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Video / DVD

New releases

A look at what's hitting the shelves

By Times Staff Writer
Published February 23, 2006

The Weather Man

DIRECTOR: Gore Verbinski

CAST: Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine, Hope Davis, Gemmenne de la Pena, Nicholas Hoult, Gil Bellows, Michael Rispoli

WHAT WE SAID: Persall gave the movie a D. "What's good about The Weather Man that avoids an F grade? Well, it's less than two hours long, cinematographer Phedon Papamichael occasionally finds beauty in Chicago's icy conditions and pedestrian-packed sidewalks, and Caine keeps his head and dignity above the material," he wrote. "Other than that, it's a wholly cloudy movie with 100 percent chance of insignificance after its opening weekend."

MPAA RATING: R; profanity, sexual content

RUNNING TIME: 100 min.

DIRECTOR: Chris Columbus

CAST: Anthony Rapp, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, Rosario Dawson, Adam Pascal, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Tracie Thoms, Sarah Silverman

SYNOPSIS: Jonathan Larson's award-winning Broadway musical makes a triumphant transition to the big screen. Based on the opera La Boheme.

WHAT WE SAID: Persall gave the film an A. "The Broadway version of Rent debuted in 1996 and is set several years before that, when AIDS was a shameful secret and razing a dilapidated Manhattan neighborhood to build a cyber arts studio was a bad trade-off for losing bohemia," he wrote. "Rent is a dual eulogy, for the losses of lives to disease and ideals to greed. All that, and you can dance to it while admiring the cast's superb singing and the nifty ways Columbus opens up the play from its origins. I've seen Rent onstage in New York and Tampa, and both times felt mildly puzzled by the raves, including Tony and Pulitzer prizes. The movie version won me over."

MPAA RATING: PG-13; sexual situations, profanity, drug content, mature themes

RUNNING TIME: 130 min.

North Country

DIRECTOR: Niki Caro

CAST: Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, Woody Harrelson, Sissy Spacek, Michelle Monaghan, Jeremy Renner, Sean Bean, Thomas Curtis

SYNOPSIS: Theron is nominated for an Academy Award for her role as a woman who fights sexual harassment in the mineral mines of Minnesota. Based on a true story.

WHAT WE SAID: St. Petersburg Times film critic Steve Persall gave the movie an A. "This is crusader cinema at its finest, a story to enlighten anyone who hasn't seriously considered the effects of sexual harassment, and perhaps soothe victims by showing someone fighting back and winning," he wrote.

MPAA RATING: R; harsh profanity, sexual situations, violence

RUNNING TIME: 123 min.

First Descent

DIRECTORS: Kevin Harrison, Kemp Curley

CAST: Shawn Farmer, Nick Perata, Terje Haakonsen, Shaun White and Hannah Teter

SYNOPSIS: Documentary about the evolution of snowboarding.

WHAT WE SAID: The Times did not review this film.

MPAA RATING: PG-13 (for brief strong language and a momentary drug reference

RUNNING TIME: 110 min.

Domino

DIRECTOR: Tony Scott

CAST: Keira Knightley, Mickey Rourke, Edgar Ramirez, Delroy Lindo, Lucy Liu, Mo'Nique, Christopher Walken, Mena Suvari

SYNOPSIS: Barely based on the true story of Domino Harvey, fashion model turned bounty hunter and eventually drug overdose victim.

WHAT WE SAID: Times reviewer Rick Gershman gave the movie an F. "(Scott) cultivated the project for more than 10 years," he wrote. "Domino is a film many thought would never get made. Too bad they weren't right."

MPAA RATING: R; strong violence, pervasive language, sexual content/nudity, drug use

RUNNING TIME: 120 min.

[Last modified February 23, 2006, 09:20:48]