One Day follows the progression of one couple from their first meeting in 1988 through their much-changed lives twenty years later. The film, which is based on the novel by David Nicholls (who also wrote the script), gets along by peeking in on this couple on the same day each year. Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter Mayhew (Jim Sturgess) meet on July 15 on their graduation from university. The two decide to remain friends rather than pursue romantic interests, and the film takes off from there. Some years are given more attention than others as the film strings through the saga of a couple that never quite gets it all right. Hit the jump for our review of One Day on DVD.

Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies was made for a very specific audience, composed primarily of those in academia. This documentary looks at the influences of early cinema on Cubism, specifically focusing on artists Picasso and Braque. Appropriate for cinéphiles, art lovers, and historians, the film is unlikely to appeal to those outside of this scope.  My review after the jump:

A Small Act is a glimpse into the Kenyan education system and some of those who are trying to better it. The documentary focuses on Chris Mburu, a Kenyan who went on to study at Harvard and eventually work for the United Nations. Mburu, who was sponsored to attend secondary school by a Swedish woman named Hilde Back, founded his own foundation called the Hilde Back Education Fund. In addition to exploring Mburu’s life, the film also looks at three students competing for his award.

The Maid (La Nana) follows Raquel, a live-in maid who has worked over 20 years for an upper class Chilean family. As it becomes apparent that Raquel can no longer run the house alone, the family decides to bring on another maid to help lighten her load. Jealous, Raquel concocts ploys to run out every person hired. The family goes through a string of maids as they try to find some kind of balance. More after the jump.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, is the multifaceted story of an overweight, illiterate Harlem teen pregnant with her second child. The film blends fantasy with reality in order to portray the methods Claireece “Precious” Jones uses to deal with abuse and poverty, among other things. The film has the right blend of humor to offset the seriousness, but attempts to tackle a plethora of issues, making it sometimes straddle the line of believability. More after the jump.

Beautiful Losers is a documentary about the lives and work of a group of Do-It-Yourself artists. The film also addresses the subcultures these artists sprang from, such as skateboarding, surfing, and graffiti. The film was directed by Aaron Rose, who founded the Alleged Gallery in New York. He appears in the film along with a number of other artists. These include Mike Mills (director of Thumbsucker), Shepard Fairey (creator of the Obama “Hope” poster), pro-skateboarder Ed Templeton, and various others. More after the jump.

A documentary about the inhumane treatment of dolphins near Taiji, Japan, The Cove combines an exciting and illegal mission with an activist’s desire to expose an issue. The film juxtaposes a group of activists’ scheme to document the goings-on of a heavily guarded cove with footage that gives a history of dolphin captivity and explains what makes these animals relevant and unique. The film is directed by Louie Psihoyos, a photographer who founded the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS). Ric O’Barry, a now activist who was once known for capturing and training the dolphins used on Flipper, is also a key figure in the film. More after the jump.

“The Mysteries of Pittsburgh”, based on the novel by Michael Chabon, is about a college grad’s last summer before plunging into the “real world.” Art Bechstein is a clean-cut, good guy on the path to success. One would never imagine that he, of all people, has a gangster father, a fact he prefers to keep secret. Between graduating college and starting a job his dad set up for him, Bechstein has a whole summer to kill. To keep from doing absolutely nothing, he gets a job at the Book Barn, where he sleeps with his boss and does mindless work. One day he runs into an old college buddy who takes him to a party where Art meets Jane, a beautiful, charming woman who, unfortunately for Art, has a boyfriend. After a course of events, Art, Jane, and Jane’s boyfriend Cleveland become inseparable. It’s a bit of an awkward love triangle mixed with a coming-of-age story. Having not read the book, I’ll have to judge the movie without considering its relationship to the novel. My review after the jump:

Based on the director’s own experiences, “The Poker House” chronicles a day in the life of three sisters in small-town Iowa. The protagonist is Agnes, who is meant to be first-time director Lori Petty. She is fourteen years old but, as she states, “nobody’d believe it.” As the oldest of three sisters living with their drug-addicted, prostitute mother, she takes the place as the head of the family. The father is out of the picture and replaced by the mother’s pimp, who crosses the line in his relationship with Agnes.  The other two sisters, Bee and Cammie, have also been forced to grow up too fast. Bee holds a job delivering papers and Cammie escapes to a friend’s house where she has a safe place to sleep and food to eat. The film is dark and gritty, portraying children living in a downtrodden environment with a mother too gone to care. It’s more than just poverty that is the problem; there’s also the absence of parental love. Petty gives the audience a glimpse into her rather tragic childhood. However, the fact that she wrote and directed the film, which was part of the Los Angeles Film Festival, offers some positive light on a very humbling story. My full review after the jump: