December 2009 Movies

With Patrick Warburton • Bijou Phillips • Sam Levine • George Segal • Danny Masterson • Christopher Masterson • Eric Lord

The independently financed comedy stars Christopher Masterson as a man who, three months into a sexless marriage, cracks and has a one-night stand. He decides the only just way to rectify his mistake is to get his wife (Phillips) to cheat on him. With the help of his best friend (Levine), he sets out to find the right man (Warburton) to bed the missus. Danny Masterson will play an attorney waiting to handle what he figures is a sure-fire divorce.

With Jake Gyllenhaal • Natalie Portman • Bailee Madison • Tobey Maguire • Michael De Luca • Ryan Kavanaugh • Mare Winningham • Joni Sighvatsson • David Benioff • Sam Shepard • Clifton Collins • Jim Sheridan • Tucker Tooley • Taylor Geare

When a decorated Marine goes missing overseas, his black-sheep younger brother cares for his wife and children at home—with consequences that will shake the foundation of the entire family.

“Brothers” tells the powerful story of two siblings, thirty-something Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) and younger brother Tommy Cahill (Jake Gyllenhaal), who are polar opposites. A Marine about to embark on his fourth tour of duty, Sam is a steadfast family man married to his high school sweetheart, the aptly named Grace (Natalie Portman), with whom he has two young daughters (Bailee Madison, Taylor Grace Geare). Tommy, his charismatic younger brother, is a drifter just out of jail who’s always gotten by on wit and charm. He slides easily into his role as family provocateur on his first night out of prison, at Sam’s farewell dinner with their parents, Elsie (Mare Winningham) and Hank Cahill (Sam Shepard), a retired Marine.

Shipped out to Afghanistan, Sam is presumed dead when his Black Hawk helicopter is shot down in the mountains. At home in suburbia, the Cahill family suddenly faces a shocking void, and Tommy tries to fill in for his brother by assuming newfound responsibility for himself, Grace, and the children.

But Sam is not dead; he and a fellow soldier have been captured by Taliban fighters. In Afghanistan’s harsh, remote Pamir Mountains, Sam is subjected to traumas that threaten to rob him of his very humanity. At the same time that Sam’s sense of self is being destroyed overseas, Tommy’s self-image is strengthening at home. And in the grief and strangeness of their new lives, Grace and Tommy are naturally drawn together. Their longstanding frostiness dissolves, but both are ashamed of the mutual attraction that has replaced it.

When Sam unexpectedly returns to the States, a nervous mood settles over the family. Sam, uncharacteristically withdrawn and volatile, grows suspicious of his brother and his wife. Their familiar roles now nearly reversed, Sam and Tommy end up facing the ultimate physical and mental challenge when they confront each other. In the shifting family dynamics, who will dominate? And how will the brothers come to terms with issues of love, loyalty, and manhood—and with the woman caught between them?

With Laurence Fishburne • Matt Dillon • Sam Raimi • Columbus Short • Jean Reno • Fred Ward • Dan Farah • Skeet Ulrich • Nimrod Antal • Josh Donen • James V. Simpson • Chris Lemos • Luis Guerrero

A crew of officers at an armored transport security firm risk their lives when they embark on the ultimate heist….against their own company. Armed with a seemingly fool-proof plan, the men plan on making off with a fortune with harm to none. But when an unexpected witness interferes, the plan quickly unravels and all bets are off.

With Robert De Niro • Sam Rockwell • Drew Barrymore • Kate Beckinsale • Vittorio Cecchi Gori • Melissa Leo • Katherine Moennig • Kirk Jones • Gianni Nunnari • Glynis Murray

Robert De Niro plays a widower who realizes his only connection to his children was through his deceased wife. So, he decides to take a trip to reconnect with his kids, and discovers they are living far from perfect lives.

With George Clooney • Anna Kendrick • Jason Reitman • Vera Farmiga • Joe Medjuck • Ted Griffin • Ivan Reitman • Michael Beugg • Tom Pollock • Jeff Clifford • Daniel Dubiecki

From Jason Reitman, the Oscar® nominated director of "Juno," comes a comedy called "Up in the Air" starring Oscar winner George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.

