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View from the Couch You are in: surefish > faith > DVDs Date: 28 April, 2008
Steve Couch reviews Enchanted, The Darjeeling Limited, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and other new DVD releases Click on the title of the film to buy the DVD from amazon.co.uk and part of the sale will go to Christian Aid Enchanted A winning twist on the golden years of Walt Disney. Giselle is a fairy-tale heroine from the magical (and animated) world of Andalasia. She catches the eye of a handsome prince, and therefore attracts the jealousy of the Prince’s wicked step-mother. So far, so by-the-numbers. But when the Queen gets Giselle in her clutches, our heroine finds herself cast into a strange and foreign land – modern day New York. There is a little crunching of the gears as the film shifts from the animated world of Andalasia to the real-action of New York, but once it finds its feet, this is great fun. The tension between fairy-tale romances and the grim realities of life and love in the twenty-first century are explored, with a resolution that borrows something from both perspectives. Rescue Along the way, Giselle sings her way through the mean streets and into the life of the reluctant Robert (Patrick Dempsey) while waiting for her true-love, the dashing Prince Edward (James Marsden), to come to her rescue. Amy Adams is a little over-the-top with the wide-eyed, all-singing Giselle, but that’s kind of the point, so fair enough. Susan Sarandon, James Marsden and Timothy Spall are suitably caricatured as the wicked Queen, pompous Prince and toadying sidekick respectively. There’s more to the performances than caricature though, with clever character development allowing the former cartoons to become three dimensional in more ways than one. So let’s run down the Disney checklist: Wide-eyed, idealistic heroine? Check. Cute animal sidekicks? Check. Cold-hearted villainess? Check. Mortal peril? Check. Happily ever after? Ah, that would be telling. • Click here for a Damaris article on Enchanted
Wes Anderson is the Marmite of the film world. He’s sticky and is found in jars. No, that’s not right... Some people rave about him, while others just don’t warm to his idiosyncratic oddball tales. Anderson regular Owen Wilson is joined by Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman as a trio of brothers on an unlikely rail-journey through India, accompanied by an abundance of inherited luggage. Their stated intention is to visit sites of religious and spiritual significance, but the real journey, inevitably, takes place much closer to home. Despite the presence of a few comic set-pieces, most of the comedy derives from the foibles and quirks of the main characters. This allows Anderson to make sneak attacks, exposing the skirmishing brothers’ vulnerability and peeling away at the true heart of the film. If previous Anderson offerings, such as The Life Aquatic With Steve Zizzou, The Royal Tenenbaums, etc. weren’t your cup of tea, then it’s maybe best to avoid this. But that would be a shame, because there is much to enjoy in this finely crafted road trip of the soul. • Click here for a Damaris article about The Darjeeling Limited Fans of gun-toting, all-action westerns need not apply. This is a thoughtful, psychological drama. The focus is on the characters, and the action that really counts is the stuff that goes on inside their heads, rather than in and around their holsters. Brad Pitt’s Jesse James seems to have wandered in from the pages of Crime and Punishment, as his past weighs more and more heavily upon him. Casey Affleck is just as good in the other title role, and the two leads do much to create the sense of paranoia which hangs over the movie like an executioner’s cowl. This is a long – two and half hours – sprawling film which compellingly explores the myth-making of the American west and the moral cost for those who aspire to a place in history. It will play at the back of your mind, rather than bring you to the edge of your seat, but who says that’s a bad thing? • Click here for a Damaris article about The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Also available Waitress A bitter-sweet gem. This dark comedy-drama reminded me of the excellent The Good Girl, but with a warmer heart. That isn’t to say that this isn’t full of grim realism or moral ambiguity, but the films conclusion brings a degree of resolution and affirmation. Keri Russell is excellent in the pie-making lead role, and this is well worth your time. • Click here for a Damaris article about Waitress American Gangster A tale of the rise and fall of a drug baron, and the not-for-sale cop who worked to bring him down. Russell Crowe is convincing as detective Richie Roberts, but the real kudos go to the chillingly believable Denzel Washington as uber-mobster Frank Lucas. The Counterfeiters Austrian director Stefan Ruzowizky’s film explores the dilemma of Jewish concentration camp prisoners ordered to forge Allied currency to aid the Nazi war effort. The balance between moral imperatives and the natural instinct for self-survival make this a fascinating film, which explores complex ethical dilemmas without offering part answers or being too quick to judge its characters. Death At A Funeral It’s as if someone, somewhere decided that it would be a good idea to make a tribute to the kind of 1970s sub-Carry On British comedy films that always seemed to star Robin Askwith. It wasn’t. This is risible, despite the presence of many talented actors who really should have known better. Elizabeth: The Golden Age Cate Blanchett reprises her monarchal role from 1998’s Elizabeth, enjoying the attentions of Clive Owen’s Sir Walter Raleigh and defeating the Spanish Armada. If that’s a plot spoiler, then you really should have paid more attention to history lessons at school. Click on the title of the film to buy the DVD from amazon.co.uk and part of the sale will go to Christian Aid • Other DVD recommendations Steve Couch is a writer for Damaris Trust
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The Darjeeling Limited 
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
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