You'll want to make time for this 'Waltz'
"Waltz With Bashir" - Here is one of those rare films that leaves you depressed at the real-life cruelty it depicts, but also exhilarated at the bold and brilliant way it depicts it. Nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, "Waltz with Bashir" is an animated documentary that explores a former Israeli soldier's experiences during the Lebanon war of 1982. The soldier is Ari Folman, the director of the film, who was not yet 20 when the war started. More than 25 years later, Folman realizes he can remember very little about his experiences on the battlefield, particularly the infamous massacre of Palestinians in the Shatila and Sabra refugee camps, incidents that Folman senses he witnessed. "Waltz" shows Folman interviewing fellow soldiers, historians and psychologists in an effort to jog his own memories of what really happened.
The use of animation here proves to be an inspired choice, as it offers the perfect way to capture the occasionally surreal memories, dreams and visions of Folman and his interviewees. It also sets up the devastating final moments of the film, when the animation drops out and actual video footage takes over, bringing the awful reality of the war home. "Waltz" is a dazzling achievement - a beautifully crafted look at war that is sometimes hard to watch, but always impossible to turn away from.
The DVD offers a nice presentation of the film along with a Folman commentary, a Q-and-A with the director and a fascinating look at the making of this unusual film. Also, for those who can't abide subtitled movies, an English audio track is available (but not recommended). (R; Sony, $28.96 or $39.95 for Blu-ray)
"Inkheart" - An excellent premise gets wasted in "Inkheart," the latest based-on-a-popular-book fantasy trying to ride Harry Potter's broomstick all the way to the bank. "Inkheart" tells the story of a family of "silvertoungues," people who can bring a book's characters to life by reading it aloud. This talent gets Mo Folchart (Brendan Fraser) into trouble when he inadvertently yanks a host of fictional baddies into the real world, forcing him to track down the book's author to see if he can help put things right. I love the central idea of "Inkheart," but leaden direction and a herky-jerky pace keep it from blossoming into the kind of magical movie fantasy that it desperately wants it to be. The DVD includes just one extra, a reading of a scene from Cornelia Funke's novel by cast member Eliza Bennett; it packs a stronger punch than the film does. The Blu-ray includes more extras, including a look at Funke's writing process. (PG; Warner Home Video, $28.98 or $35.99 for Blu-ray)
Also out this week - "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (Disney); "Pink Panther 2" (MGM); "The Girls Next Door, Season 5" (Fox)