Staying home this weekend? Check out these DVDs!
The Kid
Cast: Bruce Willis, Spencer Breslin, Emily Mortimer, Lily Tomlin.
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Plot: An image consultant in his 40s learns some valuable lessons about life, when supernatural forces unite to throw him face to face with his eight-year old podgy self.
Aces: You can always count on Disney to come up with cute, heart-warming family entertainers. The Kid fits right into this description. Thanks to the endearing camaraderie between Willis and Breslin, laughs and sighs come by the dozen. The logic in the storyline could be challenged. But this is film for the heart not the head. Get the whole family under one roof and indulge in some happy 'kid'die viewing.
Extras: Available in Spanish subtitles. Audio Commentary with Director Jon Turlteltaub and Spencer Breslin. Behind-The-Scenes featurette From casting the role of The Kid. Conversations with Jon Turteltaub
Cast: Sunil Dutt, Sadhana, K N Singh, Prem Chopra.
Director: Raj Khosla
Plot: Devastated by the early demise of his beloved wife, a well-to-do lawyer slips into depression. And then a look-alike con girl appears claiming to be his wife.
Aces: Whodunits sit pretty with Sadhana's oeuvre. After Woh Kaun Thi, she enthralled once again with her compelling act in Mera Saaya. Besides looking simply gorgeous, she lent vulnerability and enigma to her part. And Sunil Dutt played the good hubby with effortless charm. Khosla's keen direction kept the viewer glued to his seats in the guessing game of who's who. Technically too, Mera Saaya is tops. Be it V Babasaheb's eye-catching cinematography, Madan Mohan's delightful score or Manohar Amberkar's Filmfare-winning sound recording.
Extras: Available in English subtitles.
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Cast: Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, Katie Holmes.
Director: Joel Schumacher
Plot: A cocky publicist finds himself at the receiving end of a psychotic caller in a phone booth. There is no way out of this unusual prison unless he owns up to his past misdemeanours.
Aces: Joel Schumacher's career got a new lease of life with this runaway success. A slick, engaging thriller, Phone Booth is quite an experiment, considering most of the film is set at a roadside booth. Colin Farrell is perfectly cast as a man with a brash attitude. His personality suits the role to the T and adds to the film's credibility. Unfortunately other actors are not so lucky and end up with miniscule or half-baked parts. At a running time of 81 minutes, Phone Booth is as harmless as it gets.
Extras: Commentary by director Joel Schumacher
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Madhuri Dixit, Moon Moon Sen, Javed Jaffery.
Director: Partho Ghosh
Plot: An easygoing girl's life turns topsy-turvy, post marriage, when she starts to experience visions of a murder. The challenges that lie ahead as she begins investigating form the crux of the plot.
Aces: A rehash of Hollywood's The Eyes of Laura Dern, 100 Days was a box office smash. At heart though, it's a complete Bollywood masala potboiler with loads of romance, singing, dancing and Laxmikant Berde branded humour. Even so, the presence of a lovely and charged Dixit made the murder mystery plausible and fun. Suspenseful moments and an unusual climax, for that time, ensure 100 Days is ideal timepass fare. It also features the hit and catchy number, Sun beliya.
Extras: Available in English subtitles.
Cast: Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Aki Maeda, Takayuki Yamada, Hitomi Sato
Director: Hiroyuki Morita
Plot: A bored school girl catches the fancy of a Cat King who wants to marry her off to his son. It's up to her purring pals, Muta and Baron von Gikkingen to rescue her from this unwanted proposal.
Aces: A Studio Ghibli feature, re-released by Disney in English, Neko no Ongaeshi aka The Cat Returns is an enchanting fairy tale in flavour and imagination. A follow up to earlier Japanese animation, Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns repeats the characters of Muta and Baron von Gikkingen. If you enjoyed the Academy award winning Spirited Away, this should whet your appetite as well with its sweeping simplicity and childlike magic.
Extras: Available in English subtitles. The making of The Cat Returns. Behind the scenes of the English recording session. Complete storyboards. Japanese trailers.