The latest DVD releases reviewed.
THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY ****
Directed by Ken Loach. Starring Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald, Gerary Kearney, Sean McGinley 15 cert
Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, Loach's thoughtful, powerful and moving political drama explores the turbulent events in early 1920s Ireland, during the War of Independence and the subsequent Civil War. The dramatic prism is the changing relationship between two brothers played with terrific conviction by Murphy and Delaney. Michael Dwyer
THE DA VINCI CODE *
Directed by Ron Howard. Starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Paul Bettany, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, Jürgen Prochnow 15 cert
What else do you need to know? If you have seen the blasted thing you will already appreciate Ron Howard's achievement in producing an entity even more turgid than Dan Brown's unspeakable mega-selling novel. If you haven't - well done, incidentally - then it surely behoves you to remain pure and untainted. There is, of course, a two-disc special edition. Donald Clarke
WAH-WAH ***
Directed by Richard E Grant. Starring Gabriel Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, Emily Watson, Miranda Richard- son, Julie Walters, Celia Imrie 15 cert
Grant turns screenwriter and director with a semi-autobiographical film set in early 1970s Swaziland. The erratic behaviour of the expat adults, relieving their boredom in alcohol and adultery, is observed through the eyes of a troubled boy. There is a palpable warmth about this bittersweet movie, and a keen sense of humour. Michael Dwyer
SLITHER **
Directed by James Gunn. Starring Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker 15 cert
Slimy wriggling creatures turn townspeople into flesh-hungry zombies in screenwriter Gunn's mildly amusing directing debut, which treads a thin line between homage and deja vu. Michael Dwyer
IMAGINE ME & YOU **
Directed by Ol Parker. Starring Piper Perabo, Lena Headey, Matthew Goode, Celia Imrie, Anthony Head, Darren Boyd 15 cert
This disorganised, charmless comedy featuring smug Londoners doing what they do - drinking wine, walking dogs, experimenting with lesbianism - is sufficiently drippy to cause even Richard Curtis to run to the bathroom with his hand over his mouth. Still, the scenery is nice. Donald Clarke
AQUAMARINE *
Directed by Elizabeth Allen. Starring Sara Paxton PG cert
So, like, there's this teen, right, and she finds this totally strange woman in her pool and she's way freaked out. She's, like, 'What?' and I'm, like, 'Duh!' It's a mermaid like in that film the Sixth Sense guy made after he went crazy. Only this one, like, totally sucks and isn't nearly as funny. Donald Clarke
THIEF LORD *
Directed by Richard Claus. Starring Aaron Johnson, Jasper Harris, Jim Carter, Alexei Sayle, Caroline Goodall, Vanessa Redgrave PG cert
Atrocious German-financed children's movie following the adventures of a cabal of larcenous orphans in Venice. Badly acted, featuring preachy lessons and terrible special effects, the DVD offers a promising punishment regime for naughty infants. Ten minutes of this and they'll think twice before strangling the dog again. Donald Clarke
