Video Reviews, October 15, 2010
Oct 15, 2010FICTION
Hope Springs. 3 discs. color. 451+ min. Sheree Folkston & others, dist. by Acorn Media, 888-870-8047; www.acornonline.com. 2010. DVD ISBN 9781598284096. $49.99. F
Actress Alex Kingston leads an accomplished cast in this fast-paced crime drama that will have viewers cheering for the so-called criminals. Ex-con Ellie (Kingston) and three other women leave prison to start a new life in Barbados but not without one last caper: double-crossing Ellie’s gangster husband. When their new passports fail to be delivered, the four go on the run to Scotland (no passport required). In an isolated village, they buy a rundown hotel and pub (Hope Springs) to use as a cover while they plan their escape. It soon becomes clear that there are long-simmering issues among some of the townsfolk as well as an unsolved murder. Of course, all does not go according to plan—by episode five, the four are locked in their own basement with a killer. The surprise ending will leave viewers wanting to know more about this colorful group of friends. Sure to be popular in public libraries.—Joan Greenberg, Warminster, PA
ARTS & HUMANITIES
Van Meegeren’s Faked Vermeers. (Willow Tree Collection). b/w. 28 min. Films of the Nations, dist. by Alden Films, 800-832-0960; www.aldenfilms.com. 2009. DVD $29.95.
Vermeer: Master of Light. (National Gallery of Art Film). color. 57 min. Microcinema Intl., 415-447-9750; www.microcinema.com. 2009. DVD UPC 880198095190. $24.95. Closed-captioned. art–general
What makes a Vermeer a Vermeer is the question posed in Vermeer: Master of Light, an engaging exploration of the 17th-century Dutch painter. Addressing this question are conservator David Bull, art historian Seymour Slive, and curator Arthur Wheelock, who provide commentaries—interspersed with an informative narration by Meryl Streep—on the themes, techniques, and compositional attributes of this creator of poetic images of Dutch life. The production employs excellent camerawork and special effects to demonstrate how Vermeer applied layers of paint and glazes and juxtaposed and overlaid colors to achieve the radiant quality of the girl’s gaze in The Girl with a Red Hat. A computerized perspective diagram and infrared examination of The Music Lesson show how Vermeer calculated and modified the placement of objects and the figures to draw the viewer into this intimate scene while capturing the moment and dignifying women engaged in everyday tasks. This exceptional Emmy Award–winning production will be enjoyed by general audiences.
Van Meegeren’s Faked Vermeers considers the international scandal surrounding disaffected Dutch artist Han van Meegeren (1889–1947), who during the 1930s until his arrest in 1945 produced forgeries of works by Vermeer and other painters of the Dutch Golden Age. One of his fakes, Supper at Emmaus, was praised as a Vermeer by a leading scholar and acquired by a Rotterdam museum. Another “imposter” was bought by Nazi leader and art collector Hermann Goering, which ultimately led to its discovery and a confession by van Meegeren. During his sensational trial, he painted his last work to demonstrate the techniques and materials he used to re-create 17th-century paintings. This is a rerelease of the 1949 black-and-white documentary chronicling the forger’s career. Unfortunately, the overall production quality is poor, and the appeal will be limited; not recommended.—Susan E. Annett, Santa Monica P.L., CA
The Adventure of English: The Life Story of a Remarkable Language. 4 vols. color. 405+ min. Athena Learning, 888-870-8047; www.acornonline.com. 2009. DVD ISBN 9781598282207. $79.99. SDH subtitles. LANG
Delivering on its title’s promise, this set offers thrills, tracing the development of the English language from a Germanic dialect to a hardy linguistic export to the world; chills, not just as church and state attempt to subdue the language’s use but also as it is employed as a means of control by Western colonizers in foreign lands; and spills, as we see how politics, economics, geography, good fortune, and blind luck all play important roles in the story of the language’s survival. The production values are top-notch, the program’s wealth of information is rendered as fascinating entertainment, and the picturesque international location shots are the icing on the gravy. Cheers to writer/presenter Melvyn Bragg (host, The South Bank Show) and cohorts for this embarrassment of riches. Some mild profanity and references to violence and bawdiness. Bonus features include a 20-page viewer’s guide; additional extras available only at www.athenalearning.com. Essential for libraries with history, language, or literature sections; highly recommended for everyone.—J. Osicki, Saint John Free P.L., NB
