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'Pinocchio,' 'Happy-Go-Lucky,' 'Milk,' 'Rachel Getting Married,' 'Role Models,' 'Synecdoche, New York'

NEW RELEASES IN DVD

March 08, 2009|Noel Murray

Happy-Go-Lucky

Miramax, $29.99


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The protagonist of British director Mike Leigh's latest slice-of-life is a constantly chattering, endlessly upbeat woman (played by Sally Hawkins) who seems at first to be mentally ill, until Leigh shows how her chipper attitude stacks up against other, more legitimately crazy folk. As with most Leigh films, "Happy-Go-Lucky" is alternately funny and a little scary, and it plays out in ways the audience might not expect. The DVD comes with a Leigh commentary and two featurettes that explore his unique improvisation-to-script method.

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Pinocchio

Disney, $29.99; Blu-ray, $35.99

After revolutionizing animation with the feature-length "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Walt Disney Studios tackled this dark, moralistic fable about a puppet who learns there's more to being "a real boy" than just playing all day. Disney softened the story's hard edges with comic relief and sentimental songs such as "When You Wish Upon a Star," but the movie retains a hard punch that few modern children's films would dare -- outside of maybe "Coraline." "Pinocchio" is now available on Blu-ray, a format that reveals the movie's painterly layers spectacularly. The disc also includes an appreciative hourlong look back, interactive games and a wonky picture-in-picture commentary track featuring Leonard Maltin and others.

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Milk

Universal, $29.98, Blu-ray, $39.98

Star Sean Penn and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black both used a portion of their Oscar speeches to emphasize the significance of slain gay politician Harvey Milk, and in particular the way he agitated for openness. Director Gus Van Sant also followed "Milk's" lead, leaving aside the artsy affectations of "Gerry" and "Elephant" and delivering a conventional, crowd-pleasing movie about a man who fought to drag homosexuality into the mainstream. "Milk" acknowledges the man's personal flaws, but it's primarily a deeply moving explication of how one brave, outspoken soul can inspire millions. The DVD and Blu-ray include a few deleted scenes and three thoughtful featurettes.

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Rachel Getting

Married

Sony, $28.96; Blu-ray, $39.95

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