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- DirectorJocelyn MoorhouseStarsWinona RyderEllen BurstynAnne BancroftBride-to-be Finn Dodd hears tales of romance and sorrow from her elders as they construct a quilt.Great cast! Ann Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn, Alfre Woodard,
Maya Angelou, Jean Simmons, Winona Ryder. Uneven pacing.
DATE: 2001-03-04 - DirectorNancy MeyersStarsJack NicholsonDiane KeatonKeanu ReevesA swinger on the cusp of being a senior citizen with a taste for young women falls in love with an accomplished woman closer to his age.Comedy. Interesting performances by Diane K. and Jack N. Amanda Pete is young and beautiful, as are several model types in the early scenes. Songs include performances by Paul Simon, Eartha Kitt, Louie Armstrong and Jack N. Jack reprieves Louis' "La Vie En Rose" very capably.
DATE: 2005-08-25 - DirectorJoseph SargentStarsCliff McMullenYasiin BeyLuray CooperA dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodJeff FaheyCharlotte CornwellA thinly fictionalized account of a legendary movie director, whose desire to hunt down an animal turns into a grim situation with his movie crew in Africa.
- DirectorEdward BurnsStarsJack MulcahyMichael McGloneEdward BurnsThree Irish Catholic brothers from Long Island struggle to deal with love, marriage, and infidelity.
- DirectorWayne KramerStarsWilliam H. MacyMaria BelloAlec BaldwinIn an old school Las Vegas casino, its top gambling jinx breaks his curse when he falls in love, much to his boss' consternation.Fantasy about a guy with the "loser" touch. Really well done except maybe too many endings, i.e., there are several places where I would have been satisfied to have the film end.
- DirectorJane AndersonStarsJulianne MooreWoody HarrelsonLaura DernIn order to support her ten children, Evelyn Ryan enters a commercial jingle-writing contest.Bitter sweet biography of the mother of the author.
DATE: 2008-07-02 - DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsJeff BridgesKaren AllenCharles Martin SmithAn alien takes the form of a young Wisconsin widow's husband and makes her drive him to his departure point in Arizona. Distrustful government agents, along with a more ambivalent scientist, give pursuit in hopes of intercepting them.24 years after it was issued this sci/fi film still seems current. A minor scientific flaw: baby grows into man without nourishment to build cells or exercise to make muscles strong.
DATE: 2008-07-08 - DirectorDanny HustonStarsAnthony EdwardsRobert MitchumLauren BacallAfter gaining a reputation as a mysterious healer, a charming Yale graduate must defend his honor before his unique talent lands him in jail.Based on Thornton Wilder novel, could be family film but for one scene of unnecessary fondling. Has both stars of old (Lauren Bacall, Robert Mitchum), new Hollywood (Anjelica Huston, Mary Stuart Masterson, TV actor Anthony Edwards) and in between (Tammy Grimes of "On a Clear Day"). Takes place in fictional version of 1920s Newport RI.
DATE: 2008-07-31 - DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsBruce WillisBilly Bob ThorntonCate BlanchettTwo bank robbers fall in love with the girl they've kidnapped.Very enjoyable well crafted film about unlikely pair of escaped convicts (Bruce Willis, Billy-Bob Thornton) who rob banks to get money to live well in Mexico. Along the way, they hook up with disgruntled house wife Cate Blanchett. written 2008-08-05
Forgot I saw it and rewatched in 10/2014. Didn’t remember it even as I was watching it and enjoyed it again, maybe even more. I’ve seen Billy Bob Thornton in more stuff and perhaps appreciate his comic touch more in 2014. Also, Cate Blanchett is very good in a role so totally different from her regal Queen Elizabeth and Elf Princess roles.
DATE: 2008-08-05 - DirectorHenry JaglomStarsVictoria FoytViveca LindforsJon Robin BaitzThis moving story was the swan song of actress Viveca Lindfors, who died unexpectedly soon after completing it. It's a fitting tribute, as the film explores the last performance in the ancestral home of a large family of actors.New comer Victoria Foyt is just terrific as a Hollywood star made famous by her title role in one-dimensional Wonder Woman type super hero films who is attending a workshop for legitimate theater actors. The workshop is run by a Grand Dame of serious theater played by Grand Dame of serious theater Viveca Lindfors in her last role before her death.
- DirectorMira NairStarsKal PennIrrfan KhanTabuAmerican-born Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants, wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers, despite his family's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways.Ashimi, Gogol, Bengali, NYC
- DirectorJohn SwanbeckStarsKevin SpaceyDanny DeVitoPeter FacinelliTwo veteran salesmen dissect a sales pitch to a particular client, through their young protégé.Danny DeVito, Kevin Spacey, and 25 year old pretty boy actor, Peter Facinelli. Drama about sales vs religious philosophies. Well paced and acted.
DATE: 2009-02-03 - DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsCarice van HoutenSebastian KochThom HoffmanIn the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, a Jewish singer infiltrates the regional Gestapo headquarters for the Dutch resistance.About the trials and tribulations of a Dutch resistance fighter (Rachel Stein / Ellis de Vries, played by Carice van Houten) near the end of WWII.
