The star-studded indie DVD release of the week is Nicole Holofcener's drama Friends With Money--but whining Jennifer Aniston in a maid's uniform is less than appealling. Instead, we recommend several smaller gems available today: Steve Buscemi's Lonesome Jim and Fernando Eimcke's Duck Season are both charming and funny; Deepa Metha's gorgeous, moving Water will have you talking about the plight of Indian widows.
1. Water
Deepa Metha's Water, the third part of the acclaimed director's trilogy, is a beautifully filmed, deeply moving tale about the abusive treatment of widows in Colonial India. The film features moving performances by child actress Seema Biswas and the astonishingly beautiful Lisa Ray.
2. Lonesome Jim
Casey Affleck, younger brother to Ben, shuffles. He's handsome in a low- key kind of way, portraying a quintessential dime-a-dozen slacker in Steve Buscemi's third feature Lonesome Jim. The wonderful cast includes a glowing Liv Tyler, Kevin Corrigan, veteran actors Mary Kay Place and Steve Cassel, and the scene-stealing child actor Ben Rovello.
