When asked in an interview whether he ever intended to return to his Motherland, Joseph Brodsky replied: “Such a journey could only take place anonymously...”. The creators of this film imagined that the journey in question was undertaken after all, selecting the genre of an ironic fairytale. The poet sails to the country of his childhood, and with him we traverse not only geographical expanses, but travel through time as well; stringing together a number of facts from the Nobel Prize Laureate's biography, we return to the USSR of the 50s and early 60s, soaking up the atmosphere of the “European” city of Petersburg, to this day Russia's cultural center. Along with live-action sequences, the film features animation, as well as documentary footage concerning Brodsky and his milieu.
– World premiere at Rotterdam IFF, 2009 (program “Spectrum”);
– Grand-Prix and Prize of the Russian Guild of Film Critics “White Elephant” at the IFF “Zerkalo”, 2009;
– Main East of the West Award at the IFF in Karlovy Vary, 2009.
Cast: Grigoriy Dityatkovskiy, Alisa Freyndlih, Sergei Yursky, Artem Smola, Evgeniy Ogandzhanyan
Directed by: Andrei Khrzhanovsky
Script: Yuri Arabov, Andrei Khrzhanovsky
Producer: Andrei Khrzhanovsky, Artem Vassiliev
Bolt, an American White Shepherd, has lived his whole life on the set of his action TV show, where he believes he has superpowers. When separated from the studio by accident, he meets a female alley cat named Mittens and a hamster named Rhino. Along the way, he learns that he doesn't have superpowers and that the show is not real.
In 1966 – British pop music’s finest era – the BBC played just 2 hours of rock and roll every week. But pirate radio played rock and pop from the high seas 24 hours a day. And 25 million people – over half the population of Britain – listened to the pirates every single day.
Recently expelled from school, Carl (Tom Sturridge) has been sent by his jet-set mother to find some direction in life by visiting his godfather Quentin (Bill Nighy). However, Quentin is the boss of Radio Rock, a pirate radio station in the middle of the North Sea, populated by an eclectic crew of rock ‘n’ roll DJ’s. They are led by The Count (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), big, brash, American, a god of the airwaves, and totally in love with the music. He’s faithfully backed up by his co-broadcasters Dave (Nick Frost) – ironic, intelligent and cruelly funny; Simon (Chris O’Dowd), super-nice and searching for true love; Midnight Mark (Tom Wisdom), enigmatic, handsome and possessing an almost uncanny ability to have sex with anything remotely resembling a woman; Wee Small Hours Bob, a hairy late night DJ, whose hobbies are folk music and drugs; Thick Kevin (Tom Brooke), possessor of the smallest intelligence known to mankind; On The Hour John, the newsreader and Angus ‘The Nut’ Nutsford, who may be the most annoying man in Britain. They set about helping Carl on his quest to find himself by, well, mostly trying to find him someone to have sex with.
Life on the North Sea is eventful. Simon finds the woman of his dreams and is married on the boat…only to be left by his bride 11 hours later. Greatest DJ in Britain, Gavin (Rhys Ifans) returns from his drug tour of America to his rightful position as greatest DJ in Britain – and clashes with the Count: A confrontation that ends in a dramatic and dangerous battle of nerve. And Carl discovers that his real father is one of the DJs. Tragically for him, it’s Wee Small Hours Bob, together with his beard.
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost and Kenneth Branagh
Directed by: Richard Curtis
Harry Caine, a blind writer, reaches this moment in time when he has to heal his wounds from 14 years back. He was then still known by his real name, Mateo Blanco, and directing his last movie.
After LIVE FLESH, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, and VOLVER, director Pedro Almodóvar and his muse Penélope Cruz unite for a fourth time with this drama. Here, Almodóvar delves into noir style to tell a tale...
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Lluís Homar, Blanca Portillo, José Luis Gómez, Tamar Novas, Rubén Ochandiano
Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar
Script: Pedro Almodóvar
Producer: Agustín Almodóvar, Esther García
Los Angeles, 1928. On a Saturday morning in a working-class suburb, Christine said goodbye to her son, Walter, and left for work. When she came home, she discovered he had vanished. A fruitless search ensues, and months later, a boy claiming to be the nine-year-old is returned. Dazed by the swirl of cops, reporters and her conflicted emotions, Christine allows him to stay overnight. But in her heart, she knows he is not Walter.
As she pushes authorities to keep looking, she learns that in Prohibition-era L.A., women don't challenge the system and live to tell their story. Slandered as delusional and unfit, Christine finds an ally in activist Reverend Briegleb (Malkovich), who helps her fight the city to look for her missing boy. Based on the actual incident that rocked California's legal system, "Changeling" tells the shocking tale of a mother's quest to find her son, and those who won't stop until they silence her.