DATE: 2009-02-11 - DirectorNorman RenéStarsMeg RyanAlec BaldwinKathy BatesA couple fall in love despite the girl's pessimistic outlook. As they struggle to come to terms with their relationship, something supernatural happens that tests it.Body swap between new bride (Meg Ryan) and old man (Sydney Walker). Also stars Alec Baldwin and has Kathy Bates and Patty Duke in minor roles.
DATE: 2009-02-23 - DirectorGabriele MuccinoStarsWill SmithThandiwe NewtonJaden SmithA struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional careerWill Smith rags to riches story about guy who is down and out competing for a Dean Witter broker position. Based on Chris Gardner's bio.
DATE: 2009-02-25 - DirectorJustin ChadwickStarsNatalie PortmanScarlett JohanssonEric BanaTwo sisters contend for the affection of King Henry VIII.Scarlett Johansen is notable as Mary Boleyn, Anne's younger sister.
DATE: 2009-03-02 - DirectorBeeban KidronStarsWesley SnipesPatrick SwayzeJohn LeguizamoThree drag queens travel cross-country until their car breaks down, leaving them stranded in a small town.John Leguizamo is terrific as a drag queen. Very enjoyable movie.
DATE: 2009-03-05 - DirectorRobert AltmanStarsTim RobbinsGreta ScacchiFred WardA Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected, but which one?Tim Robbins as a studio executive who is incredibly stupid about his actions after he hurts and possibly kills (he could have tried artificial respiration or CPR) a writer that hates him because he told the writer he wold call him about his script but never did.gets away with murder and then i and the rest of Hollywood in a combination of cameos, bit parts and mainly as themselves in party scenes. Altman directed.
DATE: 2009-03-12 - DirectorMartin HynesStarsLou Taylor PucciZooey DeschanelM. WardWhen his mother dies, a teenager takes a road-trip in a stolen car to find his long-lost brother. Along the way he discovers a profound connection with the car-owner and with himself as well.!9 year old steals car and travels looking for his brother. Girl whose car he stole knows him and contacts him (he also has her cell phone).
DATE: 2009-03-22 - DirectorHenry BeanStarsTim RobbinsWilliam HurtBridget MoynahanA man who is being driven crazy by the noise in New York City decides to take vigilante action against it.Tim Robbins plays man obsessed with city noise, particularly car alarms. He becomes a vigilante and is ruining his marriage until he meets a french girl who waxes philosophically about the significance of his obsession.
DATE: 2009-04-02 - DirectorCameron CroweStarsJohn CusackIone SkyeJohn MahoneyA noble underachiever and a beautiful valedictorian fall in love the summer before she goes off to college.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsPaul NewmanCharlotte RamplingJack WardenAn outcast, alcoholic Boston lawyer sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling.Paul Newman is a failed lawyer who is given one last chance to make easy money via a negotiated settlement but is convinced by a doctor to really get the doctors who were negligent. He meets Charlotte Rampling in a bar and brings her into his life and the case; we later learn she works for the defendant's law firm and is a spy, although she is working against her feelings. Because of the ending and the abruptness of some scene changes my impression is that the TV version was edited from the original.
DATE: 2009-06-13 - DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsDanny GloverKevin KlineSteve MartinThe fates of several people are randomly intertwining. Their sympathy of each other faces multiple differences in their lifestyles.Serious 1991 film with Steve Martin, Kevin Klein, Danny Glover, Alfre Woodard and Mary-Louise Parker. Takes place in west LA, Canoga Park, LA central and east LA. Grand Canyon makes you feel insignificant in the overall scheme of things. Introduces Jeremy Sisto as Roberto (named for Clemente). Excellent director (and co-writer) - Lawrence Kasdan.
DATE: 2009-07-02
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101969/ - DirectorBharat NalluriStarsFrances McDormandAmy AdamsCiarán HindsGuinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged London governess, finds herself unfairly dismissed from her job. An attempt to gain new employment catapults her into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse.Frances McDormand, Amy Adams Well done piece of fluff about down and out woman who steals a job as social secretary to starlet.
DATE: 2008-07-17 - DirectorDennis DuganStarsJason BiggsSteve ZahnJack BlackA pair of buddies conspire to save their best friend from marrying the wrong woman.Comedy with Jack Black, Steve Zahn, Amanda Peet, with cameo by Neil Diamond.
DATE: 2009-08-02 - DirectorGeorge ClooneyStarsGeorge ClooneyRenée ZellwegerJohn KrasinskiIn 1925, an enterprising pro football player convinces America's too-good-to-be-true college football hero to play for his team and keep the league from going under.Delightful comedy fiction about 1925 pro football. Renée Zellweger is reporter. George Clooney is 40 yr old pro football player. John Krasinski is like a college player of the year and a war hero based on an event that got escalated as it was retold. Jonathan Pryce (Miss Saigon) plays sports promoter C.C. Frazier.
- DirectorBen StillerStarsBen StillerJack BlackRobert Downey Jr.Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.Ben Stiller's masterpiece take-off on war movies and Hollywood in general. He wrote, directed, starred etc. Tom Cruise does great in a role in which you have no idea it is Tom Cruise. Robert Downey, Jr. nominated for an Oscar, and Jack Black in roles you don't realize are them. Nick Nolte cast in a Nolte-like role. Matthew McConaughey perfect as the star's agent.
