DVD reviews

THE DUCHESS
Historical drama. 2008. 106 min. With Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes and Charlotte Rampling. Director: Saul Dibb. 13S.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Alfie Steyn

It’s the late 18th century when Georgiana Spencer (forebear of Princess Diana) weds the Duke of Devonshire. Although it’s considered a good match the marriage is loveless and cruel, particularly after her years-long failure to produce a male heir. Her husband all but ignores her and indulges in many infidelities, including with her best friend.

The public adores Georgiana though and she makes headlines for her political activities and flamboyant fashions (the costumes are great). She’s particularly vocal in her support for idealistic young politician Charles Grey who has been in love with her for years.

The duke’s longed-for son is finally born but this fails to improve the marriage - or have his lover removed from their home. Defiantly Georgiana turns to Charles for love. But her happiness is short-lived as she is forced to make a heartbreaking choice.

The acting is brilliant: the lovely Knightley gives Georgiana depth and sweeps you up in her emotions; and Fiennes is appropriately hateful in his role as the duke. An engrossing film.

WILD WEATHER
Documentary. 2008. 231 min. Presented by Donal MacIntyre. A.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Murphy Malone

Award-winning investigative journalist MacIntyre anchors a white-knuckle extreme experience to find the worst weather on our planet - including the hottest place: the Sahara desert with a highest recorded temperature of 56 deg C; and the windiest: Mount Washington, US, with the highest recorded wind speed of 325 km/h.

He experiences many of these extremes in simulated conditions - a hurricane in a wind tunnel, extreme cold in a lab where his heart rate and body core temperature are measured. This double-disc doccie divided into Wet, Heat, Cold and Wind is a must-see. Mercifully it’s not too preachy about global warming. Special features: interview with MacIntyre; biography.

Game of the week: Halo Wars

Xbox 360. 2009. 16+
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Marcus Low

In 2007 Halo 3 broke just about every sales record in the world of videogames. In Halo Wars you return to the same science-fiction universe but instead of running around with guns you devise strategies in the war room. Build futuristic army bases, decide what kind of soldiers or war machines to build, then marshal these forces in spectacularly destructive battles. It might not be as complex as other strategy games but with its slick controls and fast-paced gameplay Halo Wars might be the best yet to land on the Xbox 360.

Welcome back, Wolverine

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE
Sci-fi action. With Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber and Ryan Reynolds. Director: Gavin Hood. 13VL. Opens 29 April.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Leon van Nierop

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
X-Men character Wolverine is a virile, powerful hero with a past full of aggression and passion. This movie reveals where he comes from, his violent relationship with his brother and his tragic love.

WHO WILL ENJOY IT?
Does the sound of sharp nails on a blackboard make you so excited you have to get your X-Men comic from under your mattress? Do you think Wolverine is the coolest monster of the bunch? Are you crazy about special effects that leave you dizzy, chases that make your head spin and characters larger and more colourful than life? Then you can forgive South African director Gavin Hood for Rendition, his first Hollywood effort. With Wolverine he proves he has what it takes not only to keep full control of an over-the-top action flick but to show the human side of Wolverine. The film tells how he and his brother fell out and how those blades were implanted in his hands and became part of his robot personality.

WAIT FOR DVD?
Wow, this wild, cool movie has enough over-the-top action to make your corn pop itself. The climactic fight on the water towers is better than anything you’ve seen in previous X-Men movies, the balance between monsters and humans is just right and there’s a breather from the action when Wolverine falls in love and reveals his human side - but there’s also breathtaking evidence of his awesome anger. A must-see for X-Men junkies.

SIMILAR FILMS
The X-Men series, The Incredible Hulk.

POPCORN FACT
The Wolverine character was created by Len Wein and Johnny Romita in the ’70s.

Music news

CD REVIEWS
BEST OF THE FEST: 2006-2009 by various artists
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Alet van Zyl
The album contains the hottest songs from Coke Fest. Avid fest fans will miss a song by Metallica, who headlined the launch concert in 2006. Listen to hits by The Rasmus, 3 Doors Down, Korn and 30 Seconds to Mars, this year’s international attractions Panic at the Disco and Oasis as well as a few local hits.

