Drama Movies 2004 List

With Mex Urtizberea • Carmen Maura • Julieta Cardinali • Jean Pierre Noher • Rodrigo Noya • Juan Cruz Bordeu • Carlos Roffé

"Valentin" is a coming of age story told through the eyes of a precocious 10-year old boy who lives with his grandmother in turbulent 1969 Argentina. Estranged from his eccentric parents, young Valentin yearns for a real family and dreams about being an astronaut. He befriends a recluse neighbor, forms an unlikely friendship with one of his father's many ex-girlfriends and sets out to discover the harsh realities about his parents, all the while bringing joy and wisdom into the lives of the adults around him.

With Akira Takarada • Momoko Kochi • Seijiro Onda • Toyoaki Suzuki • Tadashi Okabe • Akihiko Hirata • Takashi Shimura • Fuyuki Murakami • Sachio Sakai • Toranosuke Ogawa • Ren Yamamoto • Miki Hayashi • Takeo Oikawa • Kokuten Kodo • Kin Sugai • Ishirô Honda • Takeo Murata

A 400-foot monster reptile with radioactive breath is revived, thanks to nuclear testing. It goes on a mad rampage, destroying Tokyo - how will they kill it?

With Antoine Fuqua • Keira Knightley • Mads Mikkelsen • Joel Edgerton • Stellan Skarsgard • Jerry Bruckheimer • Clive Owen • Ray Stevenson • Hugh Dancy • Stephen Dillane • Ray Winstone • Valeria Cavalli • Til Schweiger • Ken Stott • Charlie Creed-Miles • Sean Gilder • Pat Kinevane • Ivano Marescotti • David H. Frazoni

The Jerry Bruckheimer project is described as a more realistic representation of King Arthur (Clive Owen) and the Knights of the Round Table. Unlike other movies based on the medieval legend, such as the fantastical "Excalibur", this story will look at the historical significance of King Arthur's powerful role as a politician following the collapse of the Roman Empire.

With Brad Pitt • Eric Bana • Sean Bean • Diane Kruger • Rose Byrne • Brian Cox • Brendan Gleeson • Wolfgang Petersen • Julie Christie • Diana Rathbun • Garrett Hedlund • David Benioff • Colin Wilson • Saffron Burrows • Peter O'Toole

Throughout time, men have waged war. Some for power, some for glory, some for honor — and some for love. In ancient Greece, the passion of two of history's most legendary lovers, Paris, Prince of Troy (Orlando Bloom) and Helen (Diane Kruger), Queen of Sparta, ignites a war that will devastate a civilization. When Paris steals Helen away from her husband, King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), it is an insult that cannot be suffered. Familial pride dictates that an affront to Menelaus is an affront to his brother Agamemnon (Brian Cox), powerful King of the Myceneans, who soon unites all the massive tribes of Greece to steal Helen back from Troy in defense of his brother's honor. In truth, Agamemnon's pursuit of honor is corrupted by his overwhelming greed — he needs control of Troy to ensure the supremacy of his already vast empire. The walled city, under the leadership of King Prium (Peter O'Toole) and defended by mighty Prince Hector (Eric Bana), is a citadel that no army has been able to breach. One man alone stands as the key to victory or defeat over Troy — Achilles (Brad Pitt), believed to be the greatest warrior alive. Arrogant, rebellious and seemingly invincible, Achilles has no allegiance to anyone or anything, save his own glory. It is his insatiable hunger for eternal renown that leads him to attack the gates of Troy under Agamemnon's banner — but it will be love that ultimately decides his fate. Two worlds will go to war for honor and power. Thousands will fall in pursuit of glory. And for love, a nation will burn to the ground.

With Cate Blanchett • Steve Buscemi • Tom Waits • Bill Murray • Alfred Molina • Steve Coogan • Cinqué Lee • Jim Jarmusch • Iggy Pop • Joie Lee • Vinny Vella Jr. • Isaach de Bankolé • RZA • Roberto Benigni • Steven Wright • Joe Rigano • Vinny Vella • Renée French • Alex Descas • Meg White • Jack White • GZA • Bill Rice • Taylor Mead

Jim Jarmusch's ensemble comedy is a series of vignettes, all revolving around discussions held over coffee and cigarettes. Starring a diverse cast, including Bill Murray, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits, Cate Blanchett, and others, the film has been in production since the 1980s and is in black and white. Topics of conversation include Nicola Tesla, alternative medicine, Paris, the movie industry, and more.