DATE: 2009-08-13 - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsChieko BaishôTakuya KimuraTatsuya GashûinWhen an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.English title: Howl's Moving Castle." Animated fantasy about wizard Howl, Sophy, Waste Witch and Madame Suliman.
DATE: 2009-09-09 - DirectorAlbert BrooksStarsAlbert BrooksDebbie ReynoldsPaul CollinsA neurotic, twice-divorced sci-fi writer moves back in with his mother to solve his personal problems.Albert Brooks, Rob Morrow, Debbie Reynolds. Nothing fancy but nice light comedy.
DATE: 2009-09-15 - DirectorNicholas StollerStarsKristen BellJason SegelPaul RuddDevastated Peter takes a Hawaiian vacation in order to deal with the recent break-up with his TV star girlfriend, Sarah. Little does he know, Sarah's traveling to the same resort as her ex - and she's bringing along her new boyfriend.Peter is a composer and a likable sad guy who's devastated when his girlfriend of five years, Sarah Marshall, the star of a cheesy CSI-style crime show, dumps him. He weeps, he rails, he mopes. Finally, his step-brother Brian suggests Hawaii, so Peter heads for a resort on Oahu where, as he's checking in, he sees Sarah and her new beau, Aldous, a polymorphously perverse English rocker. The weeping and moping starts again, until Peter is rescued by Rachel, a thoughtful hotel clerk who invites him to a luau and to hang out.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWill FerrellVinessa ShawChiwetel EjioforTwo alternating stories, one comedy and the other tragedy, about Melinda's attempts to straighten out her life.Woody Allen wrote/directed. Comedy writer (Wallace Shawn) and dramatist alternating telling their versions about a women, Melinda, attempting to straighten out her life; she killed her cheating husband but got off and divorced her husband and was banned from seeing her children. (I think I perhaps got the two stories intermingled into one.) She "wishes that she wants to live." More existentialist philosophy. Life has no meaning but no one wants to die.
Will Ferrell has the role Woody would have had if he cast himself in it,and its weird hearing him trying to imitate the cadence and angst of Woody Allen. Amanda Peete has secondary role and Steve Carrel has a straight bit part.
DATE: 2009-10-05 - DirectorBruce BeresfordStarsPierce BrosnanJulianna MarguliesAidan QuinnDesmond's wife leaves him and their 3 kids after Christmas 1953. As he's unemployed in Dublin, the authorities place the kids in orphanages; when he finds a job, he tries to get his kids back.About little girl sent to a Catholic boarding school by her mother against her father's (Pierce Brosnan) will. Brosnan is terrific. He even sings a couple of traditioal Irish tunes for which his voice is ok (unlike Mama Mia). Aidan Quinn - not so hot in this one. Sophie Vavasseur excellent as little Evelyn.
DATE: 2009-11-30 - DirectorScott DerricksonStarsKeanu ReevesJennifer ConnellyKathy BatesA remake of the 1951 classic science fiction film about an alien visitor and his giant robot counterpart who visit Earth.Sci-fi end of the world (actually, in this case, only the end of humanity) pic that is well done and held my attention. Humanity is destroying the Earth and intelligent life in other parts of the universe want to save the planet (because planets suitable for life are scarce) by eliminating the human species. Keanu Reeeves is perfect as the alien.
DATE: 2009-11-30 - DirectorBob DolmanStarsSusan SarandonGoldie HawnGeoffrey RushLavinia and Suzette, former rock groupies and best friends, reconnect after twenty years; one is still as wild as ever, while the other has adopted a more conservative lifestyle.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJeff BridgesJohn GoodmanJulianne MooreJeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.Saw on Versus all cut up. It was intesting but probably would have been better if sen as it was meant to be sen.
DATE: 2010-02-13 - DirectorBilly WilderStarsJack LemmonJuliet MillsClive RevillA successful businessman goes to Italy to arrange for the return of his tycoon father's body--and discovers that Dad died with his long-time mistress.The head of the Armbruster megacorp. (Jack Lemon) goes to Italy to arrange for the return of his tycoon-father's body only to discover dad died with his mistress of long standing. daughter of the mistress (Juliet Mills). Very entertaining romantic comedy that holds together well except for the closing scene at the heliport. Notable film because it is a romantic comedy between middle ages people (wrinkles show in close-ups).
DATE: 2010-03-15 - DirectorMatthew RobbinsStarsHume CronynJessica TandyFrank McRaeAliens help a feisty old New York couple in their battle against the ruthless land developer who's out to evict them.Jessica Tandy & Hume Cronin as aged couple in dilapidated neighborhood being illegally harassed and vandalized to get them to sell so the last property in a redevelopment project can be demolished. Some mini flying saucer like robotic alien couple with the ability to repair anything come to their aid.
DATE: 2010-03-16 - DirectorMark WatersStarsMatthew McConaugheyJennifer GarnerEmma StoneWhile attending his brother's wedding, a serial womanizer is haunted by the ghosts of his past girlfriends.Borrows Dickens idea of ghosts from past, present and future.
DATE: 2010-03-20 - DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodBee VangChristopher CarleyAfter a Hmong teenager tries to steal his prized 1972 Gran Torino, a disgruntled, prejudiced Korean War veteran seeks to redeem both the boy and himself.Clint Eastwood. Hmong. Gangbangers.
Very well done; emotional.
