Grades for new movies to be released this Tuesday on DVD

City of Men (2008) A mix of credible sociology and tired melodrama, along with a palpable sense of déjà vu. Because the plight of boyz 'n' the hood is a global tragedy, its depiction on the screen has become a global commonplace with its own attendant danger – the tragedy is starting to feel trite. Grade: B-

Drillbit Taylor (2008) Owen Wilson. If only it had some funny lines, a focused plot and an idea that stretched beyond the initial setup. Grade: C-

My Blueberry Nights (2008) Jude Law, Norah Jones, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz, David Strathairn. The use of recognizable movie stars doesn't help serve Wong's style. "My Blueberry Nights" should have played like a memory, but its hard-living, luckless losers are too beautiful to be believed. Grade: C

Sex and Death 101 (2008) Winona Ryder. In a fair universe, "Sex and Death 101" would end its miserable life after one episode as a TV show. But this unfunny "dark comedy" goes on for two hours. Grade: D-

Shotgun Stories (2008) An austere rural landscape, festering hatred, class tensions, terse dialogue - these are common currency in indie movies these days. "Shotgun Stories" uses them all, but manages to stand out from the crowd. Grade: B+

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (2008) The playwright, actor, director and drag queen (yes, his bewigged and be wild Madea makes a brief and totally gratuitous appearance in his new film) knows how to give human dimension, and a dimension of humor, to the cliches and stereotypes. Grade: C-

Vantage Point (2008) The truth is that two other films with Paul Greengrass' name on them, "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum," have spoiled us for this kind of thriller filmmaking, and stacked against that, "Vantage Point" doesn't have a chance. Grade: C-