The spy really loved her
“Hustle & Flow”
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Taking us into the back streets of Memphis, writer-director Craig Brewer introduces us to DJay (Terrence Dashon Howard), a pimp whose hold on his women is as tenuous as his chances of becoming a rap star. But when he hooks up with aspiring record producer Clyde (Anthony Anderson), he dares to dream. Strong performances by Howard (who also starred in “Crash”), Taryn Manning and Taraji P. Henson (as DJay’s women Nola and Shug) fuel the film, even if the ending has more in common with a made-for-TV film than anything truly dramatic. Especially good is the sequence in which, with Shug’s help, DJay’s song comes alive. DVD includes commentary by Brewer and making-of featurettes (including one on the movie’s music). (1:44; rated R for sex and drug content, pervasive language, violence)
“Red Eye”
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Heading home on an overnight flight, officious Lisa (Rachel McAdams of “The Family Stone”) gets drawn into an assassination plot by a seemingly friendly stranger (Cillian Murphy). At stake are the lives of a politician (Jack Scalia) and her father (Brian Cox). Director Wes Craven isn’t the guy most likely to be voted capable of crafting an effective, big-budget suspense film. But he succeeds here, putting McAdams in situations that are mostly ordinary and allowing her to handle them as a real person could. McAdams is great and Murphy is appropriately creepy, while Craven – the man who gave us the celluloid effluence titled “Last House on the Left” – shows that he actually is an A-level talent. In a film of multiple twists and turns, that’s the biggest surprise of all. Includes commentary by Craven, a making-of featurette and gag reel. (1:25; rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, language)
“Transporter 2”
•1/2
Jason Statham returns as the title character in this utterly lame sequel to 2002’s “The Transporter,” which is the good news. This time Frank Martin (Statham) has moved to Miami where he has taken a temporary job as the driver for a government VIP (Matthew Modine) and his wife (supermodel-turned-thespian Amber Valletta). When the couple’s son is kidnapped, Martin vows to find him. The bad news is that even magnetic Statham can’t offset the bad acting of Modine and, exponentially more so, by Valletta. Prepare yourself for the poorest dialogue and worst clichés imaginable. Includes commentaries by Statham and producer Steven Chasman, a making-of featurette and special sequence of deleted fight scenes. (1:28; rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, sexual content, partial nudity, brief language)
“The Chumscrubber”
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What’s meant to be black comedy about angst of adolescence and suburbia fails miserably when, instead of staying with real-life characters such as the alienated teen (Jamie Bell), the going-to-get-married mom (Rita Wilson) and self-help-guru dad (William Fichtner), both of whom are too busy to listen to their kids, director Arie Posen introduces an imaginary videogame creature of the film’s title that is likely to be seen as fake by kids and inexplicable by their parents. The result is a waste of talent that includes Glenn Close, Allison Janney and even Ralph Fiennes. Includes a making-of featurette, deleted and extra scenes. (1:48; rated R for language, violent content, drug material, sexuality)