With James DeBello • Tony Denman • Jennifer Lyons • Paul Kim • David Hillenbrand • Scott Hillenbrand • Patrick Cavanaugh

Located deep in the heart of the "cursed land" of Transylvania in a centuries-old castle, Razvan University isn't your typical institution of higher learning -- and the black leather-clad professors, three-foot-tall dean, instruction in crucifix-wielding, and topless vampiresses lurking in dark corners are just the start.

With Nicolas Cage • Eva Mendes • Val Kilmer • Danny Dimbort • Avi Lerner • Jennifer Coolidge • Xzibit • Shawn Hatosy • Werner Herzog • Fairuza Balk • Trevor Short • Edward R. Pressman • Stephen Belafonte • Alan Polsky • Gabriel Polsky • Boaz Davidson • William Finkelstein • Elliot Lewis Rosenblatt

In Werner Herzog's new film "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans," Nicolas Cage plays a rogue detective who is as devoted to his job as he is at scoring drugs -- while playing fast and loose with the law. He wields his badge as often as he wields his gun in order to get his way. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina he becomes a high-functioning addict who is a deeply intuitive, fearless detective reigning over the beautiful ruins of New Orleans with authority and abandon. Complicating his tumultuous life is the prostitute he loves (played by Eva Mendes). Together they descend into their own world marked by desire, compulsion, and conscience. The result is a singular masterpiece of filmmaking: equally sad and manically humorous.

With Amitabh Bachchan • R. Balki • Abhishek Bachchan

A politician's relationship with his unusually developed son - the child suffers from a disease that causes him to age rapidly, rendering him an old man.

With Turk Pipkin

Filmed in 20 countries, the documentary explores the insights of Nobel Laureates and others about improving the world.

With Justin Long • Kristen Bell • Cheryl Hines • Meg Ryan • Andy Ostroy • Timothy Hutton • Michael Roiff • Adrienne Shelly

A high-powered attorney duct tapes her adulterous husband to the toilet right before their home is invaded by burglars.

A documentary chronicling the history, ideology and aesthetic of Norwegian black metal.

With John Goodman • John Lasseter • Ron Clements • Keith David • Jenifer Lewis • Oprah Winfrey • Jim Cummings • John Musker • Jason Oremland • Rob Edwards • Anika Noni Rose • Peter Del Vecho • Greg Erb • Craig Sost

When the free-spirited, jazz-loving Prince Naveen of Maldonia comes to town a deal with a shady voodoo doctor goes bad and the once suave royal is turned into a frog. In a desperate attempt to be human again, a favor in exchange for a fateful kiss on the lips from the beautiful girl, Tiana, takes an unexpected turn and leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana to the banks of the almighty Mississippi and back in time for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. An unforgettable tale filled with music, humor and heart where two frogs—along with the help of a 200-year-old voodoo priestess, a love-sick Cajun firefly, and a trumpet-playing alligator—discover that what they want isn’t as important as what they need

With Matt Damon • Morgan Freeman • Clint Eastwood • Anthony Peckham • Robert Hobbs • Roger Birnbaum • Lori McCreary • Tim Moore • Gary Barber • Mace Neufeld • Langley Kirkwood • Tony Kgoroge

The film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

With Sam Elliott • Hugh Grant • Mary Steenburgen • Sarah Jessica Parker • Michael Kelly • Liz Glotzer • Marc Lawrence • Martin Shafer • Melissa Wells • Elisabeth Moss

The comedy "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" follows a highly successful Manhattan couple, Meryl and Paul Morgan (Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant), whose almost-perfect lives have only one notable failure – their dissolving marriage. But the turmoil of their romantic lives is nothing compared to what they are about to experience: they witness a murder and become targets of a contract killer. The Feds, protecting their witnesses, whisk away the Morgans from their beloved New York to a tiny town in Wyoming, and a relationship that was on the rocks threatens to end completely in the Rockies... unless, in their new BlackBerry-free lives, the Morgans can slow down the pace and rekindle the passion.

With Julianne Moore • Colin Firth • Matthew Goode • Tom Ford • David Scearce

The story is about a gay man (Colin Firth), who tries to go about his normal routines after the death of his partner. Matthew Goode will play Firth's former boyfriend, and Julianne Moore will be his friend.

