Production Company(ies)
Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, Moving Pictures, Company,
 
Distributor
Walt Disney
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
 
Year of Release
2009
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
Earth, documentary, animals, polar bear, elephant, humpback whale, environment, global warming, informative, entertaining, Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield, Alix Tidmarsh, Sophokles Tasioulis, Leslie Megahey, G rating, English, Walt Disney, Anggun, James Earl Jones, Patrick Stewart, Ulrich Tukur, Ken Watanabe, narrator, box office, $32.0M, budget, critic reviews, Graham Keeley, Jordan Hoffman, Sara Michelle Fetters, Peter Rainer, Stephen Whitty, Andrea Gronvall, Richard Propes, Rachel Wagner, Dorothy Woodend, Neil Pond, Burl Burlingame, Matt Kelemen
 

Cast & Crew

Anggun

James Earl Jones

Patrick Stewart

Ulrich Tukur

Ken Watanabe

Anggun

James Earl Jones

Patrick Stewart

Ulrich Tukur

Ken Watanabe

Anggun – Narrator
James Earl Jones – Narrator
Patrick Stewart – Narrator
Ulrich Tukur – Narrator
Ken Watanabe – Narrator
Alastair Fothergill – Director
Alix Tidmarsh – Producer
Sophokles Tasioulis – Producer
Alastair Fothergill – Writer
Mark Linfield – Director
Leslie Megahey – Writer

 

Alastair Fothergill

Alastair Fothergill

Alix Tidmarsh

Sophokles Tasioulis

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield
 
Writer(s)
Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield, Leslie Megahey
 
Producer(s)
Alix Tidmarsh, Sophokles Tasioulis

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Graham Keeley

Jordan Hoffman

Sara Michelle Fetters

Peter Rainer

Stephen Whitty

Hollywood Reporter

UGO

MovieFreak.com

Christian Science Monitor

Newark Star-Ledger

EARTH
 All Critics (94) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (81) | Rotten (13)
 Solid docu about global-warming informs rather than preaches.
 
 December 17, 2009
 
 Graham Keeley
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 Earth may be the most striking collection of nature photography I’ve ever seen. It isn’t flawless, but it is a one-of-a-kind treat.
 
 August 11, 2009 | Rating: A-
 
 Jordan Hoffman
 UGO
 TOP CRITIC
 I give directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield huge props for being able to so concisely whittle down their massive 11-episode magnum opus into such a delightfully entertaining and visually stimulating streamlined version.
 
 April 30, 2009 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Sara Michelle Fetters
 MovieFreak.com
 TOP CRITIC
 For most of the way this is an eye-popping, not blood-curdling, experience.
 
 April 24, 2009 | Rating: B+
 
 Peter Rainer
 Christian Science Monitor
 TOP CRITIC
 For a round-the-world trip, it feels a bit like a budget bus tour.
 
 April 24, 2009 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Stephen Whitty
 Newark Star-Ledger
 TOP CRITIC
 [The directors] know how to craft a sequence (lions and elephants uneasily drinking at the same water hole), have an eye for the telling shot (baboons mincing across a flood plain), and mercifully avoid making the fauna look human.
 
 April 24, 2009
 
 Andrea Gronvall
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 It is impossible to leave the theater without a deeper appreciation for the world in which we live.
 
 September 7, 2020 | Rating: 3.0/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com
 If you don’t require a plot and just like seeing all these animals and learning about them than you’ll enjoy it.
 
 April 30, 2019 | Rating: B-
 
 Rachel Wagner
 rachelsreviews.net
 Disney has a lot to answer for, but its worst sin may be one of its oldest — anthropomorphizing nature.
 
 August 22, 2017
 
 Dorothy Woodend
 The Tyee (British Columbia)
 It’s impossible to not come away with a renewed respect, appreciation and awe for this place we all call home.
 
 September 29, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Neil Pond
 American Profile
 When Disney gets involved in making things green, we’re talking about the color of money.
 
 July 5, 2011 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Burl Burlingame
 Honolulu Star-Advertiser
 Earth hits all the right notes, and if Disney corners the market on nature documentaries and creates an annual cinematic event of this caliber tied into Earth Day, so be it.
 
 January 26, 2011
 
 Matt Kelemen
 Las Vegas CityLife…

 

Plot
A riveting portrait of the great writer whose stories became the basis of the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness tells the tale of the rebellious genius who created an entirely new literature. Plumbing the depths of a Jewish world locked in crisis and on the cusp of profound change, he captured that world with brilliant humor. Sholem Aleichem was not just a witness to the creation of a new modern Jewish identity, but one of the very men who forged it.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Earth includes narrators such as James Earl Jones, Patrick Stewart, and Ken Watanabe.
 

 
Alastair-Fothergill.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Buffalo Film Works Paramount Pictures, Platinum Dunes
 
Distributor
Focus Features
 
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Portland, Oregon, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor
 
Year of Release
2009
 

 
Genre(s)
Fantasy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman, directed by Henry Selick, written by Henry Selick, fantasy, PG, box office gross $75.3M, produced by Bill Mechanic, Claire Jennings, Henry Selick, Mary Sandell, reviewed by Candice Frederick, Tom Charity, Randy Myers, Sacha Molitorisz, Perri Nemiroff, Jake Wilson, Nicole Clark, Matt Brunson, Douglas Davidson, Mike Massie, Richard Propes, alternate world, secret door, witch, stop-motion animation, Neil Gaiman, visually stunning, wondrously entertaining, imaginative story, Coraline Jones, Other Mother, Miss Spink, Miss Forcible, The Cat, Father, Thematic Elements, English, Focus Features
 