With Guy Pearce • Shawnee Smith • John Hawkes • Sara Rue • Veronica Cartwright • Irma P. Hall • Lili Taylor • Jamie Dickerson • Tom Bower • Toni Kalem • Richard Raddon

Based on the novel by Anne Tyler, "A Slipping Down Life" is the story of the peculiar courtship of an awkward young woman and a charismatic singer/songwriter, and the profound effect that their unlikely relationship has on eachother's lives and futures. Evie Decker (Lili Taylor) is a painfully timid young woman whose monotonous life consists of living with her reclusive widower father (Tom Bower) and working a dead-end job dressed in a rabbit costume at a rundown amusement park. Evie's quiet existence is shattered when she hears a late-night radio interview with struggling musician Drumstrings Casey (Guy Pearce). Evie is fascinated with his seductive voice and sultry lyrics and convinces her best friend Violet (Sara Rue) to go with her to the local roadhouse to see him perform. Seeing him in person, Evie becomes even more mesmerized by the handsome and brooding musicians. During one of Drum's shows, Evie's growing infatuation blends with obsession when she becomes so entranced by his singing that she actually cuts his name into her forehead with a piece of glass. Instead of regretting her action, she considers this her first step towards taking more control of her life. The stunt brings her to Drum's attention and he and his manager David Elliot (John Hawkes) decide to use her as a marketing gimmick at future shows. Evie's total faith in Drum's talent inspires and intrigues him while her role as his "muse" imparts Evie with uncharacteristic self-assurance. The physical attraction between Evie and Drum increases as their emotional need for one another becomes more and more apparent. The inspiration they find together to break out from the confines of low expectations and the ordinariness of small town life begins to conflict with the pursuit of their individual dreams. Together or apart they must decide which path will lead to the fulfillment of their newfound strength.

With Rodrigo Santoro • Gero Camilo • Caio Blat • Milton Goncalves • Nelson Machado • Maria Luisa Mendonca • Lazaro Ramos • Luis Vasconcuelos • Hector Babenco • Victor Navas

We come to know the rapist Gilson, tried and sentenced by the Law Behind Bars; Zico and Deusdete, inseparable half brothers who, in jail, become each other's assassins; Highness and his shrewd balancing act between women and heists; Old Chico, a Zen master in the ways of the dungeon, at last on the brink of his long-awaited freedom; Warden Pires, who oversees the prison with the perspicacity of a tightrope walker; Ebony, the true leader of the inmate community and the arbiter of all its contentions; the religious conversion of the assasin, Dagger, the rise and fall of the surfer Ezequiel; Antonio Carlos, Claudiomiro and, coming between them like a knife, and depraved Dina; the existentialist philosopher No Way and his love affair with the divine lady Di. The narrative of the film is crafted like a puzzle with one story giving way to another for of surrealist, uniquely Brazilian collage of tragedy.

With Nikolaj Lie Kaas • Malene Schwartz • Peter Steen • Isabella Miehe-Renard • Mogens Rukov • Maria Bonnevie • Krister Henriksson • Nicolas Bro • Ida Dwinger • Helle Fagralid • Christoffer Boe

A young man who thought himself already in love with a nice girl is drawn into a literary drama when he is captured by a deep and stimulating love affair.

With Elle Fanning • Kim Basinger • Jeff Bridges • Mimi Rogers • Bijou Phillips • Stefanie Bari • Michael Corrente • Jon Foster • John Rothman • Donna Murphy • Claire Beckman • Rachel Style • Kristina Valada-Viars • Carter Williams • Tod Williams • Ted Hope • Anne Carey • John Irving

