I loved "Amreeka," an immigrant story of a mother and son who come to America from the West Bank during the first Gulf War. Nisreen Faour gives one of the year's best performances playing a woman you'll grow to love. "Amreeka" will be on DVD January 12, 2010.
In February, look for the documentary, "Art & Copy." The film looks at some of the most successful and original ad campaigns in history. I felt like I got a semester's worth of interesting information -- all in 90 minutes.
In March, don't miss "Bandslam." In a nutshell, a new kid at school helps gather some fellow students to play in a big high-school competition, hoping for a shot at stardom. It's a surprisingly smart and thoughtful film.
"The Damned United" tells the story of an abrasive English soccer manager, played by Michael Sheen. It's based on a true story of a guy who butted heads with his players.
Now on DVD, Brendan Fraser stars in the action-adventure family film, "Inkheart." He plays a book binder with a secret involving a rare novel. As kid films go, this one hooked me.
And if you like music, "Pirate Radio" may hook you. Set in the mid-'60s, it's loosely based on real-life "pirate radio" stations which used to broadcast rock music from a ship at sea, music British radio had been forbidden to play.
"Pirate Radio's" soundtrack includes 52 songs. The DVD date on this one will be announced soon.
