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Velvet Goldmine
Drama Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Christian Bale, Toni Collette, Eddie Izzard, Emily Woof, Michael Feast, Janet McTeer, Mairead McKinley, Luke Morgan Oliver, Osheen Jones, Micko Westmoreland, Damian Suchet, Danny Nutt, Wash Westmoreland Todd Haynes
Somewhat misleadingly described by many as a mock-biopic based on the life of David Bowie, "Velvet Goldmine" is so much more than that. Journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) who sets out to discover whatever happened to Ziggy Stardust-like Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), the famous bisexual glam star who crashed and burned spectacularly, but in the process helped Arthur awaken his own sexuality. It's an insane homage to 1970s glam rock in the UK as only American, who knew the movement from a distance, would make; it's a tribute to film director Nicolas Roeg's best work, particularly "Performance" and the Bowie-vehicle "The Man Who Fell to Earth"; it's a sci-fi movie about an alternative reality (the film's "present" is a 1984 that never existed and frustratingly never clearly explained); it's a queer "Citizen Kane" with lashings of eye-glitter, a complete mess, an absolute delight and a chance to see Ewan McGregor naked in case you didn't catch him in "The Pillow Book" as the Iggy Pop-like Curt Wild, Slade's lover/protégé.
Director Todd Haynes, who made the incredibly spare "Safe" and a biopic about Karen Carpenter with Barbie dolls, crams in everything--including the kitchen sink, all the washing-up and half the larder--as if terrified he'll never get another chance to shoot even a commercial again. The pacing drags like catwalk-queen's glittery taffeta train at times, but then glorious swooping musical numbers and clever bits of allusive business arrive that will brighten the day of many a pop-fan and film-buff. Never anything less than ruthlessly inventive and demanding of patience and an open mind, it's one for connoisseurs. Viewers who prefer easy-viewing eye candy are well advised to stick with fluff like "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". --"Leslie Felperin"

Vera Drake
Drama Imelda Staunton, Philip Davis, Jim Broadbent Mike Leigh
The brilliant writer-director Mike Leigh ("Topsy-Turvy", "Secrets and Lies", "Naked") has crafted an utterly compelling movie about one of the most controversial of topics. An irrepressibly hopeful housecleaner in 1950s London named Vera Drake (Imelda Staunton, "Antonia and Jane", "Shakespeare in Love") mothers everyone around her, from her own family to helpless shut-ins and lonely men living in tiny, isolated apartments. None of these people know that Vera also helps young women get rid of unwanted pregnancies, until the police appear and tear her world apart. "Vera Drake" isn't just an inspired character portrait; through simple and straightforward scenes, the movie weaves a quiet but mesmerizing portrait of how people--both wealthy and poor--cope with adversity. Though wrenching, "Vera Drake" has too much life to be depressing. Leigh is deservedly famous for his work with actors; every character brims with truth and Staunton's performance deserves every award it could possibly win. "--Bret Fetzer"

The Very Best Of Have I Got News For You
Comedy Ben Fuller, John F.D. Northover, Paul Wheeler (IV)
Presented chronologically, "The Very Best of Have I Got News for You" is a massive three-and-a-quarter-hour compilation of many of the funniest and all the most famous moments from the first 12 years of the BBC comedy satire quiz show. From host Angus Deayton's witty 1990 hairstyle to his double introduction for the DVD and video versions of this compilation, revel in the ribald rivalry as "TV's Mr Sex" struggles to control team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton. Relive such highlights as Paula Yates dubbing Hislop the "sperm of the devil", Roy Hattersley's stand-in, a tub of lard, and Germaine Greer and the infamous "F-me shoes" incident. See Boris Johnson get well and truly "stitched up" over an ill-advised phone call, Mr & Mrs Neil Hamilton accept their fees in brown paper bags and Piers Morgan totally fail to understand what makes the word "jam" hilarious. Other great moments include the controversy over John Birt's attempt to gag the BBC referring to Peter Mandelson's private life, John Simpson's good-natured account of his jungle trip, and Merton desperately trying to keep awake as Sir Rhodes Boyson droned on, and on, and on about, err... something or other. It's quite simply, TV comedy at its best.
On the DVD: "Have I Got News For You" features a commentary with Ian Hislop and Paul Merton in which, rather than play for comedy, they talk interestingly about their memories of the various episodes. Nevertheless there are still some laughs to be had. Optional onscreen text provides a wealth of background to half-forgotten news stories, as well as usefully identifying the more obscure guests. Seven minutes of trailers are often hilarious, while a "Newsnight" feature intriguingly analyses why politicians go on "HIGNFY". Terry Wogan tries to get the show into "Room 101" in an extract from that show, and various politicians offer their views on the programme. The sound is functional stereo and the excellent picture is encoded to switch automatically from 4:3 to anamorphic 16:9 when "HIGNFY" moved to widescreen. --"Gary S Dalkin"

Virtual Sexuality
Comedy Laura Fraser (II), Rupert Penry-Jones, Luke de Lacey, Kieran O'Brien, Steve John Shepherd Nick Hurran
Justine (the delightful Laura Fraser), the heroine of "Virtual Sexuality", thinks her life is ruined because she's a 17-year-old virgin. Through her friend Chas (Luke DeLacey), she tries to manoeuvre a cute but boorish athlete into a date but he stands her up. Despondent, she and Chas go to a virtual reality exhibition, which features a virtual make-over machine--but instead of modelling a different version of herself, Justine creates a 3-D image of her perfect man. Due to a freak accident, Justine suddenly finds herself inside that male body--she's become her own ideal mate (Rupert Penry-Jones)--and the life of a boy isn't the one she wants to live. There aren't any stunning revelations about gender roles here as Chas teaches "Jake"--the name the male Justine gives herself--but there is a sweet playfulness to how Jake interacts with his body and the rest of the world. Fraser and Penry-Jones are perfectly matched; they do a superb job of seeming like the same personality in two different bodies. Based on the novel by Chloë Rayban, this charming British comedy takes an unexpected perspective on sex. --"Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com"

Volver
World Cinema Lola Duenas, Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura
Spanish for "Coming Back," "Volver" is a return to the all-female format of "All About My Mother". Unlike Pedro Almodóvar's previous two pictures, the story revolves around a group of women in Madrid and his native La Mancha. (The cast received a collective best actress award at Cannes.) Raimunda (a zaftig Penélope Cruz) is the engine powering this heartfelt, yet humorous vehicle. When husband Paco (Antonio de la Torre) is murdered, Raimunda makes like Mildred Pierce to deflect attention away from daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo). After telling everyone the lout has left, she struggles to conceal his body. The other women in her life all have secrets of their own. Her sister, Sole (Lola Dueñas), for instance, has taken in their mother, Irene (a sprightly Carmen Maura). Since Irene perished in a fire, is this person a ghost or simply a woman who looks like her? Then there's their childhood friend, Agustina (Blanca Portillo), who is desperate to find out why her mother disappeared after the blaze. Was she responsible? Almodóvar deftly blends the ghost story with the murder mystery in his tribute to the Italian neo-realist films of the 1950s. The resilient Raimunda is a throwback to the earthy heroines of Sophia Loren and Anna Magnani. The latter appears in Luchino Visconti's "Bellissima", which shows up on Sole's television one night (thus confirming the link). If Almodóvar's 16th feature lacks the emotional punch of the more audacious "Talk to Her", it's less heavy-handed than "Bad Education" and Cruz is a revelation. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"



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