Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Burn’ treads lightly, succeeds mildly

 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

“American Teen”

•••

Reality TV/films have become a genre all their own. The conceit of documentary filmmaker Nanette Burstein (“The Kid Stays in the Picture”) is to follow a group of Indiana teens through their senior year of high school. While she manages to explore the poignancy of their lives (one character breaks up with another by e-mail), Burstein can’t avoid reality-TV-type manipulation (is every scene authentic or merely created?). DVD includes cast interviews, deleted scenes. (1:40; rated PG-13 for brief smoking, sexual material, some drinking, some strong language, all involving teens)

“Hamlet 2”

••1/2

Steve Coogan (“Tropic Thunder”) is a British comedic treasure. But even boasting his presence, this satire on inspirational-teacher movies such as “Mr. Holland’s Opus” doesn’t hit as many high (or low) points as you’d expect. Middling is, then, as middling does. DVD includes commentary by writer-director Andrew Fleming and co-writer Pam Brady, making-of featurettes, sing-alongs, deleted scenes. (1:34; rated R for brief nudity, language, sexual references, some drug content)

“Traitor”

••

Intended as a slow reveal, this film about a former U.S. operative (Don Cheadle) linked to a string of terrorist attacks and the FBI agent (Guy Pearce) who tracks him feels ultimately like a cheat. Despite the fine cast, the ending evokes the old Peggy Lee line: Is that all there is? DVD, which is available on Blu-ray, includes commentary by writer-director Jeffrey Nachmanoff and star Cheadle, making-of featurettes. (1:53; rated PG-13 for brief language, intense violent sequences, thematic material)

“The Women”

••

Updating classic films is always a difficult business. Veteran television writer/producer Diane English (“Murphy Brown”) takes George Cukor’s 1939 film and casts Meg Ryan as the businessman’s wife whose husband is having an affair with a perfume “spritzer girl” (Eva Mendes). The problem involves English’s sitcom roots, which lead her to undercut scenes of real emotion with lame laugh lines. DVD, which is available on Blu-ray, includes making-of featurettes, additional scenes. (1:54; rated PG-13 for brief smoking, language, sex-related material, some drug use)

“Death Race”

Jason Statham needs a new agent. In another of his grim-faced, taut-body ventures, he plays a former NASCAR driver unjustly sentenced to prison for murder so he can compete in a violent Webcast auto race. Director Paul W.S. Anderson rides every cliché you can think of (and maybe a few that you can’t) to rig his protagonist’s ultimate escape. DVD, which is available on Blu-ray, includes commentary by director Anderson, making-of featurettes. (1:45; rated R for language, strong violence)

Also: “Beethoven’s Big Break,” “Pulse 3,” “Savage Grace,” “Resident Evil: Degeneration”