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BY rob1 February is Black History Month. In recognition, following are VHS videocassette reviews of movies with black themes from the U.S. Catholic Conference (USCC) Office for Film and Broadcasting. Black Orpheus (1959) Vibrant intercultural feast updating the Greek myth to Rio de Janeiro where trolley driver Orpheus (Breno Mello) accidentally kills his beloved Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn) while trying to protect her from a stalker costumed as Death and, after a religious cult fails to revive her, he sets out with her body for burial until another fatal accident intervenes. Directed by Marcel Camus, the appealing leads are supported by a spirited cast who play out the mythic tragedy amid the gaiety of Rio's Carnival with its colorful parades of dancing bands, backed by a haunting music score and spectacular views of Rio's picturesque locales. Subtitles. Stylized violence, sexual situations, and innuendo. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Home Vision, $29.95) Cry, the Beloved Country (1952) Compelling British production of Alan Paton's story about bridging South Africa's racial divide as a black Anglican minister (Canada Lee) leaves his rural parish to seek his missing son in Johannesburg, finds him condemned to death for murdering the son of a white farmer, and the tragedy brings the two aged fathers together in mutual understanding and respect. Directed by Zoltan Korda, the location photography documents the oppressive conditions in the black slums bordering the city but the story's rich assortment of characters, including Sidney Poitier's pragmatic city curate, puts matters in a human context transcending racial differences. Stylized violence, sexual references, and justice questions. The USCC classification is A-II. The film is not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Monterey, $69.95) Cry, the Beloved Country (1995) Fine adaptation of Alan Paton's novel set in 1946 South Africa where a black minister (James Earl Jones), whose son has killed a white man, reconciles with the victim's father (Richard Harris) in a story exploring the artificial barriers of racial differences. Director Darrell James Roodt emphasizes the human dignity of the characters, the equality of all in the sight of God and the injustice of a society based on racism. Restrained violence and sexual references in a justice context. The USCC classification is A-II. The film is rated PG-13. (Miramax, $19.99) Glory (1989) The story of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first black fighting unit raised during the Civil War, focuses on its enlightened white commander (Matthew Broderick), who molded field hands and runaway slaves into proud, heroic Union soldiers. Director Edward Zwick raises consciousness about the little-known regiment and re-creates some harrowing battle scenes but, unfortunately, gives shallow attention to the themes of racism and the obscenity of war. Stereotyping of key black characters, much grisly wartime violence, and some profanity. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is rated R. (Columbia TriStar, $19.95) The Joe Louis Story (1953) Movie biography in which a sportswriter (Paul Stewart) recalls how Louis (Coley Wallace) was guided in his early boxing career by a talented trainer (James Edwards), then became the world heavyweight champion (1937-49) and retired undefeated, until making a sadly futile attempt to regain the title. Directed by Robert Gordon, the dramatization simplifies much, touching on racism chiefly in Louis's two bouts with Germany's Max Schmeling, but by intercutting newsreel footage of Louis in the ring, the result is a convincing tribute to a great prizefighter and a leading African-American of the era. The USCC classification is A-I. The film is not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Nostalgia, $19.95) http://www.ncregister.com/info/email-a-friend/declaration/

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BY rob1 Following are VHS videocassette reviews from the U.S. Catholic Conference (USCC) Office for Film and Broadcasting. Brassed Off (1997) British story set in a depressed 1992 Yorkshire mining town where the mine's band leader (Pete Postlethwaite) insists the group carry on with their music sessions in hopes of winning a national band contest. Writer-director Mark Herman's spirited drama goes overboard in its indictment of Tory social policies, but is otherwise a winning, warmly human story of a working-class community coping with economic ruin. Brief sexual innuendo, fleeting locker-room nudity, minor violence, and intermittent rough language. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is rated R. (Miramax, rental) Career Girls (1997) British drama of a woman (Lynda Steadman) renewing her friendship with a former college roommate (Katrin Cartlidge) on a weekend visit that recalls their frenetic, uncertain lives as undergraduates and how much each has changed in the six years since then. Written and directed by Mike Leigh, the impressionistic narrative is loosely assembled from scenes of past and present, relying mainly on improvisational performances but the result is too disjointed to add up to more than a tentative understanding of how much progress the two have made in their lives since college. Sexual encounter with brief nudity, sexual situations, recurring rough language, and occasional profanity. The USCC classification is A-IV. The film is rated R. (FoxVideo, rental) The Game (1997) Twisty drama about an arrogant San Francisco investment banker (Michael Douglas) whose birthday gift from his estranged brother (Sean Penn) is membership in a bizarre game club that puts the banker's life and fortune in constant danger from unknown assailants. Directed by David Fincher, the wildly imaginative proceedings are absorbing, suspenseful, and patently illogical. Stylized violence, occasional profanity, and frequent rough language. