This week: Thomas Horn plays a young boy searching for meaning and a final message from his father after his death on 9/11 in "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," the Stephen Daldry film nominated for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor (for Max von Sydow).
Also new is Angelina Jolie's "In the Land of Blood and Honey," the psychoanalytic drama "A Dangerous Method," the family flick "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" and a newly remastered "Casablanca" on Blu-ray.
'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close'
Box Office: $32 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 47% Rotten
Storyline: Young Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn), whose father (Tom Hanks) died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, is convinced that his father left him one final message after he finds a key hidden in his father's closet in an envelope labeled "Black." Disconnected from his grieving mother (Sandra Bullock), Oskar searches all over New York for someone named Black who knew his father, and comes to a greater understanding of a world much bigger than his own personal loss.
Extras! The featurette "Ten Years Later" shares the extraordinary circumstances surrounding a 9/11 victim's photo on the memorial wall as told by the filmmakers, family members and volunteers.
We Say: This syrupy, exploitive story is a naked attempt to win Oscars (it didn't get any), but the polarizing film does feature a performance by Horn that is mature beyond the young actor's years.
'In the Land of Blood and Honey'
Box Office: $303, 877
Rotten Tomatoes: 57% Rotten
Storyline: Angelina Jolie's directorial debut is a romantic drama, set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War in the 1990s, in which a Serb soldier oversees a camp holding the Bosnian Muslim woman he was in love with before the fighting began.
Extras! Check out the insightful Q&A with Angelina Jolie and actress Vanessa Glodjo to learn more about the story, which was written by Jolie.
We Say: Jolie doesn't shy away from depicting the atrocities of war and deserves praise for historical accuracy and noble intentions, but her first film feels like a preachy humanitarian documentary disguised as a fictionalized doomed romance.
'A Dangerous Method'
Box Office: $6 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 77% Fresh
Storyline: Director David Cronenberg's latest drama tells the story of Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and the woman (Keira Knightley) who comes between them when Jung crosses the line in doctor-patient relations.
Extras! "AFI's Harold Lloyd Masters Seminar with David Cronenberg" talks about the making of the film, including the director's concerns about whether the movie is "Cronenberg-esque."
We Say: This talky drama is like a long, kinky chat on a psychiatrist's couch but still fascinates, thanks to intense performances by both Mortensen and Fassbender.
'Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked'
Box Office: $132 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 13% Rotten
Storyline: This live-action/animated sequel finds the Chipmunks, Chipettes and caretaker Dave (Jason Lee) on a luxury cruise until they accidentally fall overboard and must fend for themselves on a remote island.
Extras! There are music videos and sing-along segments for the little bipedal chipmunks in your home.
We Say: This grating, lowest-common-denominator family flick aims very, very young and is not for the potty-trained.
'Casablanca' 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray
Box Office: $2 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% Fresh
Storyline: This timeless romantic drama featuring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and endlessly quotable lines ("We'll always have Paris") has been given an all-new 4K scan and remaster for its second appearance on Blu-ray.
Extras! These limited and numbered editions come packaged with a full-size reproduction of the original poster, a 62-page art book, four collectible drink coasters and enough new and vintage bonus features to fill the plane Bergman boards at the end of the movie.
We Say: Here's looking at you, Warner Bros., for lovingly restoring another iconic title so that today's generations can appreciate why "Casablanca" continues to captivate.
Also New This Week:
"The Bodyguard" Blu-ray
"DragonHeart" Blu-ray
"South Park: The Complete Fifteenth Season"
"Camel Spiders"
"A Night to Remember" Blu-ray