Christopher Carley very good as the young priest.
DATE: 2010-03-27 - DirectorMick JacksonStarsClaire DanesJulia OrmondDavid StrathairnA biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry.Temple Grandin is an autistic woman who overcame her limitations and used her special capabilities to get a masters degree become an innovator designer of facilities for the beef industry, as well as becoming a leading voice on dealing with autism and overturning conventional psychiatric opinion.
DATE: 2010-04-28 - DirectorPenny MarshallStarsDrew BarrymoreSteve ZahnAdam GarciaA single mother, with dreams of becoming a writer, has a son at the age of 15 in 1965, and goes through a failed marriage with the drug-addicted father.Biographical movie, based on book by Beverly D'Onofrio on how she became an author despite a forced teenage marriage to a boy who got her pregnant but who was stupid and who later became an addict. Drew Barrymore, Lorraine Bracho, Steve Zahn, Rosie Perez (2nd wife), Sara Gilbert (Tina Barr), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Amelia). Directed by Penny Marshall.
DATE: 2010-04-30 - DirectorBarry SonnenfeldStarsTommy Lee JonesWill SmithLinda FiorentinoJames, an NYC cop, is hired by Agent K of a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Together, they must recover an item that has been stolen by an intergalactic villain.Cute. Science fiction about aliens (in disguise) using Earth as a refuge with a secret agency aware of it. Tommy Lee Jones is an agent who recruits Will Smith, an athletic NYC detective.
DATE: 2010-06-01 - DirectorCharles CrichtonJohn CleeseStarsJohn CleeseJamie Lee CurtisKevin KlineIn London, four very different people team up on a jewel heist, then try to double-cross one another for the loot, complicated by their efforts to fool a very proper barrister.Cute farce with John Cleese (the ring leader's barrister) and Kevin Kline from Monty Python and Jamie Lee Curtis. They stage a bank robbery in England to steal some jewels and then each tries to steal it all from the others. The fourth robber is Ken (Michael Palin), who is an animal lover and has a bad stutter. A key to the safety deposit box where one of them stashed the jewels was hidden in a miniature treasure chest in an aquarium that also contains a fish called Wanda. An old lady walking her dogs gets a good view of George, the ring leader, when the getaway car nearly hits her. That leads to his arrest. Ken is assigned to cause her a fatal accident, byy scaring her (she has a weak heart). He is increasingly distressed because he accidentally keeps killing her dogs instead of the old lady.
DATE: 2010-06-11 - DirectorCurtis HansonStarsMichael DouglasTobey MaguireFrances McDormandAn English Professor tries to deal with his wife leaving him, the arrival of his editor who has been waiting for his book for seven years, and the various problems that his friends and associates involve him in.An English Professor (Michael Douglas) tries to deal with his wife leaving him, the arrival of his editor (Robert Downey Jr) who has been waiting for his book for seven years, his college Chancellor (Frances McDormand) revealing that she is pregnant with his child, a prodigal but troubled student (Tobey Maguire), an infatuated coed (Katie Holmes), and his department chairman (Richard Thomas) who is the Chancellor's husband. Tobey Maguire is superb.
DATE: 2010-07-10 - DirectorVittorio De SicaFederico FelliniMario MonicelliStarsAnita EkbergSophia LorenRomy SchneiderInspired by Boccaccio's novellas, each episode focuses on sex, love and seduction in Italy in the 1960s, an era of economic growth and major cultural changes.Anita Eckberg on milk billboard
- DirectorJez ButterworthStarsNicole KidmanVincent CasselBen ChaplinA thirtysomething bank clerk from St Albans has his small-town life exploded by the arrival of his Russian mail-order bride.Lonely, shy 30 something John, a bank clerk, gets a mail-order bride (Nicole Kidman) from Russia. The first complication is his new bride, Nadia, doesn't speak English, although he had been told otherwise. But she presses sex on him, and, after discovering his S&M sex magazines, volunteers for that as well. He comes home one evening to find 2 Russian men who know Nadia and end up staying with them. However, they are scamming him in a routine they have used elsewhere. One is her lover from Russia. They make it seem as if Nadia's supposed love for John enragfes the lover and threatens to harm Nadia unless John brings them money from the bank he works at. That later turns out to be part of the hoax.
DATE: 2010-08-04 - DirectorWarren BeattyStarsWarren BeattyDiane KeatonEdward HerrmannA radical American journalist becomes involved with the Communist revolution in Russia, and hopes to bring its spirit and idealism to the United States.Warren Beatty as John (Jack) Reed and Diane Keaton (Louise Bryant). History of how early communist ideology in U.S. and Russia got overtaken by bickering, division, and dictators. Maureen Stapleton is Emma Goldman, Jack Nicholson plays Eugene O'Neill.
DATE: 2010-08-13 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenJudy DavisJulia Louis-DreyfusSuffering from writer's block and eagerly awaiting his writing award, Harry Block remembers events from his past and scenes from his best-selling books as characters, real and fictional, come back to haunt him.Woody Allen and lots of well known actors and comics. A retrospective of a writers life who has a brilliant professional life but is never satisfied in real life.
