Video

Fiction

Beautiful, touching, yet sometimes harsh, this multilayered drama centers on poet Inga (Tony and Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden); her eight-year-old daughter, Indigo (Harden's real-life daughter, Eulala Scheel); and her insensitive husband, Hermann (Michael Gaston). Inga is recovering from breast cancer, and Hermann avoids dealing with it by becoming preoccupied with his failing business. Inga retreats into alcoholism as a reaction to Hermann's indifference and his unwillingness to consider purchasing a house that reminds Inga of her childhood home. Throughout the film, voice-overs of Inga reciting her poems—written by the director's mother, Mary Stuart Haverstick—effectively convey her emotional journey. The photography of the Lancaster, PA, countryside and the soundtrack, which includes the recited poems, are excellent. This film will appeal to general viewers, particularly those interested in family drama. Highly recommended. Extras include deleted scenes and the theatrical trailer.—Susan Clayton, Lake Cty. Lib., Lakeport, CA

Viewers who enjoyed the British mystery series Rosemary and Thyme (LJ 5/1/08) will find equal pleasure in this recently released 1994 series from BBC1. British actor Richard Griffiths is Henry Crabbe, a detective inspector and a "foodie" who realizes his goal of opening his own restaurant while still dealing with his conniving boss (Malcolm Sinclair) and his long-suffering accountant wife (Maggie Steed). The inspector gets involved with kidnapping, theft, and possible police corruption, all while juggling his duties as chef and restaurateur. The productions (ten episodes) are first rate, and though viewers who like edgier mysteries may find them a bit tame, their charm makes up for the lack of car chases and flying bullets. Of great entertainment value, suitable for a broad audience. Extras include interviews and cast bios.—Joan Greenberg, Warminster, PA

In his fifth feature-length film—following The Small Town (1997), Clouds of May (1999), Distant (2003), and Climates (2006)—Turkish cinematographer Ceylan unspools another languid, brooding, visually ascetic tale. A politician involved in a hit-and-run accident uses financial incentive to convince his driver, Eyüp, to shoulder the blame. Ceylan's camera insinuates itself into the hot, cramped quarters of Eyüp's home, capturing the drudgery of his wife's and his son's lives as he serves out his jail sentence; upon his release and under threat of emotional implosion, it remains as relentlessly fixed on the family dynamic. Ceylan won Best Director at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival for this film, which drips in gloomy, unsaturated tones and is as shrewdly cast as all his previous works. Appreciators of Andrei Tarkovsky, Ingmar Bergman, Yasujiro Ozu, and Robert Bresson will get the same visceral thrill out of this one; Distant and Climates would make the best introduction for those new to Ceylan's work.—Raya Kuzyk, Library Journal

This striking documentary illuminates the remarkable clay, porcelain, and stoneware sculptures of artist Sylvia Hyman. It includes more than 400 images from her 50-year career, a Hyman biography, a director's cut, and a ten-minute sampling that was part of Nashville's Frist Center for the Visual Arts exhibit Sylvia Hyman: Fictional Clay (2007). This fitting tribute to an internationally recognized trompe l'oeil clay artist features excellent direction by Hahn and outstanding music by John Johns. A chronicle of an artist still going strong in her nineties; recommended for art lovers everywhere.—Ravonne Green, Valdosta State Univ., GA

This second installment in McComas/Stachler's "Lionel® Nation" series brings together five more segments highlighting the world of Lionel trains. Home train layouts include John Potter's prewar trains and operating accessories, which emphasize the toylike nature and fantasy of these older products, and Norm Charbonneau's setup, which stresses realism and accuracy—Charbonneau has so painstakingly simulated train sounds, smoke, grime, and mud that it is easy to mistake his models for the real thing. Other pieces cover Lionel's new Conventional Classics™ line of moderately priced postwar reproductions, a new, highly detailed model of Amtrak's Acela, and buying collectible Lionel products at auction. Off-screen narration connects the parts. The producers are expert at capturing the magic of Lionel trains. Highly recommended for all model railroading fans. [Lionel® Nation 3 (75 min. 2009. ISBN 978-1-932291-88-9. $19.95) is also available. Go to www.tmbv.com for details.—Ed.]—Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA

Through 24 half-hour lectures, the impeccably credentialed Peter Conn (English, Univ. of Pennsylvania) plunges into American best sellers, beginning with The Bay Psalm Book and Common Sense, continuing through Uncle Tom's Cabin, Little Women, and Huckleberry Finn, and finishing with titles as recent as Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior and David McCullough's John Adams. An opening and closing lecture provide more context and bring us up to the present. Some of the talks delve into the book's cultural significance, impact, and technique; others emphasize the story itself. The lectures are straightforward, even slightly wooden, with graphics occasionally highlighting quotations, book covers, or author pictures, putting the emphasis on Conn's content, where it belongs. An accompanying print volume provides some framework for each book, an outline of the lectures, suggested readings, and questions to consider. Surely one of the more accessible titles in the Teaching Company's well-regarded "Great Courses" series, this will appeal to patrons with a scholarly bent. [For a review of the audio version, see LJ 9/1/09.—Ed.]—John Hiett, Iowa City P.L.

