New movies to be released this week on DVD

Much better than the average week for DVD releases. No four-star films, but three releases with three and a half stars.

(click on title to see the trailer)

Bigger, Stronger, Faster (2008) ***½ Christopher Bell’s first person documentary attempts to look beyond the hysteria and consider exactly how and why a culture that values physical power has internalized the idea that steroid use in sports is a scourge. Entertaining and informative.

Chapter 27 (2008) ** There’s virtually no context provided here, about John Lennon or the Beatles or New York or John David Chapman himself. To put it another way, the film’s entire context IS Chapman. From what I can tell, the film is generally accurate regarding the events of Dec. 8. But I got as much out of it as I did by looking up Chapman on Wikipedia. Except for Judah Friedlander’s earthy, funny work as a paparazzo, most of the performances are vague and dull, including Lindsay Lohan’s supporting turn as a fictional Beatles fan who befriends Chapman.

CSNY Deja Vu (2008) **½ What saves this from its self-importance is the surprisingly lively, timely and timeless music. The only dicey onstage moments involve Stephen Stills’ falling over or wheezing his way through "For What It’s Worth."

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) *** This film is so funny it may be beside the point to complain that, as in many Jud Apatow productions, the writing and direction are still in something of a state of arrested development.

Iron Man (2008) ***½ There are more compelling stories to be found in the comic book world, and there are more expressive directors than Jon Favreau. But on the bases of wit, verve, spirit and whiz-bangery, this film is pretty tough to find fault with. This is the rare comic-book movie that makes the prospect of a sequel seem like a promise instead of a threat.

Jellyfish (2008) *** Tightly constructed, cleverly stylized, serio-comic ensemble piece. Highly cinematic, with a mood of existential loneliness leavened by magical whimsy, its different story strands share themes including the need for affection and the struggle to communicate. Yes, the movie says, it’s a wonderful life, not in that old-fashioned style we’ve perhaps tired of but in a surprising new and magical way all its own.

Lou Reed’s Berlin (2008) *** Your enjoyment will hinge entirely on whether you think the Reed’s "Berlin" album is a masterpiece or a bore.

Taxi to the Dark Side (2008) ***½ The film quickly becomes one of the most powerful, carefully researched investigations of the moral-legal side effects of current American military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s terrifying in a way that sneaks up on you. So disturbing, on so many levels.