DATE: 2010-08-13 - DirectorMilos FormanStarsWoody HarrelsonCourtney LoveEdward NortonThe story of controversial pornography publisher Larry Flynt, and how he became a defender of free speech.Woody Harrelson, Ed Norton, Courtney Love
DATE: 2010-09-11 - DirectorDavid WainStarsPaul RuddSeann William ScottElizabeth BanksWild behavior forces a pair of energy drink reps to enroll in a Big Brother program.2 guys have to be big brothers to 2 kids or face jail. What sounds like a "B" movie is actually good. There s a big "battle" scene combining aspects of Renaisance Fair, the rock group KISS, and Dungeons and dragons.
DATE: 2010-09-19 - DirectorHenry CassStarsAlec GuinnessBeatrice CampbellKay WalshWhen a lonely, unappreciated farm-equipment salesman discovers he has only a few weeks to live, he withdraws his savings for a final holiday at a "posh" resort.Salesman is told that he has fatal disease and goes to posh seaside hotel. Alec Guinnes
DATE: 2010-10-25 - DirectorGeorge CukorStarsJudy HollidayJack LemmonPeter LawfordWhen a young woman with dreams of fame rents a billboard to advertise herself, her life changes overnight.Judy Holiday reprises her ditsy blond character that no one ever did better. Jack Lemon's film debut (big role for a debut). She plays Gladys Glover, a nobody model who just lost her job in NYC, and gets the idea to pay to place her name on a billboard.
DATE: 2010-10-26 - DirectorEdward ZwickStarsTom CruiseKen WatanabeBilly ConnollyNathan Algren, a US army veteran, is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in the modern warfare techniques. Nathan finds himself trapped in a struggle between two eras and two worlds.Tom Cruise Much better than I expected.
American hero of Indian Wars hired to train Emperor's troops in battle against samurai insurgency.
DATE: 2010-10-26 - DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsJeremy RennerAnthony MackieBrian GeraghtyDuring the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.About soldiers who disable IEDs while being watched by possible terrorists who coulod detonate the bombs remotely. Jeremy Renner nominated for best actor Oscar 2008. Won 6 Oscars, including best picture and best director, Kathryn Bigelow .
DATE: 2010-11-09 - DirectorBlair TreuStarsEvan Rachel WoodMichael AngaranoDavid GallagherA fourteen-year-old aspiring violinist finds herself under an increasing amount of pressure to keep secrets for herself, her family and her newfound best friend.Good coming of age story about teen who keeps secrets for her young friends and is a budding classical violinist.
DATE: 2010-12-06 - DirectorStephan ElliottStarsJessica BielBen BarnesKristin Scott ThomasA young Englishman marries a glamorous American. When he brings her home to meet the parents, she arrives like a blast from the future - blowing their entrenched British stuffiness out the window.(Ealing Studios, based on a Noel Coward play. Saw on Encore Video on Demand) Between world wars, the Whittaker's estate is sinking; only the iron will of Mrs. Whittaker (Kristin Scott Thomas) staves off bankruptcy while she awaits her son John's return from the continent. To her dismay, he brings a bride: an American widow who races cars. The bride, Larita (Jessica Biel), thinks she and John will visit and then go to London, where he'll work and she'll race. But John is to the manor born, and mother is nothing if not a master at plans and manipulation. Soon it's all-out war between mother and bride, with John's father (Colin Firth), a burnt out veteran of the Great War, in the bride's corner ineffectually. Mother has a plan to join with the neighboring estate; only Larita is in her way.
DATE: 2010-12-07 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsRebecca HallScarlett JohanssonJavier BardemTwo friends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture.
- DirectorNeil BurgerStarsRachel McAdamsTim RobbinsMichael PeñaThree different soldiers - a woman and two men - return from war and facing the peaceful life's problems of each other.Tim Robbins plays an Army Reserve sergeant who has just finished his service commitment and is returning home to his wife from Iraq, where he received a non-combat back injury. Rachel McAdams plays Pvt. Colee Dunn, who has a leg injury, and is using a 30 day leave to go to Las Vegas to bring a guitar to her boyfriend's parents; the boyfriend was killed in the war. Michael Pena plays Sgt. T.K. Poole, injured by shrapnel in the groin, is using his 30 day leave to visit his stateside girlfriend, but first he wants who wants to go to Vegas to find a high class sex worker to see if she can restore his ability to get an erection, since he thinks the only reason his girlfriend likes him is his sexual prowess.
DATE: 2011-01-15 - DirectorNeill BlomkampStarsSharlto CopleyDavid JamesJason CopeViolence ensues after an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth finds a kindred spirit in a government agent exposed to their biotechnology.South African science fiction. Aliens.
DATE: 2011-03-02 - DirectorTommy Lee JonesStarsSamuel L. JacksonTommy Lee JonesThrough a chance encounter, two men of opposing ideologies deliberate spiritual, philosophical, and profound matters in a New York City apartment.Tommy Lee Jones (nihilist) and Samuel L. Jackson (Christian).
DATE: 2011-03-01 - DirectorScott CooperStarsJeff BridgesMaggie GyllenhaalColin FarrellA faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.Jeff Bridges (2010 Best Actor) as weary country western singer/writer, once a star, who meets woman (Maggie Gyllenhaal - 2010 Best Supporting) who inspires a new song, "The Weary Kind".
