Two For The Money
Director D.J. Caruso turns this familiar story of big league sports gambling into a tense, tightly wound cautionary tale. Matthew McConaughey stars as Brandon Lang, whose ability to pick winners attracts the attention of Walter Abrams (Al Pacino), a major player with his own infomercial. Together, Brandon and Walter ride a wave of success until Brandon begins to drown in his own glory and greed. Writer Dan Gilroy pegs the banter and nature of the beast, while the cast (including Rene Russo as Walter’s dubious wife) fuel the drama with incendiary performances. DVD takes viewers behind the scenes and into the world of high stakes gambling, and includes deleted scenes. (Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
Flightplan
Audiences bought into this airborne thriller starring Jodie Foster as a recently widowed woman escorting her young daughter to the United States from Germany. When her daughter mysteriously disappears during the flight, Kyle Pratt (Foster) begins a routine sweep of the jumbo jet, creating tension among the passengers and the crew. Stakes are elevated when officials claim Kyle is hallucinating, forcing Terminator Mom to take matters into her own hands. Those willing to abandon logic at the boarding gate will appreciate the histrionics. Director Robert Schwentke discusses his art on the commentary track, while the DVD also includes production and behind-the-scenes featurettes. (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
Transporter 2
Jason Statham returns as the professional driver chosen for his amazing defense skills and sharp wit. Frank Martin (Statham) has left the business and now works as chauffeur and bodyguard for Jack (Hunter Clary), the young son of Miami drug czar Jefferson Billings (Matthew Modine). When Jack is kidnapped and Frank is implicated, the former Transporter shifts gears and becomes the kidnapper’s worst nightmare. Like the original, the sequel packs quite a punch, delivering one pulsating action sequence after another. DVD continues the fun with bloopers, deleted and extended scenes, and informative featurettes taking the viewer behind the scenes. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
Junebug
Amy Adams delivers a colorful, heartfelt performance as Ashley, a young, pregnant woman who sees opportunity and hope in her visiting sister-in-law, an art dealer from Chicago. Director Phil Morrison and writer Angus MacLachlan paint a touching, funny, and occasionally absurd portrait where cultures clash in the most unexpected ways. Davidtz is excellent as Madeleine, the fish out of water traveling to North Carolina to sign a new artist, who agrees to make a pit stop at her new in-laws’. Adams is equally engaging, turning a simple role into a tour de force. The filmmakers weave numerous story threads into a beautifully realized comforter, ending up with a film that’s warm and fuzzy but not smothering. Feature-length commentary, production featurettes and deleted scenes add to the experience. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Saraband
Legendary filmmaker Ingmar Bergman returns to his classic Scenes From A Marriage for his last film, a haunting, touching and ultimately soulful look at a family in various stages of pain. The luminous Liv Ullmann reprises her role of Marianne, who returns to ex-husband Johan’s (Erland Josephson) villa thirty years after their divorce. Living with Johan is son Henrik, recovering from the death of his wife, and granddaughter Karin. Bergman masterfully peels back the layers of this family in distress, exposing their wounds and desperate attempts to heal themselves and each other. Powerful. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
