Index of My Movies

Full Synopsis: Actor Daniel Craig assumes the role formerly occupied by such screen greats as Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Timothy Dalton to set out on the character's very first 007 mission. James Bond has earned his "00" status by masterfully executing a pair of death-defying professional assassinations. Now assigned the task of traveling to Madagascar to spy on notorious terrorist Mollaka (Sebastien Foucan) for his maiden voyage as a 007 agent, Bond boldly goes against MI6 policy to launch an independent investigation that finds him traversing the Bahamas in search of Mollaka's notoriously elusive terror cell. Subsequently led into the company of the mysterious Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian) and his exotic girlfriend, Solange (Caterina Murino), Bond soon realizes that he is closer than ever to locating well-guarded terrorist financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), the man who has personally bankrolled some of the most prevalent terrorist organizations on the planet. When Bond learns that Le Chiffre is planning to partake in an upcoming high-stakes poker game to be played at Montenegro's Le Casino Royale and use the winnings to establish his financial grip on the globe, M (Judi Dench) assigns beguiling agent Vesper (Eva Green) the task of watching over the fledgling agent as he plays against Le Chiffre in a covert attempt to destroy the nefarious gambler's well-established monetary stronghold in the underworld once and for all. Bond will need more than his legendary gambling skills in order to win this dangerous game, though, and after allying himself with local MI6 field agent Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini) and CIA operative Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), the endlessly suave super-spy puts on his poker face for a high-stakes game of cards in which the stakes are not measured in dollars, but human lives.

Catch a Fire (2006) PG13 1 hour 42 minutes

Released: 1/30/2007

Starring: Tim Robbins, Derek Luke, Bonnie Henna, Mncedisi Shabangu, Tumisho K. Masha,

Full Synopsis:

An apolitical South African oil-refinery worker and soccer coach is forced into terrorism as a means of fighting back against the brutality of the apartheid regime in director Phillip Noyce's dramatic look at the life of one-time political prisoner and freedom fighter Patrick Chamusso. In the 1980s, Patrick (Derek Luke) and his wife Precious (Bonnie Henna) lived a peaceful life until one fateful day, when on an overnight trip with his team, Patrick is singled out as the prime suspect in a bombing at the refinery. Placed in solitary confinement, with his wife and family brutalized by government agent Nic Vos (Tim Robbins), the young family man is eventually cleared of charges, but his life is in shambles. Devastated and distraught, Patrick soon begins working as a rebel fighter and political operative for Nelson Mandela's African National Congress. As the oppressed country's powerful apartheid regime continues to torture and torment its citizens, the now-radicalized Patrick must disappear from his family without a trace and go undercover if he is to aid in toppling the system that destroyed his family, and forever changed his outlook on the world.

Catch and Release (2007) PG13 112 mins

Starring: Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, Sam Jaeger, Kevin Smith

Full Synopsis:

A woman faced with a tragedy discovers the man she loved was not all she imagined him to be in this romantic comedy-drama. Grey (Jennifer Garner) was a beautiful woman who found the man of her dreams in Grady Douglas, and was looking forward to spending the rest of her life with him until he suddenly died only a few days before they were to be married. With her wedding turned into an impromptu funeral, Grey is emotionally devastated but has to deal with the practicalities of her new life alone, including moving out of the house she shared with Grady. Short on cash and in need of emotional support, Grey moves in with two longtime friends, sloppy but philosophical Sam (Kevin Smith) and well-meaning but tightly wound Dennis (Sam Jaeger). Grey also finds herself often chatting with Fritz (Timothy Olyphant), Grady's best friend, through she's always regarded him as a sleazeball. As time passes, Grey discovers that Grady had a secret life he never shared with her -- including a young son from a previous relationship -- and as she tries to come to terms with the past of her former fiance, she struggles to put her new life on track, and finds herself reevaluating her long-held feelings about Fritz. Catch and Release was the first directorial effort from screenwriter Susannah Grant, whose script credits include Erin Brockovich, 28 Days, and In Her Shoes.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Frank W. Abagnale Jr. was a true Renaissance man -- working as a doctor, a lawyer and a pilot for a major American airline all before he turned 18. In Catch Me if You Can, Leonardo DiCaprio plays the cunning Abagnale, a con artist so skilled at forgery that he managed to steal millions of dollars. Tom Hanks is Carl Hanratty, an FBI agent hot on Abagnale's trail in this fact-based crime film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg.

