DVD Releases for the Week of Nov. 18, 2008

This week the majority of films involve people living on the fringe, outside the perceived norms of Western society: drug-addicted artists, isolated arctic scientists, transsexuals, gay couples, mistresses and (!) David Lynch. To start off is the winner of three awards at the 2007 Montreal World Film Festival: Ben X, directed by Nic Balthazar (and currently only on DVD in Canada). This is the story of a teenager with autism who deals with life by retreating into the world of video games.

Also only available in Canada for the next little while is controversial French filmmaker Catherine Breillat’s latest film, The Last Mistress (Une vieille maitresse). Known for her portrayal of intense sexuality as meta-text rather than mere erotica, Breillat’s latest is her first foray into adapting a historical novel. Set in 19th century France and chronicling a man’s attempts to break off a love affair with his mistress before marriage, the film has received generally favourable reviews, especially for Asia Argento’s passionate performance. Not only exclusively on DVD in Canada but also filmed locally in Montreal is Prom Wars, directed by Phil Price. Filmed using mostly an amateur cast from high schools in the city, the plot involves two rival boy schools being pitted against one another to win the attention of the sexually awakened private school girls.

Epitomizing the idea of people living on the fringe are the scientists who have chosen to work in the dark, isolated continent of Antarctica. Encounters at the Far End of the World is directed by Werner Herzog, whose continual fascination by strange characters and beautiful alien landscapes (from Fata Morgana to Grizzly Man) has created what is supposed to be one the year’s best documentaries. Three documentaries this week cover the lives of out-of-the-ordinary artists. Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson is the latest Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) doc about the iconic journalist and author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell is about the musician who was a friend of Allen Ginsberg and influenced contemporary artists such as Philip Glass. Lastly, Here is Always Somewhere Else is about conceptual artist Bas Jan Ader who disappeared in 1975 after attempting to cross the Atlantic with the smallest boat ever.

Just as isolated is the star of Disney & Pixar’s lastest animated masterpiece: WALL-E. Directed by Andrew Stanton, the first half of this film will go down as a classic in cinema history for its depiction of a battered Earth where one lonely robot desperately looks for love. Devoid of dialogue and with beautiful CG cinematography, this is one not to miss. For a little less class but a few more laughs, check out Tropic Thunder, Ben Stiller’s film about a group of war action actors unknowingly dropped into a real warzone. The last of the more mainstream releases this week is The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, the second in the film series based on the novels by Ann Brashares. Like the first film, this one has received largely positive press for the strong chemistry between the leads and the empowering messages for teenage girls.

Just in time for the upcoming LGBT film festival in Montreal next week, Image & Nation, are a slew of queer cinema films for your interest. The one receving the most amount of positive press in the festival circuit is Butch Jamie directed by and starring Michelle Ehlen, in what has been called “a funny sendep of a mainstream rom-com, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and lesbian in-jokes.” (source) The plot is sort of like the reverse of Tootsie in which a lesbian becomes a butch male to play a role in a film. Some dramas are also available this week: Dog Tags about a gay and straight man seeking peer approval; 3-Day Weekend revolves around a group of friends who go on a retreat and reevaluate their relationships; and lastly, Arizona Sky is about two men who once lost love and seek to find it together again - perhaps like a less depressing Brokeback Mountain.

Once a fringe genre, Japanese animation has since the late 1990s bloomed to a rather large industry in North America thanks to some of more popular syndicated series’. Despite its success, films outside of the known directors such as Hayao Miyazaki and Mamoru Oshii still go relatively unnoticed, and even more so by those disinterested by anime. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki o kakeru shojo) won last year’s best animation in Japan’s equivalent to the academy awards. It is the first major film by Mamoru Hosoda, based on a Japanese novel about a time-traveling teenager. For general film fans who may not have experienced anime outside of Miyazaki, this may be a place to start. From France is a new rom-com starring the beautiful Audrey Tatou, Priceless (Hors du prix) that has been called “as cute and upbeat as a comedy set on the French Riviera ought to be.” (source)

Few directors can be considered as outside the norm as David Lynch. A practitioner of transcendental meditation, this same state comes through in the pace and illusory nature of some of his films. Notorious for refusing to explain the meaning of his films, what better way to try to discover the director than through David Lynch: The Lime Green Set, a grand collection of disks that includes his first works: Eraserhead, The Short Films of David Lynch, The Elephant Man, Wild at Heart, Blue Velvet, Dumbland, Industrial Symphony No. 1 and plenty of extras. For other retro releases, Criterion Collection is offering both The Spy Who Came in from the Cold about a British agent during the Cold War, and Fanfan la Tulipe a French adventure comedy from the 50s with plenty of swashbuckling.