With Erik Stolhanske • Michael Clarke Duncan • Jay Chandrasekhar • Paul Soter • Kevin Heffernan • Steve Lemme • Richard Perello • Julia Dray • Peter E. Lengyel

In the latest comedy from Broken Lizard, (the creators of Supertroopers and Beerfest) "Slammin" Cleon Salmon (Michael Clarke Duncan) is a former Heavyweight Champion of the World turned celebrity owner of a high end Miami seafood restaurant, "The Slammin' Salmon".

A terrifying bull of a man, Salmon uses fear to rule over his misfit waitstaff (Broken Lizard's Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske, as well as Cobie Smulders and April Bowlby) and on this particular night, he takes his bullying skills to a new level. In an effort to pay off a gambling debt to the Japanese Yakuza, Salmon sets up a contest to 'inspire' his waitstaff to sell more food than they ever have before: the top selling server wins $10,000 while the waiter in last place gets served with a broken rib sandwich-courtesy of the Champ himself.

Spurred on by greed and panic, the staff resort to backstabbing, bribery and indecent proposals in an attempt to upsell their patrons while simultaneously sabotaging their co-workers. As the hours pass, the dining room action becomes more frenzied as the contest escalates into a brawl for first place in order to win the money.

With Shimit Amin • Jaideep Sahni • Ranbir Kapoor

Harpreet Singh Bedi is a fresh graduate trying to find a balance between the maddening demands of the 'professional' way, and the way of his heart.

With Russell Crowe • Laura Dern • Fisher Stevens • Howard Meltzer • John Polson • Jon Foster • Sophie Traub • John Penotti • Tim Williams • Emil Stern

The film follows a violent teenager, Eric, whose life intertwines with Lori, a 16-year-old runaway who can't resist his charm. Crowe will play Lieutenant Cristofuoro, a cop who sets out to unravel Eric's complex past.

With Lawrence Jordan

Live concert footage of the Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper and Relentless7 and Gogol Bordello, shot at the three-day Austin City Limits festival in October 2009.

With Mark Wahlberg • Stanley Tucci • Steven Spielberg • Saoirse Ronan • Susan Sarandon • Rachel Weisz • Peter Jackson • Tessa Ross • Michael Imperioli • Philippa Boyens • Ken Kamins • Jim Wilson. • Aimee Peyronnet • Jan Blenkin • Caro Cunningham • Fran Walsh

"The Lovely Bones" centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family – and her killer – from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. Oscar® nominee Mark Wahlberg and Oscar® winners Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon star along with Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli and Oscar® nominee Saoirse Ronan.

With Willem Dafoe • Michael Peña • Michael Shannon • Bill Cobbs • Werner Herzog • Brad Dourif • David Lynch • Chloë Sevigny • Eric Bassett • Norm Hill • Herbert Golder

A man acts out a play in his mind and kills his mother.

With Penelope Cruz • Pedro Almodovar • Blanca Portilla • Angela Molina • Kiti Manver • Chus Lampreave

"Broken Embraces" is a four-way tale of amour-fou, shot in the style of '50s American film noir at its most hard-boiled, and will mix references to works like Nicholas Ray's "In a Lonely Place" and Vincente Minnelli's "The Bad and the Beautiful," with signature Almodóvar themes such as Fate, the mystery of creation, guilt, unscrupulous power, the eternal search of fathers for sons, and sons for fathers.

With Robert Duvall • Scott Cooper • Jeff Bridges • Maggie Gyllenhaal • Paul Hermann • Brian Gleason • Ryan Bingham • Judy Cairo • Rick Dial • Robert Carliner • T Bone Burnett • Michael A. Simpson • Eric Brenner • Jeff Yapp

Jeff Bridges stars as the richly comic, semi-tragic romantic anti-hero Bad Blake in the debut feature film "Crazy Heart" from writer-director Scott Cooper. Bad Blake is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who's had way too many marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times. And yet, Bad can’t help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician. As he struggles down the road of redemption, Bad learns the hard way just how tough life can be on one man’s crazy heart.

With Stephane Aubier • Vincent Patar • Veronique Dumont • Bouli Lanners

During one of their adventures, Cowboy, Indian and Horse discover a strange and fascinating underwater world. While there, a conflict with the habitants is solved with the physical and geographical distribution of the two worlds.

