Children Who Chase Lost Voices (Blu-ray) by Kurt Dahlke Children Who Chase Lost Voices: GKids brings us Children Who Chase Lost Voices on Blu-ray, a 2011 Studio Ghibli feature written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, a strong voice from the studio as it expands beyond the works of Hayao Miyazaki. The GKids label is something of a misnomer in this case, as the action-adventure movie is firmly targeted at tweens and teens. It's an exhilarating and thoughtful thrill-ride that shares as much in common with Hollywood studio fare as it does with the worlds adapted by Miyazaki. Introverted 12-year-old Asuna (Hisako Kanemoto) runs her own life. Her mother works long hours and her father is deceased, so she gets herself ready for school, prepares her own meals, and spends a lot of time listening to a crystal radio out in the countryside. The world in which she lives blends reality and fantasy elements, echoing the strong pull of religion and mysti...Read the entire review »

The Worst Person in the World (The Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray) by Ryan Keefer The Movie: One could see The Worst Person in the World be something that American comedienne Jenny Slate headline (and for a minute, that's what I thought it was!), because it's a film that seems to reach broadly in some of the things in it that it's lead does. And as a continuing part of Criterion's pivot to contemporary films, having a chance to see this Norwegian gem proved to be an interesting proposition. Joachim Trier co-wrote and directed the film, the final part of his "Oslo Trilogy" which included Reprise and Oslo, August 31. The worst person in this world is Julie (Renate Reinsve), a young Oslo woman whose careers and relationships are shown through the years. Whether it's the writer Axsel (Anders Danielsen Lie, 22 July) or the modest Eivind (...Read the entire review »