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cedar Rapids R,1hr 27min

Starring: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Isiah Whitlock, Jr.

Synopsis

A childlike insurance salesman discovers his inner grown-up in this comedy from director Miguel Arteta and producer Alexander Payne. Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) sells insurance for a living. He's passionate about his career, so when the top salesman at the company dies on the eve of a big industry convention in Cedar Rapids, IA, his boss, Bill (Stephen Root), decides that Tim should take the trip to represent their company, and possibly accept a major award. Trouble is, not only has Tim never been on an airplane before, but he's in such a state of arrested development that he's even started sleeping with his former elementary school teacher Mrs. Vanderhei (Sigourney Weaver). Arriving at the convention ready to put his best foot forward, Tim hits it off with his hotel roommate Ron (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), but is soon thrust out of his comfort zone when he learns they will be sharing a room with their amoral, hard-partying colleague Dean (John C. Reilly), whom Tim has been instructed to avoid at all costs. Later, when the three unlikely roommates meet up with fellow insurance slinger Joan (Anne Heche), the chemistry just clicks. However, when the ultra-conservative president of the entire organization (Kurtwood Smith) catches Tim in a compromising position, it all starts to fall apart. Now, if Tim can just shed his illusions and finally see the truth about the people he always looked up to, perhaps he can find the courage to recapture his integrity, and return home and face the future with a newfound sense of self-assurance.

Cellular (2004)

A young man named Ryan (Chris Evans) is driving in his car when his cell phone rings. On the other end of the line is a woman (Kim Basinger) desperate to get someone to help her, her husband and her son. Apparently, all three have been abducted by a madman (Jason Statham), and if Ryan doesn't help quickly, they'll all get killed. But Ryan's cell phone battery is low, and he doesn't know where the helpless family is. What's he supposed to do?

Starring: Kim Basinger, Chris Evans

Director: David R. Ellis

Central Station (1998) R 1 hour 50 minutes

Starring: Fernanda Montenegro, Marilia Pera, Vinicius de Oliveira, Soia Lira, Othon Bastos

Full Synopsis:

Former documentary filmmaker Walter Salles (Foreign Land) directed this Brazilian-French road movie tracing the travels and travails of a young boy and an aging woman across the Brazilian landscape. In Rio de Janeiro's central railroad station, callous Dora (leading Brazilian stage/screen actress Fernanda Montenegro) works at a stand where she writes letters for a parade of poor and illiterate. Some of these remain undelivered because she chooses not to mail all of the letters. One of her customers is a woman whose nine-year-old son, Josue (Vinicius de Oliveira), hopes to see the father he has never met, but after the mother dictates two letters to the father, she's killed when hit by a bus. Since Josue is left homeless, Dora reluctantly takes him home to her small apartment overlooking the railroad tracks, where she sometimes spends time with her neighbor Irene (Marilia Pera). Dora places Josue with people who claim to find adoptive parents. When Irene informs her they actually sell children who are then killed for their organs, Dora rescues Josue, and the two board a bus. After a failed attempt to abandon Josue at a roadside stop, Dora and Josue hitch a ride from a religious truck driver. Failing to locate his father, they arrive penniless at a huge rural religious convocation, where Josue suggests Dora bring her letter-writing skills back into play. The notion works, and Dora profits by writing letters to saints for the more devout among the assembled multitudes. Continuing on, they arrive at a sprawling-mass housing development -- and hopefully, a solution to the problem of a family for Josue. Young actor de Oliveira was a shoeshine boy who beat out more than 1,500 other children who auditioned or were interviewed for the Josue role.

Center Stage (2000)
Cast: Amanda Schull, Zoe Saldana, Susan May Pratt

Director: Nicholas Hytner

Category: Drama

Running Time: 1 hour 56 minutes

DVD Release: 10/24/2000

Director(s): Nicholas Hytner

Writer(s): Carol Heikkinen

Full Synopsis

In this emotional drama, a team of young dancers are competing for places in a prestigious dance troupe. The dancers have to deal with the ups and downs of trying to find their place in the world, even as their profession also places an enormous physical and psychological challenge before them. They train with the rigor of championship athletes, and like most aspiring athletes, they know that only a tiny number of them will achieve the goal they've set for themselves.

