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C.E. Morgan is a member of the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association

            What could be more fitting than a tale of romance to top off a list of February video picks? Golden Door is a perfect fit for a Valentine’s Day celebration. A story that begins in early twentieth-century Sicily, where desperate, impoverished Italian farmers hear stories of the great bounty of America, with money everywhere just waiting to be found, and ends with the rigorous examinations required of all immigrants arriving on Ellis Island. But, it’s the voyage itself and not the destination that seals the fates of Salvatore, an Italian widower, and Lucy, an English woman, who offers him a marriage proposal that he can’t refuse.
            An Italian film, with English subtitles, Golden Door manages to tell its story with minimal dialogue. The characters are very real and glamour is noticeably, and intentionally, lacking. Good direction and excellent acting combine to create a realistic view of what it must have been like to leave “all” behind, and undertake a perilous journey to a new life in a foreign land. Sometimes love actually can conquer all.
            Science fiction and romance are genres not traditionally paired, but if your taste leans in the Si-Fi direction check out Sunshine, a gripping tale of a brave crew of eight men and women from earth whose mission is to save our sun from burning out and leaving Earth to die in darkness. Things get sticky when they receive a distress call from a spaceship that has been lost for seven years.
            If your “honey” is a fan of British drama, I suggest buying The Catherine Cookson Anthology, a fine collection of eight adaptations of the author’s most popular works. Originally produced for airing on Britain’s ITV, these fine examples of historical fiction are a great addition to any home video collection. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ray Stevenson and June Whitfield get first billing, but the entire cast is top-notch. The set comes on 8 discs and runs for 1259 minutes. Give Dame Cookson’s works a look and you will be pleasantly surprised with the fine quality of these adaptations. Bravo! 
            Avid fans of Westerns will rejoice the arrival of 3:10 To Yuma. Recently released for home video distribution, this is a remake of a classic of yesteryear. This updated version is loaded with authentic Western action. The story is simple, but has a good share of twists, as down-and-out rancher, Dan Evans (Christian Bale) agrees to deliver the notorious outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) to the appropriate train to begin his prison sentence at the Yuma Prison. The money is good, but the undertaking is risky as Ben Wade’s gang tries to free its leader all along the way. The relationship between the prisoner and his escort is thoroughly developed and both leads do an excellent job with their characters. No ammunition was spared in the making of this film. Be prepared for some major shoot-outs and a lesson or two in morality.
            Those of you who like to get the full-story about production along with the movie itself, I recommend Zodiac—The Director’s Cut, a two-disc edition of a very good crime drama that has its basis in fact. In the late 1960s and 70s, the San Francisco Bay area was plagued by fear as a Jack the ripper-esque murderer who roamed the streets, committed murder at will, and left cryptic messages for the press and police to decipher. Rather than focusing on the notorious crime spree, this film is about the detectives and reporters who worked, but never actually solved, the notorious case.
            The story as told in Zodiac is based on the non-fictional work of Robert Graysmith, who is well portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal. Other notable performances are by Robert Downey Jr., who plays the edgy newspaper crime writer who gets caught up in the case and Mark Ruffalo as a persistent cop who is committed to solving the gruesome murders.
            If a family film is called for, may I suggest The Game Plan? Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars in this charmingly funny tale of a rough and tough professional athlete who is forced to take on the care of a young girl (Madison Pettis) for a whole month. Macho-man meets girly-girl and the result is hilarity.
            The extras are as entertaining as the movie itself, so give them a look. Movie-making insights, bloopers (narrated by none other than sportscaster Marv Albert), a fictional ESPN segment and much more are in store for the lucky viewers.
            A touching, and often funny, tale of teen coming-of-age angst is waiting for you on the video shelves this month. Rocket Science is both charming and thoroughly entertaining. Already the recipient of several prestigious 2007 awards, this little gem will probably draw more attention in its DVD format than it did as a first-run film at the theaters. You will enjoy and sympathize with young Hal Hefner (Reece Daniel Thompson) as he buys into joining his school’s debate team to advance his social position in school. Oh, did I mention that Hal has a crippling speech problem, an obsessive-compulsive older brother and a potential girlfriend who is a debating dynamo. Good luck, Hal.