Cast & Crew

Dakota Fanning

Teri Hatcher

Jennifer Saunders

Dawn French

Keith David

Coraline Jones

Mother

Other Mother

Miss Spink

Miss Forcible

Dakota Fanning – Coraline Jones (Voice)
Teri Hatcher – Mother, Other Mother (Voice)
Jennifer Saunders – Miss Spink (Voice)
Dawn French – Miss Forcible (Voice)
Keith David – The Cat (Voice)
John Hodgman – Father, Other Father (Voice)

 

Henry Selick

Henry Selick

Bill Mechanic

Claire Jennings

Henry Selick

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Henry Selick
 
Writer(s)
Henry Selick
 
Producer(s)
Bill Mechanic, Claire Jennings, Henry Selick, Mary Sandell

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
8 wins & 46 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Candice Frederick

Tom Charity

Randy Myers

Sacha Molitorisz

Perri Nemiroff

Reel Talk Online

CNN.com

San Jose Mercury News

Sydney Morning Herald

CinemaBlend

CORALINE
 All Critics (270) | Top Critics (67) | Fresh (244) | Rotten (26)
 Entertaining, funny and surprisingly suspenseful a times, Coraline is the perfect movie for your little one…and for the child in all of us.
 
 September 12, 2017 | Rating: A
 
 Candice Frederick
 Reel Talk Online
 TOP CRITIC
 Coraline never stops taking artistic risks. I hope there’s a brave enough audience out there willing to take the plunge.
 
 November 17, 2014
 
 Tom Charity
 CNN.com
 TOP CRITIC
 All involved in this production deserve praise for turning Coraline into a triumph of storytelling and cinematic technology. Whether you’re young, middle-age or older, you’ll adore it.
 
 November 17, 2014 | Rating: A-
 
 Randy Myers
 San Jose Mercury News
 TOP CRITIC
 Understated, dark and wonderful, it’s a classic for those of Coraline’s age.
 
 November 17, 2014
 
 Sacha Molitorisz
 Sydney Morning Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 The Nightmare Before Christmas test required. If the kiddies survive that one without developing an intense fear of the boogeyman or Santa Claus, Coraline gets a green light.
 
 August 14, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Perri Nemiroff
 CinemaBlend
 TOP CRITIC
 This is one of those films that works best if you can forget about the source material. Selick’s film is more like a three-ring circus.
 
 August 5, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Jake Wilson
 Sydney Morning Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 The bone chilling image of buttons-for-eyes will get trapped in your head. But the twists and turns of this phenomenal kid’s horror romp will make it all worth it.
 
 October 27, 2021
 
 Nicole Clark
 Polygon
 An eye-popping animated extravaganza.
 
 September 3, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 There’s a lightness to every scene of their films, even the emotionally-scarring moments, which pulls you in deeper to the story.
 
 August 29, 2021
 
 Douglas Davidson
 Elements of Madness
 Insanely inventive characters and a generous helping of darkly macabre visuals permeate every facet.
 
 November 28, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 Coraline is imaginative, daring and intelligent filmmaking devoid of Hollywood manipulations and greeting card sentiments.
 
 September 5, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com
 A cinematic fable that strikes a nice balance between schlock and the over-serious…
 
 March 4, 2020
 
 Kathi Maio
 The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction…

 

Plot
When Coraline moves to an old house, she feels bored and neglected by her parents. She finds a hidden door with a bricked up passage. During the night, she crosses the passage and finds a parallel world where everybody has buttons instead of eyes, with caring parents and all her dreams coming true. When the Other Mother invites Coraline to stay in her world forever, the girl refuses and finds that the alternate reality where she is trapped is only a trick to lure her.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no mention of PartyCity or any cast members in the Fresh Kernels database for Coraline.
 

 
Henry-Selick.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Diamond Docs A&E Indie Films, Passion Pictures,
 
Distributor
DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Kaua’i, Hawaii, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, violent content and drug material
 
Year of Release
2008
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Action
 
Keyword(s)
starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Nick Nolte, Steve Coogan, Jay Baruchel, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Cruise, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, Brandon T Jackson, Justin Theroux, Etan Cohen, Stuart Cornfeld, Eric McLeod, directed by Ben Stiller, written by Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, Etan Cohen, comedy, action, R rating, box office gross $110.4M, budget, reviewed by Deborah Ross, Glenn Kenny, Nell Minow, Ben Kenigsberg, Joe Williams, Tom Charity, Danielle Solzman, Charlotte Harrison, David Walsh, Mike Massie, Jason Best, Richard Propes
 

Cast & Crew

Ben Stiller

Jack Black

Robert Downey Jr.

Nick Nolte

Steve Coogan

Tugg Speedman

Jeff Portnoy

Kirk Lazarus

Four Leaf Tayback

Damien Cockburn

Ben Stiller – Tugg Speedman
Jack Black – Jeff Portnoy
Robert Downey Jr. – Kirk Lazarus
Nick Nolte – Four Leaf Tayback
Steve Coogan – Damien Cockburn
Jay Baruchel – Kevin Sandusky

 

Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller

Stuart Cornfeld

Eric McLeod

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Ben Stiller
 
Writer(s)
Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, Etan Cohen
 
Producer(s)
Ben Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld, Eric McLeod

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
10 wins & 47 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Deborah Ross

Glenn Kenny

Nell Minow

Ben Kenigsberg

Joe Williams

The Spectator

MUBI

Movie Mom

Time Out

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

TROPIC THUNDER
 All Critics (253) | Top Critics (69) | Fresh (207) | Rotten (46)
 The bulk of this movie, alas, comes down to weak sketches held together by ridiculous action, vast explosions and more or less everything else it should be parodying.
 
 January 27, 2018
 
 Deborah Ross
 The Spectator
 TOP CRITIC
 Given the incoherence of its satirical aspirations (the film does end with a suggestion that everyone involved still loves this business we call show), and finally too scattershot to really make it as parody, Tropic Thunder is best appreciated as a goof.
 