Set in the beach community of East Hampton, New York, the film chronicles one pivotal summer in the lives of famous children's books author Ted Cole (Jeff Bridges) and his beautiful wife Marion (Kim Basinger). Their once-great marriage has been strained by tragedy. The Coles lovingly parent their surviving child, bright 4-year-old Ruth (Elle Fanning), who takes everything in stride as perhaps only a child can. But Marion's equation of love with loss, coupled with Ted's infidelities, points towards a much-needed change in the relationship. That may come in the form of Eddie O'Hare (Jon Foster), the young man Ted hires to work as his summer assistant – and, Ted hopes, the catalyst to invigorate the Coles' bond of marriage. Eddie idolizes Ted, but Ted's erratic work habits soon leave Eddie to his own devices. Marion becomes an object of desire for Eddie, rekindling in her some surprising emotions as a mother and as a woman. To Eddie's surprise and delight, his yearning is potently reciprocated. As he becomes passionately entwined with the seemingly fragile yet increasingly bold Marion, Eddie comes to realize that, similarly, Ted's surface fecklessness hides something deeper within. As the summer draws to a close, Marion and Ted must make difficult decisions about the future of their family. Adapted from John Irving's best-selling novel "A Widow for One Year."

With Gilles Lellouche • Thibault Verhaeghe • Marion Cotillard • Guillaume Canet • Joséphine Lebas-Joly • Gérard Watkins • Emmanuelle Grönvold • Laëtizia Venezia Tarnowska • Elodie Navarre • Julia Faure • Frédéric Geerts • Yann Samuell • Jacky Cukier

As adults, best friends Julien and Sophie continue the odd game they started as children -- a fearless competition to outdo one another with daring and outrageous stunts. While they often act out to relieve one another's pain, their game might be a way to avoid the fact that they are truly meant for one another.

With Rachael Leigh Cook • Carrie Fisher • Val Kilmer • Joe Mantegna • Brian Geraghty • Diane Venora • Agnes Bruckner • Jonathan Tucker • Ed Begley • Penny Marshall • Daniel Franzese • Michael Goduti • Caryn Greenhut • Billy Lush • Bridget Barkan • Reverge Anselmo • Robert Greenhut • Selina Jayne • Eberhard Kayser • Bonnie Wells-Hlinomaz

A rebellious rich boy reluctantly lands in the Marine Corps and falls for a beautiful but crazy young musician while on leave. Against the wishes of family and friends and under strict regulations of military life, the two find romance and solace within each other - facing obstacles that may force them apart.

With Gaspard Ulliel • Jean-Pierre Ramsay-Levi • Emmanuelle Béart • Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet • Clémence Meyer • Jean Fornerod • Samuel Labarthe • Eric Kreikenmayer • Nicholas Mead • Robert Eliott • André Téchiné

A widowed schoolteacher flees Nazi-occupied Paris with her children, and encounters a teenage boy who steers them into the forest -- their best shot at survival.

With Daniel Craig • Anne Reid • Cathryn Bradshaw • Steven Mackintosh • Zelda Tinska • Peter Vaughan

Anne Reid stars as May, an ordinary grandmother from the North of England. When her husband dies on a family visit to London, she recedes into the background of her busy, metropolitan children's lives. Stuck in an unfamiliar city, far from home, May fears that she has become another invisible old lady whose life is more or less over. Until, that is, she embarks on a passionate affair with Darren (Daniel Craig), a man half her age who is renovating her son's house and sleeping with her daughter.

With Terry Crews • Rainn Wilson • Nia Long • Mario Van Peebles • Paul Rodriguez • Jazsmin Lewis • Vincent Schiavelli • Adam West • Joy Bryant • Ossie Davis • Saul Rubinek • Khleo Thomas • Joan M. Blair • Penny Bae Bridges • T.K. Carter • David Alan Grier • Len Lesser • Karimah Westbrook • Nathan Wetherington

"Gettin' The Man's Foot Outta Your Asssss" is Mario Van Peebles' ode to his father Melvin, whose pioneering work in 1971's Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song ushered in the blaxploitation genre of film. Mario Van Peebles plays his father in the drama.

With Janet McTeer • Olympia Dukakis • David Bradley • Brenda Fricker • JJ Feild • Philip Jackson • Tony Maudsley • Kristian Levring

Centers on a woman who travels with her lover to the jungle and discovers trouble in the form of murder and greed.