Director Nicholas Hytner) cast young dancers and athletes as his aspiring terpsichoreans, including Ilia Kulik, an Olympic gold medalist in figure skating; the cast also includes Peter Gallagher as the leader of the dance troupe, Susan May Pratt, Amanda Schull, Eion Bailey, Debra Monk, and Sascha Radetsky.

Changeling R, 2 hrs 21 min

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Jeffrey Donovan, Colm Feore

Synopsis

Inspired by actual events that occurred in 1920s-era Los Angeles, Clint Eastwood's The Changeling tells the story of a woman driven to confront a corrupted LAPD after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to. The year was 1928, and the setting a working class suburb of Los Angeles. As Christine said goodbye to her son Walter and departed for work, she never anticipated that this was the day her life would be forever changed. Upon returning home, Christine was distressed to discover that Walter was nowhere to be found. Over the course of the following months, the desperate mother would launch a search that would ultimately prove fruitless. Yet just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a nine year old boy claiming to be Christine's son seemed to appear out of thin air. Overcome with emotions and uncertain how to face the authorities or the press, Christine invites the child to stay in her home despite knowing without a doubt that he is not her son Walter. As much as Christine would like to accept that fact that her son has been returned to her, she cannot accept the injustice being pushed upon her and continues to challenge the Prohibition-era Los Angeles police force at every turn. As a result, Christine is slandered by the powers that be, and painted as an unfit mother. In this town, a woman who challenges the system is putting her life on the line, and as the situation grows desperate, the only person willing to aid her in her search is benevolent local activist Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich).

Charlie Bartlett R, 1 hr 37 min

Starring: Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis

Synopsis: Longtime film editor Jon Poll (Meet the Fockers and Austin Powers in Goldmember) makes his directorial debut with this coming-of-age comedy about a wealthy public school system newcomer (Anton Yelchin) who wins over his skeptical classmates by serving as a surrogate psychiatrist to the troubled student body. Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis, and Kat Dennings co-star.

Charlie Wilson's War R 1 hr 37 min

Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Synopsis

Produced by Tom Hanks, written by Aaron Sorkin, and directed by Mike Nichols, this adaptation of George Crile III's incendiary bestseller tells the remarkable story of the Texas congressman whose efforts to prevent the Red Army from overtaking Afghanistan eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union while simultaneously fueling the rise of radical Islam. In the early 1980s, a hastily assembled army of Afghan "freedom fighters" achieved the remarkable feat of fending off Soviet invaders despite the fact that the odds were overwhelmingly stacked against them. At the time, Texas congressman Charlie Wilson (Hanks) was a key member of the hugely powerful House Appropriations Committee. Illuminated to the specifics of this remarkable war by a high-profile Houston socialite, Wilson spearheaded an effort to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons and training to the Mujahideen with more than a little help from brilliant but prickly CIA operative Gust Avrokotos.

Children of Heaven

Cast: Mohammad Amir Naji, Mir Farrokh Hashemian, Bahare Seddiqi

Director: Majid Majidi

Category: Comedy, Drama, Family & Kids

Running Time: 1 hour 28 minutes

Language: French

DVD Release: 09/03/2002

Full Synopsis

Two children concoct an elaborate scheme to cover up the loss of a pair of shoes in this family drama from Iran. Ali (Mohammad Amir Naji) and Zahra (Mir Farrokh Hashemian) are a brother and sister growing up in a poor neighborhood. Ali is given the responsibility of picking up Zahra's shoes from the repair shop, since she needs them to attend school. Ali makes the mistake of setting them down outside a market, and moments later they're swiped by a beggar. Ali and Zahra are convinced that their parents will be furious when they discover the shoes have been lost, since they can't afford a new pair, so Ali gets an idea -- Zahra is scheduled to attend classes in the morning, while Ali goes to school in the afternoon. Zahra can wear Ali's sneakers to school, and she'll trade them off to Ali when he comes in for the afternoon session. They hope the scheme will work long enough to keep Zahra in school until her shoes can be found, but matters get more complicated when Ali is entered in a 4k run. Bacheha-Ye Aseman was a surprise international success, earning enthusiastic reviews around the world and winning the Grand Prix du Americas at the 1997 Montreal Film Festival.

