There are numerous excellent DVD releases this week, including Atom Egoyan's "Ararat," French thriller "Read My Lips," Jean-Luc Godard's "In The Name of Love" and the Italian neo-realist classic "Umberto D."
1. Ararat
Atom Egoyan ("The Sweet Hereafter") sets the Armenian Genocide of 1915 at the center of this ambitious contemporary drama. The 2 disc set features commentary by writer/director Atom Egoyan, deleted scenes a documentary featurette, an interview, and Egoyan's 1995 short "Portrait of Arshile."
2. Read My Lips
This fast paced, emotional rich French thriller slipped through the theaters. Emmanuelle Devos stars at the legally deaf secretary who falls for her assistant, Vincent Cassel, an ex-con who knows little about office work, but plenty about crime. The film won three French Cesare awards (including Best Actress for Emmanuelle Devos).
3. Nicholas Nickleby
Douglas McGrath brings Dickens' 900 page semi-autobiographical novel to the screen with an all-star cast: Nathan Lane, Christopher Plummer, Anne Hathaway, Alan Cumming, Jim Broadbent and newcomers Charlie Hunnam and Romola Garai.4. In Praise of Love
The latest from French New Wave's most enduring filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard. The 2001 film is meditation on the nature of cinema, representation, and love, comprised of two sections: a flashback shot in color, and the present in stunning B&W.5. Umberto D.
Next to the "Bicycle Thief," the other classic of Italian Neo-Realism. Sob with this full-featured Criterion release of Vittorio De Sica's 1952 film.6. The Honeymoon Killers
A mix of jet black humor and blood chilling horror, Leonard Kastle's alienating B&W story of a dim Latin gigolo (Tony Lo Bianco) and a frumpy, unfulfilled overweight ex-nurse (Shirley Stoler) who team-up to romance and murder a series of lonely women.7. Spun
Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo, Mena Suvari and Patrick Fugit let their good looks get grubby with the ravages of Crystal Meth addiction in music veteran Jonas Akerlund's directoral debut.
8. But I'm a Cheerleader
Natasha Lyonne is utterly winning as the confused teenager who is sent to homosexual rehab for a quick fix: Clea Duvall.9. Jesus' Son
Billy Crudup and Samantha Morton give terrific understated performances in Alison Maclean's adaption of the Dennis Johnson novel.10. Drop Dead Fred
It's such a treat to see Phoebe Cates in this film, which speaks to all little girls who grow quiet. Long live "Drop Dead Fred," and thank Artisan for rediscovering this 1991 movie.
