Michael Dwyerand Donald Clarkereview the latests DVD releases

GONE BABY GONE****

Directed by Ben Affleck. Starring Casey Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan 18 cert

Affleck's brooding, edgy thriller follows two Boston private eyes searching for a missing girl and uncovering a tangled web of corruption and betrayal. There are outstanding performances from Ryan as the girl's drug-addicted mother and the director's brother Casey as an unconventional screen hero. MD

CARAMEL ***

Directed by Nadine Labaki PG cert

Writer-director Labaki is radiant as the owner of a Beirut hair and beauty salon, where the staff and their customers are preoccupied with their personal problems. The film is attractively photographed in a riot of colour. MD

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (ENDLESS) ***

Directed by Cristian Nemescu. Starring Armand Assante 12 cert

Romanian comedy based on the true story of a Nato platoon stranded in a small town during the Kosovo conflict. Some of the political ponderings are a tad unsophisticated, and the film - part comedy, part satire - is far too long, but it retains an integrity. DC

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS **

Directed by Tom Vaughan. Starring Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher, Treat Williams, Queen Latifah 15 cert

Formulaic romcom throws together a mismatched couple with nothing in common beyond their initial resistance to each other, and the desire to get their hands on a $3 million jackpot won on a Las Vegas slot machine. Diaz and Kutcher are so lively that they seem to be having more fun than their audience.

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