It's an amazing week for DVD releases and we are triumphantly back with recommendations. Two harrowing and thoughtful American independent films make their way to DVD: the Oscar-nominated Half Nelson and Down to the Bone, the film that launched the career of Vera Farmiga. Plus a surprisingly moving Mongolian film about a girl and her puppy, a low budget comedy about sleepy-eyed slackers in New York, and an equally worthy Capote biopic.
1. Half Nelson
Ryan Fleck's Half Nelson turns a genre upside down: the free-thinking junior high school teacher (Ryan Gosling) is also a crack addict. Gosling received a much deserved Oscar nomination for his marvelous performance, but it might be newcomer Shareeka Epps who steals the show as a vulnerable teen. The DVD release includes the filmmakers' commentary, outtakes, and deleted and extended scenes.
2. Down to the Bone
Vera Farmiga is almost a household name. She plays the object of both Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio's affection in The Departed (also out today on DVD) and was in two high profile films at this year's Sundance Film Festival. But it was her performance in Debra Granik's harrowing independent drama about a single mother trying to overcome her drug addiction that got her career underway.3. Cave of the Yellow Dog
A Mongolian film about a girl and her puppy: you honestly really don't want to miss this one. Byambasuren Davaa follows up The Story of the Weeping Camel with a mix of documentary and drama about the life of a nomad family. Davaa's quietly moving film will open your eyes to another way of life on this enormous planet.
4. Mutual Appreciation
Andrew Bujalski has become the critical darling of the contemporary slacker film movement. He follows up his debut Funny Ha Ha with another charming, identifiable tale of artistically inclined twenty-somethings trying to get by.5. Infamous
It's hard not to feel sorry for the second Truman Capote film to be released in two years. After Philip Seymour Hoffman won an Oscar for his performance, interest in Infamous was less than zero - a shame considering the buoyant, exuberant portrayal by lesser known character actor Toby Jones. The all-star cast also includes Sandra Bullock in the role of Harper Lee, a cameo by Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Daniels, Sigourney Weaver and Isabella Rossellini.