Also Colin Farrell as protegé, and Robert Duvall, Jeff Bridges, T-Bone Burnettl were among producers. - DirectorSpike JonzeStarsNicolas CageMeryl StreepChris CooperA lovelorn screenwriter becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean for the screen.Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) is a socially inept and self-loathing highly successful screenwriter of quality films . His agent (Tilda Swinton) has asked him to adapt author Susan Orlean's (Meryl Streep) "The Orchid Thief" into a screenplay. In the movie, her book was based on John Laroche (Chris Cooper - Oscar for supporting actor), an orchid poacher based out of the Everglades. Charlie makes several starts on the adaptation but doesn't like any and is stuck.
Charlie's more outgoing twin brother Donald (also Cage), who's not found a successful career, gets an idea to try his hand at writing scenarios, and dreams up a mystery adventure story that Charlie sneers at but it turns out to be very successful.
Donald believes Susan left out of her book a more interesting personal story. He and Charlie spy on her next trip to Florida.
Maggie Gyllenhaal has a small part.
The screenwriters for "Adaptation" are the real Kaufman brothers, and the script is based on a book by the real Susan Orlean. Charlie also wrote "Being John Malkovich" and won Oscar for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."
DATE: 2011-05-19 - DirectorPaul MazurskyStarsBette MidlerWoody AllenBill IrwinOn their 16th anniversary, a married couple's trip to a Beverly Hills mall becomes the stage for personal revelations and deceptions.Bette Midler & Woodie Allen. Not written or directed by Allen. Marlene Dietrich and Bette sing "You Do Something To Me".
DATE: 2011-06-20 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenJason BiggsChristina RicciJerry Falk learns a lesson the hard way when he falls in love with the beautiful but flighty Amanda.Written and directed by Woody Allen. Jerry Falk (very Jewish looking Jason Biggs) is an aspiring comic writer living in New York City who falls in love at first sight with aspiring actress Amanda (Christina Ricci). Amanda plays him for a chump. Amanda's mother Paula (Stockard Channing) moves into their tiny apartment with them, with a piano (she wants to resume her singing career). Jerry sees a shrink who never says anything. He has a manager Harvey (Danny DeVito) who is ripping him off. Jerry gets good advice from Dobel (Woody Allen), an older,more worldly aspiring writer, but his naivete keeps him from following it.
Comcast review called it a romantic comedy reminiscent of Oscar winner "Annie Hall."
DATE: 2011-07-24 - DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsGeorge ClooneyJennifer LopezVing RhamesA career bank robber breaks out of jail, and shares a moment of mutual attraction with a U.S. Marshal he has kidnapped.I don't get the title. Action comedy starring George Clooney as a professional bank robber who doesn't use a gun, and Jennifer Lopez as a U.S. Marshall. Other familiar cast names: Don Cheadle (bad guy), Steve Zahn (weak spaced out accomplice), Albert Brooks (crooked wealthy businessman), Isaiah Washington. Uncreditied: Samuel L. Jackson (convict in van at end); Michael Keaton (J-Lo's FBI boy friend). Dennis Farina, who plays Marshall Sisco (J-Lo's father), looks like someone who usually plays bad guys.
- DirectorAlan AldaStarsAlan AldaMichael CaineMichelle PfeifferAfter selling the rights of his book to a movie production company, a writer finds himself fighting the many egos and varying views around him.
- DirectorJohn BadhamStarsBridget FondaGabriel ByrneDermot MulroneyA government fakes the death of a criminal to turn this young woman into a killer on its service.American version of "La Femme Nikita." Brigitte Fonda in the role of an (unwilling) assassin for a super-secret govt agency that doesn't mind killing good people (e.g., honest police officers and civilians) if they get in the way of a job. Harvey Keitel as "the cleaner," similar to the role he later had in "Pulp Fiction," but not nearly as fleshed out and one-dimensional.
- DirectorMiguel ArtetaStarsEd HelmsJohn C. ReillyAnne HecheTim Lippe has no idea what he's in for when he's sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at an annual insurance convention, where he soon finds himself under the "guidance" of three convention veterans.Straight-laced insurance salesman [Ed Helms - "The Office"] in small town agency is sent to Cedar Rapids (the "big" city of Iowa) to attend an industry convention and to accept a prestigious award for the company. Because of overbooking, the hotel has asked the Convention attendees to share their rooms with other attendees.
While its obvious from the beginning that Helms' character is going to be entering some sort of Animal House environment, the film is much better than I expected, with little twists that bring it back from the edge of farce to a more complex plot. John C. Reilly does a nice job as degenerate insurance salesman, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. is perfect as the mature 3rd roommate.
Sigourney Weaver has a small part as an older woman who has been carrying on an affair with the naive Helms character. Anne Heche does a nice job as another insurance rep who uses the annual convention to live her fantasy as a brief respite from her regular life. John C. Reilly is good as - DirectorMarc ForsterStarsBilly Bob ThorntonHalle BerryTaylor SimpsonAfter a family tragedy, a racist prison guard re-examines his attitudes while falling in love with the African-American wife of the last prisoner he executed.
- DirectorTamra DavisStarsDean CainAndy DickSean Patrick FlaneryFour best men pick up their friend, the groom, outside prison. On the way to the chapel, they stop at a bank and get involved in a robbery. The bank's surrounded. FBI takes over.The film opens with 4 tuxedo clad men showing up at a penitentiary to meet a friend who has just been released after three years in prison and is going straight from the jail to marry his girl friend. En route to the wedding, one of the men asks to stop by a bank to pick up some cash. As it turns out, he is a wanted bank robber who uses Shakespeare passages during his robberies and thus has become known as "Hamlet".
