Pat Garrett and D-Jay say you're picking up The Hunting Party on DVD this week.

The Hunting Party came and went in early September last year to some good reviews and mediocre box office. I loved the film, recommended it to everyone and yet next to no one I knew saw it.

A shame, really, as this is an eye-opening indictment on current politics, warring countries and the media, and is simultaneously funny, wonderfully acted and a great night out at the movies. And whaddaya know, it's out on DVD this week, so go check it out!

Richard Gere, Terrence Howard and Jesse Eisenberg play reporters who have returned several years after the Bosnian war to find one of the most wanted war criminals in the world. What's amazing about the picture is how the U.S. Government doesn't really seem to want to find them, as these reporters find them rather quickly despite being constantly mistaken for CIA.

The film is directed by Richard Shepard, whose last film was the wonderful The Matador starring Pierce Brosnan as a hit man and Greg Kinnear as a salesman. Shepard seems to be quite interested in complex relationships amongst different people, which he very much succeeds at here. The film touches on all aspects of our culture and our politics, yet these characters are the film's strongest asset.

Available on standard-def only for the time being (it's Miramax/MGM, so perhaps a Blu-Ray disc is down the road?)

Jason
The Victoria Cinemaphile

The Weekend in Movies: Savages! Blood! Debating!

If you're even remotely interested in going out to the movies this weekend, there is absolutely no shortage of new and awesome films dominating the cinemas.

What's new this week:

There Will Be Blood (****) - To prove how much of a cinemaphile I truly am, I ventured over to Vancouver last weekend for a screening of Paul Thomas Anderson's first film in over five years. He doesn't knock them as quickly as Allen, so doing so for my favorite director working today I have no problem with. Daniel Day Lewis gives a legendary performance as an oil tycoon in the early 20th century, and that description is a very timid one to a spectacular piece of work that will live on for years instead of in its first weekend. (Odeon)

The Savages (****) - Fox Searchlight is putting so much energy into promoting "Juno" (and good for them), and yet they also have this other great film in release, a human comedy about two siblings (Phil Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney) who are forced to move their father into a nursing home. (Like with The Orphanage last week, this is inexplicably playing at the University 4. This one belongs downtown where it will draw a much larger crowd.)

The Great Debaters - Last fall, everyone was touting Denzel Washington's performance in "American Gangster" as Oscar bait, and now he's directed and starring in "The Great Debaters", about a debate team from a small Texas college in the 1930's. Forest Whitaker has also been receiving raves for his work, as is Washington's direction. I for one am very much looking forward to seeing it. (UPDATE: Apparently this picture didn't open and will most likely open on the 25th. After all, it IS a busy weekend.)

27 Dresses - Aww, doesn't it all look so cutesy and adorable. Katherine Heigl has been the bridesmaid to 27 other weddings, but hasn't had her own. So that immediately means that she will become married in this film. The trailer is filled with every single bad romantic comedy moment, from the banging of a bell when a character promises to kick another's ass (ding!) and when an older women is told how much hot sex she gets to have (double ding!). (Odeon, Silvercity)

Mad Money - I saw the trailer for this Diane Keaton/Katie Holmes/Queen Latifah comedy before a trailer for "The Golden Compass", felt it looked bloody lousy and have been lucky to not have seen any trailers or TV spots since. If you're even thinking of seeing this movie on the weekend...why? There are so many other great films listed here that you should be seeing.

Cloverfield - I'm quite interested in seeing this horror-film-shot-on-a-camcorder which has had the words "J.J. Abrahams" all over the posters and advertisements, along with an image of a beheaded Statute of Liberty. Fellow efilmcritic writer William Goss told me to "see it with a big audience and stay for the credits." Naturally I like the credits, but just as long as that audience is not constantly talking out loud and texting on their cell phones, I'll be fine.

What else you should be seeing:

I also saw The Orphanage last week and found it a surprisingly haunting thriller that had a few genuine jolts along with some deeply powerful performances. It's still at the University 4, oddly enough. Juno also rages on at the Odeon and Silvercity and is a tremendously funny character comedy. The great Atonement, which recently won the Golden Globe for Best Drama, continues at the Odeon. No Country For Old Men continues at the Odeon, which also won GG's for screenplay and for Javier Bardem. And everyone is seeing Rob Reiner's good-but-not-great The Bucket List (the film I've been asked the most about this week) which is still playing all over town. I really wish you'd see any of the other recommended films on this list, however.