With Ryan Gosling • Rachel McAdams • Nick Cassavetes • James Garner • Lowell Ganz • Joan Allen • Jeremy Leven • Sam Shepard • Jan Sardi • Mark Andrus • Madeline Leven

Based on the acclaimed best seller by Nicholas Sparks and directed by Nick Cassavetes ("John Q")," The Notebook" is a sweeping love story starring Academy Award nominees James Garner, Gena Rowlands and Joan Allen opposite newcomers Ryan Gosling ("Murder by Numbers") and Rachel McAdams. As a man (Garner) reads from a faded notebook to the woman (Rowlands) he regularly visits at a nursing home, his words bring to life the story of a young couple (Gosling and McAdams) who are separated by World War II, then passionately reunited 14 years later after their lives have taken different paths. Adapted by Jan Sardi with a screenplay by Jeremy Leven (Don Juan DeMarco), "The Notebook" reveals an epic story of love lost and found, of new beginnings and second chances.

With Freddie Highmore • Guy Pearce • Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu • Jean-Jacques Annaud • Christian Clavier • Le Mai Anh • Vincent Scarito • Jake Eberts • Alain Godard

An epic adventure of discovery, survival and wonder, "Two Brothers" is the story of twin tiger brothers who are born amidst the temple ruins and exotic jungles of French Indo-China. Separated as cubs and taken into captivity, one tiger is forced to become a circus performer, the other a trained killer. Years later, the brothers find themselves reunited, but as forced enemies pitted against each other. "Two Brothers" stars Guy Pearce as a romantic explorer whose tragic intervention into the idyllic lives of the two tiger brothers forever intertwines their fates.

With Michael Moore • George W. Bush

Michael Moore examines what happened to the United States after September 11; and how the Bush Administration used the tragic event to push its agenda. It's a documentary that will trace why the U.S. has become a target for hatred and terrorism. It will also depict alleged dealings between two generations of the Bush and Bin Laden clans that led to George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden becoming mortal enemies.

With Ethan Hawke • Richard Linklater • Julie Delpy • Rodolphe Pauly • Isabelle Coulet • Vernon Dobtcheff • Louise Lemoine Torres • Mariane Plasteig • Diabolo • Albert Delpy • Anne Walker-McBay

Nine years ago, two strangers met by chance, spent a night together in Vienna, and parted before sunrise. Now, they're about to cross paths again—in Paris—where they will get the chance we all wish we had… to find out what might have been. The only problem is they have just a few hours to figure out if they belong together.

With Jonathan Pryce • Kevin Kline • Ashley Judd • Robbie Williams • Rob Cowan • Jay Cocks • Alanis Morissette • Elvis Costello • Natalie Cole • Mario Frangoulis • Mick Hucknall • Lara Fabian • Vivian Green • Diana Krall • Irwin Winkler • Charles Winkler

"De-lovely" is an original musical portrait of American composer Cole Porter, filled with his unforgettable songs. In the film, Porter is looking back on his life as if it was one of his spectacular stage shows, with the people and events of his life becoming the actors and action onstage. Through elaborate production numbers and legendary hits like "Anything Goes," "It's De-lovely," and "Night and Day," Porter's elegant, excessive past comes to light - including his deeply complicated relationship with his wife and muse, Linda Lee Porter. Directed by Academy Award-winner Irwin Winkler from a script by Jay Cocks and starring Oscar-winner Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, and Jonathan Pryce in addition to some of today's biggest rock and pop music stars, "De-lovely" is a sparkling celebration of Porter's music as well as a stirring exploration of the artist's journey and the undying power of love.

With Patricia Rae • Guilied Lopez • John Álex Toro • Yenny Paola Vega • Joshua Marston • Paul Mezey

The film tells the story of one young woman's journey from a small Colombian town to the streets of New York. A bright, spirited 17-year old, Maria Alvarez (Catalina Sandino Moreno) lives with three generations of her family in a cramped house in rural Colombia and works stripping thorns from flowers in a rose plantation. The offer of a lucrative job involving travel – in fact, becoming a drug "mule" – changes the course of her life. Far from the uneventful trip she is promised, Maria is transported into the risky and ruthless world of international drug trafficking. Her mission becomes one of determination and survival and she finally emerges with the grace that will carry her forward into a new life.