Drew Barrymore in a feature role. - DirectorJulian FellowesStarsAlex EtelTimothy SpallMaggie SmithA haunting ghost story spanning two worlds, more than a century apart. When 13-year-old Tolly finds he can mysteriously travel between the two, he begins an adventure that unlocks family secrets laid buried for generations.A haunting ghost story spanning two worlds, 1944 in war time Englan and two centuries earlier. When 13 year old Tolly (Alex Etel) finds he can mysteriously travel between the two, he begins an adventure that unlocks family secrets laid buried for generations. Maggie Smith,
Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey ) - DirectorBurr SteersStarsKieran CulkinSusan SarandonJeff GoldblumA young man's peculiar upbringing renders him unable to competently cope with the struggle of growing up.Igby (Kieran Culkin), youngest son of a wealthy socialite couple, has a peculiar upbringing that causes him to hate his bitch of a mother and to be kicked out of every school to which his mother (Susan Sarandon) ship's him off. Cast includes sexy Amanda Peet, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Cynthia Nixon [Sex and the City], Bill Pullman (President Dale Gilchrist in 2013 TV sitcom "1600 Penn" and President Thomas J. Whitmore in Will Smith's sci-fi "Independence Day").
- DirectorJosh TrankStarsDane DeHaanAlex RussellMichael B. JordanThree high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Soon they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.SciFi: Three irresponsible high school students gain telekinesis superpowers after going down a small but deep hole in the ground and discovering what seems to be remains of a crashed alien space craft. One of the 3 is from a home with a very ill mother and an alcoholic abusive father.
Well written and novel with excellent special effects. - DirectorGeorge ClooneyStarsSam RockwellDrew BarrymoreGeorge ClooneyAn adaptation of the cult memoir of game show impresario Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell), in which he purports to have been a C.I.A. hitman.Clooney - CIA handler, Barrymore - innocent girlfriend, Roberts - assasin
- DirectorPeter WebberStarsScarlett JohanssonColin FirthTom WilkinsonA young peasant maid working in the house of painter Johannes Vermeer becomes his talented assistant and the model for one of his most famous works.Interesting story and fascinating depiction of 17th century urban Dutch life. Vermeer sees/senses new maid's interest in art and adds mixing his paints to her duties, but no one is to know.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsTom CruiseJamie FoxxJada Pinkett SmithA cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles.Very well done except for the ending. I didn't recognize Tom Cruise when his character first came onto the scene.
- DirectorMichael SucsyStarsDrew BarrymoreJessica LangeJeanne TripplehornThe lives of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edith, aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.Drew Barrymore, Jessica Lange. Based on the sad life stories of the eccentric aunt and first cousin of Jackie Onassis (both named Edith Bouvier Beale aka "Big and Little Edie") raised as Park Avenue débutantes but who withdrew from New York society, taking shelter at their Long Island summer home, "Grey Gardens." As their wealth and contact with the outside world dwindled, so did their grasp on reality. They were reintroduced to the world when international tabloids learned of a health department raid on their home, and Jackie swooped in to save her relatives.
- DirectorLisa CholodenkoStarsAnnette BeningJulianne MooreMark RuffaloTwo children conceived by artificial insemination bring their biological father into their non-traditional family life.Annette Bening, Julianne Moore are lesbians, with a daughter age 18 and a son age 16. The girl is going of to college. The boy asks her to find out their sperm donor, who turns out to be a rough handsome motorcycle riding food and restaurant owner who dropped out of college because he "learns by doing" and could get the what the professors lectured on by reading books.
Conflict is the more lesbian partner paranoia that the donor father will edge her out of the family and then it starts to come true.
Excellent character study. Gets into the behavior/feelings of each of the 5 protagonists. - DirectorTim BurtonStarsJack NicholsonPierce BrosnanSarah Jessica ParkerEarth is invaded by Martians with unbeatable weapons and a cruel sense of humor.Fun parody with lots of stars. Tim Burton Director;First Family: Jack Nicholson (also Art Land), Glenn Close, Natalie Portman; White house advisors: Pierce Brosnan, Martin Short, Rod Steiger, Paul Winfield; Norris family: Joe Don Baker, O-Lan Jones (looks like Rosie ), Jack Black, Lukas Haas; Champ's family: Jim Brown, Pam Grier, Ray J, Brandon Hammond; TV: Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox; Lisa Marie (Martian Girl robot), Annette Bening (Barbara Land), Danny DeVito
DATE: 2010-11-29 - DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsAnne HathawayRosemarie DeWittDebra WingerA young woman who has been in and out of rehab for the past ten years returns home for the weekend for her sister's wedding.
- DirectorPreston SturgesStarsJoel McCreaVeronica LakeRobert WarwickHollywood director John L. Sullivan sets out to experience life as a homeless person in order to gain relevant life experience for his next movie.It's the Great Depression era. A big, wealthy male movie star, Sullivan, decides to take a road trip in disguise as a hobo in order to collect info to use in a film about the unemployed and downtrodden. Veronica Lake plays a young woman who tags along.