Screenings:

20h17 Rue Darling at Movie Monday: A man who has spent most of his life feeling numb to the world has his eyes opened by a brush with tragedy. This mystery / drama follows an ex-crime Bernard Émondreporter, struggling to stay on the sobriety wagon, who, because of a simple chance, arrives at his address just after his apartment building has been destroyed by an explosion. He reluctantly picks up his investigative skills to attempt to solve the mystery of how it happened, but is haunted by deeper and intensely personal questions. Why did he survive when neighbours didn't? What is the meaning of life itself?

Bernard Emond will be also participating in a phone interview with MM host Bruce Saunders.

The Darjeeling Limited at Cinecenta -- If you missed it during its brief run at the Odeon, here's another chance to see Wes Anderson's new film about the experiences of three brothers as they travel across India. Plays Friday and Saturday (and if you feel like doubling it up with the kid matinee of Martian Child, by all means...just don't invite me!).


Full showtimes, as always, at tribute.ca

Jason
The Victoria Cinemaphile

Contacting The Victoria Cinemaphile

Contacting The Victoria Cinemaphile:

To the filmgoing community in Victoria:

Do you have an opinion on any of the cinemas in Victoria?

Did you have a horrible experience at a cinema and want a place for your opinion to be heard?

Where is your favorite/least favorite place to see a movie?

What do you like the most about the filmgoing scene in Victoria, and what would you like to see improved?

Get in touch with me!

Filmmakers/Writers/Directors/Publicists:

Are you looking for your short film or independent feature to be reviewed?

Do you have a film in the festival circuit but are having trouble finding someone to review or do an interview about it?

Do you have a movie-oriented screening or event in Victoria and would like coverage?

Would you like to contribute content to the Cinemaphile?

Email: jasonwhyte@efilmcritic.com

PLEASE include a proper subject line, along with a detailed message along with your contact information for a faster response.

Jason
The Victoria Cinemaphile

In Memoriam: Wayne Lee, VIFF Volunteer Extraordinare

The following post is of a personal nature to me, however the reason this site exists is to cover the exciting happenings in my life in and around Victoria. Film festivals, especially, are one of my favorite things as it brings everything that I love about cinema together.

And when you get to one of these festivals, the people make it the most memorable. And when it comes to my annual smörgåsbord of cinema known as the Vancouver International Film Festival, you get to meet the many, crazy volunteers who are there, every single year, without fail. Without them, the festival is nothing.

The passing of longtime VIFF volunteer and fellow festivalgoer Wayne Yun Chung Lee, who died on December 15th at the age of 54, is a enormous loss to the film festival community in Vancouver. He was well liked amongst his peers and was a pure film-a-holic as there ever was.

Wayne was one of the very first people I met when I first started covering VIFF in 2003. In fact, in one of my very first line-ups outside the Granville 7 cinema, I was having a conversation about foreign films with a friend when Wayne broke into the conversation with his own opinion on the matter. And that's what he always did, time and again; he never held back what he thought and was at the festival, each and every day, doing what he loved and discussing film when he could.

I didn't keep in touch with Wayne the rest of the year, but I'm sure he was constantly at the cinema every week seeing as many movies as possible. Because when you're people like us, that's what you do.

Wayne was an interesting character. To me, the timeless image of Wayne is of a man standing outside the Granville 7, all alone, in his dark jacket, red toque, pocket protector and making notes. He was always writing stuff down, but I never knew exactly what. Perhaps he was taking notes of the film he had just seen or working on his schedule, but Wayne was always there.

I was honored to know you, Wayne, and I miss you already.

Jason
The Victoria Cinemaphile

LEE Wayne Yun Chung A Celebration of Life for Wayne Yun Chung Lee of Vancouver (b. January 16, 1953, d. December 15, 2007) will be held on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 3:30 PM at Glenhaven Memorial Chapel, 1835 E. Hastings, reception following. In lieu of flowers, donations in Wayne's memory may be made to the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society, 1181 Seymour St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 3M7 or to the Canadian Cancer Society, BC & Yukon Division, Attention: Donor Services, 565 West 10th Ave., Vancouver, BC V5Z 4J4.