 December 13, 2017
 
 Glenn Kenny
 MUBI
 TOP CRITIC
 February 18, 2012 | Rating: B+
 
 Nell Minow
 Movie Mom
 TOP CRITIC
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Ben Kenigsberg
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Tiptoes to the fine line between irony and insight and blows it to smithereens. It’s hilarious.
 
 October 18, 2008 | Rating: B+
 
 Joe Williams
 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 TOP CRITIC
 Though some of the caricatures wear thin, some of the acting rises to a high level.
 
 October 18, 2008
 
 Tom Charity
 CNN.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Tropic Thunder certainly has flaws but at the end of the day, it is an over-the-top satire that shows everything that’s wrong with Hollywood.
 
 August 13, 2021
 
 Danielle Solzman
 Solzy at the Movies
 Packed full of hilarious and infinitely quotable lines, it also features two scene-stealing performances by Matthew McConaughey and Tom Cruise.
 
 June 1, 2021
 
 Charlotte Harrison
 Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies
 Because of the lack of a strong theme or point of view, unwittingly perhaps, the film becomes a version of the phenomenon it set out to parody: an action film, even a semi-patriotic action film.
 
 February 13, 2021
 
 David Walsh
 World Socialist Web Site
 Egregious amounts of violence crop up, but they’re mitigated by the constant silliness surrounding them.
 
 November 28, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 This no-holds-barred send-up of Hollywood pomposity and folly flaunts its tastelessness and flouts taboos with a brazen recklessness.
 
 November 13, 2020
 
 Jason Best
 Movie Talk
 Easily Stiller’s best film in quite some time and yet another testament to Stiller’s gifts as a filmmaker.
 
 September 26, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com…

 

Plot
Action movie star Tugg Speedman is on the downslide of his professional career. He wants to be considered a serious actor, but his latest serious role as the title character in “Simple Jack” resulted in negative reviews and ridicule. Comedian Jeff Portnoy is best known for his leading roles in sophomoric comedies, and may be less well known for his rampant drug use. Five time Oscar winner Kirk Lazarus is a serious method actor, who immerses himself in whatever the role. On location in southeast Vietnam, they are the stars of “Tropic Thunder”, based on Vietnam war veteran ‘Four Leaf’ Tayback’s memoirs of his rescue during the war, that rescue which was considered a near suicide mission for the assigned army force and resulted in him losing both hands. For his role, Caucasian Australian Lazarus even went through a controversial surgical skin dying procedure so that he could convincingly play a black man. Production is not going well since rookie director Damien Cockburn is unable to control the prima-donna attitude of his three stars. Cockburn and Tayback decide that the five primary actors – Speedman, Portnoy, Lazarus, rapper Alpa Chino, and newcomer Kevin Sandusky – need to work together as a unit as did their real life characters. The five are placed in the middle of the jungle, and with only a map and their prop machine guns in hand, are asked to work together to battle through the stunt pyrotechnics in their way. What none of the seven of them know is that they have been dropped into a real life drug war led by the Flaming Dragons. It isn’t until Speedman is captured by the Flaming Dragons and tortured that they all realize that what they believed was make believe gunfire and land mines was actually real life. As the four actors try to figure out what to do concerning Speedman’s situation, all five go through their own journey of self-discovery. Meanwhile, the movie’s megalomaniacal profanity spewing producer Les Grossman and Speedman’s faithful agent Rick Peck argue about what to do about Speedman’s situation. And Tayback inadvertently shows a little of his true self.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels highlights Robert Downey Jr.’s “unforgettable turn” in Tropic Thunder.
 

 
Ben-Stiller.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Greenwich Film Productions,
 
Distributor
Universal Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
South Pasadena, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for crude and sexual content, strong language and nudity
 
Year of Release
2008
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jane Lynch, Bobb’e J Thompson, Elizabeth Banks, directed by David Wain, written by David Wain, Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, Timothy Dowling, William Blake Herron, comedy, R rating, box office gross $67.3M, produced by Mary Parent, Scott Stuber, Luke Greenfield, reviewed by Nell Minow, David Fear, Tom Charity, Laremy Legel, Jordan Hoffman, Kerrie Murphy, Mike Massie, Richard Propes, Mattie Lucas, Kaleem Aftab, Megan Basham, Josh Sorokach, nudity, crude and sexual content, strong language
 

Cast & Crew

Seann William Scott

Paul Rudd

Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Jane Lynch

Bobb’e J. Thompson

Wheeler

Danny

Augie

Sweeny

Ronnie

Seann William Scott – Wheeler
Paul Rudd – Danny
Christopher Mintz-Plasse – Augie
Jane Lynch – Sweeny
Bobb’e J. Thompson – Ronnie
Elizabeth Banks – Beth
Director – David Wain
Producers – Mary Parent, Scott Stuber, Luke Greenfield
Writers – David Wain, Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, Timothy Dowling, William Blake Herron

 

David Wain

David Wain

Mary Parent

Scott Stuber

Luke Greenfield

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
David Wain
 
Writer(s)
David Wain, Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, Timothy Dowling, William Blake Herron
 
Producer(s)
Mary Parent, Scott Stuber, Luke Greenfield

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 4 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Nell Minow

David Fear

Tom Charity

Laremy Legel

Jordan Hoffman

Movie Mom

Time Out

CNN.com

Film.com

UGO

ROLE MODELS
 All Critics (163) | Top Critics (54) | Fresh (125) | Rotten (38)
 February 18, 2012 | Rating: B-
 
 Nell Minow
 Movie Mom
 TOP CRITIC
 November 16, 2011 | Rating: 2/5
 
 David Fear
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Rudd and Scott aren’t stretching any new muscles, but Rudd’s glum disaffection and Scott’s bozo bonhomie do gel with a satisfying stickiness. They handle the gaping innuendo with such delicacy we know that they know they’re better than this.
 
