Sir Critic on Cinema

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Sir Critic, alias Eric Robinette, reviews movies — both blockbusters and arty stuff — comments on theaters and opines about everything else cinematic.

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April 2008

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Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2008 > April > 29 > Entry

Today’s DVDs: A must-see this week

By Eric Robinette | Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 07:49 AM

This week’s DVD roster brings us a brilliant film I urge everyone to see, so first thing’s first:

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: This is the true story of French Elle Editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffered a stroke and was completely paralyzed, except for one eyelid; he could only communicate by blinking. Via some striking visuals by director Julian Schnabel and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (both of whom earned well-deserved Oscar nominations), this extraordinary film boldly puts us inside Bauby’s head so we can feel what it is like to be him. That means the film can be an endurance, but that’s as it should be - it makes the film deeply moving. This will be in my top 5 this year, guaranteed. GRADE: A+

The Golden Compass: This adaptation of the Philip Pullman novel attracted all kinds of attention for supposedly being an atheist tract - then the mediocre movie came out and nobody cared. Full review: GRADE: C

27 Dresses: A fairly standard romantic comedy about a woman who is eternally a bridesmaid gets a lift from solid performances by Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. GRADE: B

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