- DirectorKari SkoglandStarsEllen BurstynChristine HorneElliot PageA 90-year-old woman, rapidly losing her memory and knowing that sooner or later her life will be over, returns to the Manitoba farmhouse she grew up in to try and make peace with her dysfunctional family.Good acting and story but I never understood the significance of the Stone Angel. Probably I should read the book that was the basis for the screenplay.
- DirectorKari SkoglandStarsEllen BurstynChristine HorneElliot PageA 90-year-old woman, rapidly losing her memory and knowing that sooner or later her life will be over, returns to the Manitoba farmhouse she grew up in to try and make peace with her dysfunctional family.
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsForest WhitakerHenry SilvaJohn TormeyAn African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.Forest Whitaker plays a hit man who owes his life to a mafioso. According to the samurai code on which he has based his life, that mafia guy becomes his master (wrong word) who he has to protect. All the mob guys are real old, like the mafia is passé. The film takes a while to get started, because the beginning takes a lot of time with Ghost Dog just walking through a seedy neighborhood till he finally apparently steal a car and then drives around for a long time. I got impatient but in hind sight see that long intro as showing his character.
- DirectorMichel GondryStarsJim CarreyKate WinsletTom WilkinsonWhen their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.Science fiction. Screenplay by Charles Kaufman. A couple separately undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories when their relationship turns sour, but technicians performing the man's erasure screw around causing dreams and reality to get mingled. The man changes his mind while the procedure proceeds.
- DirectorStephen ChboskyStarsLogan LermanEmma WatsonEzra MillerCharlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsMatthew BroderickReese WitherspoonLoren NelsonA high school teacher meets his match in an over-achieving student politician.Reese Witherspoon as nerdy smart H.S. student running four student president unopposed. Matthew Broderick is her teacher and student government advisor.
- DirectorDaniel BarnzStarsViola DavisMaggie GyllenhaalHolly HunterTwo determined mothers, one a teacher, look to transform their children's failing inner city school. Facing a powerful and entrenched bureaucracy, they risk everything to make a difference in the education and future of their children.
- DirectorNeil JordanStarsJodie FosterTerrence HowardNaveen AndrewsStruggling to recover emotionally from a brutal assault that killed her fiancé and left her in a coma, a radio personality begins a quest for vengeance against the perpetrators that leaves a bloody trail across New York City.
- DirectorMark HermanStarsAsa ButterfieldDavid ThewlisRupert FriendThrough the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a German concentration camp, a forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.
- DirectorGlenn FicarraJohn RequaStarsSteve CarellRyan GoslingJulianne MooreA middle-aged husband's life changes dramatically when his wife asks him for a divorce. He seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a newfound friend, Jacob, learning to pick up girls at bars.
- DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsBradley CooperJennifer LawrenceRobert De NiroAfter a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsBruce WillisMadeleine StoweBrad PittIn a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet. (129 mins.) Well done but for 2 things : 1) no explanation for the raspy voiced man who calls James Cole “Bob”; 2) why didn’t the end include some effort of Kathryn Railly to warn authorities about Dr. Peters and historic carry-on? (However, the film was made before 9-11-2001 so the TSA might not have cared about terrorist threats yet. Brad Pit was excellent.
Director: Terry Gilliam
Stars: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Joseph Melito - DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJeff BridgesJohn GoodmanJulianne MooreJeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.
- DirectorPaul FeigStarsSandra BullockMichael McDonaldMelissa McCarthyAn uptight FBI Special Agent is paired with a foul-mouthed Boston cop to take down a ruthless drug lord.An uptight FBI Special Agent (Sandra Bullock) is paired with a foul-mouthed Boston cop (Melissa McCarthy) to take down a ruthless drug lord. I think this was only 2nd movie I’ve seen that featured Melissa McCarthy. I knew she was a good comedian but discovered she also is a terrific actress!
- DirectorBaz LuhrmannStarsLeonardo DiCaprioCarey MulliganJoel EdgertonA writer and wall street trader, Nick Carraway, finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his mysterious millionaire neighbor, Jay Gatsby, amid the riotous parties of the Jazz Age.
- DirectorJulian JarroldStarsChiwetel EjioforJoel EdgertonSarah-Jane PottsA drag queen comes to the rescue of a man who, after inheriting his father's shoe factory, needs to diversify his product if he wants to keep the business afloat.Quality British men’s shoe manufacturer switches to rugged women’s shoes for transvestites.
- DirectorRobert HamerHal E. ChesterCyril FrankelStarsIan CarmichaelTerry-ThomasAlastair SimA young man finds a very special school. It teaches him how to take advantage of people. He begins to put the lessons into operation.
- DirectorNat FaxonJim RashStarsSteve CarellToni ColletteAllison JanneyShy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.Steve Carell, Alison Janney, Maya Rudolph, Rob Corddry in non-comic roles. Also Amanda Peet and AnnaSophia Robb (Carrie Bradshaw in TV’s “The Carrie Diaries.”) I think the title refers to the isolated seat in a station wagon facing the rear window, the assigned seat for geeky, age 14, Duncan (played by 17 year old Liam James), symbolic for his role in the “family.” He comes of age on a summer beach vacation by secretly spending his days at a water park where a staff member has befriended him and taken him under his wing.