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is rated R. (Polygram, rental) Mr. Klein (1977) French drama about a dealer in art objects (Alain Delon) who buys family heir-looms from Jews needing cash to escape the Nazi terror, then is himself mistaken for a Jew and handed over to the Germans, as were 13,000 others on what is known as Black Thursday, July 16, 1942. Directed with great sensitivity by Joseph Losey, it is exceptional in viewing the Holocaust as a universal experience, as meaningful to gentiles as to Jews. Subtitles. The nature of the theme, and some incidental nudity make this a film for serious viewers. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is rated PG. (New Yorker, rental) Nothing to Lose (1997) Coarse comedy in which a bumbling carjacker (Martin Lawrence) helps a despondent ad executive (Tim Robbins) rob his boss of a fortune, then the adman has second thoughts and insists they try to return the money before its absence is discovered. Writer-director Steve Oedekerk's manipulative buddy plot goes for cheap laughs while implying circumstances may justify grand theft. Ambivalent attitude toward crime, comic treatment of violence, a fleeting sexual encounter, and constant rough language. The USCC classification is A-IV. The film is rated R. (Touchstone, rental) Orchestra Rehearsal (1979) Italian production about an orchestra whose members are constantly being distracted by each other and the inane questions of a television crew until a union dispute leads to violence and ultimately chaos. Director Federico Fellini's failed fable about the tension between authority and the individual becomes a disjointed series of gags and jabs at music, nationality, television, art, sports, sex, and so on in this minor work from a great director. Subtitles. Mature themes and treatment. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is rated R. (Fox Lorber, rental) Pixote (1982) Harrowing and poignant Brazilian drama about a gang of boys living on the streets of Rio and the terrible things they do to survive. Directed by Hector Babenco, this powerful movie is definitely not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach because it involves sordid violence and graphic sexuality. Subtitles. The USCC classification is A-IV. The film is not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (New Yorker, rental) When the Cat's Away (1997) Seriocomic tale of a lonely Parisienne (Garance Clavel) who gets lots of help searching for her lost cat, particularly from older women, but others prove more interested in romance than locating the missing feline, until the picture's sweetly hopeful ending. Writer-director Cedric Klapisch's wistful picture of a single woman whose search for a pet turns into a quest for the right man with whom to share her life is treated earnestly yet with humor in an odd series of unsuitable encounters before a real prospect finally turns up. Subtitles. Several restrained sex scenes, sexual references, coarse expressions, and occasional rough language. The USCC classification is AIII. The film is rated R. (Columbia TriStar, rental) http://www.ncregister.com/info/email-a-friend/declaration/

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BY rob1 Following are recent film and VHS home videocassette reviews from the U.S. Catholic Conference (USCC) Office for Film and Broadcasting: Amistad (Dreamworks) Historical dramatization of the legal battle over the fate of 53 Africans who massacre the crew of a Spanish slave ship, then are captured by an American naval vessel and put on trial for murder and piracy in a case that ultimately reaches the Supreme Court where former president John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins) defends their right to freedom. Director Steven Spielberg's ambitious attempt to re-examine the contradictions of a society that proclaimed the equality of all and yet accepted slavery succeeds in dramatizing the obvious injustices done the enslaved Africans (led by Djimon Hounsou), but the legal and political issues argued in the lengthy case are treated in stiff historical tableaus that fail to touch the human dimension of what is involved. Some gory violence, brutalizing conditions of slavery, and brief frontal nudity. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is rated R. Welcome to Sarajevo (Miramax) Fact-based story of a world-weary British TV journalist (Stephen Dillane) who grimly reports on civilian massacres in war-torn 1992 Sarajevo, then attempts to smuggle a 10-year-old girl back with him when he returns to London. By focusing on the touching story of one child's fate, director Michael Winterbottom's semidocumentary hits home emotionally in decrying the insanity of genocide. Some violence, numerous gory corpses, fleeting nudity, and occasional rough language. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is rated R. Dorothy Day: Blessed Are the Poor (1995) Documentary on the life of Catholic convert Day (1897-1980), who joined with Peter Maurin to found the Catholic Worker Movement during the 1930s Depression and how her passion for social justice and commitment to nonviolence has come to be better appreciated today than it was in her own time. Directed by Father George Torok, the 28-minute program features eloquent commentary on Day's work, spirituality, and continuing influence from Catholic social activist Eileen Egan and historian David O’Brien, as well as Day's writings in the Catholic Worker newspaper and evocative period visuals. Part of the “Catholic Life in America” series, the program is appropriate for all. (Hallel Communications; 800-445-7477; $24.95) Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story (1996) Compelling dramatization of the early life of Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day (Moira Kelly) as a young journalist whose agonizing over a failed love affair leads her to reflect on her life. In doing so, she discovers God, then meets Peter Maurin (Martin Sheen) and puts his ideas of social justice into practice during the Depression. Directed by Michael Ray Rhodes, the biographical movie depicts a woman's spiritual journey in convincing dramatic fashion, though it is largely interior, deeply religious and specifically Catholic in its sensibilities. Realistic treatment of love affairs, an abortion and a suicide as well as some coarse language. The USCC classification is A-II— adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture of America rating is PG-13. (Paulist Press; 800-218-1903; $29.95) The Gifts of Christmas (1997) Animated story of Christmas Eve in