The debut documentary by Australians de Garis and Jolley chronicles the ups and downs in the turbulent life and trailblazing career of glamorous movie producer-turned-investigative journalist Dominick Dunne. Ostracized by Hollywood in the 1970s after a series of flops and affronts, Dunne rebounded by penning several best-selling novels (e.g., The Two Mrs. Grenvilles) before stumbling into the career for which he was both reviled and revered—reporting for Vanity Fair on high-profile criminal cases, including Phil Spector's recent murder trial. The tireless octogenarian candidly reflects on his personal and professional successes and failures, explaining why he turned to fiction and then journalism and what compelled him to investigate celebrity crimes. Brief interview footage of author and sister-in-law Joan Didion, actor and son Griffin Dunne, and sundry literary colleagues adds insight and pathos to this already compelling profile. Recommended for Dunne fans and journalism students but entertaining enough for a wider audience. [Dunne succumbed to cancer on August 26, 2009.—Ed.]—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

As popular as NASCAR is today, few people are aware that the organization began with races that went up and down the sands of Daytona Beach, FL, in the late 1950s. The Ride of Their Lives weaves racing family histories with exciting archival footage from the beach races, footage taken by cameras strapped into the old cars, and today's multimedia events. Narration by Kevin Costner links interviews with icons Richard Petty and Bobby Allison and current NASCAR superstars Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon, to name a few. Family members speak of the racers' legacies and display the ties that still bind NASCAR. Extras include additional interview segments. An excellent family viewing experience; for checkered-flag fans everywhere.—Debbie Rzepczynski, Lake Cty. P.L., Merrillville, IN

For some 45 years, Bernard Madoff appeared to be a great investment manager when actually he was running a $65 billion Ponzi scheme. Two new documentaries tell the basic story but from complementary perspectives.

The Madoff Affair, first broadcast on PBS on May 12, 2009, uses news clips and on-screen interviews with journalists, industry experts, and investors to look at how Madoff kept the fraud alive. Frontline's exclusive interview with longtime Madoff associate Michael Bienes underscores how everyone deferred to Madoff in the pursuit of money. This investigative examination entertainingly unfolds the Madoff fraud piece by piece; highly recommended for all viewers.

The spring 2009 History Channel documentary Ripped Off takes a different tack to place Madoff's scheme in the broader context of financial history. It compares Madoff's methods to the workings of past criminals and discusses how the financial euphoria of the last two decades blinded investors and the government. As with other History Channel productions, it is filled with file footage and slick computer graphics intercut with on-screen expert opinion and off-screen narration, providing a solid basic introduction to Madoff. A DVD extra is Crash: The Next Great Depression?, a particularly effective film contrasting active government intervention in the current credit crisis with the lack of it at the start of the Great Depression. Ripped Off is recommended for all viewers.—Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA

Conspiracy? offers viewers an entertaining and speculative examination of 12 historical controversies, all previously aired multiple times on the History Channel. From the stories behind Jack Ruby's murder of Lee Harvey Oswald to Princess Diana's fatal car crash to the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800, viewers are presented with expert commentary and original resources in order to draw their own conclusions.

Secrecy focuses on questions regarding the increased role government secrecy plays in our post-9/11 society. It balances the pros and cons of the issue through interviews with journalists and former intelligence officials. While describing a mind-set with roots in the Cold War, the film features three major court cases involving the abduction of suspected terrorists ("extraordinary rendition"), the states secrets privilege, and the Supreme Court's finding against military tribunals at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base. The background music enhances the serious tone of the presentation. The 56-minute classroom version is included on the DVD along with interview outtakes. Conspiracy? is recommended for public library patrons fascinated by these theories; Secrecy is highly recommended for social science students in colleges and universities.—Gary D. Barber, formerly with SUNY at Fredonia Lib.

