The Red Balloon + White Mane + Paddle to the Sea (Criterion Collection/Paradox) An unusual but very welcome trio of reissues from Criterion, all three of these shorts demonstrate the level of artistry possible in films made for children, a genre seldom given the critical attention it deserves.
That said, few films are as dearly cherished as The Red Balloon, Albert Lamorisse’s 1956 Oscar and Palme d’Or winner about the tender, playful relationship between a young boy and a big red balloon. A quintessential Paris movie, it recently inspired Hou Hsiao-hsien to make the feature-­
length homage Flight of the Red Balloon. (Mr. Show fans may also recall the sight of David Cross frolicking with his own latex pal to the tune of “You’ve Got to Follow Your Balloon.”)
More naturalistic in style but equally affecting, White Mane was Lamorisse’s 1953 parable about the conflict between man and nature. Defying a group of menacing herdsmen, a boy and a wild horse make an allegiance that culminates in an ending that’s substantially more pessimistic than the one that closes The Red Balloon. An extended battle between two horses may also trouble kiddie viewers, but hey, you can’t coddle ’em forever. As for Bill Mason’s 1966 NFB short Paddle to the Sea — packaged, like the Lamorisse films, without any extras but blessed with a first-rate transfer — it proves once and for all that the most beloved character in the history of Canadian cinema is carved out of wood.

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTER­FLY (Alliance) Despite its laudatory reception, Julian Schnabel’s three-hanky adaptation of Jean-Dominique Bauby’s memoir had a surprisingly modest box office take — apparently, a movie about a paralyzed stroke victim remains a hard sell. But the shift to video may actually benefit Schnabel’s film, partially because its visual aesthetic and emotional tone seem less bombastic on small screens. The bear-like artist-cum-auteur gets many opportunities to explain his strategies in the accompanying commentary, an interview with Charlie Rose and two short featurettes.

Also out this week
THE GOLDEN COMPASS (Alliance) Though it raked in $300 million overseas, this adaptation of Philip Pullman’s novel flopped hard enough in North America to kill New Line Cinema. Or was some conspiracy of evil sorcerers and angry Christians to blame? In any case, it’s one of the more intelligent and visually inventive fantasy flicks in the post-Rings glut. EXTRAS: filmmaker commentary, hours of making-of docs.

How She Move (Mongrel Media) This Jane-and-Finch dance flick’s energetic cast and powerhouse step sequences inspire much in the way of civic pride. EXTRAS: featurettes.

27 DRESSES (Fox) The perfect date movie if either of you are chiffon fetishists. EXTRAS: deleted scenes, featurettes.

Out May 6
First Sunday, P.S. I Love You and the Paris Hilton comedy The Hottie and the Nottie, which, at a score of 1.1 out of 10, was recently the lowest rated film on the IMDb. You people are heartless, you really are.