New on DVD: Michael Clayton, American Gangster, In the Valley of Elah

Michael Clayton: Tony Gilroy’s sharp legal thriller has 7 Oscar nominations, a few of which I knew were locks as soon as I saw it, although George Clooney’s Best Actor nod seemed a little surprising, given his understatement in the role. It’s also, however, the most Oscary of the Oscar nominees - Atonement doesn’t quite have the heft, Juno won’t make it a streak for quirky comedies, and No Country for Old Men is the favorite because it is challenging without being as difficult and ornery as There Will Be Blood, although the last two are really the only ones that demand a repeat viewing. Tilda Swinton’s nervous, desperate legal counsel will likely win the Best Supporting Actress nod, and the team behind Michael Clayton will have to be happy with that, no matter how much Tom Wilkinson earned his spot at the big dance.

American Gangster: A somewhat disappointing film whose ‘true crime’ luster is further diminished by the fact that the real-life version of Russell Crowe’s character is now suing the filmmakers for the creative license involved. Somehow, five minutes of Ruby Dee scolding Denzel Washington got her an Oscar nomination, which is more a ‘we like Ruby Dee’ nod than a ‘we like American Gangster‘ sentiment.

In the Valley of Elah: Tommy Lee Jones gets his award nomination this year for his performance as a career officer searching for the truth about the disappearance of his son following his tour in Iraq. He likely should have also been nominated in Best Supporting for his turn in No Country for Old Men, but competing with Javier Bardem wasn’t advisable, and this may just get this movie more notice. No one does soul-crushing despair like Jones.

Rendition: One of a pair of topical Meryl Streep movies that no one really saw last year, it’ll get a second chance on DVD. This one centers around the ongoing debate about the ethics of torture, as Reese Witherspoon desperately searches for her missing husband and CIA analyst Jake Gyllenhaal finds himself appalled by the methodology used to interrogate suspects.

Redacted: Brian De Palma’s looks at the Iraq War with the same hard-bitten glare that he looked at the Vietnam War, daring to cast certain American troops as bad guys. I thought it was pretty necessary at the time of release, even if further reflection makes it seem like a polemic. The truth is that ’support the troops’ is a sweeping generality, and I think we can all admit that being a soldier does not automatically make one a hero.

Margot at the Wedding: An odd little dramedy in which Nicole Kidman plays a shrewish woman who harasses her sister, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and her choice of companion, Jack Black, during a weekend visit.

Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project: John Landis profiles Don Rickles, the improvisational insult comic whose recent book, appropriately entitled Rickles’ Book, is the quickest read you’ll ever have, with chapters rarely reaching a fourth page in length. Come on, it’s Rickles. He entetained Sinatra and his mobsters, for pete’s sake. Don’t be a hockey puck. See this thing.