 July 6, 2010
 
 Tom Charity
 CNN.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Role Models could have been another formulaic comedy, fresh off the assembly line. Instead, the work of Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott here is worthy of praise and one of the funnier films this year.
 
 July 6, 2010 | Rating: B+
 
 Laremy Legel
 Film.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Role Models is a film for the nerds, by the nerds. Lucky for Role Models, the rest of our culture is catching up and are invited along as well.
 
 August 13, 2009 | Rating: A-
 
 Jordan Hoffman
 UGO
 TOP CRITIC
 No one is going to marvel at the actors’ Stanislavsky-like artistry, but Scott and Rudd are fun to watch and their bickering is hilarious…
 
 January 22, 2009
 
 Kerrie Murphy
 The Australian
 TOP CRITIC
 Just when a heartrending moment draws the audience in, a jolting blast of vulgarity induces inescapable laughter.
 
 November 28, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 A 10-year-old who has no problem dropping the F-bomb? Parents are likely to cringe and/or think they accidentally walked into a Billy Bob Thornton movie.
 
 September 21, 2020 | Rating: 3.0/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com
 There just isn’t enough here to warrant spending two hours on, especially when it’s all been done before, and better, somewhere else.
 
 June 6, 2019 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
 Director David Wain wrongly seems to think that puerile, lewd behaviour is funny by default; subtlety is not in his repertoire.
 
 November 4, 2018 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Kaleem Aftab
 The List
 The cringe-inducing moments… will offend anyone who isn’t an adolescent (or adolescent-minded) boy and will likely keep Rudd from seeing the same success Black experienced.
 
 October 10, 2018
 
 Megan Basham
 WORLD
 Role Models flourishes thanks to a deceptively simple formula: It’s well-written, superbly directed, and features charismatic leads and a comedically gifted ensemble.
 
 August 17, 2018
 
 Josh Sorokach
 Decider…

 

Plot
Danny and Wheeler, well into their 30s, lack something: Danny feels stuck; he’s sour and has driven away his terrific girlfriend. Wheeler chases any skirt he sees for empty sex. When they get in a fight with a tow-truck driver, they choose community service over jail and are assigned to be big brothers – Danny to Augie, a geek who loves to LARP (Live Action Role Play), and Wheeler to Ronnie, a pint-size foul-mouthed kid. After a rocky start, things start to go well until both Danny and Wheeler make big mistakes. Can the two men figure out how to change enough to be role models to the boys?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels review for Role Models.
 

 
David-Wain.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
ARTE Ariel Films, Arsam International,
 
Distributor
First Look
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Vilnius, Vilnius County, Lithuania
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some violence, including torture and language
 
Year of Release
2008
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Crime
 
Keyword(s)
starring Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley, Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega, Thomas Kretschmann, Julio Fernández, directed by Brad Anderson, written by Will Conroy, drama, crime, mystery, thriller, R-rated, box office gross $2.2M, reviewed by Mark Rahner, Gervase de Wilde, Rob Mackie, Seongyong Cho, Ed Gonzalez, Evan Williams, Gary Wolcott, Christopher Monfette, Joey S, Melvin W, Sam E, traditional form, effective execution, taut thriller, danger on a train, atmospheric sense, married Christian missionaries, train from Beijing to Moscow, befriended by Carlos and Abby, town is unsafe, attempts to “befriend” Jessie, dynamic of the trip, suspenseful, tension-filled, fleshed-out characters, depth and background, twists and turns, conventional, half-assed and abrupt ending
 

Cast & Crew

Woody Harrelson

Emily Mortimer

Ben Kingsley

Kate Mara

Eduardo Noriega

Roy

Jesse

Grinko

Abby

Carlos

Woody Harrelson – Roy
Emily Mortimer – Jesse
Ben Kingsley – Grinko
Kate Mara – Abby
Eduardo Noriega – Carlos
Thomas Kretschmann – Kolzak
Director – Brad Anderson
Producer – Julio Fernández
Writer – Will Conroy

 

Brad Anderson

Will Conroy

Julio Fernández

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Brad Anderson
 
Writer(s)
Will Conroy
 
Producer(s)
Julio Fernández

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 11 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Mark Rahner

Gervase de Wilde

Rob Mackie

Seongyong Cho

Ed Gonzalez

Seattle Times

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Guardian

RogerEbert.com

Village Voice

TRANSSIBERIAN
 All Critics (101) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (92) | Rotten (9)
 A first-class white-knuckle trip.
 
 May 5, 2020
 
 Mark Rahner
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The eventual resolution is too neat, but striking cinematography and brilliant performances sustain Transsiberian and leave you wondering why it never made it to UK cinemas.
 
 May 5, 2020
 
 Gervase de Wilde
 Daily Telegraph (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Strangely denied a cinema release here in the UK, Transsiberian is an enjoyably devious thriller.
 
 May 1, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Rob Mackie
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 Anderson has made an engrossing thriller well supported by its impressive atmosphere and his deft handling of suspense.
 
 May 1, 2020
 
 Seongyong Cho
 RogerEbert.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Though not one for literal smoke and mirrors, master of horror Brad Anderson, with his panache for arousing fear from harried reality and rotted atmosphere, is still a shaman.
 
 May 1, 2020
 
 Ed Gonzalez
 Village Voice
 TOP CRITIC
 A terrific combination of action, mystery and adventure
 
 June 27, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Evan Williams
 The Australian
 TOP CRITIC
 I find the execution of ‘Transsiberian’ somewhat conventional, despite the fact that the premise has a promising start. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 August 8, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Yasser Medina
 Cinemaficionados
 What could have been a… 1970s Europudding byproducts turns into an entertaining thriller.
 
 May 5, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Sergi Sánchez
 Fotogramas
 Unfortunately, it all builds to a last reel that is truly off the rails – a strenuous bit of action-flick silliness seriously at odds with the more low-key, psychological thriller that precedes it.
 
