Full Frontal

After going from esoteric art house darling to Oscar-winning mainstream mogul without losing his soul, it was probably inevitable that Steven Soderbergh would make an industry farce--and Full Frontal is the consummate ironic marriage of his two worlds. The cinematic equivalent of an M.C. Escher painting, it's a movie within a movie within a movie within a movie that keeps folding in on itself. Low budget ($2 million) but awash in big names (Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, David Duchovny) playing versions of themselves or Hollywood muckety-mucks, it's also a joke within a joke within a joke. Sometimes the joke is on fans of his mainstream success (Erin Brockovich, Ocean's Eleven); sometimes the joke is on art film snobs who can't understand why Soderbergh, the auteur behind left-field flicks like Schizopolis, The Limey and sex, lies and videotape, would have ever "gone Hollywood" to begin with. Soderbergh hasn't lost his uniquely artsy, astute, odd and ambitious independent spirit, but it's clear the director has a sense of humor about himself and knows, quite happily, that this movie will be loved by some and loathed by others. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Coleman Hough, 16 deleted scenes with optional commentary by Hough, six in-character cast interviews, three-minutes of black and white exclusive “Director's Spycam Selects” footage, the seven-minute featurette “The Rules” on the unorthodox parameters required for participation in the film, a seven-minute “Conversation with Steven Soderbergh,” and a trailer. Bottom line: a meaty extras package for a sure to be popular and unpopular film.] (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—May 7, 2013—Echo Bridge, 101 min., R, $14.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2002's Full Frontal features a decent transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack. Extras include an alternate edit of the film with commentary by director Steven Soderbergh, cast interviews (58 min.), deleted scenes (17 min.), an interview with Soderbergh (7 min.), behind-the-scenes footage (3 min.), and “Spy Cam” excerpts (3 min.). Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray debut for Soderbergh's arty satire.]