DVD rentals

Trolling the cybernews today, I noticed the top five DVD rentals in England. What would you expect? What I saw was not what I expected. Get this. They are:

1. Taken
2. Wall*E
3. Changeling
4. Slumdog Millionaire
5. The Boy in Striped Pyjamas

Taken. A pro-father movie like none other. Evil is really evil (not a movie suited for children). Dad takes no prisoners (in fact, he kills most of them) to get his daughter back.

Wall*E. An animated, American made love story about sacrifice.

Changeling. An ugly movie about a serial killer (haven't seen it). What's interesting is that the minister in the movie isn't some demonic accomplice but a man trying to clean up his town. How odd.

Slumdog Millionaire. The one Oscar-nominated picture that deserved to be nominated. Perhaps that's why it won (haven't seen it (yet)).

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas. Phenomenal movie about the Holocaust and about friendships. It's a movie that does not hide or equivocate evil.

What struck me about these flicks holding the top five slots in England is that they are decidedly American movies (I know Slumdog is a Bollywood flick). The themes are conservative. The values are decidedly middle-American. Right's right and filmed that way. Wrong is really wrong and is also filmed that way.

As Hollywood continues to crank out more and more amoral movies, it's refreshing to see that America's cousin across the waves has taken to a heartier, healthier fare.