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Jeffrey Donovan, Colm Feore, John Malkovich, Amy Ryan, Michael Kelly
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
"Disney's A Christmas Carol," a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event. Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late.
Movie is available in 3D.
Cast: Jim Carrey, John Cleese, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, William H. Macy, Cary Elwes, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
The year is 1941 and the Jews of Eastern Europe are being massacred by the thousands. Managing to escape certain death, three brothers take refuge in the dense surrounding woods they have known since childhood. There they begin their desperate battle against the Nazis. Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell star as brothers who turn a primitive struggle to survive into something far more consequential – a way to avenge the deaths of their loved ones by saving thousands of others.
At first it is all they can do to stay alive. But gradually, as whispers of their daring spreads, they begin to attract others – men and women, young and old – willing to risk everything for the sake of even a moment’s freedom. Tuvia (CRAIG) is a reluctant leader and his decisions are challenged by his brother, Zus (SCHREIBER) who worries that Tuvia’s idealistic plans will doom them all. Asael (BELL) is the youngest – caught between his brothers’ fierce rivalry. As a brutal winter descends, they work to create a community, and to keep faith alive when all humanity appeared to be lost.
Cast: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos
Directed by Edward Zwick
Script: Clayton Frohman, Edward Zwick
Carambola is a story about El Vago, a player, who wins billiard salone in one game. He is professional cheater. The problem starts, when one businessman comes back, who is responsible about the deal and finds out, that he is a cocaine seller and thief. So that he can continue to work, El Vago organize Carambola tourney. Contingency at the final game, he needs to play with champions.
Cast: Laura Hidalgo, Diego Luna, Daniel Martinez, Jesus Ochoa, Roberto Cobos
Directed by Kurt Hollander
Scriptwriter: Kurt Hollander
Producer: Horhe Garsija
In summer 1977, the televised David Frost/Richard Nixon interviews attracted the largest audience for a news program in the history of American TV. More than 45 million viewers—hungry for a glimpse into the mind of their disgraced former commander-in-chief and anxious for him to acknowledge the abuses of power that led to his resignation—sat transfixed as Nixon and Frost sparred in a riveting verbal boxing match over the course of four evenings. Two men with everything to prove knew only one could come out a winner. Their legendary confrontation would revolutionize the art of the confessional interview, change the face of politics and capture an admission from the former president that startled people all over the world…possibly even including Nixon himself.
Starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Matthew Macfadyen, Rebecca Hall
Directed by: Ron Howard
Walt Kowalski has just lost his wife and his children want him to move out of the old neighborhood and move into a senior citizens' home. Walt doesn't want to move even though more Asian people live in his Detroit neighborhood than Americans. Walt has a problem with Asians ever since he fought them in the Korean War. This prejudice explodes when Thao, the teenage son of the Hmong family next door, tries to steal his mint condition 1972 Grand Torino car. Thao was pressured by an Asian gang to steal the car as an initiation rite. To regain the family's honor, Thao is forced to work for Walt. Walt begins to protect Thao from the gangs and soon he becomes a target.
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Hughes, John Carroll Ly
Director: Clint Eastwood
Once upon a time, Buck Howard (John Malkovich) spent his days in the limelight. His mind-boggling feats as a mentalist extraordinaire – not to be confused with those of a mere magician - earned him a marquee act in Vegas and 61 appearances on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. In his own humble opinion, his talents go far beyond simple sleight of hand – he can read minds and hypnotize not just a single soul but an entire room of people! But nowadays, it’s clear to everyone but Buck that his act has lost its luster; he performs in faded community centers and hasn’t sold out a theater in years. Yet, with a hearty handshake and a trademark “I love this town!,” Buck Howard perseveres, confident in his own celebrity, convinced his comeback is imminent. He just needs a new road manager and personal assistant. As it turns out, recent law school dropout and unemployed, would-be writer Troy Gable (Colin Hanks) needs a job and a purpose. Working for the pompous, has-been mentalist fills the former requirement, but how it satisfies the latter is questionable, especially to his father (Tom Hanks), who still assumes Troy is in law school. Nonetheless, with the aid of a fiery publicist (Emily Blunt) and a bold stroke of fate, Buck surprisingly lands back into the American consciousness, taking Troy along for the ride of his life.
As the coveted spotlight again shines on the great Buck Howard, Buck becomes the unlikeliest of teachers as Troy learns a few tricks he couldn’t possibly have picked up in law school.
Cast: John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt, Tom Hanks, Steve Zahn
Directed by Sean McGinly
Script: Sean McGinly
Producer: Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman
An intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge, by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. James behaves as if he's indifferent to death. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James' true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Script: Mark Boal
Producer: Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier, Greg Shapiro