With Francois Ozon

When Katie, an ordinary woman, meets Paco, an ordinary man, something magical happens: a love story. From this union an extraordinary child is born: Ricky.

With James Cameron • Michelle Rodriguez • Sam Worthington • Sigourney Weaver • Zoe Saldana • Giovanni Ribisi • Stephen Lang • Jon Landau • Wes Studi • C.C.H. Pounder • Matt Gerald

In the epic action adventure fantasy "Avatar", James Cameron, the director of "Titanic", takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination. On the distant moon Pandora, a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption, discovery and unexpected love - as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization.

The story’s protagonist, Jake Sully, is an ex-Marine who was wounded and paralyzed from the waist down in combat on Earth. In order to participate in the Avatar program, which will give him a healthy body, Jake agrees to travel to Pandora, a lush rainforest environment filled with incredible life forms – some beautiful, many terrifying. Pandora is also the home to the Na’vi, a humanoid race that lives at what we consider to be a primate level, but they are actually much more evolved than humans. Ten feet tall and blue skinned, the Na’vi live harmoniously within their unspoiled world. But as humans encroach on Pandora in search of valuable minerals, the Na’vi’s very existence is threatened – and their warrior abilities unleashed.

Jake has unwittingly been recruited to become part of this encroachment. Since humans are unable to breathe the air on Pandora, they have created genetically-bred human-Na’vi hybrids known as Avatars. The Avatars are living, breathing bodies in the real world, controlled by a human driver through a technology that links the driver’s mind to the Avatar body. On Pandora, through his Avatar body, Jake can be whole once again. Moreover, he falls in love with a young Na’vi woman, Neytiri, whose beauty is matched by her ferocity in battle.

As Jake slides deeper into becoming one of her clan, he finds himself caught between the military-industrial forces of Earth, and the Na’vi – forcing him to choose sides in an epic battle that will decide the fate of an entire world.

Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, "Avatar" breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the moviegoing experience.

With Emily Blunt • Thomas Kretschmann • Jim Broadbent • Paul Bettany • Mark Strong • Julian Fellowes • Martin Scorsese • Rupert Friend • Jean-Marc Vallee • Jesper Christensen • Graham King • Tim Headington • Sarah Ferguson

"The Young Victoria" chronicles Queen Victoria's ascension to the throne, focusing on the early turbulent years of her reign and her legendary romance and marriage to Prince Albert.

With Udo Kier • David Carradine • Dominique Swain • Jon Keeyes • Mehmet Gunsur • R. Keith Harris

Police are on the trail of a serial killer – following clues that are as barbaric as they are "artistic". They have called the criminal the "Picasso Killer": death is his inspiration, the carved bodies of his victims are his works of art.

With Kevin Costner • Ivana Baquero • Luiso Berdejo • John Travis

Kevin Costner plays John James, a single father who moves to a farm with his two kids after a painful divorce. Soon, his daughter (Ivana Baquero of "Pan's Labyrinth") starts behaving ominously, and Dad begins to suspect that the burial mound in a nearby field might have something to do with it.

With Nicole Kidman • Kate Hudson • Penelope Cruz • Daniel Day-Lewis • Catherine Zeta-Jones • Anthony Minghella • Judi Dench • Marion Cottilard • Sophia Loren • Fergie • Rob Marshall • Michael Tolkin • John DeLuca • Maury Yeston • Arthur Kopit

"Nine," based on the Tony Award Winning Broadway musical and inspired by Fellini's classic film "8 1/2," stars Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis ("There Will be Blood") as world famous film director Guido Contini as he prepares his latest picture and balances the numerous women in his life. Contini's wife "Luisa Contini" is played by Cotillard, his sultry mistress "Carla" by Cruz, Kidman stars as his film star muse "Claudia Graham," Judi Dench plays the role of "Lily" - his confidant and costume designer, Sophia Loren is his mother or "Mamma" and Hudson plays "Stephanie" the young American fashion journalist.

With George Clooney • Anna Kendrick • Jason Reitman • Vera Farmiga • Joe Medjuck • Ted Griffin • Ivan Reitman • Michael Beugg • Tom Pollock • Jeff Clifford • Daniel Dubiecki

From Jason Reitman, the Oscar® nominated director of "Juno," comes a comedy called "Up in the Air" starring Oscar winner George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.

