Home Media Magazine - September 30 - October 6, 2007 - (Page 20)

REVIEWS www.homemediamagazine.com I HOME OF THE BRAVE Street 10/23 Fox/MGM, Drama, B.O. $0.04 million, $27.98 DVD, ‘R’ for war violence and language. Stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Biel, Brian Presley, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Chad Michael Murray, Jeffrey Nordling, Victoria Rowell, Sam Jones III, Christina Ricci. H ome of the Brave as a whole is less than the some of its parts. It refuses to take sides about the Iraq war, instead focusing on the war’s effects on our soldiers after they return home. It starts with a decent battle sequence, when several soldiers in a convoy are ambushed during their last mission before ending their tour of duty. The film follows four of the troopers to Spokane, Wash., where they face a series of predictable obstacles in their efforts to re-assimilate. Even with friends and family, they find themselves mostly alone in dealing with scars — both physical and emotional. These stories of recovery really transcend any specific war, and the film ends up covering familiar territory. It is no great surprise to learn that war changes people. Individual scenes work better in isolation, showcasing terrific acting by a talented cast. Samuel L. Jackson shines as a doctor who can’t cope with the violence he witnessed. Biel more than holds her own as a young mother who struggles to return to normalcy after losing an arm in the ambush. 50 Cent plays a man whose experiences have filled him with rage, while Presley’s character dis- covers he left his sense of purpose on the battlefield. The screenplay is structured as a series of snapshots, designed more to evoke strong performances than deliver a cohesive message. One of the best scenes involves Biel and Presley encountering each other at a movie theater, where they banter about their medication. Their chemistry offers hope that the film has discovered a natural flow, but then the movie changes pace and sticks to the script. A commentary with director Irwin Winkler, writer Mark Friedman and producer Rob Cowan fills in some behind-the-scenes details but doesn’t add much to the viewing experience, especially when the trio begin comparing their film to better-known classics of the genre such as The Best Years of Our Lives, Coming Home and Born on the Fourth of July. — John Latchem I JINDABYNE Street 10/2 Sony Pictures, Drama, B.O. $0.4 million, $24.96 DVD, ‘R’ for disturbing images, language and some nudity. Stars Laura Linney, Gabriel Byrne, Chris Haywood, Deborra-Lee Furness. T hree considerable talents join forces for Jindabyne, but it’s perhaps the story itself that enjoys the most resonance in this morality tale. Linney and Byrne star in the film, based on a short story by the late Raymond Carver. That story, “So Much Water So Close to Home,” covered themes familiar to Carver’s fans — ideas concerning everyday choices, and the profound implications of behavior and impulse. Carver’s stories further linked choices made in life to love and relationships, and so it goes in Jindabyne. The story is transplanted to remote Australia, where Linney and Byrne play a long-married couple struggling to maintain their relationship. When the husband goes on a fishing trip with his pals, and the group discovers the body of a dead woman, their decision to fish for another day and not report the discovery immediately sets in motion a flurry of disapproval in the town, and further divides the couple. Linney’s character must wrestle with her disappointment while also defending those closest to her. Her subsequent relationship with the family of the found woman furthers her emotional journey. The pacing is sometimes slow in Jindabyne, but the surrounding countryside and its people become fascinating characters in the piece, and the actors are extraordinary. — Dan Bennett 20 Home Media Magazine September 30–October 6, 2007 http://www.homemediamagazine.com

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Home Media Magazine - September 30 - October 6, 2007

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