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“Michael Clayton”
Warner Home Video, $28.98, rated R
This tense and nuanced legal thriller about an attorney named Michael Clayton (George Clooney), a “fixer” at a powerful New York law firm, took in seven Academy Award nominations, including best picture, director and screenplay (both for Tony Gilroy), actor (Clooney) and supporting actor and actress (Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton). Clayton has to deal with a major crisis when the firm’s top litigator goes over to the other side and becomes a whistleblower. The DVD includes a commentary by writer-director Tom Gilroy and editor John Gilroy (Tom’s brother), plus additional scenes.
“American Gangster”
Two and three discs, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, $29.98/$34.98, rated R and unrated versions
Ridley Scott directs a powerhouse cast, including Denzel Washington as a Harlem crime boss, Russell Crowe as an NYPD detective out to get him, plus Josh Brolin, Oscar nominee Ruby Dee, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The two-disc Extended Edition includes the original R-rated theatrical version, an unrated version with 18 additional minutes, an alternate ending, a commentary with Scott and writer Steven Zaillian, deleted scenes and eight short documentaries on the making of the movie; the three-disc Collector’s Edition adds four more documentary features, a digital copy of the movie for downloading and a 32-page collectible book.
“In the Valley of Elah”
Warner Home Video, $27.95, rated R
Tommy Lee Jones is up for an Oscar for his performance as the father of an Iraq war vet who has gone missing upon his return home. This highly charged drama from writer-director Paul Haggis (“Crash”) raises serious questions about what wars do to the men who fight in them. Charlize Theron plays a police detective who helps Jones look for his son, while Susan Sarandon portrays Jones’ wife. The DVD includes additional scenes and a documentary on the making of the movie and its message.
“Rendition”
New Line Home Entertainment, $28.98, rated R
This timely political thriller from director Gavin Hood (“Tsotsi”) is about an American wife (Reese Witherspoon) trying to locate her Egyptian husband after he mysteriously disappears following an overseas flight. The cast includes Meryl Streep, Jake Gyllenhaal, Alan Arkin and Peter Sarsgaard in a story about secret CIA detention facilities in Europe. Special features include a commentary by director Hood, deleted and alternate scenes, and two short documentaries: “Intersections: The Making of `Rendition’” and “Outlawed.”
“Lust, Caution”
Universal Studios Home Entertainment, $29.98, R and NC-17 versions
Oscar-winning director Ang Lee’s (“Brokeback Mountain”) erotic thriller is set during World War II in Japanese-occupied Shanghai and stars Tony Leung as a government official and Tang Wei as a spy for the Chinese resistance. The story of espionage, passion and betrayal is available in both R- and NC-17-rated versions, each containing the bonus documentary “Titles of Deception, Lurid Affection,” about the making of the film.
“Pierrot Le Fou”
Two discs, Criterion Collection, $39.95, not rated
This is a transitional film from 1965 by the daring and enigmatic French director Jean-Luc Godard as he moved from his early reimagining of genre films to a more radicalized and experimental form of moviemaking. It stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina as a couple on the run, and it comes with extensive bonus features: a new interview with Karina, a “‘Pierrot’ Primer” by filmmaker Jean-Pierre Gorin, a 50-minute documentary on the films Godard made with Karina, archival interviews with the director and his stars, and a booklet with new essays by critics Richard Brody and Andrew Sarris.
Plus:
“Beaufort” (not rated)
“Coach: The Third Season” (not rated)
“Desert Bayou” (not rated)
“Excellent Cadavers” (not rated)
“Father Ted: The Definitive Collection” (not rated)
“The Final Inquiry” (rated PG-13)
“Four Films by Alain Resnais: `Life Is a Bed of Roses,’ `Love Unto Death,’ `Melo’ and `I Want to Go Home’” (not rated)
“German Expressionism Collection: The Hands of Orlac, Secrets of a Soul, Warning Shadows and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (not rated)
“Gorillas on the Brink” (not rated)
“Helen Mirren at the BBC” (not rated)
“The Inner Life of Martin Frost” (not rated)
“Jakers! Treasure Hunt on Raloo Farm” (not rated)
“Kilometre Zero” (not rated)
“Kurt Cobain: About a Son” (not rated)
“Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall” (not rated)
“Lili’s Apron” (not rated
“Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project” (not rated)
“Nightmare Detective” (not rated)
“Poor Boy’s Game” (rated R)
“Walker” (not rated)