Electric Purgatory: The Fate of the Black Rocker. color. 85+ min. Raymond Gayle, Payback Prods., dist. by Microcinema Intl., 415-447-9750; www.microcinema.com. 2010. DVD UPC 634479995156. $19.99. music
For a genre that grew out of the blues and featured such early pioneers as Ike Turner, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard, rock’n’roll has seen only a handful of African American bands in recent decades and even fewer that are exclusively black. Director Gayle has taken a look at the current work of black rockers and through interviews with performers and journalists provides an excellent examination of the struggles faced by these musicians. The film offers solid background info and is full of excellent clips of rockers from Berry to Jimi Hendrix to Fishbone. It also includes a discussion of the Black Rock Coalition, a national nonprofit dedicated to the creative freedom of black artists. Electric Purgatory, like the musicians it covers, rocks. More at www.electricpurgatory.com.—Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR
The String Quartets of Beethoven. 3 vols. 6 discs. color. 18 hrs. with coursebook, transcripts. Teaching Co., 800-832-2412; www.library-teach12.com. 2009. DVD ISBN 9781598035933. $149.95; CD ISBN 9781598035926. $99.95. music
This series of 45-minute lectures describing the history and content of Beethoven’s 16 string quartets features professor Robert Greenberg’s usual mix of solid information and flimsy jokes, delivered in a chatty, accessible style. The music historian fixes his eyes on his own script on two Teleprompters that he travels between while gesticulating energetically (soon, annoyingly). Glimpses of standard portraits, score pages, and Greenberg at a piano offer scant visual relief. The accompanying texts include program transcripts and Greenberg’s own “word scores” for three Beethoven quartets, as well as credits for the very good musical excerpts heard in the lectures, most played by the Alexander String Quartet, which has recorded all the Beethoven quartets (Foghorn Classics). This DVD version does not do its text justice. The CDs, however, can be warmly recommended to libraries where other of Greenberg’s 24 courses have circulated well.—Bonnie Jo Dopp, Librarian Emerita, Univ. of Maryland, College Park
Leaving the Fold. color. 52 min. Eric R. Scott, Bunbury Films & Ontic Media, 514-667-6835; www.bunburyfilms.com. 2009. DVD $200 + $15 s/h. Public performance. rel
This film profiles former young adult adherents of Jewish ultraorthodoxy in Montreal, New York, and Israel who decide to cut their ties and enter the secular world. They are very articulate and, on the whole, upbeat, but confused, too, as when one man needs to be fitted for jeans instead of his traditional garb. The film stresses their alienation and frustration at the lack of knowledge of the ways of this once forbidden world along with their ostracism from their native community and their ties to the people who remain behind. The film successfully presents a nuanced view, providing a modern perspective. Viewers familiar with Chaim Potok’s classic The Chosen (1967) or the 1981 film adaptation will especially appreciate some of the issues delineated here. Knowledge of Jewish tradition is not required to enjoy this video. [More at www.leavingthefold.net.]—Paul Kaplan, Lake Villa Dist. Lib., IL
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Milking the Rhino. color. 83+ min. David E. Simpson, Kartemquin Films & ITVS, dist. by Facets Video, 800-331-6197; www.facets.org. 2009. DVD UPC 736899124922. $29.95; Bullfrog Films, 800-543-2764; www.bullfrogfilms.com. 2009. DVD ISBN 9781594588617. $295 (Rental: $95). Public performance; SDH subtitles. int affairs
People who associate Africa only with jungles filled with wild animals are forgetting the people there who are trying to make a living raising crops or livestock. How can African governments balance conservation of the habitat and wildlife with the needs of the indigenous peoples? This exploration of the issues looks at the history of this problem and at some of the solutions that have been put in place. Focusing on the Masai of Kenya and the Himba of Namibia, the film chronicles their culture and dependence on cattle and how ecotourism has begun to provide a new means of support. It also examines how after years of ignoring the needs of these groups, the Kenyan and Namibian governments are now working with them to find additional ways to sustain their communities. This beautiful film shows the African landscape at its finest. Bonus features include a 54-minute version and scene selection. Images of dead and mutilated animals and topless women may disturb some viewers. Recommended for most libraries. [More at wwww.milkingtherhino.org.]—Danna Bell-Russel, Library of Congress
Helping Children Grieve. color. 55 min. Hans Spatzeck-Olsen, Paraclete Press, 800-451-5006; www.paracletepress.com. 2009. DVD ISBN 9781557256492. $59.99.
