Director Anthony Minghella's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" has received an outstanding dvd presentation from Paramount.  Not only does Minghella provide an outstanding commentary, but there are two music videos and a featurette.  Minghella's commentary offers both an abstract and literal interpretation of the film, the kind of thing reserved for the best film classes at USC or UCLA!  He really helps support his empathy for the title character, a young man whom through an unusual mistake, takes on the persona of another with dire results!  While this reviewer still thinks a killer is a killer, Minghella obviously thinks Ripley deserves more credit than that.  We won't give it to him, but we'll credit writer/director Minghella with making a stunning, provocative film.  Matt Damon is terrific, and for a change Gwyneth Paltrow won't make the viewer want to throw up!  The production design is elaborate, calling for a stunning dvd transfer, which it's gotten here.  The wonderful backdrop of Italy looks wonderful!  Colors are deep and contrast is flawless!  The 16:9 enhancement helps greatly, but even without it, there's great clarity.  The dolby digital 5.1 provides a great sound mix, not surprising since "The English Patient" also had an engaging mix.  The music videos are a mixed bag, depending on one's taste, but the featurette is far superior to the typical ones offered on recent releases.

Writer/Director Jonathan Lynn has created an amusing, although sluggish(at times) adaptation of the famous board game, suitable for fun family viewing.  While there are some risque scenes, the content is witty enough to be above most adolescent's heads.  The cast, including Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, and Lesley Ann Warren, are terrific, and the dvd transfer looks quite good, especially with 16:9 enhancement.  There is some artifacting, however, color values and fleshtones are consistent.  The mono sound is suitable, with clarity throughout.  While the theatrical release offered different endings with different showtimes, all three have been included here, offering another reason to enjoy the dvd.

While "Angela's Ashes" was sorely overlooked at theaters, it should win over a large audience due to the outstanding presentation offered on dvd from PARAMOUNT.  Not only does director Alan Parker provide a great commentary, but there's an option for novelist Frank McCourt to provide his commentary as well.  We actually preferred McCourt's, due to his reflections and comparisons to the novel.  While we enjoyed Parkers commentary as well, we were disappointed that he doesn't explain enough of his own motivations for what he does on screen.  There's more production information than interpretation.  The transfer is "FLAWLESS!!!"   The film changes its look from one scene to another, and it's a sign of the great mastering of the dvd, that the film looks immaculate in every frame!  The contrast, fleshtones, and color values are perfect!  The dolby digital 5.1 sound offers its share of directional effects, but is used mostly in highlighting the wonderful score from John Williams.  A featurette with behind-the-scenes footage, as well as interviews with the cast is also offered here!