film

"TAXI." (1932. NOT RATED.THE WARNER ARCHIVE. $19.99)

There is nothing more buoyant, dangerous or irrepressible than James Cagney in his first years of stardom. Every film he did between 1931 and 1934 is worth seeing. Each one is a delight.

A guide to movies from a family perspective:

"The Vow"

-- Rated: PG-13.

-- Suitable for: Mature tweens and older.

"DRIVE" (Rated R. 100 minutes.)

A guide to movies from a family perspective:

"Big Miracle"

-- Rated: PG.

-- Suitable for: Children 6 or 7 and up, if they can sit attentively through a 107-minute movie.

The Criterion Collection has revamped two of its earliest titles -- Seijun Suzuki's delirious, excessive, self-conscious mid-1960s film noirs were first released on DVD in 1999 -- into gloriously restored high-definition transfers (available in both Blu-ray and DVD).

A guide to movies from a family perspective:

"Man on a Ledge"

-- Rated: PG-13.

-- Suitable for: Teens and older.

Glenn Close studied Charlie Chaplin's films in preparing to play a woman disguised as a male butler in the period piece "Albert Nobbs," based on the short story by George Moore.

"I always felt there was a clownish element to Albert," says Close, who won an Obie when she first played the character onstage 30 years ago.

"DRAGON TATTOO TRILOGY EXTENDED EDITION." (VARIOUS DATES. NOT RATED. MUSIC BOX FILMS. $79.95.)

A guide to movies from a family perspective:

"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

-- Rated: PG-13.

-- Suitable for: Teens and up.

Almost every year, it seems a film that screened at the Slamdance Film Festival, or an alum who wrote or directed a film there, starts to run with the big dogs.