 May 5, 2020
 
 Al Hoff
 Pittsburgh City Paper
 My vote is that this is a film that is certainly worth a look but most probably on your DVD player unless you are the type of person who can’t figure out basic mysteries.
 
 May 5, 2020
 
 Moriarty
 Ain’t It Cool Movie Reviews
 Dark and absorbing.
 
 May 5, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Gary Wolcott
 Tri-City Herald
 What, if any, place this film will hold in the annals of cinema history is hard to say at this point, but Transsiberian is certainly a capable and engaging thriller.
 
 May 5, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Christopher Monfette
 IGN Movies…

 

Plot
Americans abroad. Roy and Jessie finished a volunteer stint in China. He loves trains, so they go home via the Trans-Siberia Express. There are strains in the relationship, including her past. They meet Carlos, a Spaniard, traveling with Abby, a young American. Carlos keeps close to Jessie, and when Roy is left behind and waits a day for the next train so he can catch up, Jessie and Carlos take a trip into the dead of winter to photograph a ruined church. Carlos may be running drugs, so, later, when Roy catches up and introduces Jessie to his new pal, an English speaking Russian narcotics detective, he’s the last person Jessie wants to see. Will the Siberian desolation be their undoing?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Brad-Anderson.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Anonymous Content
 
Distributor
Focus Features
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Savoy Hotel, Strand, London, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some partial nudity and innuendo
 
Year of Release
2008
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, PG-13, Comedy, Drama, Romance, 1h 32m, starring Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Lee Pace, Ciarán Hinds, Mark Strong, Shirley Henderson, directed by Bharat Nalluri, written by David Magee, Simon Beaufoy, produced by Nellie Bellflower, Stephen Garrett, reviewed by Nell Minow, Hank Sartin, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Derek Malcolm, Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Anthony Quinn, Mike Massie, Ali Jawetz, Debbie Lynn Elias, Micheal Compton, Leslie Combemale, box office gross $12.3M, budget unknown, PG-13 rating, 1930s London, governess, employment agency, female bonding, art deco apartments, fairy tale, happy endings, strong performances, period comedy, partial nudity, innuendo, Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby SRD, Scope (2.35:1)
 

Cast & Crew

Frances McDormand

Amy Adams

Lee Pace

Ciarán Hinds

Mark Strong

Miss Pettigrew

Delysia Lafosse

Michael

Joe

Nick

Frances McDormand – Miss Pettigrew
Amy Adams – Delysia Lafosse
Lee Pace – Michael
Ciarán Hinds – Joe
Mark Strong – Nick
Shirley Henderson – Edythe Dubarry

 

Bharat Nalluri

David Magee

Nellie Bellflower

Stephen Garrett

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Bharat Nalluri
 
Writer(s)
David Magee, Simon Beaufoy
 
Producer(s)
Nellie Bellflower, Stephen Garrett

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 nomination
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Nell Minow

Hank Sartin

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Derek Malcolm

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Movie Mom

Time Out

Entertainment Weekly

London Evening Standard

Metro Newspaper (UK)

MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY
 All Critics (152) | Top Critics (54) | Fresh (118) | Rotten (34)
 February 18, 2012 | Rating: B+
 
 Nell Minow
 Movie Mom
 TOP CRITIC
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Hank Sartin
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 September 7, 2011 | Rating: C+
 
 Lisa Schwarzbaum
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 McDormand is left trying for emotional depth in a sea of middling farce and semi-sophisticated comedy.
 
 August 15, 2008 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Derek Malcolm
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 McDormand brings a Chaplinesque pathos to this snappy period comedy. Fabulous frocks, tasty men, female bonding, art deco apartments to die for; it’s like Sex And The City set in 1930s London. I could have happily watched it for hours…
 
 August 15, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
 Metro Newspaper (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s lucky that Amy Adams and Frances McDormand lend their best charms to Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, otherwise this featherweight Art Deco fancy might drift away like a soap bubble, and go ‘pop!’
 
 August 15, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Anthony Quinn
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 An engaging yet desperately generic feel-good dramedy.
 
 November 28, 2020 | Rating: 4/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, provides pleasant respite in these times of doom and gloom.
 
 November 20, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Ali Jawetz
 PopMatters
 This is a dream come true for every woman out there and truly does make you, even as an adult, believe in fairy tales and happy endings.
 
 November 13, 2019
 
 Debbie Lynn Elias
 Behind The Lens
 McDormand is her usual reliable self, while Adams continues to show her acting chops, delivering a funny, charming performance.
 
 October 29, 2019 | Rating: B
 
 Micheal Compton
 Bowling Green Daily News
 Amy Adams is at her sassiest, which is saying something, and Frances McDormand is a luminous charm playing the genuine and rapidly changing Miss Pettigrew.
 
 July 26, 2019
 
 Leslie Combemale
 Cinema Siren
 Fabulously funny and entertaining, but also slyly moving as well.
 
 June 6, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)…

 

Plot
War threatens London as Miss Pettigrew, a destitute governess, filches a client’s card from her agency and presents herself at the door. A singer named Delysia Lafosse wants a social secretary as she seeks a West End role by sleeping with a feckless producer in the bed of Nick, a smarmy nightclub owner with whom she also dallies. She ignores Michael, her piano player, who loves her and has tickets for New York on the Queen Mary. Miss Pettigrew’s job is to make sure Delysia gets the part. Over 24 hours, Miss Pettigrew is also called upon to help an ambitious and unfaithful fashion editor patch things up with her older fiancé, a lingerie designer. Has Miss Pettigrew found her calling?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Frances McDormand brings a Chaplinesque pathos to this snappy period comedy.
 

