New DVD Picks: Becoming Jane and Gone Baby Gone

Posted on February 26, 2008

Now out on DVD are two great movies: Becoming Jane and Gone Baby Gone. Becoming Jane is a marvelous look at Jane Austen's life. The film explores her romance with a penniless Irishman (who in real life later became a very famous judge who wrote quite wistfully about his friendship with Ms. Austen). But Jane's family was very poor and the Irish lawyer had to make a good living to take care of his family back home. Anne Hathaway shines as Jane and James McAvoy is delightful as the charming Tom Lefray. The story is funny, imaginative and thoroughly entertaining.

A totally different kind of film is Gone Baby Gone, which is based on the bestselling novel by Dennis Lehane. Ben Affleck made his directing debut and it's clear he has a great future in the director's chair. Two young private detectives (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) are hired to find a missing little girl. The performances are outstanding, especially Casey Affleck's. This is a gripping crime drama that fans of Dennis Lehane shouldn't miss. The DVD offers lots of bonus features, including an extended ending, behind the scenes clips and commentary by Ben Affleck.