The Weekend in Movies: Something wicked The Orphanage comes!

Well, what a busy week. Victoria Film Festival has announced their movies (look down!), the high-def format war is almost over, the Golden Globes is a piddling press conference, and the January Movie Dumping Ground is upon us.

A few platform releases are coming our way, as is the long delayed and apparently overlong (130 minutes?) Uwe Boll masterpiece of the modern cinema. But hey, Jack's back, so it's not all that bad.

What's New:

The Bucket List (***) - Last week I viewed "P.S. I Love You" from director Richard LaGravenese, who made an overwritten, far overblown and bloated piece of work that reminded me of movies made by director Rob Reiner. Reiner's films tend to beat their symbolism like a jack hammer, yet here is "The Bucket List" which, amazingly, is like the works that LaGravenese used to make. This dramedy pits both Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as men diagnosed with cancer and plan to take one last joyful trip at life before their end. It's a nice film, filled with interesting people, funny dialogue and Reiner's surprisingly restrained direction. Oh, and it's playing EVERYWHERE. (Star, Capitol, Caprice, University 4, Silvercity)

The Orphanage - Guillermo Del Toro, who knocked everyone blindsided with Pan's Labyrinth, has the producer credit on this ghost story which has been receiving rave reviews on the festival circuit and its limited release. (Bizarrely booked at only the University 4, and this film belongs downtown at the Capitol or Odeon)

I'm Not There - Long delayed release of Todd Haynes' bio-pic on Bob Dylan, replete with six different actors playing the folk legend. Reviews have been mixed with many calling the film "strange", but I like strange, so there you go. (Odeon)

First Sunday - I'm flat out blown away that the Odeon booked this movie, as (sad to say) black oriented films don't do ANY business in one of the whitest areas on the planet. This comedy featuring Tracy Morgan, Katt Williams and Ice Cube garnered a 2.5/4 review by James Berardanelli, so it could have just been an awful trailer. Still, I don't see this film doing any money here. (Odeon)

The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A Veggietales Movie: Yes, I'll see a Veggietales movie the day I invest in HD-DVD.

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale: I met Leelee Sobieski up in Whistler a few months ago, and had I known she appeared in this Uwe Boll flick, I would have shouted at her "Why, Leelee, why? You and your gravitationally impossible rack can do better, way way better than this!" Video games are cool and all (I just acquired a Playstation 3 and am loving the racing games and Blu Ray discs) but this massively budgeted film ($60 million) will barely make a clink at the box office. I love Leelee, but The Lovely Ellen Page is in Juno and I'd rather see that again, so there.

Screenings:

27 Dresses (Sneak Preview, Silvercity @ 2pm) - This movie was supposed to open this weekend, but has been pushed back to give moviegoers an alternate to Cloverfield. I guess this is the annual January Rom-Com and Katherine Heigl is cute, so I may give this a sit through.

The Red Balloon & White Mane (at Cinecenta, Saturday Sunday @ 12:30) - Janus Prints, restored, and as kid matinees? Well now I've seen everything.

Into The Wild at Cinecenta, Saturday - In case you missed its two month run at the Odeon, get yourself to Cinecenta this weekend and check out Sean Penn's gem which is one of my favorites of 2007. And I sure hope Cinecenta gets the Odeon's print, which was still in amazing shape in its last week.

Jason
The Victoria Cinemaphile

Victoria Film Festival Notebook: Program Reactions

Tonight at Lucky Bar, the unveiling of this year's edition of the Victoria Film Festival has been hoisted upon us. And while I wasn't there, I did get home tonight and hit up the online festival book, which gives you a look at what is going to be unspooled infront of our eyes.

Local director Barbara Hager must be on a sugar high right now, as her docu Motown High is not only the opening gala, but it's being screened twice, both on Thursday the 31st at the Caprice followed by a party, and then again on February 1st -- the real opening date of the festival -- followed by the official opening party.

The festival "closes" with the usual closing party as well a screening of the Canadian hit Amal, which I missed at the Whistler Film Festival last November but do intend to check it out while playing here.

Out of the entire list, I've seen the following films in the order they appear in the book (which are rated out of four, recommended films bolded, and you'll be hearing my comments about these films later):

All Hat (2.5/4)
The Counterfeiters (3/4)
Hank & Mike (1.5/4)
Hell on Wheels (3/4)
The Tracey Fragments (1/4)
Beauty in Trouble (3.5/4)
The Walker (3/4)
The Band's Visit (4/4). You're seeing this movie.
The Union: The Business Behind Getting High (4/4). Ditto that.