A Video Essay on Teenage Grief. color. 47 min. McMulti Prod., dist. by Fanlight c/o Icarus Films, www.fanlight.com. 2009. DVD ISBN 9781572955035. $89; acad. libs. $249. Public performance. psych
Children deal with grief over death in a unique way. Helping Children Grieve is a comprehensive introduction for parents, caregivers, and young adults. It is arranged in seven segments, with each explaining a different aspect of grief in children, including how they grieve, common feelings they express, the importance of telling the truth about death, how their parents’ grieving process influences them, and how teachers, coaches, and friends can help.
A Video Essay on Teenage Grief is divided into two parts. The first section depicts a full group therapy session with teenage girls, as part of the “Daughters Mourning Dads” support group. They discuss how their grieving process differs from that of their brothers, feelings of guilt and anger, taking care of Mom, trust issues with men, and how they feel about Mom dating. The second part is a documentary on how teenagers deal with grief. It employs clips from the group session as well as interviews with two counselors. Both programs are highly recommended for public and academic libraries to support classroom grief discussion and parents and families going through the grieving process.—Beth Traylor, Univ. of Wisconsin Milwaukee Libs.
America the Beautiful. color. 102+ min. Darryl Roberts, Sensory Overload Releasing, dist. by Xenon Pictures, 800-829-1913; www.xenonpictures.com. 2010. DVD ISBN 9781597883522. $19.99. Rated: PG-13. Soc Sci
It took filmmaker Roberts five years to produce this exposé of the underlying influence of media ideals of beauty on American society. At the heart of the story is 12-year-old model Gerren Taylor. From Taylor’s discovery through her fledgling career and subsequent downfall, America’s obsession with the unobtainable perfect woman is graphically illustrated. The film also considers the rise of eating disorders worldwide and looks at the island of Fiji, where a strong culture of healthy body image has become subverted after just three years of media exposure. Teens, teachers, health experts, cosmetics and fashion executives, and celebrities including Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson all weigh in on what they believe beauty is. The Dove company’s short film Evolution is here in its entirety. Bonus features in this PG-13 version include the short segments “Cosmetic Ingredients Are Mislabeled” and “Girls with Eating Disorders.” For those interested in pop culture, fashion, and the effect of media, this powerful, award-winning documentary has an eye-opening message.—Charli Osborne, Oxford P.L., MI
The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins. color. 98+ min. Pietra Brettkelly, dist. by IndiePix Films, indiepixfilms.com. 2009. DVD UPC 845637000760. $24.95.
From Russia, for Love. color. 53 min. Julia Ivanova, Interfilm Prods., dist. by Transit Media, 800-343-5540; www.transitmedia.net. 2009. DVD $60; acad. libs. $120 (Rental: $30) + $10 s/h. Public performance. soc sci
These two films address the adoption process in two very different countries. From Russia, for Love follows Canadian families who excitedly come to Russia to adopt little girls. Both of the girls are older, having lived with relatives prior to arriving at the orphanage, and both have emotional issues. Through skillful interviewing of the parents, children, family members left behind, and orphanage employees, the film shares the myriad joys and fears experienced by these adoptive families. Documenting important issues for prospective adoptive parents such as language barriers and bonding problems, the film provides in-depth coverage of both families’ periods of adjustment over two years. The Russian interviewer is able to converse easily with the children; English-language subtitles document all comments. This quality production focuses on experiences that may be typical for families attempting a Russian adoption and will appeal to a general audience.
