Feb 19, 2008 By Lou Gaul, Calkins Media Film Critic 5 min read

A crime epic (“American Gangster: 2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition”), a relationship picture (“Margot at the Wedding”), a legal thriller (“Michael Clayton”) and two military dramas (“In the Valley of Elah” and “Rendition”) are among the new titles arriving at DVD outlets on this Academy Awards weekend. The top DVD rental and sales offerings are:

Best Renters

1. “Michael Clayton” (R); Grade: B+; with George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton in writer-director Tony Gilroy’s legal drama about an attorney who works for corrupt bosses and receives an opportunity to redeem himself. The film received Oscar nominations for best picture, director, original screenplay, score, actor (Clooney), supporting actor (Wilkinson) and supporting actress (Swinton).

2. “American Gangster: 2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition” (Unrated and R); Grade: B+; with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in director Ridley Scott’s fact-based crime drama about a Harlem drug dealer and the government agent who pursued him.

3. “Why Did I Get Married?” (PG-13); Grade: B; with Sharon Leal, Janet Jackson and Richard T. Jones in writer-director Tyler Perry’s hit relationship comedy.

4. “Gone Baby Gone” (R); Grade: A-; with Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Freeman in a gritty Boston-set police drama about the hunt for a kidnapped child.

5. “No Reservations” (PG); Grade: B-; with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart and Abigail Breslin in a comedy about an uptight New York City chef whose world goes out of control due to her 9-year-old niece and a man who takes a romantic interest in her.

6. “The Game Plan” (PG); Grade: B; with wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in a family favorite about a skirt-chasing NFL star who discovers that he has a young daughter.

7. “Across the Universe” (PG-13); Grade: B+; with Evan Rachel Wood, Salma Hayek and Bono in a music-driven love story that’s set in the 1960s, looks at protests of that era and delivers its story via songs by the Beatles.

8. “The Brave One” (R); Grade: B; with Jodie Foster in a gritty, dark-themed thriller about a woman who becomes a vigilante after her fiancé is murdered by thugs during an attack in New York’s Central Park.

9. “In the Valley of Elah” (R); Grade: B+; with Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon in a military drama about a father’s quest to find his son, who disappeared shortly after returning home after a tour of Iraq.

10. “The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford” (R); Grade: B+; with Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck in an artistic frontier tale about the famous outlaw during his final days as he grows tired of his fame and becomes increasingly paranoid.

11. “We Own the Night” (R); Grade: C; with Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg in a New York-set relationship drama about two very different brothers, one a decorated police officer and the other a manipulative club manager.

12. “Rendition” (R); Grade: C+; with Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal and Meryl Streep in a heavy-handed drama about an Egyptian man taken by the government for questioning and held without explanation.

13. “The Invasion” (PG-13); Grade: C; with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig in an unexciting remake of the fantasy chiller “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”

14. “3:10 to Yuma” (R); Grade: B; with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in a gritty remake of the frontier favorite about a bankrupt rancher forced to transport a dangerous criminal to a prison train.

15. “Good Luck Chuck: Chucked Up! Unrated Edition” (Unrated and R); Grade: D+; with comic-turned-actor Dane Cook and Jessica Alba in a raunchy comedy about a bed-hopping guy who, in order to marry the girl of his dreams, must break the spell that makes him irresistible to women for one-night stands.

16. “Margot at the Wedding” (R); Grade: B-; with Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jack Black in a dark comedy about two eccentric sisters whose dysfunctional relationship shatters when one announces her plans to marry.

17. “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (PG-13); Grade: C; with Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush in an unremarkable sequel to “Elizabeth,” the 1998 art-house hit.

18. “Sydney White” ({PG-13); Grade: NP; with Amanda Bynes in a teen comedy about an offbeat college coed and her friendship with seven misfit guys who are rejected from the campus’ fraternities.

19. “Saw IV” (Unrated and R); Grade: C; with Tobin Bell returning in the hit chiller with more torturous traps.

20. “Feast of Love” (R); Grade: B-; with Morgan Freeman, Selma Blair and Greg Kinnear in director Robert Benton’s multi-character drama about some adults in Oregon looking for romance, seeking happiness and dealing with sorrow.

Best Sellers

1. “American Gangster: 2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition” (Unrated and R); Grade: B+; $29.99, DVD; $39.99, HD DVD

2. “Michael Clayton” (R); Grade: B+; $28.99, DVD; $35.99, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD

3. “Walt Disney’s Snow Buddies” (G); Grade: NP; $29.99, DVD

4. “Why Did I Get Married?” (PG-13); Grade: B; $29.99, DVD

5. “Gone Baby Gone” (R); Grade: A-; $29.99, DVD; $34.99, Blu-ray Disc

6. “The Game Plan” (PG); Grade: B; $29.99, DVD; $34.99, Blu-ray Disc

7. “Walt Disney’s The Aristocats: Special Edition” (G); Grade: B+; $29.99, DVD

9. “Across the Universe” (PG-13); Grade: B+; $28.99, DVD; $38.99, Blu-ray Disc

9. “The Brave One” (R); Grade: B; $28.99, DVD; $35.99, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD

10. “3:10 to Yuma” (R); Grade: B; $29.99, DVD; $39.99, Blu-ray Disc

Partial source: Video Business, wire-service and Web reports