Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • December 21, 2011 Woody Allen’s latest romantic comedy now available screenwriter, and his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams) on holiday in Paris, where their experiences will alter their lives dramatically. Gil is infatuated with the city and its history, inspiring him to dream of a more satisfying life, while Inez and her parents, vacationing with the young couple, are constantly criticizing and complaining. Things become increasingly unpleasant when they run into Inez’s former boyfriend, the annoyingly pedantic Paul (Michael Sheen). Gil winds up exploring Paris on his own. One evening, several partygoers in a taxi invite him to join them. He accompanies the merry group and finds himself transported on a remarkable adventure. This is Director Woody Allen’s best film in years. The movie has a wistful, nostalgic feel and his depiction of the City of Light is reminiscent of the tender loving care lavished on his films set in his hometown of Manhattan. He creates a mood, tells a captivating story, offers solid characters, and does it all cinematically in under 90 minutes. Marion Cotillard, as a young woman Gil encounters during his walks through nighttime Paris, has a delicate face and is lovingly photographed in soft, romantic light. Kathy Bates and Adrien Brody appear in small, but memorable, roles. Available on Blu-ray and DVD, “Midnight in Paris” contains the featurette “Midnight in Cannes” and a photo gallery. “Catch .44” (Anchor Bay) is the tale of three hit women on a dangerous mission. For Tes (Malin Akerman) and her two cohorts, Kara (Nikki Reed) and Tara (Deborah Ann Woll), the job sounded simple: intercept a double-cross drug shipment for their crime boss, Mel (Bruce Willis), at an isolated diner. When an unstoppable chain of events unfolds, everyone soon realizes no one is who they seem to be, and the job may be something other than eliminating the competition. What started as simple instructions has now turned into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with guns pointed at everyone. Writer/director Aaron Harvey jumps back and forth in time as he provides background for each of the women to show how they came to be assassins in a crime world domi- Owen Wilson stars as a writer infatuated with the City of Light in ‘Midnight in Paris.’ by Dennis Seuling “Midnight in Paris” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) finds Gil (Owen Wilson), an in-demand Hollywood nated by men. Forest Whitaker, with a bizarre accent, turns up as fast-on-the-trigger murderer Ronny and hams up his performance shamefully. It is sad to see an actor capable of great work (“The Last King of Scotland”) wasting his time with a goofy role. The film delivers in the action department, though by the end viewers won’t really care who lives or dies. Available on Blu-ray and DVD, “Catch .44” contains audio commentary by writer/director Aaron Harvey. “Rapt” (Kino Lorber International) is the French word for kidnapping. Stanislas Graff (Yvan Attal) is an extremely rich, important French businessman who is scheduled to accompany the French president on a state visit to China. When Graff is kidnapped in a daring daylight operation, the ransom demanded is 50 million Euros. As his family attempts to raise the cash, unsavory details of Graff’s personal life become headlines in the tabloids. He is revealed to be a gambler, adulterer, and worse. His multi-national company is more concerned with public opinion regarding the unpleasant revelations and disgrace, and with limiting its financial exposure, than with saving Graff’s life, and the private urgency to free him disappears. It is left to the police to secure his escape. The film shifts back and forth between his captivity and the revelations of his secret life. Beautifully shot by director Lucas Belvaux, “Rapt” is a straightforward story benefitting from solid performances and a clear structure. Presented in French, with English subtitles, “Rapt” is available in Blu-ray and DVD formats. Extras are sparse, but include trailers and a stills gallery. “Branded to Kill” (The Criterion Collection) is Japanese director Seijun Suzuki’s crowning cinematic achievement. Prior to helming this 1967 film, Suzuki made close to 30 films for the Nikkatsu Studios, known for their gritty yakuza crime dramas. This film’s killer-for-hire lead character, Number Three Killer Hanada (Joe Shishido), is hired for routine executions, each of which he performs in an innovative fashion. Looking like a hamster with stuffed cheek pouches, he is turned on by the scent of boiling rice, and often shouts to his wife or lover “Boil some rice” as a prelude to sex. (continued on page 23)