The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins introduces contemporary artist Vanessa Beecroft and her attempts to adopt twin babies from Sudan. Beecroft faced a multitude of issues, not the least being the rarity of foreign adoption in Sudan. The film intersperses images of the conditions in Sudan with interviews with the twins’ biological father and extended family as well as Beecroft’s own family members, who share their impressions about her “obsession” to adopt these babies. The film follows Beecroft over the course of 16 months as she reconnects with the children, who remain in the Sudanese orphanage. The focus on Beecroft offers an inside look at her artistry, acknowledging the effect of the adoption experience on the staging of her nude female models tableaux. This production is beautifully filmed; the audio reflects perfectly the natural settings. Use of English-language subtitles is helpful. Most suitable for those studying the psychology of obsession on a research level.—Marianne Eimer, SUNY at Fredonia Lib.
Invisible Girlfriend. color. 75+ min. David Redmon & Ashley Sabin, Carnivalesque Films, www.carnivalesquefilms.com. 2009. DVD UPC 884501147231. $19.99. psych
Road movies don’t get much odder or more rewarding than this. The titular woman in indie filmmakers Redmon and Sabin’s latest documentary is Saint Joan of Arc, with whom 42-year-old three-time divorcé Charles Fihiol has fallen in love. After quitting medication for his depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, Fihiol decides to leave his parents and three children behind in Monroe, LA, and ride his bicycle 400 rural miles to New Orleans to find a bartender he believes may be the physical embodiment of Joan. Along the way, frank and foul-mouthed Fihiol discusses his sad experiences with medication, encounters a host of characters as complex and endearing as he is, and, in one of the film’s strangest moments, accuses the filmmakers of sabotaging the brakes on his bike. A quirky, funny, and ultimately poignant portrait of a man coping with his reality as well as he can, Invisible Girlfriend has an ending so powerful it turns a good movie into a great one. Extras include additional footage of Fihiol’s quixotic journey. Essential for most libraries.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
The Heat with Mark McEwan: Fallsview, Night 2. color. 21 min. General Purpose Pictures, dist. by Landmark Media, 800-342-4336; www.landmarkmedia.com. 2009. DVD $195. Public performance. cooking
Ever wonder what it takes to serve a gourmet dinner for 1000 people? Here, caterer McEwan works with his own staff, 60 student chefs, and 100 employees from the Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls, Ont., transforming from gifted food designer to disciplined planner to whirlwind overseer while exhorting his troops to meet the 55-minute deadline for the three-course meal. The cocktail hour is shortened, pressuring the kitchen to launch the meal early. The students oversauce the plates until they learn to manage their squeeze bottles, and with entrees going out the door, McEwan discovers there is too little Swiss chard. A few curses spoil this presentation for young students, but it can enrich senior high school and college hospitality programs. Frenetic background music adds to the frantic pace. There isn’t enough detail here to teach anyone how to cater big parties, but the sturm und drang is itself a learning experience.—Sheila S. Intner, Emerita, Simmons GSLIS at Mt. Holyoke Coll., South Hadley, MA
39 Pounds of Love. color. 70+ min. letterboxed. Dani Menkin, HBO/Cinemax Documentary Films, Hey Jude Prod. in assoc. with Proddy Brothers Entertainment, dist. by Passion River, 732-321-0711; www.passionriver.com. 2009. DVD UPC 094922685063. $19.95. health/med
When Ami Ankilewitz was six months old, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, with a prognosis that he wouldn’t live past the age of six. This film begins with Ami’s 34th birthday celebration in Israel and then follows him on his road trip across the United States to find the doctor who predicted his early demise. This documentary is a beautiful portrait of a normal and vital man trapped inside an abnormal body. Ami works as a computer animator even though he can only move one finger; he drinks, smokes, and loves hanging out with his many friends. 39 Pounds of Love is an engaging and moving experience from start to finish, despite the sometimes ragged filmmaking. Bonus featurettes help fill gaps in the story. Highly recommended. [More at www.39poundsoflove.com.]—Manya Shorr, Sacramento P.L., CA