ALL I EVER WANTED by Kelly Clarkson
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin
Clarkson doesn’t disappoint on her fourth album, which is more rock than pop. She’s a lot like Alanis and Pink with her angry-girl lyrics but in a league of her own. The infectious My Life Would Suck without You is by far the best song but I Do Not Hook Up comes a close second. A few down-tempo ballads add diversity to the 14 tracks.

NKD by NKD
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin
NKD are clearly going in a different direction with their second album. The bold, fresh-sounding pop infused with catchy beats is still there but they’ve added four Afrikaans songs to the mix. Don’t Miss You, fabulously retro Let’s Go and a great cover of Mynie Grové’s Mamma Kom Haal My are songs to look out for. They also do justice to Madonna’s hit Ray of Light.

MOST DOWNLOADED SONG: Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas (iTunes.com)
The first single on the Peas’ new album, The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies), is whizzing up the charts thanks in part to digital sales. Boom Boom Pow was the most downloaded single on iTunes for two weeks in a row and has already sold more than 800 000 copies. It has reached the No 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100 - so expect to hear a lot of the hip-hop/electro track on radio.

Jennifer Freeman on our radar

What’s not to love about Jen! She’s gorgeous, talented and makes us laugh as bratty teen Claire Kyle in the SABC1 sitcom My Wife and Kids. But she’s more than just a TV hottie - she starred in two flicks last year, The Caretaker and Jada - and is one of the gorgeous faces of Neutrogena. Bring it on, Jen!

Born Jennifer Nicole Freeman on 20 October 1985 in Los Angeles. Jennifer (23) was 13 when a talent scout spotted her in a shopping mall and gave her a business card. The rest is history!

She says she’s not much like her character, Claire. “I’m just more laidback than she is.”

You can see Jennifer in films such as Johnson Family Vacation, You Got Served and Mercy Street. In her spare time she enjoys singing, swimming, rollerblading, cooking, dancing and playing basketball. She’s strict about who she dates. “I don’t like pick-up lines and if a guy calls me past 10 o’clock I won’t be answering the phone.”

DVD of the week: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

Romantic teen comedy. 2008. 90 min. With MICHAEL CERA, KAT DENNINGS and Alexis Dziena. Director: Peter Sollett. 13SL.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Willem Moller

If the words “romantic teen comedy” fill you with dread this quirky, original flick will restore your faith.

Nick (Cera), bass player in punk band the Jerk-Offs, is depressed after being dumped by his girlfriend, Tris (Dziena). To cheer him up his bandmates hook him up with eccentric Norah (Dennings). There’s immediate chemistry between them - but it takes an all-night ramble through New York’s underground music scene in search of a secret concert for them to connect. Along the way there’s much mayhem as Norah’s best friend gets hopelessly drunk, Nick plays a disastrous gig and Tris, suddenly jealous, plots to win Nick back.

Wonderful performances, tight direction and an intelligent script make this movie magical from start to finish. Special features: commentaries; video diary; more.

YES MAN
Comedy. 2008. 104 min. With Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel and Terence Stamp. Director: Peyton Reed. PG13.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Lara Atson

Carl (Carrey) is a loan officer with a negative outlook on life - he says “no” to everything and doesn’t have a social life. Since his wife dumped him for a new love he spends most days alone at home and avoids his friends. One day he bumps into a buddy who persuades him to attend a self-help seminar led by cult leader Terrence Bundley (Stamp) - the “Yes” guru.

Carl is so moved by the seminar he decides to become a Yes Man and he agrees to say yes to every opportunity that comes his way. His luck seems to change after meeting free-spirited Allison (Deschanel), who leads sessions that combine jogging with photography when not singing in her not-so-successful band. But Carl soon finds saying yes to everything has a downside.

The film is a true Carrey laugh fest and way better than his 2005 comedy, Fun with Dick and Jane. It’s fast-paced and enjoyable, especially if you’re a Carrey fan.

Game of the week: Ben 10 Alien Force

PlayStation 2. 2008. 12+
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Nadia Sadovsky

Ben 10 Alien Force is undoubtedly the most popular current game for boys in SA. Fans have long been waiting for the game based on Cartoon Network’s hit TV series. Ben is older and his mission is to save Earth. Most exciting are the five new aliens: Swampfire, Jet Ray, Humungousaur, Spidermonkey and Big Chill - all with new superpowers. Sadly the age restriction makes it inaccessible to his biggest fans. And younger ones who play it may find it difficult.