With Jimi Mistry • Kyle MacLachlan • Kristen Holden-Ried • Suleka Mathew • Ian Iqbal Rashid • Jennifer Kawaja • Martin Pope • Julia Sereny

A comic clash of cultures, values and sexuality, Touch of Pink is a romantic comedy featuring Alim (Jimi Mistry), a young South Asian-Canadian, now living in London, who is so caught up in the romance, style and dreams of the old movies that he thinks he's living with the spirit of Cary Grant (Kyle MacLachlan). But Alim's ideal life in London with lover Giles (Kristen Holden-Ried) begins to unravel when his mother Nuru (Suleka Mathew) shows up. She's come to London to find Alim a proper Ismaili-Muslim girlfriend and to convince him to come home to Canada and join the family for his cousin's spectacular wedding. Once in Toronto, Alim's different worlds begin to collide and he has to choose between his fantasy life with Cary and the earthier pleasures of real life.

With Colin Farrell • Robin Wright • Sissy Spacek • Michael Mayer • Brian Rhodes • Keith Bunin • Ryan Donowho • Harris Allan • Michael Cunningham • Dallas Roberts • Joshua Close • Wendy Crewson • Matt Frewer • Erik Smith

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Hours" comes a story that chronicles a dozen years in the lives of two best friends who couldn't be more different. From suburban Cleveland in the 60s, to New York City in the 80s, where they meet an older woman, the film charts a journey of trials, triumphs, loves and losses. Now the question is: can they navigate the unusual triangle they've created and hold their friendship together?

With Joaquin Phoenix • Adrien Brody • Sigourney Weaver • Bryce Dallas Howard • Brendan Gleeson • Judy Greer • Celia Weston • Michael Pitt • M. Night Shyamalan • Scott Rudin • Cherry Jones • William Hurt • Jayne Atkinson • Sam Mercer

Set in 1897, the tale of an isolated village confronting an astonishing truth that lies just outside its borders. At first glance, this village seems picture perfect, but this close-knit community lives with the frightening knowledge that creatures reside in surrounding woods. The evil and foreboding force is so unnerving that none dare venture beyond the borders of the village and into the woods. But when curious, headstrong Lucius Hunt plans to step beyond the boundaries of the town and into the unknown, his bold move threatens to forever change the fate of the village.

With Anthony Mackie • Kerry Washington • Spike Lee • Ellen Barkin • Monica Bellucci • Brian Dennehy • Sarita Choudhury • Ossie Davis • Jim Brown

Harvard, MBA-educated biotech executive John Henry "Jack" Armstrong (Anthony Mackie) gets fired when he informs on his bosses and initiates an investigation into their business dealings by the Securities & Exchange Commission. Branded a whistle-blower and therefore unemployable, Jack desperately needs to make a living. When his former girlfriend Fatima (Kerry Washington), a high powered businesswoman and now a lesbian, offers him cash to impregnate her and her new girlfriend Alex (Dania Ramirez), Jack is persuaded by the chance to make "easy" money. Word spreads and soon Jack is in the baby-making business at $10,000 a tryst. Lesbians with a desire for motherhood and the cash to spare are lining up to seek his services. But, between the attempts by his former employers to frame him for securities fraud and his dubious fathering activities, Jack finds his life, all at once, becoming very complicated.

With Andrew Eaton • Samantha Morton • Tim Robbins • Jeanne Balibar • Om Puri • Essie Davis • Bruno Lastra • Emil Marwa • Michael Winterbottom • Nina Fogg • Togo Igawa • Nabil Massad • Taro Sherabayani • Frank Cottrell Boyce

A love story set in an eerily possible near-future, where cities are heavily controlled and only accessible through checkpoints. People cannot travel unless they have papelles, a special travel insurance. Outside of the cities, the desert has taken over and shanty towns are jammed with non-citizens—people without papelles whose lives are severely restricted. William is a family man who works as an insurance investigator. When his company sends him to another city to solve a case of fake papelles, he meets a woman named Maria. Although he knows she's been creating the forgeries, he falls completely in love with her. He hides her crime and they have a wild, passionate affair that can only last as long as his papelles: twenty-four hours. Back home, William is obsessed by the memory of Maria. He tries to see her, but is refused the necessary papers to travel. Desperate, he uses one of the fake papelles he kept from his investigation. He eventually tracks her down, only to discover she has been accused of Code 46 violation.