MANY more ratings to come prior to the film festival, including Fierce People, California Dreamin', Adam's Apples, Saving Luna and Up the Yangtze (which is also at Sundance this year).

Out of all of these, the two titles I am excited for Victoria audiences to see are The Band's Visit and The Union. Both screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival last fall to amazing response. The Band's Visit was an incredible, emotional experience watching with 700 enthralled filmgoers, and I am hoping that the same happens here.

The Union had thunderous applause, huge laughs and standing ovations at both of its sold out screenings at the VIFF. It is a flat out blast from beginning to end, equally informative and entertaining. It's the best Canadian docu I've seen in years and will get you talking.

In a bizarre move, the Caprice Langford has been added as a venue while the lovable Star Cinema in Sidney is shut out this year. The Caprice is a long drive, an even longer bus ride and a bit out of the way for festivalgoers, but it is also a unique triplex and hope it pulls in some money.

Watch closer to the film festival for more notes from the Cinemaphile as well as links to my official Victoria Film Fest coverage on efilmcritic.com.

Jason
The Victoria Cinemaphile

DVD of the Week: The TV Set

In another week of lackluster DVD releases (although 3:10 to Yuma was released this week, I have yet to watch my DVD copy and could possibly make the cut next week) I thought I would recommend a disc that came my way earlier this week.

"The TV Set" is an indie-comedy released earlier in 2007, directed by Jake Kasdan who recently directed the totally unsuccessful "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story". This film also failed to ignite any kind of release and pretty much went straight to video, which is somewhat of an irony: a group of TV people alter and change one's original vision to make a successful sitcom on the 9pm slot.

The show's writer (David Duchovny) has an idea for a show that is a personal story; the lead's brother commits suicide and believes in the idea of tragedy becoming comedy. It's a great script, but as the show goes into pilot season it becomes evident that the suits in charge would rather the dead brother to a dead mother, and, oh yeah, there's to be no suicide either.

Watching "The TV Set" made me realize how much I detest TV and all the nonsense that comes with it. The testing, the meetings, the condescending conversations and all the BS associated with the parties are all featured here, and you can tell writer/director Kasdan has been involved in much of this. Perhaps this is why the film never received a wider release; the studios were too ashamed that someone cut to the real problem that it was ignored. Regardless, this is a funny and potent comedy that should find a nice audience in the home.

Available on standard DVD.

Jason
The Victoria Cinemaphile

About Us

About Us:

Jason Whyte - The Victoria Cinemaphile himself: Site owner and editor. 28 years old. Based out of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

I have been a long time devotee to film and everything that it implies: the discovery of new films, directors, writers and actors. I am also deeply passionate to the art of moviegoing, film festivals and more recently the home video market and home cinema. I fully support Blu-Ray disc as it is a superior home video format and am upgrading my TV to a full 1080p monitor.

Along with this website I contribute movie reviews, film festival coverage and feature content to efilmcritic.com, one of the largest film review sites on the internet. Fellow writers cover as many new film events and film festivals as possible.

Annually, I attend the Vancouver International Film Festival, South by Southwest in Austin Texas, Whistler Film Festival and Victoria Film Festival and cover these events on my website, efilmcritic.com.

Contributors:

Naomi De Bruyn is the owner and editor of the website Linear Reflections, based out of Victoria, BC, Canada. She reviews films on a regular basis as well as attending the Victoria Film Festival. She also has an adorable dog named Quee'Chee.

Monday Morning Box Office: National Treasure 2 is garbage, but you still wanted to see it.

The numbers:

#1. National Treasure 2 - $20.1m - The third week that this film has topped the charts. I could go on about how this is exactly like the first film, but you all didn't care when Malibu Stacy got her new hat either. And because Diane Kruger is in it, I have posted a picture for you to look at. Enjoy.

#2. Juno - $15.9m -One of the best films of 2007 expanded beautifully into about 1900 screens and is primed to become Fox Searchlight's biggest movie ever. So there, I dropped your name, Fox Searchlight. I would love a Juno T-shirt to add to my collection. Thank you. OR, how's this for an idea: Badass Cinema shirts with preggers Juno on the front?

