'The Duchess' a royal treat on DVD
"The Duchess" - Forget, for a moment, about the hoop skirts and powdered wigs. "The Duchess" is a compelling and accessible historical drama about a timeless topic - the sometimes brutal sacrifices parents must make, and in most cases choose to make, for their children.
Keira Knightley, the new patron saint of costume dramas, plays Georgiana Spencer, a smart and feisty woman who steps into the glare of public life when she marries the influential Duke of Devonshire in 18th century England. In public, Georgiana becomes the It Girl of the day, beloved for her looks, wit and style (parallels to Princess Diana, a direct descendant of Georgiana, abound). At home, though, Georgiana finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage to the surly, adulterous Duke (Ralph Fiennes in full weasel mode), a marriage the rules and customs of the day won't let her escape. When she's caught having an affair with the man she actually loves, she's given a choice: Stay with the Duke, or lose her children forever.
The DVD comes with a trio of featurettes about the film, including an interesting look at the real-life Georgiana's diary and personal letters. I know many people (i.e. men) run screaming from this kind of flick, but "The Duchess" is much, much more than a flowery bodice-ripper. Note: This title will be available Sunday, Dec. 28. (PG-13; Paramount, $29.99)
"Eagle Eye" (two-disc special edition) - I liked this slickly directed thriller, even though it's basically a cocktail of scenes from earlier (and usually better) movies. A mysterious stranger calls Jerry and Rachel (Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan) on their cellphones and orders them to obey her commands, or else. They don't take her seriously at first, until it becomes obvious that the caller can see every move they make and has the power to, for example, frame Jerry as a terrorist and hurt Rachel's little boy. The two follow her orders, becoming fugitives from the government in the process, until a final confrontation in Washington D.C. that could have dire consequences for the entire nation.
"Eagle Eye" borrows liberally from films like "War Games," "Enemy of the State," even Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey." But director D.J. Caruso overcomes this lack of originality with expert pacing and a nice use of security-camera point-of-view shots, which give the film an unsettling, creepy tone. The happy ending strikes a jarringly false note, making me wonder if it was forced on Caruso by the studio. "Eagle Eye" doesn't break any new ground, but it makes for a fun, rousing evening. The two-disc DVD comes loaded with decent goodies, including an interesting look at the surveillance technology used in the film and a featurette about the similarities between "Eagle Eye" and "War Games." (At least they're honest about that.) Note: This title will be available Sunday, Dec. 28.(PG-13; Paramount, $34.99)
Other new and upcoming DVDs - "Resident Evil: Degeneration" (Sony, Dec. 28); "Ghost Town" (Paramount, Dec. 28); "The Women" (Warner Home Video); "Savage Grace" (Genius Products)