Well, there are probably any number of good reasons (language, political sentiment/government suppression, poor box-office) why this documentary of the Free the Army (or F*** the Army) tour of Pacific Rim U.S. military bases "disappeared in 1972 after only one week in theaters," according to the package blurb. Now it has again come of age and should be required viewing for students of Vietnam-era history and the antiwar movement. Political theater and comedy skits are interwoven with interviews with military personnel, displaced Okinawan farmers, and Filipino prostitutes, among others, who resented the U.S. intrusion into their normal way of life. Not just antiwar, the movie also pushes for gender and racial equality. Great stuff from the film's producers Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland and the other members of the FTA troupe. The addition of a later interview with Fonda puts this film in perspective. Very highly recommended for adults who haven't forgotten that part of our past.—Cliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH

This impassioned and unabashedly partisan documentary about the Florida ballot debacle during the 2000 presidential election sheds no fresh or clarifying light on what went wrong. Instead, this low-budget production, admittedly movingly narrated by actor Ossie Davis, mainly serves as a shrill record of the dismay, frustration, and indignation the election prompted among Florida Democratic voters and the various politicians, journalists, lawyers, and activists featured here, among them Michael Moore and Congresswoman Corrine Brown. Director Schechter's (In Debt We Trust, Barack Obama: People's President) strongest contribution to any kind of genuine understanding of the events lies in a helpful but regrettably compacted segment surveying Florida's civil rights history. Not recommended.—Robert A. Sica, Eastern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Richmond

Canada's arctic archipelago has long been choked with sea ice, and only a few vessels have ever gotten through. This production demonstrates how global warming is opening the fabled Northwest Passage, the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia. Deep-sea ships will soon traverse the passage, putting the fragile arctic environment at risk. Shot partly aboard a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, the film introduces scientists studying climate change while the officers chart the new route. The Inuit people are consulted about the building of an arctic port, while naval architects design icebreaking cargo ships. Many of the interviews are in French, with subtitles. An educational look at the near future of shipping and the arctic, for students, Canadians, and anyone interested in the environment.—David R. Conn, Surrey P.L., BC

Viewers expecting to see actual cats in this presentation will be greatly disappointed. Instead, five knowledgeable and personable experts, including veterinarians and a representative from the Humane Society, talk about a wide range of subjects on one side of the screen while speaking points are listed on the other. Comprehensive and useful information is organized into five sections: Adopting, Caring, Training, Pet First Aid & CPR, and Recommended Products. Still, the "talking heads" format will turn off many media-savvy viewers, particularly when covering issues like feline CPR without actually showing how to perform it. A good illustrated cat-care reference book would work just as well. As the disc has a great deal of solid content and easy chapter access, it might work for quick reference. Existing or prospective cat owners wanting to see cats when discussing their care will not borrow this one. Only for comprehensive pet collections wanting to cover all the bases.—Tom Budlong, Atlanta

A Question of Gender

Both of these film discuss the rights of individuals to serve the public while living an open and honest life. Ask Not looks from a macro-perspective at the challenges of the "don't ask, don't tell" federal policy prohibiting openly gay individuals from serving in the U.S. armed forces. It follows young people around the country who try to enlist while disclosing that they are gay and introduces three ex-military men who were discharged for being gay and now speak to various groups nationwide. The film is poignant and thought provoking and would lend itself to a very solid discussion about discrimination and the rights of the individual in the military.

Freeheld, on the other hand, elicits a purely emotional response. Lt. Laurel Hester, a 25-year veteran of a New Jersey police department, is dying of lung cancer. She wants her pension to transfer posthumously to Stacie Andree, her domestic partner, but the Ocean County Freeholders (Hester's local government and former employer) deny her this, even though state law allows it. This highly charged documentary shows a community firmly behind Hester (she died in 2006) and what it believes to be right. A tight and well-told production just 38 minutes long, it takes the right amount of time to tell the story effectively. Winner of the 2007 Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject). Extras include news clips, behind the scenes at the Oscars, and more. Both films are highly recommended for patrons interested in GLBT issues.—Manya Shorr, Omaha P.L.

This moving film documents through the experiences of seven binational gay and lesbian couples the human costs of uncaring and unresponsive public policy and laws. In each situation, the pain of relationships being tested and torn comes through as couples and families struggle to stay together in the United States under a system that doesn't recognize or value their love and commitment. Some of the couples are followed through to a successful resolution with the Immigration and Naturalization Service; other scenarios see the American partners emigrating to live with their loved ones or spouses overseas. Filmmaker Cordoba has a gift for getting real people from varied backgrounds to tell their stories in a compelling way and intertwining those accounts without losing focus. Owing to the fairly hefty cost, this film is recommended for libraries serving larger GLBT populations or having fairly extensive GLBT collections.—Barbara Pickell, Clearwater P.L., FL