Cheaper By the Dozen 2 (2005)

Cast: Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Bonnie Hunt, More

Running Time: 1 hour 34 minutes

Language: English, French, Spanish

DVD Release: 05/23/2006

Full Synopsis

The jumbo-sized Baker family are back in this sequel to the 2003 box-office hit Cheaper by the Dozen. College football coach Tom Baker (Steve Martin) and his wife, author Kate Baker (Bonnie Hunt), have decided its time they took their sizable brood of 12 children on a summer vacation, and so they pack up the cars and take the kids to Lake Winnetka for some camping. Not all the kids are happy about this, but the one who is really annoyed turns out to be Tom, who discovers his old rival Jimmy Murtaugh (Eugene Levy) is also staying near the lake. Jimmy and his trophy wife, Sarina (Carmen Electra), also have a large family of eight children, and Jimmy and Tom seem intent upon one-upping each other at every opportunity. As the tensions mount, the Baker family and the Murtaugh clan face off in a not-so-good-natured series of family games to determine which of the parents have the greater bragging rights. In addition to Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, the actors playing the 12 Baker children from the 2003 film return for Cheaper by the Dozen 2, including Hilary Duff, Piper Perabo, Tom Welling, and Kevin Schmidt.

Children of Men (2006) Rated:R, 110 mins

Cast: Clive Owen, Michael Caine, Claire-Hope Ashitey, Charlie Hunnam, Peter Mullan, Paul Sharma, Julianne Moore, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Pam Ferris, Danny Huston,Oana Pellea, Jacek Koman

Full Synopsis:

Y Tu MamTambin and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuarn returns to the helm to tell this futuristic tale in which society is without hope since humankind lost its ability to procreate. The year is 2027, and women can no longer give birth. The youngest inhabitant of the planet has just died at the age of 18, and all hope for humanity has been lost. As civilization descends into chaos, a dying world finds one last chance for survival in the form of a woman who has become inexplicably pregnant. Now, as warring nationalistic sects clash and British leaders try to maintain their totalitarian stronghold on the country, a disillusioned bureaucrat (Clive Owen) is brought back into the fold of activism by his guerrilla ex-wife (Julianne Moore). Reluctantly, he takes on the daunting task of escorting Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), the refugee who represents humankind's last hope for survival, out of harm's way and into the care of a mysterious organization known as The Human Project. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam, and Michael Caine co-star in this adaptation of author P.D. James's gripping 1992 novel.

This Christmas PG 13, 1 hr 57 min

Starring: Delroy Lindo, Loretta Devine, Idris Elba ...more

Synopsis: Upon gathering together under one roof for the first time in seven years, an estranged family celebrating Christmas rediscovers long-forgotten bonds in this holiday family reuniondrama starring Delroy Lindo, Regina King, and Mekhi Phifer.

Christmas Cottage PG, 1 hr 43 min

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Jared Padalecki, Marcia Gay Harden

Synopsis: Inspired by the picturesque paintings of Thomas Kinkade, The Christmas Cottage tells the semi-autobiographical tale of how a young boy is propelled to launch a career as an artist after he learns that his mother is in danger of losing the family home. Michael Campus directs a film written by Ken LaZebnick and co-produced by painter Kinkade. Jared Padalecki has been cast in the lead, while Peter O'Toole plays his mentor Glen Wessler.

