refined sensibilities: the "f"-word runs rampant.)

Extras: A must-see (I'm biased) canal-boat ride through Bruges; other looks at the city and its history in making-of and background shorts; deleted scenes; gag real; more.

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Fab fantasy:

The Spiderwick Chronicles is the most entertaining DVD I've seen this month. Based on a children's-book series, the exciting saga is fast-paced, frothy and fun -- perfect

ingredients for screenings in a house with no air-conditioning. The story centers around twin boys (both played by Freddie Highmore) and their older sister (Sarah Bolger) after they move into a secluded, rundown mansion with their mother (Mary-Louise Parker) when she and their father separate.

The obstreperous twin blames mom and acts out, so he gets blamed for the strangeness that hits the house -- personal items disappear, noises come from the walls. Investigating, he finds a hidden room containing his late, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick's (David Strathairn) "Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You."

The book is filled with sketches, observations and mythology that open his eyes to the world of fairies, brownies and deadly goblins surrounding the house -- and after the book for the power it contains. Adventure ensues, with plenty of frights, humor, fantasy and suspense.

Extras: The two-disc set contains shorts on the "Field Guide"; background story; the characters; making the movie; deleted scenes; more.

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Coming of age in Iran:

Persepolis is a powerful, adult-oriented animated movie based on co-writer/co-director Marjane Satrapi's popular autobiographical comics about her experiences growing up in Iran during the Shah's regime and the Islamic Revolution and attending high school in Austria.

Film being a different medium, Satrapi explains in the insightful and recommended bonus materials, "Perspolis" is a fictionalized version of the stories but rendered primarily in black and white, as in the comics. The look is reminiscent of German Expressionism, says rocker Iggy Pop, who voices one the of the characters. It adds an other-world reality to the eloquent Satrapi's experiences, as a precocious, defiant 9-year-old and an angst-laden teen and young woman.

The compelling story personalizes Iran and its people as it addresses politics, protests and restrictive culture via Satrapi's relationships with family, friends and young men. Gena Rowlands voices her beloved grandmother, Catherine Deneuve plays her mother.

Extras: Cannes Q-and-A with actors and filmmakers; featurettes on translating the comics to film, working relationships and more.

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