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Latest video releases reviewed

SIDEWAYS *****

Directed by Alexander Payne. Starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh 15 cert

Payne's literate, sharply observed serious comedy features Giamatti as a frustrated writer spending a week with his best friend (Church) in the Californian wine country where they meet two women (Madsen and Oh) who know a lot about men and about wine. The consequences are consistently diverting and played out with subtle, telling conviction by the four actors in a movie that is, just like a vintage pinot, a pleasure to savour from beginning to end. Michael Dwyer

MEET THE FOCKERS **

Directed by Jay Roach. Starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo 12A cert

The film which ate the world's box offices alive arrives on DVD. The idea of Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman playing Ben Stiller's hippie parents is amusing enough in itself, but, sadly, that high concept is the funniest thing in this lame sequel. Viewers who hated the picture's nauseating infant will be annoyed to hear that the retail release includes a featurette detailing the adventures of the "baby wrangler". Donald Clarke

VANITY FAIR **

Directed by Mira Nair. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Eileen Atkins, Gabriel Byrne, Romola Garai, Bob Hoskins, Rhys Ifans, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers 12A cert

A cynical adventuress moves through London society in this right-on, multi-culti adaptation of Thackeray's great 19th century novel. The author's occasional references to the Indian sub-continent are inflated to preposterous effect, but the saffron robes, jolly parrots and Witherspoon's sub-Bhangra jitterbug are all easy on the eye. No excuses can be made for the moronically compromised happy ending. Donald Clarke

THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE ****

Directed by Stephen Hillenburg. Voices Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Bill Fagerbakke, Scarlett Johansson, Alec Baldwin, David Hasselhoff G cert

The absorbent protagonist and his starfish chum set out to retrieve the crown of King Neptune in this anarchic, hysterical big screen adaptation of a popular kids' TV cartoon. Though the animation is rudimentary and the story is overly complicated, right-thinking adults should enjoy the flick almost as much as their kids, which is just as well, because those parents will have to watch it again and again . . . Donald Clarke