Movie:
Going back for another round led to a sapless sequel for George Clooney, Brad Pitt and the nine other stars of 2001's effervescent Ocean's Eleven. The infectious high spirits and style that made the first caper so entertaining seem calculated and desperate here, though newcomer Catherine Zeta-Jones adds sparkle. (PG-13) Extras: A single paltry trailer.
Hotel Rwanda ($26.98)
Movie:
If the subject matter seemed too tough to sit through in a theater, try the DVD release of this inspiring true-life drama about Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who saved 1,200 refugees during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Don Cheadle is superb as Rusesabagina, showing a decent man doing the right thing when it counted. Extras: Director- writer Terry George and Rusesabagina himself provide insightful audio commentary, as does Cheadle on several of his scenes. Also, there's a featurette on Rusesabagina's recent emotional return to Rwanda and a fundraising appeal by Cheadle on behalf of Amnesty International. (PG-13)
Sideways ($29.98)
Movie:
Two old college buddies, fast approaching middle age, take a road trip through California's wine country, finding romance and a morsel of self-knowledge in a warmly human, bittersweet comedy by director-cowriter Alexander Payne (About Schmidt). Extras: Stars Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church amuse themselves (and us) with a jokey, self-deprecating commentary, revealing choice tidbits: The wine they were quaffing was often real; both suffered from food poisoning after filming a dinner scene. There are also a handful of funny deleted scenes. (R)
