Fernando's View
By Fernando F. Croce

The tasteful biopic "Coco Before Chanel" and the funny documentary "Good Hair" make an unlikely but enjoyable double-bill in theaters, while DVD watchers will want to catch up with the three unfairly overlooked titles being released this week.

In Theaters:

Coco Before Chanel (Sony Pictures Classics): Better known for such sweetheart roles as "Amelie," Audrey Tautou will surprise audiences with her tough performance in this polished biography of the legendary French fashion staple. Chronicling Coco Chanel's early years leading up to her breakout in the clothing industry, it follows her from a stubborn orphan to a young seamstress who buckled society's definitions of how women should dress, including her relationships with a rich playboy (Benoit Poelvoorde) and a dashing British suitor (Alessandro Nivola). Though not as affecting as "La Vie en Rose," the biopic about Edith Piaf from a few years back, the movie remains a satisfying entertainment thanks to director Anne Fontaine's flavorful period re-creations and the chemistry between Tautou and Poelvoorde. With subtitles.

Good Hair (Roadside Attractions): Ever wonder what goes in all the products needed to make women's hair silky? Asked by his young daughters about what makes "good hair," comedian Chris Rock sets out to find out in this lively and informative documentary. To look for an answer, he visits beauty salons, barbershops, laboratories, factories, and even Indian temples, and talks to a variety of actresses, specialists, and scientists. What he discovers, in the midst of a stream of wisecracks, is the powerful role the hair industry plays in the economy, as well as the ways in which it can reflect and influence matters of race and identity. Rock's lighthearted approach provides many laughs, but it's the movie's cultural insights that make this more than a breezy documentary.

New on DVD:

Netflix Tip: Netflix may have its own star rating system, but sometimes it's a good idea to get, as doctors say, "a second opinion" before ordering the newest titles. Check with your favorite critics at Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic, and know what you're in for before the movies reach your doorsteps.

Cheri (Miramax): Michelle Pfeiffer gave one of her best early performances for director Stephen Frears in 1988's "Dangerous Liaisons." The actress and the filmmaker team up again for this tasteful adaptation of acclaimed author Colette's novel, and the results are again exceptional. In turn of the century Paris, Lea (Pfeiffer) stands as one of the most notorious seductresses of upper-crust gentlemen. Her plans for retirement, however, go suddenly awry when she meets Cheri (Rupert Friend), a handsome young man who throws her emotions out of balance. But can they be happy together when both society and their own contrasting personalities stand in the way? Frears' eye for social mores and splendid performances by Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates make this a delicate and often topical tale of shifting relationships.

Black Rain (AnimEigo): Shohei Imamura was always one of Japanese cinema's most intriguing directors, an artist always ready to dive into society's least savory corners in order to scoop up truths. This stunning 1989 film is one of his best works, detailing the effects of the Hiroshima bombing on a Japanese family. While the village tries to rebuild after the atomic explosion, young Yasuko (Yoshiko Tanaka) lives with her aunt and uncle (Kazuo Kitamura, Etsuko Ichihara) and struggles to make sense not just of her upcoming marriage, but of life, family, and country as well. Imamura depicts the explosion with vivid terror, but the film's most subtly unsettling elements show depict its lingering effects on Japanese society. Sometimes hard to watch, but compassionate, often poetic, and ultimately unforgettable. With subtitles.

Fados (Zeitgeist): Over the years, Spanish director Carlos Saura has become a specialist in movies that capture the passion and fervent drive of musicians without ever becoming static. Having already documented operas, tangos, and flamencos, Saura here focuses on the many varieties of fados, Portugal's tradition of unique song and dance. There are superb performances by celebrated artists like Chico Buarque, Lila Downs and Caetano Veloso, all of them staged with Saura's customary mastery of color and camera movement. In addition, there's invaluable information about the fado's place within Portuguese culture, from its colonial origins to its use in the upheavals of recent decades. Ravishing to look at and listen to, "Fados" is both a history lesson and a feast for the senses. With subtitles.