MOVIES
HALF NELSON
Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps (R)
A genre defined by the feel-good triumphs of Lean on Me, Dangerous
Minds, and To Sir, With Love is expanded in this story of a dedicated
teacher at a Brooklyn junior high school who just happens to be a
crackhead. At the center of this amazing movie is the performance of
Gosling, whose small body of work already holds the promise of a
brilliant career.
THE DESCENT
Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza (R)
Spelunking is, in itself, a dangerous enough pursuit: The tight spaces
and near-liquid dark can easily vanquish the hardiest of souls. In his
bracingly scary movie, director Neil Marshall adds a terrifying race of
subterranean creepy flesh eaters (and neatly examines the postfeminist
dynamics at work in the six members of this all-female cave-exploring
crew). Smart, thrilling, and inventive, it's the perfect movie to see
with that friend of yours who still doesn't know a modern horror
masterpiece from, well, a hole in the ground.
DVDS
ROME: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
Ciarán Hinds, Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson (Unrated)
This is hardly your average swords-and-sandals drama — there's enough
intrigue, blood, and sex to make Gladiator look like A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Lend this standout series your (eyes
and) ears...
ERIC ROHMER'S SIX MORAL TALES
Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jean-Claude Brialy (Unrated)
Words almost always speak louder than actions in these half-dozen
conversation pieces from the prolific director. My Night at Maud's, in
particular, earns big talking points.
APOCALYPSE NOW: THE COMPLETE DOSSIER
Martin Sheen (R)
Both versions of Francis Ford Coppola's flawed Vietnam War opus are
presented here — along with some great extras, including Coppola's
insightful commentaries. Sadly MIA: the essential 1991 doc Hearts of Darkness.
BRICK
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Nora Zehetner (R)
It's a thoroughly daunting conceit: presenting a young man's
investigation into the murder of a fellow high school student as a
modern-day noir. But writer-director Rian Johnson — assisted by a terrific
cast — pulls it off. It's all there, from the canted camera angles to the
mysterious femme fatale. Rarely do genre conventions work so
unconventionally.
TV
DIRTY JOBS
(Discovery Channel, Tuesdays, 9-10 p.m.) A fine mess: Host Mike Rowe
scours high and low to uncover those who lead lives of grime so we don't
have to. From sifting through turkey carcasses to taking down moldy Rose
Bowl Parade floats, Rowe approaches his tasks with genuine curiosity,
injecting a dose of humanity into each chore without ever stooping to
condescension.
THE OFFICE
(Webisodes, nbc.com) The stellar Office support cast shines in this
weekly series of original two-to-three-minute gems. Looks like someone's
ripped off $3,000 from the company, and it's up to accountants Angela,
Oscar, and Kevin to root out the perp, questioning their co-workers to
often hilarious effect.
THE HILL
(Sundance, Wednesdays, 9-9:30 p.m.) A captivating reality show that
takes an inside look at Florida Congressman Robert Wexler and his
staff's day-to-day affairs. It's The West Wing meets Capitol Hill, minus
the hyper-articulate Aaron Sorkin banter.
BOOKS
JAMES TIPTREE, JR.
by Julie Phillips (Biography)
A smart, complex portrait of Alice B. Sheldon, an insecure Virginian who
found her voice by writing under the guise of another persona — 1960s and
'70s science fiction author James Tiptree, Jr.
THE BEDROOM SECRETS OF THE MASTER CHEFS
by Irvine Welsh (Novel)
The latest from the Trainspotting author is a rip-roaring yarn about a
carousing lush that's both hard to stomach and impossible to put down.
THE LEFT BANK GANG
by Jason (Comic)
A witty, biting reimagining of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Ezra Pound as
1920s cartoonists in Paris.
WINTER'S BONE
by Daniel Woodrell (Novel)
Woodrell's story of a 16-year-old girl in search of her father bursts
with crackling prose and heartbreaking soul.
