"Actor: Aunjanue Ellis"

• Antwone Fisher / Men Of Honour | DVD | (29/09/2003) from £13.93   |  Saving you £6.06 (43.50%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Autobiographical movies rarely get more truthfully moving than Antwone Fisher. The title is also the name of this fine drama's first-time screenwriter, a former Navy seaman who was working as a film-studio security guard when his life-inspired script was developed as Denzel Washington's directorial debut. This Hollywood dream gets better: unbeknown to the filmmakers, Derek Luke--a newcomer who won the title role over a throng of famous contenders--was also a friend of Fisher's, and the whole film seems blessed by this fortunate coincidence. Washington's sharp instincts as an actor serve him well, as both a subtle-handed director and Luke's costar playing Jerome Davenport, a Navy psychologist assigned to assess Fisher's chronic violent temper. Their therapy sessions prove mutually beneficial, as this touching true story addresses painful memories, broken desires, and heartfelt reunions without resorting to a contrived happy ending. Fisher's good life is worth celebrating, and Washington brings a delicate touch to the party. --Jeff Shannon Originally, Men of Honour was simply called Navy Diver and no doubt all involved held high hopes that it would be an award-winning biopic. Unfortunately, Carl Brashear's life as the first African-American Master Diver went through that vaguely distasteful contemporary Hollywood Marketing makeover and the result is not quite so worthy of its subject and intentions. The film's hopelessly clichéd tagline reads, "History is made by those who break the rules"; the direction is shot through with sunsets 'n' slow-mo; and the script is peppered with foreshadowing dialogue ("don't end up like me, son"). The plot devices follow a predictable arc: family poverty, a swiftly sweet romance, a shock accident, court hearing and, naturally, a grisly antagonist. It's with the last of these that the movie comes to life. We may have seen DeNiro spit nails countless times before, but his saltily intractable Master Chief is a terrific screen creation. Next to him, Cuba Gooding Jr really does shine as the endlessly persecuted Brashear. All-too brief cameos from Charlise Theron and Michael Rapaport lend sparkle too. But the film's message about how social attitudes toward race have changed is lost in a murky haze of Hollywoodisation. As one character declares, "some things just don't mix". --Paul Tonks

• Ray / Genius - A Night For Ray Charles | DVD | (06/06/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £27.99

  Ray (Dir. Taylor Hackford 2004): Jamie Foxx stars in this biopic of legendary soul and R&B singer Ray Charles. Riding high on a wave of Oscar buzz Foxx proved himself worthy of all the hype by portraying blind R&B legend Ray Charles in a warts-and-all performance that Charles approved shortly before his death in June 2004. Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents (such as the suggestion that the accidental drowning of Charles's younger brother caused all the

• Sign Of The Killer | DVD | (29/09/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  In this spine-tingling and visually stunning thriller Samuel L. Jackson is Romulus Ledbetter a misunderstood musician turned recluse hiding from personal demons in a New York City cave. When Romulus finds the frozen body of a young drifter in a tree the authorities - including his police officer daughter (Aunjanne Ellis) - claim the death is accidental. Romulus is convinced the man was murdered by prominent art photographer David Leppenraub (Colm Feore). But how can he prove he's right when everyone thinks he's insane?

• Sign Of The Killer | DVD | (12/04/2004) from £66.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £66.99

  Variously described by critics as "Riveting", "Stunning", "Exciting..Stylish and Slick", & "An Ingenious Thriller" this is a little gem of a thriller, directed by actress turned director Kasi Lemmons, & starring the always superb, Samuel L. Jackson (Snakes On A Plane, Pulp Fiction ) as Romulus Ledbetter, a once devoted family man, now living rough on the streets os Manhattan. His home is a cave in the park and when he finds a frozen corpse outside the entrance one day he becomes determined to find out how the man died and prove he was murdered . To do this he has to re-enter the world he is no longer a part of, and most importantly confront his own inner demons. Very overlooked on it's original release it's a clever involving film, with Jackson totally believable as always.

• Ray - Limited Edition | DVD | (06/06/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £21.99

  Jamie Foxx stars in this biopic of legendary soul and R&B singer Ray Charles. Riding high on a wave of Oscar buzz, Foxx proved himself worthy of all the hype by portraying blind R&B legend Ray Charles in a warts-and-all performance that Charles approved shortly before his death in June 2004. Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents (such as the suggestion that the accidental drowning of Charles's younger brother caused all the inner demons that Charles would battle into ad...