 
Bharat-Nalluri.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Films, Anouchka Films, Orsay Films,
 
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some scary moments and mild language
 
Year of Release
2007
 

 
Genre(s)
Fantasy/Adventure
 
Keyword(s)

Cast & Crew

Jeff Bridges

Chris Pine

Ben Foster

Gil Birmingham

Marin Ireland

Sheriff Marcus Hamilton

Toby

Tanner

Alberto Parker

Debbie

Jeff Bridges – Sheriff Marcus Hamilton
Chris Pine – Toby
Ben Foster – Tanner
Gil Birmingham – Alberto Parker
Marin Ireland – Debbie
Katy Mixon – Jenny Ann
Director – David Mackenzie
Producer – Sidney Kimmel, Peter Berg, Carla Hacken, Julie Yorn
Writer – Taylor Sheridan

 

David Yates

Michael Goldenberg

David Heyman

David Barron

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
David Yates
 
Writer(s)
Michael Goldenberg
 
Producer(s)
David Heyman, David Barron

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
17 wins & 69 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Deborah Ross

Bruce Diones

Wally Hammond

Kyle Smith

Joshua Rothkopf

The Spectator

New Yorker

Time Out

New York Post

Ebert & Roeper

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
 All Critics (257) | Top Critics (65) | Fresh (199) | Rotten (58)
 Traditional drama is usually a three-act deal: set-up, conflict, resolution. But this is the three-act deal every two minutes. Danger, baddie, magic. Danger, baddie, magic. Danger, baddie, magic. It’s as tired as it is tiresome.
 
 August 23, 2018
 
 Deborah Ross
 The Spectator
 TOP CRITIC
 By focussing the story on Harry (a leaner and slightly meaner Daniel Radcliffe) and his exploits, Yates dispenses with many of the novel’s subplots and is able to push the story forward, ominously foreshadowing the dark times to come.
 
 November 26, 2013
 
 Bruce Diones
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 Performances are more mature, the soundtrack (by Nicholas Hooper) less grandiose, and Yates executes some thrilling set-pieces.
 
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Wally Hammond
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Brought me straight back to one of the most enduring of childhood feelings: boredom.
 
 August 5, 2007 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Kyle Smith
 New York Post
 TOP CRITIC
 Installment five boosts his [Harry’s] rebellion to enjoyable levels of British pique.
 
 July 19, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Joshua Rothkopf
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 We do get terrific work from the all-star British cast, and the special effects are as seamless as ever.
 
 July 16, 2007
 
 Richard Roeper
 Ebert & Roeper
 TOP CRITIC
 …slick and briskly-paced…
 
 December 22, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 Clearly serving as an overly dependent middle section of the franchise, this is one of the more forgettable installments.
 
 November 24, 2020 | Rating: 4/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 The fifth Potter picture is one of the lesser entries in the series: way too rushed, and a mite too dour.
 
 November 17, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Leigh Paatsch
 Herald Sun (Australia)
 A worthy sequel, but lacks surprises. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 November 30, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Sergi Sánchez
 Fotogramas
 The film is more than satisfactory for fans of the series, but can’t quite conjure up much else besides stunning visuals. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 November 30, 2019
 
 Juan Luis Caviaro
 Espinof
 Despite lacking charisma, David Yates still manages to convey a dark epic feel to the affair. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 November 30, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Virginia Montes
 Sensacine…

 

Plot
This is the tale of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), an ordinary eleven-year-old boy serving as a sort of slave for his aunt and uncle who learns that he is actually a wizard and has been invited to attend the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is snatched away from his mundane existence by Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), the groundskeeper for Hogwarts, and quickly thrown into a world completely foreign to both him and the viewer. Famous for an incident that happened at his birth, Harry makes friends easily at his new school. He soon finds, however, that the wizarding world is far more dangerous for him than he would have imagined, and he quickly learns that not all wizards are ones to be trusted.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
David-Yates.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Bamako, Mali
 
MPAA / Certificate

 
Year of Release
2006
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Bamako, drama, courtroom drama, Mali, international capitalism, cabaret singer, Mele, Aissa Maiga, peasants, farmers, international banking cabal, Abderrahmane Sissako, directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, written by Abderrahmane Sissako, produced by Abderrahmane Sissako, box office, gross USA, $112.4K, reviewed by Richard Brody, Seattle Times, Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times, MPAA rating, streaming, rent/buy, cast and crew, Djénéba Koné, Maimouna Hélène Diarra, Balla Habib Dembélé, Hamadoun Kassogué, William Bourdon, original language, Bambara, critic reviews, audience score, drama, portrait of everyday Mali life, courtroom drama with a difference, outrage, economic crises, post-colonial economic policies, globalization, attack on globalization, correction to western stereotype of Africa, polemical political film, issue-driven drama, fierce attack on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s role in African poverty
 

Cast & Crew

Aissa Maiga

Mele

Maimouna Hélène Diarra

Saramba

Balla Habib Dembélé

Mele

Saramba

Falaï

La soeur de Chaka

Le journaliste

Aissa Maiga – Mele
Maimouna Hélène Diarra – Saramba
Balla Habib Dembélé – Falaï
Djénéba Koné – La soeur de Chaka
Hamadoun Kassogué – Le journaliste
William Bourdon – Avocat partie civile

 

Abderrahmane Sissako

Abderrahmane Sissako

Abderrahmane Sissako

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Abderrahmane Sissako
 
Writer(s)
Abderrahmane Sissako
 
Producer(s)
Abderrahmane Sissako

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 2 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Richard Brody

Jeff Shannon

Marjorie Baumgarten

Ann Hornaday

Walter V. Addiego

New Yorker

Seattle Times

Austin Chronicle

Washington Post

San Francisco Chronicle

BAMAKO
 All Critics (57) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (9)
 A courtroom drama with a difference.
 
 April 18, 2016
 
 Richard Brody
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 Unlike other recent films about the plight of Africa, Bamako channels its outrage more directly, yet with greater subtlety, by recruiting real-life witnesses to Africa’s economic crises.
 