With Justin Long • Amy Poehler • Anna Faris • Jason Lee • Cameron Richardson • David Cross • Christina Applegate • Zachary Levi • Karen Rosenfelt • Matthew Gray Gubler • Janice Karman • Jesse McCartney • Wendie Malick • Betty Thomas • Ross Bagdasarian • Jonathan Aibel • Glenn Berger

In the "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel", pop sensations Alvin, Simon and Theodore end up in the care of Dave Seville’s twenty-something nephew Toby (Zachary Levi). The boys must put aside music superstardom to return to school, and are tasked with saving the school’s music program by winning the $25,000 prize in a battle of the bands. But the Chipmunks unexpectedly meet their match in three singing chipmunks known as "The Chipettes" – Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette. Romantic and musical sparks are ignited when the Chipmunks and Chipettes square off.

With Nicole Kidman • Kate Hudson • Penelope Cruz • Daniel Day-Lewis • Catherine Zeta-Jones • Anthony Minghella • Judi Dench • Marion Cottilard • Sophia Loren • Fergie • Rob Marshall • Michael Tolkin • John DeLuca • Maury Yeston • Arthur Kopit

"Nine," based on the Tony Award Winning Broadway musical and inspired by Fellini's classic film "8 1/2," stars Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis ("There Will be Blood") as world famous film director Guido Contini as he prepares his latest picture and balances the numerous women in his life. Contini's wife "Luisa Contini" is played by Cotillard, his sultry mistress "Carla" by Cruz, Kidman stars as his film star muse "Claudia Graham," Judi Dench plays the role of "Lily" - his confidant and costume designer, Sophia Loren is his mother or "Mamma" and Hudson plays "Stephanie" the young American fashion journalist.

With Robert Downey Jr. • Guy Ritchie • Rachel McAdams • Jude Law • Mark Strong • Dan Lin • Anthony Peckham • Lionel Wigram • Kelly Reilly • Guy Richie

In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous characters, "Sherlock Holmes" sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

With John Krasinski • Alec Baldwin • Meryl Streep • Lake Bell • Scott Rudin • Zoe Kazan • Nancy Meyers • Steve Martin • Hunter Parrish • Ilona Herzberg • Suzanne Farwell

Jane (Streep) is the mother of three grown kids, owns a thriving Santa Barbara bakery/restaurant and has—after a decade of divorce—an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake (Baldwin). But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, things start to get complicated. An innocent meal together turns into the unimaginable—an affair. With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness (Lake Bell), Jane is now, of all things, the other woman.

Caught in the middle of their renewed romance is Adam (Martin), an architect hired to remodel Jane’s kitchen. Healing from a divorce of his own, Adam starts to fall for Jane, but soon realizes he’s become part of a love triangle.

Should Jane and Jake move on with their lives, or is love truly lovelier the second time around? It’s…complicated.

With Andrew Garfield • Johnny Depp • Jude Law • Colin Farrell • Tom Waits • Christopher Plummer • Heath Ledger • Lily Cole • Samuel Hadida • Terry Gilliam • Verne Troyer • William Vince • Amy Gilliam • Charles McKeown

Dr. Parnassus has the gift of guiding the imaginations of others. With his traveling theater troupe, Parnassus offers audience members the chance to transcend reality by passing through a magical mirror.

With Mark Wahlberg • Stanley Tucci • Steven Spielberg • Saoirse Ronan • Susan Sarandon • Rachel Weisz • Peter Jackson • Tessa Ross • Michael Imperioli • Philippa Boyens • Ken Kamins • Jim Wilson. • Aimee Peyronnet • Jan Blenkin • Caro Cunningham • Fran Walsh

"The Lovely Bones" centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family – and her killer – from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. Oscar® nominee Mark Wahlberg and Oscar® winners Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon star along with Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli and Oscar® nominee Saoirse Ronan.

With Margaret Menegoz • Ulrich Tukur • Michael Haneke • Veit Heiduschka • Susanne Lothar • Theo Trebs • Michael Schenk • Stefan Arndt • Michael Katz

Strange events happen at a rural school in the north of Germany during the year 1913, which seem to be ritual punishment.