Assisi, Italy, where the talking animal friends of Friar Francesco give the Christmas presents they have made for him to those who need them more, then share in the gifts brought by the townspeople and the friar's surprise for them by making the first Christmas crèche. An episode in the “Francesco's Friendly World” series, the 44-minute video mixes bland new songs with traditional carols. The animated animal characters help make up for the lack of charm in the figure of St. Francis, but the tale is told with sincerity and is simple enough for pre-schoolers to enjoy. (Lyrick Studios; 800-622-5101; $14.95) In the Footsteps of Peter(1997) This series of eight one-hour videos explores the art treasures housed in the Vatican Museums as well as those in St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and other Vatican locations. Produced by the Vatican Museums and directed by Luca De Matta, the English version is narrated by Bob Sommer with useful commentary on the spiritual, cultural, and historical significance of these artworks, examining each much more closely than one could do in person. The result is a rich resource of art and faith for all members of the family and certainly should be part of any parish or school video library. (Janson Video; Harrington Park, NJ 07640; boxed set of eight videos; $149.95) http://www.ncregister.com/info/email-a-friend/declaration/

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BY rob1 A sampling of capsule reviews of movies from the U.S. Catholic Conference (USCC) Office for Film and Broadcasting: Beaumarchais, The Scoundrel (New Yorker) Elaborate historical romp recounts the romantic and political exploits of the rakish 18th-century playwright (Fabrice Luchini) who, in addition to being jailed for ridiculing the French aristocracy, was an inventor, a magistrate, a spy, and gun runner for American revolutionaries. Director Edouard Molinari's giddy approach to the title character's busy life unreels as a series of breathless mis-adventures without revealing much of Beaumarchais's character or motivations. Subtitles. Some sexual innuendo, fleeting nudity, and an instance of rough language. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. Eve's Bayou (Trimark) Poignant drama set in 1962 Louisiana where a precocious 10-year-old (Jurnee Smollett) observes how her family is affected by the womanizing of her prosperous doctor father (Samuel Jackson), which culminates in a violent tragedy. Writer-director Kasi Lemmons's beautifully lyric tale probes human failings, though the results are marred by the action's melodramatic treatment. Mature theme of adultery, fleeting sexual encounter, brief violence, intermittent rough language, and profanity. The USCC classification is AIII. The film is rated R. I Love You, I Love You Not (Avalanche) Wispy portrait of a bookish high school student (Claire Danes) whose emotional insecurities get in the way when she begins dating the school's heartthrob (Jude Law), despite the unconditional moral support of her loving grandmother (Jeanne Moreau), a Holocaust survivor. Director Billy Hopkins tends to sentimentalize the problems of adolescence as well as the student's grappling with her Jewish identity, and the result is disappointingly superficial in its reliance on glossy visuals and slick melodramatics. Stark Holocaust images, sexual innuendo, occasional rough language, and an instance of profanity. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. Mad City (Warner Bros.) Dreary drama in which a fired museum guard (John Travolta) impulsively takes his boss and visiting children hostage, then unwittingly allows an ambitious TV reporter (Dustin Hoffman) to manipulate the situation to advance his flagging career. Director Costa-Gavras offers nothing new or insightful in this drawn-out tale showing the media's role in shaping breaking news. Brief violence, occasional profanity, and an instance of rough language. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is rated PG-13. Nick and Jane (Avalanche) Lame romantic comedy in which a New York businesswoman (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson) tries to make her womanizing boyfriend (John Dossett) jealous by paying a sensitive cabby (James McCaffrey) to masquerade as her lover, with unsurprising results. Writer-director Richard Mauro strings out a weak plot with a collection of odd-ball characters, such as the cabby's rapper roommate (Gedde Watanabe) and transvestite neighbor (Clinton Leupp), but the result is an urban fantasy that delivers a few giggles but lacks any romantic charm. Sexual situations, gay stereotypes, and occasional rough language. The USCC classification is A-IV. The film is rated R. Switchback (Paramount) Grim thriller in which a relentless FBI agent (Dennis Quaid) tracks a cunning serial killer (Danny Glover) who has kidnapped the agent's child while on a cross-country killing spree. Glover's chilling portrayal of an unpredictable psychopath helps compensate for the far-fetched plotting in writer-director Jeb Stuart's somewhat gory tale. Intermittent violence, nude pinup photos, and occasional profanity. The USCC classification is A-III. The film is rated R. The Wind in the Willows (Columbia) Charming live-action tale set in an English meadow where timid Mole (Steve Coogan), kindly Rat (Eric Idle) and bold Badger (Nicol Williamson) must save reckless Toad (Terry Jones) from losing his country estate to evil Weasels. Also written and directed by Jones, this adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's classic is enhanced by an endearing cast, sprightly songs, lovely visuals, and a delightful sense of whimsy, which despite moments of menace translates into appealing family entertainment. The USCC classification is A-I. The film is rated PG. USCC Office of Film and Broadcasting classification guide A-I— general patronage A-II— adults and adolescents A-III— adults A-IV— adults, with reservations (This classification designates problematic films that, while not morally offensive in themselves, require caution and some analysis and explanation as a safeguard against wrong interpretations and false conclusions.) O— morally offensive. http://www.ncregister.com/info/email-a-friend/declaration/

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