Responsible domestic care is one thing--but hallucinating exterminators and underage maids are problematic, as Claude Berri's "The Housekeeper" and Cronenberg's Burroughs adaptation "Naked Lunch" illustrate vividly. Also, new DVDs by Gus Van Sant, Gabriele Muccino, and Mamoru Oshii.
1. The Housekeeper
A lovely movie--and there's not much more that needs to be said about Claude Berri's ("Jean de Florette, "Manon of the Spring") May-December romance about a middle aged melancholic man who falls in love for his young housekeeper. With Jean-Pierre Bacri and rising star Emilie Dequenne, who won best actress at Cannes for her performance in "Rosetta."
2. Naked Lunch
David Cronenberg's adaptation of William S. Burroughs' unfilmable novel is bizarre, unsettling, and entirely unique. The full-featured Criterion DVD comes with director commentary, documentaries, essays, novel excerpts, and roaches on the cover.
3. Gerry
Matt Damon and Casey Affleck get lost in a Gus Van Sant film. According to Time Out NY's Mike D'Angelo, the slow moving film is "magnificent," a return of form to the beloved indie auteur.4. The Last Kiss
Gabriele Muccino explores the fear of male commitment and the struggle against adult responsibility in this passionate romantic drama from Italy.5. Mamoru Oshii Cinema Trilogy Collection
Three live action films from Japan's visionary anime director Mamoru Oshii ("Ghost in the Shell") - "The Red Spectacles" (1987), "Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops" (1991), and "Talking Head" (1992).