This week's DVDs offer a wide range of subjects and plots; anything from talking dogs to a woman reevaluating her life after prison. Don’t be overwhelmed with all the different choices. Let us help you decide which films to buy, rent or skip.

Rent it: I’ve Loved You So Long. The independent French film stars Kristen Scott Thomas, who plays a woman just been released from prison after serving 15 years for murder and who comes to live with her estranged sister. She must get re-acquainted with everyday life and come to terms with her haunting past. Thomas gives a heart-felt performance and the plot is obviously not as straightforward as it seems, or it would be a boring, short movie. However, it is rather predictable and slow at times. The movie gradually shows the progression Thomas’ character makes to help her better deal with the future.

Rent it: Beverly Hills Chihuahua. The uber-popular dog themed movie finally makes its way to DVD. It spent 18 weeks in theaters, and grossed over $136.4 million worldwide. This film is plain and simple. It is good old-fashion family fun. The movie is about a Chihuahua, Chloe, voiced by Drew Barrymore, and owned by Jamie Lee Curtis’s character. Curtis plays an extremely wealthy woman who spoils her pet with manicures, pedicures and doggy yoga. However, Chloe is in for a shock when she finds herself lost in Mexico City and must find out how to get home with some new talking dog pals. With so many movies having heavy, emotional plots, it’s nice to have a light-hearted comedy to choose.

Rent it: Ashes of Time Redux is directed by one of China’s most beloved filmmakers, Wong Kar Wei, who has enjoyed immense success with his other films like Days of Being Wild (1990) and Chunking Express (1994), just to name a few. Ashes of Time Redux is five different parts based upon five seasons that are part of the Chinese almanac. The story takes place in jianghu, the world of martial arts. Ouyang Feng (Leslie Cheung) has lived in the desert for many years and works as an agent who finds swordsmen for hire for people who are looking for revenge. The film is a dreamlike journey full of bright images and a complex story unlike any other. The uniqueness of the film is reason enough to watch, and trust us, you will be glad you did.

Skip it: Australia. We Have one word for this film: awful. The film was supposed to be an epic tale of pre-WWII Australia, but it ends up being 155 minutes of overdramatic cinema. Nicole Kidman plays a British noblewoman, Lady Sarah Ashley, who travels to Australia to find her husband, who has been managing their cattle ranch. With her husband dead, she is thrown into a world of violence and finds the handsome Hugh Jackman to lean on. The only thing that saves the film is an amazing performance by newcomer Brandon Walters, who plays one of the mistreated “mixed” children that Kidman tries to adopt. The children are exploited because they are of European and Aborigine decent. The film is directed by Baz Lurchmann (Moulin Rouge) and tanked in theaters last November, grossing a total of $49.5 million domestically. The length is sure to be a contributing factor to its lack of success, and when combined with amateur special effects, this is one film to definitely skip.

—Jessica Delli Santi