Here are some films, all currently available on DVD, that I have seen recently that I would  recommend:

Once

I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of romantic movies (vs. romantic comedies, of which I’m somewhat more a fan), but this was a great film about romance in the real world.  The male lead is played by Glenn Hansard, a real-life singer/songwriter in Ireland who plays a guy who works in his father’s vacuum repair shop by day, and performs on the guitar and sings at night.  He meets a woman and they fall in love.   Not terribly original at a high level, but there are elements of this film which are really well done–for instance, where Glenn is performing one of his songs on the guitar while Marketa Irglova (the female love interest) accompanies him on the piano.

The performance of the song together–the song won ‘Best Song’ at the Academy Awards– serves almost as a first date, convincing both people that they are interested in each other.  This is one of the great things about the movie. Others include: a) neither actor looks like a movie star; b) all the songs performed in the film are very good; c) the film has very few of the standard cliches of the genre; d) the film does not end as you would expect.

In fact, it is the non-traditional ending of the film that I liked best.  The reason the ending resonated was because it is like real-life.  I won’t give it away, but I think if you watch it, you’ll agree that is realistic in the right way.

The Visitor

This film got great reviews when it was in the theater and, after watching it on DVD, I can see why. The film is about a widowed college professor whose life perks up when he meets a Syrian man and Senegalese woman (at least I think she’s from Senegal) who’ve been squatting in his unused (or so he thinks) apartment in NYC.  The Syrian man has to battle the U.S. Immigration officials and the professor is drawn into his struggle.

It’s not  a typical plot line for a Hollywood movie (thankfully) and the film has some strong performances, particularly by the lead, Richard Jenkins (who also played the patriarch of the family profiled in Six Feet Under).

It’s not an action film, but is very compelling in a quiet way and stays with you.

Lagerfeld Confidential

This isn’t the best-made documentary I’ve seen, but I think the subject matter makes it worth seeing anyway.  Karl Lagerfeld has ruled the House of Chanel since 1982, yet I have only really seen brief clips of him bowing after a runway show or still pix in magazines.  This is the first time I have seen a film that focuses on him.  Given his amazing success over 26 years (he transformed Chanel from an also-ran worth very little to an empire that Portfolio Magazine estimates is worth North of $10 Billion dollars), it’s surprising how little has been said about him. 

In this film, he is interviewed fairly extensively, and, as an artist, I found it fascinating to see how he works, creates his designs, and perceives both art and the world.  I don’t think the film reveals any huge truths, but it does reveal some interesting facets of Lagerfeld’s life–how he lives, what he finds interesting, and what he thinks of the fashion world.

Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project

You either think Don Rickles is hilarious or you don’t. I do, so I found this film, where he is captured performing his standup routine as well as speaking about himself (and hearing other famous comedians speak about him) very entertaining.  It’s amazing how many comedic and dramatic roles he has had in some very famous and prominent films. It’s easy to forget that the guy is a pretty good actor.