With Thomas Jane • Dexter Fletcher • Deborah Kara Unger • David O'Hara • Ashley Taylor • Bronwen Hughes • Ken Friedman • Bima Stagg

Andre Stander was a smooth-talking jailbreaker, thrill addict and master of disguise. He was also a high-ranking officer in South Africa's Apartheid-era police force who became an outlaw hero when he launched a second career as a bank robber. Stander's sensationalized activities won him celebrity status by the time of his first arrest for twenty-six robberies. After he daringly escapes from prison and forms the Stander gang with fellow escapees Allan Heyl and Patrick Lee McCall, the three men set off to crumble the status quo and capitalize on the chaos.

With Naomi Watts • Mark Ruffalo • Laura Dern • Larry Gross • Harvey Kahn • John Curran • Peter Krause • Sam Charles • Jonas Goodman

In their small New England college town, Jack Linden and Hank Evans are the best of friends. Fellow instructors at the university where Jack teaches literature and Hank, writing, the two enjoy the camaraderie of men who have shared similiar circumstances. Their bond however is put to the test and their lives are upended when the love-lives of the two men and their wives, Edith and Terry, become tangled.

With Blanchard Ryan • Daniel Travis • Saul Stein • Estelle Lau • Michael Williamson • Chris Kentis • Laura Lau

Based on a true story, a thriller about an American couple, Daniel and Susan, who are on an island holiday. Upon arrival at their hotel, it becomes clear that Daniel and Susan's relationship is under strain from their workaholic lifestyles, and they need a vacation even more than they realized. The next morning, the loving and rested couple, certified scuba divers, board a local dive boat for an underwater tour of the reef. The boat is crowded with other vacationers, and due to a series of innocent miscommunications and a distracted crew, the couple is, after only 40 minutes or so underwater, accidentally left behind. What follows is the story of their ordeal: cold, alone and miles from land, the couple is adrift in shark-infested waters. What follows is a reminder to us about how much 'fun' it is to be frightened by our most primal fears—namely what we think may linger just below the surface.

With Chris Kendrick • Duane Stephens • Benji • Nick Whitaker • Christy Summerhays • Neil Barth • Carlton W. Bluford • Nate Bynum • Melinda Clarkson-Haynes • Lincoln Hoppe • Joe Camp • Margaret Loesch

Set in Gulfport, Mississippi (where the new Benji was found), this movie follows the adventures of a loveable mutt named Benji, who enters into an unwanted partnership with a shaggy dog (named "Shaggy"), as the pair struggles to save Benji's mother from a greedy backyard breeder.

With Jim Parsons • Natalie Portman • Danny DeVito • Zach Braff • Gary Gilbert • Jordan Horowitz • Peter Sarsgaard • Michael Shamberg • Ian Holm • Geoffrey Arend • Aunjanue Ellis • Stacey Sher • Dan Halsted • Pamela Abdy • Jayne Houdyshell • Richard Klubeck

When Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) returns to his hometown in New Jersey for the first time in 10 years to attend his mother's funeral, he is reconnected with the world he left behind, and meets a girl, Samantha (Natalie Portman), who may change his life forever. Having recently stopped taking the powerful antidepressants he had been prescribed for years, Largeman's journey of self-discovery prompted by his return causes him to have a more healthy rediscovery of himself, which includes confronting his psychologist father (Ian Holm) and helping Samantha through her own psychological issues.

With Rory Culkin • Josh Peck • Susan Johnson • Scott Mechlowicz • Trevor Morgan • Ryan Kelly • Jacob Estes • Richard L Rosenthal • Hagai Shaham

When the shy Sam confides in his protective older sibling, Rocky about the overweight bully in school named George, Rocky hatches a plot to exact their revenge on his brother's tormentor.

With Donnie Yen • Jet Li • Zhang Ziyi • Tony Leung Chiu-Wai • Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk • Chen Dao Minga • Zhang Yimou • Yimou Zhang • William Kong

A tale about the soon-to-be First Emperor of China who is on the brink of conquering a war-torn land during the violent dawn of the Qin dynasty over two thousand years ago. Three opponents are determined to assassinate the King, and one loyal subject stands in their way.