Five terrific films that slipped through theaters in 2006 are available on DVD today: The Bridesmaid, the latest chillling thriller from French master Claude Chabrol, Joey Lauren Adam's directorial debut Come Early Morning, the black comedy The Perfect Murder, My Country, My Country, the Oscar-nominated documentary about an Iraqi doctor, and Alain Resnais' Muriel.
1. The Bridesmaid
In Claude Chabrol's newest thriller, a responsible young man (the always appealing French actor Benoit Magimel) falls for a mysterious woman at a wedding. The fact that she is a delusional young murderess who lives in a dank basement does not thwart his affection--but instead draws him in deeper and deeper. Based on a novel by mystery writer Ruth Rendall.
2. Come Early Morning
Ashley Judd has taunted fans with her talent since her stirring debut in Ruby in Paradise (1993). After a string of forgettable action films and romantic comedies, the actress returned to independent cinema with a starring role in Joey Lauren Adam's intimate drama about a woman coming into her own.3. The Perfect Crime (El Crimen Ferpecto)
Spanish filmmaker Alex de Iglesia's has made a stylish and unexpected black comedy about a womanizing department store manager (Guillermo Toledo). When he is the suspect of murder he did not commit, the only person who can save him turns out to be the one woman he cannot seduce.4. My Country, My Country
An Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature, Laura Poitras' film follows Dr. Riyadh, an Iraqi physician and outspoken Sunni political candidate, through the January 2005 elections. The films give a close look at day to day life in the war-ravaged country in the midst of U.S. military occupation.5. Muriel
Koch Lorber releases this 1963 critically acclaimed drama from French New Wave director Alain Resnais (Hiroshima Mon Amour). The story follows ex-soldier Bernard (Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée), who relives a horrible atrocity he committed during the war, and his stepmother, Helene (Delphine Seyrig), who can't let go of her former lover (Jean-Pierre Kérien).