New on DVD: Serious Movies

What's new on DVD this week? There aren't any family films. It's time for serious movies, but there just might be something for parents that will grab your eye.

Never Let Me Go

Futuristic Drama

The Gist: Adapted from the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, this story follows three British school children who are raised in the same boarding school. They learn early on that they’re destined for an early and unfair end. Medical science has progressed greatly but ethics have not caught up. Nonetheless, each struggles to find meaning and love in the life they’ve been given.

The Ups: A thought-provoking, but a tad depressing, story springs from a vision of what the world might be like if current bio-ethic philosophies are carried to their logical ends. Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley give excellent performances. The conclusion will make you examine notions about life.

The Downs: If you’re looking for a fuzzy, feel-good film with a laugh track, this is not it.

The Verdict: Watch it. It’s an excellent movie. It examines some of the issues of our time and asks where we’re heading.

Be Aware: Rated R for some sexuality and nudity, which is integral to the plot. A mature theme may be disturbing for some teens.

Let Me In

Horror Thriller

The Gist: A lonely little boy makes friends with an older girl. She lives with a man supposed to be her grandfather, but there’s more to her story than you’d think. She’s not exactly human, at least not anymore.

The Ups: This remake of a Swedish film is nothing like its distant “Twilight” cousins. There are no sparkily dreamboats, but only moral ambiguity and possible manipulation. It’s a tense and creepy love story.

The Downs: There’s a lot of blood, which anyone watching this movie might expect, but one should be prepared for.

The Verdict: As horror movie/thrillers go, this is a very good one. It’s up to you if you like that genre or not.

Be Aware: Rated R for strong, bloody horror violence, some sexuality, and language. This is a movie some teens are likely to want to watch, but it’s not a good film for teens.

Conviction

Drama - True Story

The Gist: A brother and sister from the wrong side of the tracks have always been there for each other. That’s why when he is wrongly convicted for murder, she refuses to let him go. She finds herself completing her GED, going to college, and getting her law degree.

The Ups: It’s an inspiring true story and the two lead actors (Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell) do a wonderful job of bringing it to life.

The Downs: Perhaps because you know the outcome in advance, the film isn’t as gripping as it wants to be.

The Verdict: Watch it. It’s a good, true movie that will bring a tear to your eye.

Be Aware: Rated R for language and some violent images. The images are brief and are not the focus of the movie.