#3. I am Legend - $15.7m - He is Will Smith, he pulls in the dolla bills. And the movie looks good on the big screen, so that's a bonus.

#4. Alvin & The Chipmunks - $15.5m - Because kids are not into the far superior "The Water Horse", instead money is being thrown away at CG chipmunks. I'm still not getting the success story behind the film, and I don't know whether to blame the kids or the parents allowing them to watch it.

#5. One Missed Call - $12.5m - So I'm guessing after this movie made a miniscule profit in theatres and Blu-Ray, Takashi Miike's "Audition" will be remade, entitled "Deeper", with no chicken wire involved to get a PG-13 rating.

Jason
The Victoria Cinemaphile

My goodness, are moviegoing teenagers annoying.

Where: Capitol 6 in Victoria
When: 6:30pm for the overly talky, overwritten film "P.S. I Love You" (**/****)

So when teenagers arrive late to a busy movie and can't find a seat, what do they do? Why, they sit on the floor of course! Oh, and right next to me. And then, of course, proceed to text on their cell phone, make ignorant and annoying comments throughout and be incredibly oblivious to anything that is occurring on screen.

In the film "P.S. I Love You", we follow the exploits of a woman (Hilary Swank) who has a boyfriend (Gerard Butler) who has a brain tumour and dies, but has written a series of letters to Swank's character pre-death. The death happens off screen and we visit his character through flashbacks which are a part of Hilary Swank's imagination. So the first time this happens, one of the idiot teenagers goes:

"So is like, the guy alive again or something? I don't get it."

The reason this was asked was because they weren't paying attention. They were fiddling around, focusing more on their overpriced popcorn and, oh yeah, sitting on the freaking FLOOR, blocking the aisle for anyone that wanted to get by.

Part of me wanted to do something about this, but since the film was not that good and I didn't feel like picking a fight with teenagers, I instead just watched them out of complete curiosity and wondered if the surrounding crowd would do anything about it. The fact they were sitting IN the aisle (which is illegal as it presents a fire hazard) really added to my curiosity. And the cost for all to get in was nearly $40 plus concessions, and they could sit on the floor at home with a DVD for significantly less than that.

And what did the surrounding moviegoers do? Nothing! A group of three ladies kept shooting them stares thinking that would quiet them down, but nothing happened. There was even a theater check by a staff member about half an hour in, and he did nothing about it.

This reminds me of a book I recently read, "Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler", where the writer went to various cinemas in New York TRYING to anger patrons in the cinema. He talked to himself, he chewed outside food loudly, he even sat directly behind a stranger in an empty cimema. And the patrons did next to nothing to stop him, besides a few requests to quiet down. I know that people by nature wish to avoid conflict, but this is also the reason why a lot of people like to stay home and watch the DVD.

Note: this post is in no way articulating that all teenagers are out of control in cinemas. Your mileage my vary, but this is certainly one of the annoying aspects of moviegoing. Seniors are bad, children are bad, and even those regular adults are awful too. Future articles on the Cinemaphile will be covering all the bases in the hopes that something can be done about it.

Jason

What if a great movie opened in Victoria no one was there to show it?

As noted in my last post, I really want you to venture forth and see The Diving Bell and the Butterfly at the Vic Theater in Victoria. I really do. I want you to put on your shoes, get in your car/bus/taxi and make foot for Nootka Court, the place to view said film.

Which is exactly what a friend and myself intended to do this Saturday afternoon, to get another helping of Julian Schnabel's awesome new picture (we both saw it at the Vancouver Film Festival where it received rave reviews). And just when we arrived at the small art house cinema, we came across a large group of people huddled around the entrance with confused looks on their faces.

No one was there. Lights out, doors locked, as if we all entered on a monday afternoon in March thinking there was a matinee to be found. 1:00pm, the time of the show, came and went with no staff or management anywhere near. What's bizarre is that no staff were on duty to inform customers of what was happening, or even a note on the door explaining what's up. My friend and I even returned for the 3:15 screening to no avail.

I'm leading to believe there was some sort of technical malfunction with the equipment, or they were so short staffed they were unable to open the cinema, but with no explanation taped to the door, it confused and disappointed many people there to see this film. Worse, the Vic lost money today, and these days they seem like a cinema that sorely needs profit.