Chorus (2004)

Cast: Gérard Jugnot, François Berléand, Kad Merad

Category: Documentary

Running Time: 1 hour 37 minutes

Language: French

DVD Release: 05/03/2005

Full Synopsis

French producer and musician Christophe Barratier makes his directorial debut with the drama Les Choristes, inspired by the 1947 film La Cage aux Rossignols. Wildly successful orchestra conductor Pierre Morhange (Jacques Perrin) returns home when his mother dies. He recollects his childhood inspirations through the pages of a diary kept by his old music teacher Clément Mathieu (Gérard Jugnot). Back in the late '40s, little Pierre (Jean-Baptiste Maunier) is the badly behaved son of single mother Violette (Marie Bunel). He attends a dreary boarding school presided over by strict headmaster Rachin (François Berléand). New teacher Mathieu brightens up the place and organizes a choir, leading to the discovery of Pierre's musical talents. Featuring performances by Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc Choir. Les Choristes was shown at the Berlin Film Festival in 2004.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Cast: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley

Director: Andrew Adamson

Category: Action & Adventure, Family & Kids, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Language: English, French, Spanish

DVD Release: 04/04/2006

Full Synopsis

Four siblings -- Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Lucy (Georgie Henley), Peter (William Moseley), and Susan (Anna Popplewell) -- are sent from their London home to the country estate of an eccentric professor in order to ensure their safety during World War II. The house is very dull, except for a large, ornate wardrobe discovered by young Lucy during a game of hide-and-seek. Venturing inside of it in the hopes of finding a hiding place, Lucy is transported to a snowy alternate universe: a magical world called Narnia. The land is populated by talking animals and ruled over by the benevolent lion god Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson), but sadly, the world is also in a state of perpetual winter. The white witch Jadis (Tilda Swinton), lustful for power and governed by narcissism, has cursed Narnia with a tyrannical decree that it will always be winter but never Christmas. Now, the children must fight alongside Aslan for the salvation of Narnia, but one of them, seduced by the charisma of the white witch, may choose to fight on the wrong side.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader PG,1hr 55min

Starring: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes

Synopsis

Upon returning to Narnia to join Prince Caspian for a voyage on the majestic royal vessel known as The Dawn Treader, Lucy, Edmund, and their cousin Eustace encounter merfolk, dragons, dwarves, and a wandering band of lost warriors. As the edge of the world draws near, their remarkable adventure at sea sails toward an exciting, yet uncertain, conclusion.

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

Where the smash hit sci-fi film Pitch Black leaves off, these Chronicles begin. It's been five years since escaped convict Riddick (Vin Diesel) exited that planet filled with terrifying flying beasties. And now, the man who can see in the dark finds himself caught in the middle of a galactic war waged by Lord Marshal (Colm Feore), the leader of a sect called the Necromongers. Dame Judi Dench and Thandie Newton co-star.

Starring: Vin Diesel, Judi Dench

Director: David Twohy

A Cinderella Story (2004)

Average teen Sam Martin (Hilary Duff) lives with her stepmother (Jennifer Coolidge) and stepsisters after her father dies. Her meager social status is overshadowed by that of popular Shelby (Julie Gonzalo), a rather ditzy but very pretty girl. Things change when an intriguing hottie (Chad Michael Murray) finds Sam's cell phone, starting a text and email relationship. When the time comes for them to meet, can Sam win him over face to face?

Starring: Hilary Duff, Chad Michael Murray,

Director: Mark Rosman

Collateral (2004)

As a struggling comedy writer hoping to get his big break in Los Angeles, Max (Jamie Foxx) takes a job as a taxi driver to make ends meet. During a very chaotic day, he discovers that the person (Tom Cruise) who's been using his cab service the entire day is actually a hit man, and Max has been driving him from one hit to another. Suddenly, Max finds himself attempting to save the life of the hit man's next victim … as well as his own life.

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx

Director: Michael Mann

Cloverfield PG 13,1 hr 25 min

Starring: Lizzy Caplan, Michael Stahl-David, Jessica Lucas

A going-away party in Manhattan is interrupted when a mysterious, giant-sized monster launches an attack on New York City. With camcorder in hand, a small group of friends make their way out into the chaotic streets, scrambling to stay alive. Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, Michael Stahl-David, Odet Jasmin and T.J. Miller co-star in this action-thriller produced by J.J. Abrams, creator of the hit television series "Alias" and "Lost."

Code Name: The Cleaner (2007) 91 mins PG13

Starring: Lucy Liu, Cedric the Enterainer, Will Patton, Nicollette Shridan, DeRay Davis, Callum Keith Rennie