This week, see why it probably really is Marty's year (no, really, I mean it this time).
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Marty Scorsese's most successful film to date may very well be the one that finally snags him an Oscar. It's already earned him his first Director's Guild Award. Even if the Academy gives him the gold based on his whole career, Scorsese's direction here alone certainly doesn't suck. In fact, he may have improved upon the original material, the Hong Kong action classic Infernal Affairs. Doesn't hurt that he's working with one of his strongest casts, with Leo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin and Martin Sheen all turning in stellar performances, and scene-stealing from them all is Mark Wahlberg, turning in the film's one Academy Award-nominated performance. In addition to writing, editing and adapted screenplay, The Departed is also up for, oh, what is it called? That's right. Best Muthafuckin' Picture of the Yeah.
Extras include nine additional scenes with commentary, the TCM profile "Scorsese on Scorsese," a doc on the Boston mob and a Little Italy crime featurette.
Half Nelson
Proof that Ryan Gosling can still get his indie swerve on and nab a long overdue Oscar nod for his trouble. But the real Best Supporting Actress award (no disrespect to Jennifer Hudson) belongs to Shareeka Epps who nails a difficult performance at age 15. Actually, it's an outstanding performance at any age. More here.
Extras include filmmaker's commentary, deleted and extended scenes and outtakes.
Fuck
What film could possibly bring together Alan Keyes and Ron Jeremy? A documentary about the F-bomb, of course. Relentlessly funny and well-researched (he's got linguists up in here, too), Steve Anderson's dissection of the war over bad language forms a Free Speech Trilogy with The Aristocrats and This Film Is Not Yet Rated.
Extras include extended interviews. Pray that includes Billy Connolly, who is drop dead hilarious in the film.
Marie Antoinette
Sofia Coppola's follow-up to Lost in Translation didn't receive nearly as good reviews, but still garnered a fairly hardcore following and stirred up an Oscar nod for Best Costume Design. Based on The Virgin Suicides and Translation alone, I'm sure to check it out. As if that weren't enough, one of the extras is called "Cribs With Louis XVI." How can you pass that up?
Infamous
If there's room in this world for Deep Impact and Armageddon, then surely isn't there room for Capote and this take on the exact same material? The answer from critics was a resounding no, but they probably didn't like Deep Impact or Armageddon, either. Certainly an interesting cast, with the new James Bond as the object of Capote's exploitation. Extras include writer/director commentary.
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