If you're still planning to see the film, I recommend calling the cinema (250-381-1822) ahead of time to ensure the schedule. And I really hope that you do, because the film is definitely worth the effort to see.

UPDATE: I received an email from a staff member at the Vic informing me that there was a projector malfunction and he had to drive to the Landmark Avalon 8 to get a replacement part. Still, no note or reason on the door still confused a lot of customers, and it looks bad either way.

Download: Diving Bell Trailer

The Weekend in Movies: Juno Happens

Every Thursday on the Cinemaphile brings you listings of the new cinema in Victoria, what you should be seeing and mention of notable screenings in the city.

Currently we are in the thick of the Christmas releases, platform openings and yet another new horror remake. Without further ado...

What's New:

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly (****) - One of the 2007's most beautiful and important films, this is director/painter Julian Schnabel's newest masterpiece about Elle Magazine editor Jean Dominique Bauby and his struggle with "Locked-In Syndrome" which resulted in his only communication through his left eye. The film follows his progress of writing a book about his experiences, blinking away to a nurse (Marie Josee Croze)

Features some of the best "shots" I've seen in a film all year. A long, painting like shot of Bauby is his wheelchair outside of his loft in his coastal home. A simple but beautiful scene of Bauby giving his ailing father (Max Von Sydow) a shave. The music of U2 set to a beautiful woman's blowing hair. And in one of the film's final moments, we witness a flashback of Bauby's last drive in the country and the truth about his "breakdown". Add to all of this, the lead performance by legendary Mathew Almaric and the cinematography by Spielberg's regular Janusz Kaminski are quite award worthy.

Note: The first half hour of the film is told entirely through Bauby's single eye point of view and is intentionally problematic with focus, framing and sound. Don't think this is the Vic Theater's business per usual, this is intentional by Schnabel and Kaminski. (Vic)

One Missed Call - Whoopity do, a remake of a Takashi Miike film is upon us. At last, it's been made in English by a major studio so people don't have to read subtitles! And about four gallons of water have been poured on it, so everything is easy to follow and no thinking is required to "enjoy". Oddly enough, the Australian title is "Don't Pick Up The Cell Phone!". How apt.

Also, if you're stupid enough to pay to see this crap, stay away from the opening night shows which no doubt will be filled with natty teenagers running around with their cell phones glowing to their ear. Again, how apt. (Capitol)

What You Should Be Seeing:

Besides Diving Bell, Juno is one of the best films of 2007 featuring a winning Ellen Page and a fantastic screenplay by Diablo Cody. The sharp, multi-layered Atonement is an awards hopeful, as well as the Coen's great No Country For Old Men, all raging on at the Odeon.

If you find yourself out at the Silvercity (I'm sorry to hear that, by the way) and suddenly change your mind about watching National Treasure 2, why not give the wickedly cool musical Sweeney Todd a try? Leave the kids at home and give the throat-slitting, meat pies and Johnny Depp crooning a shot. I think you'll be glad you did.

Screenings:

Michael Clayton & In The Valley of Elah at Cinecenta on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The former is Tony Gilroy's excellent directoral debut featuring George Clooney as a conflicted lawyer, and the latter is Paul Haggis' Iraq war drama.

Watch next week for when The Bucket List and 27 Dresses open.

Showtimes available at tribute.ca

DVD of the Week: Viggo Mortensen says you're picking up Eastern Promises.

Every tuesday brings my DVD of the week pick. Since this is a rather flat month for DVD releases, I will be working a bit harder than usual to provide the weekly DVD release for the Cinemaphile.

Released on the 26th just in time for boxing day sales is David Cronenberg's wickedly awesome Eastern Promises which had a fairly successful release back in September. It is Cronenberg's followup to his A History of Violence, yet I found this one a more fluent and superior work, following the Russian mafia, a dead prostitute's baby, and an English nurse (Naomi Watts, luminously photographed) who has the dead girl's diary which traces it back to a driver (Mortensen) who can't seem to keep his mafioso friend (Vincent Cassel) at bay.

The film has wise pacing, a fully structured narrative and just enough Cronenberg moments to satisfy any fan of his work. The film also works tremendously on the small screen as well, bringing one closer to the characters and direction.

Also available on HD-DVD Combo format (although a bit pricey at $40).