 August 10, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Jeff Shannon
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Dramatic features born and bred on the African continent are rare commodities on these shores, and the opportunities they offer can stretch far beyond film appreciation and into the realm of world understanding.
 
 June 22, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Marjorie Baumgarten
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 [An] intimate, urgent and wildly imaginative indictment of post-colonial economic policies in Africa.
 
 June 14, 2007
 
 Ann Hornaday
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 Trial movies can be painful, but Bamako is a powerful polemic leavened with moments of beauty and humor.
 
 June 2, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Walter V. Addiego
 San Francisco Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Bamako is an attack on globalization that is endlessly cogent, confrontational — and, best of all, as captivating as it is illuminating.
 
 June 1, 2007
 
 Kevin Thomas
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The work has many strong and honest moments, and striking images. The filmmaker does not idealize anyone, but neither does he indulge in cynicism or despair.
 
 February 14, 2021
 
 David Walsh
 World Socialist Web Site
 Bamako works because it offers a corrective to the – sometimes unintentionally – condescending western stereotype of Africa as an afflicted and pitiable continent.
 
 June 3, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 PJ Nabarro
 Patrick Nabarro
 Bamako Puts Globalization on Trial
 
 August 24, 2009
 
 Rob Nelson
 City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul
 Bamako is an amazing polemical political film like no other.
 
 July 2, 2008 | Rating: A
 
 Dennis Schwartz
 Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
 Issue-driven drama has rarely been so polemic as it is in this fierce attack on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s role in African poverty.
 
 June 13, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Amber Wilkinson
 Eye for Film
 Sissako’s bolt of lightning is how he once again merges spaces: he sets the trial out-of-doors… editing the village’s daily events as if they are all a part of the trial’s fabric.
 
 June 2, 2008
 
 Robert Davis
 Paste Magazine…

 

Plot
Cabaret singer Mele returns home to find her apartment complex transformed into a tribunal putting the institutions of international capitalism on trial in Abderrahmane Sissako’s courtroom drama and portrait of everyday Mali life, Bamako.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Bamako.
 

 
Abderrahmane-Sissako.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Universal
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Fitzgerald, Georgia, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language throughout and some bloody violence
 
Year of Release
2007
 

 
Genre(s)
Biography/Action
 
Keyword(s)
starring Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Laura Linney, Dennis Haysbert, Gary Cole, Bruce Davison, directed by Billy Ray, written by Adam Mazer, William Rotko, Billy Ray, biography, action, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Derek Malcolm, Anthony Quinn, David Gritten, Peter Bradshaw, Wendy Ide, Trevor Johnston, Matt Brunson, David Walsh, Heather Huntington, Nick Rogers, Matthew Pejkovic, PG-13, Universal, produced by Bobby Newmyer, Scott Strauss, Scott Kroopf, espionage, FBI, traitor, spy, true story, investigation, secrets, Russia, tension, thriller, subdued, slow-paced, character study, psychological subtext, melancholy, thoughtful, subdued performances, cat-and-mouse, understated, intriguing, intelligent, FBI’s infamous turncoat, engaging portrayal, masterful performance, tense, compelling, unpredictable antagonist, chillingly effective, charismatic, layered presence
 

Cast & Crew

Chris Cooper

Ryan Phillippe

Laura Linney

Dennis Haysbert

Gary Cole

Robert Hanssen

Eric O’Neill

Kate Burroughs

Dan Plesac

Rich Garces

Chris Cooper – Robert Hanssen
Ryan Phillippe – Eric O’Neill
Laura Linney – Kate Burroughs
Dennis Haysbert – Dan Plesac
Gary Cole – Rich Garces
Bruce Davison – John O’Neill

 

Billy Ray

Adam Mazer

Bobby Newmyer

Scott Strauss

Scott Kroopf

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Billy Ray
 
Writer(s)
Adam Mazer, William Rotko, Billy Ray
 
Producer(s)
Bobby Newmyer, Scott Strauss, Scott Kroopf

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Derek Malcolm

Anthony Quinn

David Gritten

Peter Bradshaw

Wendy Ide

London Evening Standard

Independent (UK)

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Guardian

Times (UK)

BREACH
 All Critics (177) | Top Critics (61) | Fresh (148) | Rotten (29)
 Breach is slow, but never ponderous, and not at all like your average spy thriller. It has less obvious thrills and more depth.
 
 August 31, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Derek Malcolm
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 A sombre game of cat-and-mouse. What it lacks in genuine tension it amply compensates in the understated performances of the two leads.
 
 August 31, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Anthony Quinn
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Intriguing and intelligent, Breach may be too understated for its own good.
 
 August 31, 2007
 
 David Gritten
 Daily Telegraph (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 An interestingly told tale: melancholy, thoughtful, and very un-American.
 
 August 31, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 Despite a couple of tense set pieces, the suspense needed to ignite this film is disappointingly lacking.
 
 August 31, 2007 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Wendy Ide
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Tense, fascinating, worthwhile.
 
 August 31, 2007 | Rating: 4/6
 
 Trevor Johnston
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Cooper works hard to provide any psychological subtext to the story behind the headlines.
 
 February 19, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 Breach sheds no light on any of the potentially fascinating material. … The film prides itself on not being able to explain anything about Hanssen’s activities.
 
 February 14, 2021
 
 David Walsh
 World Socialist Web Site
 February 9, 2011 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Heather Huntington
 ReelzChannel.com
 The pulse of spy films so rarely comes from such meticulously detailed verbal and body-language suspense. Here, every conversation is a possible trap, inquiries feel like interrogations, responses and reactions could be lethal tells.
 
 September 25, 2010 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Nick Rogers
 The Film Yap
 An espionage thriller which focuses on strong character development, performances and setting, Breach could have been a contender had it not been for the ill informed depictions of the characters Catholic faith.
 
