DVD Tuesday Looking for more smart emotionally resonant animation like Wall-E Try Hayao Miyazakis stunning Spirited AwayAs Ive said in past columns Im not a huge fan of mainstream American animated features overall theyre too frenetic and five-second-attention-span oriented for my taste But Pixars Wall-E is a reminder of how richly imagined animated films can be -- and that makes me think of Hayao Miyazakis Oscar-winning Spirited Away 2001 a fable about family and friendship whose marvelous sights from flying dragons to traditional Japanese radish spirits should keep the most restless child enthralled And at the same time its emotional truths are sophisticated enough to engage adults -- its a real film for the whole family as opposed to a juvenile romp studded with in-jokes and pop-culture references designed to keep grown ups awake Spoiled little Chihiro doesnt want to move to a new town and dedicates herself to making the drive there a misery for her
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Satoshi Kons Perfect Blue is an animated thriller for grown-upsSend your movie questions to FlickChickSee Maitland McDonagh and Ken Fox review this weeks new flicks in Movie TalkWith Japanese animator Satoshi Kons surreal feature Paprika opening in theaters on May 25th Ive made his first film Perfect Blue 1998 my pick for DVD Tuesday This psychological thriller about a teenaged pop star trying to become a serious actress seethes with sharp observations about fame the tabloid media image and the commodification and fetishization of young girls Its also a cracking good story Unlike Hayao Miyazaki -- Spirited Away My Neighbor Totoro Howls Moving Castle -- who makes sensitive quietly sophisticated films about the complicated psychological landscape of childhood that can be enjoyed equally if in different ways by children and adults Kon isnt interested in family filmmaking His favorite subjects are mutable identity the vagaries of memory and the complex psycho
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Of all the multinominated films vying for Academy Awards this Sunday, Pride & Prejudice may be the most overlooked. The latest adaptation of Jane Austen's ageless tale picked up four nominations — including a best-actress nod for Keira Knightley — but its buzz is nowhere near that of higher-profile contenders such as Walk the Line and Brokeback Mountain. Jena Malone, who plays Knightley's on-screen sister Lydia is a bit skeptical of putting too much stock in awards, but she hopes the extra attention will bring new audiences to the film. TVGuide.com found this out when we spoke with Malone about the classic romance's arrival this week on DVD.
TVGuide.com: Be
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