 July 6, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Matthew Pejkovic
 Matt’s Movie Reviews
 …a slow-paced character study that benefits substantially from Chris Cooper’s downright astounding performance…
 
 November 7, 2009 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews…

 

Plot
On the cusp of fatherhood, a junior mechanic aboard an interstellar ark to New Earth must outwit a malevolent cosmic terror intent on using the spaceship as a weapon.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Chris Cooper’s performance in Breach is described as “masterful” by Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Billy-Ray.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Mad As Birds G-B A S E Head Gear Films,
 
Distributor
DreamWorks SKG
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
Englefield House, Theale, Reading, Berkshire, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some sexuality
 
Year of Release
2006
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Matthew Goode, Emily Mortimer, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Cox, Penelope Wilton, directed by Woody Allen, written by Woody Allen, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Ansen, Victoria Segal, Nell Minow, Edward Lawrenson, Adam Smith, Marjorie Baumgarten, David Lamble, Leigh Paatsch, Mattie Lucas, Betsy Sherman, Tony Macklin, MPAA rating R, infidelity, tennis instructor, wealthy family, dangerous affair, London, class, Letty Aronson, Dolby SRD, Flat (1.85:1), DreamWorks SKG, original language English, philosophical thriller, suspense, moral drama, dark humor, femme fatale, crime and punishment, luck, love vs lust
 

Cast & Crew

Scarlett Johansson

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers

Emily Mortimer

Matthew Goode

Brian Cox

Nola Rice

Chris Wilton

Chloe Hewett Wilton

Tom Hewett

Alec Hewett

Scarlett Johansson – Nola Rice
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers – Chris Wilton
Emily Mortimer – Chloe Hewett Wilton
Matthew Goode – Tom Hewett
Brian Cox – Alec Hewett
Penelope Wilton – Eleanor Hewett

 

Woody Allen

Woody Allen

Letty Aronson

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Woody Allen
 
Writer(s)
Woody Allen
 
Producer(s)
Letty Aronson

 

Film Festivals
Cannes
 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
12 wins & 32 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

David Ansen

Victoria Segal

Nell Minow

Edward Lawrenson

Adam Smith

Newsweek

New Statesman

Movie Mom

Sight & Sound

Empire Magazine

MATCH POINT
 All Critics (216) | Top Critics (62) | Fresh (166) | Rotten (50)
 The change of locale from New York to London has done Woody Allen a world of good. As has oft been said, Match Point is his best movie since … fill in the blank.
 
 March 13, 2018
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 His first film set in London, it boasts a young, pretty, something-for-everyone cast. As enter-tainment, however, it just slams limply into the net every time.
 
 September 26, 2017
 
 Victoria Segal
 New Statesman
 TOP CRITIC
 February 18, 2012 | Rating: C
 
 Nell Minow
 Movie Mom
 TOP CRITIC
 The plotting lacks a necessary sense of tragic propulsion; it feels dutifully schematic, its ironies polite and tidy when they should be bitter and merciless.
 
 September 28, 2006
 
 Edward Lawrenson
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 Woodyâ(TM)s best for ages. Even for non-Allen fans this has all the appeal of a good story well told and capped with a deliciously vicious little twist.
 
 April 1, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Adam Smith
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 With Match Point, Woody Allen has made a perfectly nice little film — one that, despite lacking originality, is fresh in the sense that it was filmed in England, far from his beloved Manhattan,
 
 January 22, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
 Marjorie Baumgarten
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 A glorious ride, with touches of Hitchcock, Patricia Highsmith and Woody Allen sprinkled through a film whose panoramic views of contemporary London are the next-best thing to a budget-weekend escape flight.
 
 May 7, 2020
 
 David Lamble
 Bay Area Reporter
 A mesmerising mix of moral drama and dark humour, with a shock ending to die for.
 
 May 5, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Leigh Paatsch
 Herald Sun (Australia)
 A finely tuned comeback worth celebrating.
 
 June 5, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
 Woody Allen’s freshest and most potent film in years manages to be much more than an erotic thriller.
 
 August 9, 2017
 
 Betsy Sherman
 Arts Fuse
 …one of the venerable writer/director’s more accomplished efforts in this new century.
 
 April 7, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 But, perhaps, the greatest parallel between Woody’s Match Point and Hitch is duality. It’s a brilliant device.
 
 September 14, 2013 | Rating: 4.0/5
 
 Tony Macklin
 tonymacklin.net…

 

Plot
From a humble background and with traditional values, Irish Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is still struggling financially despite being a recently retired high ranked tennis pro. He has taken a job as a tennis instructor at an upscale London tennis club, although he knows there is a better life for him somewhere down the road. He is befriended by one of his students, wealthy Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode). Chris starts to date Tom’s sister, Chloe Hewett (Emily Mortimer), a girl-next-door type who is immediately attracted to Chris. Chloe quickly knows she wants to marry Chris, and through her businessman father, Alec Hewett (Brian Cox), tries to help Chris and their future by getting him an executive job in Alec’s company. In his life with the Hewetts, Chris begins to enjoy the finer things in life. Through it all however, Chris cannot help thinking about Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson), a struggling American actress who he meets at the Hewett estate and who is Tom’s unofficial fiancée. Nola is vivacious, and she knows the effect she has on men, including Chris. Unlike Chris, Nola is not accepted by Tom and Chloe’s mother, the outspoken Eleanor Hewett (Dame Penelope Wilton). Chris has to decide if he can give up what he has been able to achieve with Chloe and the Hewetts, or if the passion he feels for Nola is stronger than the finer things in life to which he is now accustomed. He may go to any length to have his cake and eat it too.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Scarlett Johansson delivers an electrifying performance as the femme fatale, Nola Rice.
 

 
Woody-Allen.jpg