March 2005 Movies

With Vin Diesel • Brittany Snow • Lauren Graham • Brad Garrett • Carol Kane • Thomas Lennon • Morgan York • Robert Ben Garant • Max Thieriot • Faith Ford • Adam Shankman • Roger Birnbaum • Gary Barber • Jonathan Glickman

Vin Diesel redefines what it means to be an action hero in the heartwarming family action-comedy "The Pacifier". Diesel stars as Navy SEAL Shane Wolfe who, as an elite member of the world's fiercest and most highly trained force thought he was prepared to take on any duty no matter how perilous or impossible... until he tried baby-sitting. Assigned to protect the five out-of-control children of an assassinated scientist working on vital government secrets, Shane is suddenly faced with the juggling two outrageously incompatible jobs: fighting the bad guys while keeping house. Replacing his usual arsenal of wetsuits and weapons with diapers and juice boxes, Shane not only must battle a deceptive enemy but wrangle teen rebel Zoe (Brittany Snow), sullen 14 year-old Seth (Max Theriot), 8 year-old Ninja-wanna-be Lulu (Morgan York), as well as 3 year-old Peter and baby Tyler - not to mention their off-beat Romanian Nanny (Carol Kane). But while drop zones, demolitions and destroying enemy targets come naturally to Shane, he has no idea what tough really is until he pits his courage against diapering, den-mothering and driver's education. He's truly a SEAL out of water, and now it's up to this one-time lone warrior to take on the most important mission of his life: keeping a family together.

With George Clooney • Keira Knightley • Adrien Brody • Daniel Craig • Steven Soderbergh • John Maybury • Jennifer Jason Leigh • Kris Kristofferson • Massy Tadjedin • Kelly Lynch • Peter Guber • Brad Renfro • Mackenzie Phillips • Marc Rocco

A military veteran returns to his native Vermont suffering from bouts of amnesia. When he is accused of murder and lands in an asylum, a well-meaning doctor puts him on a heavy course of experimental drugs, restrains him in a jacket-like device, and locks him away in a body drawer of the basement morgue. The process sends him on a journey into the future, where he can foresee his death (but not who did it or how) in four day's time. Now the only question that matters is: can the woman he meets in the future save him?

With Dwayne Johnson • Vince Vaughn • John Travolta • Uma Thurman • Danny DeVito • Christina Milian • F. Gary Gray • Harvey Keitel • Andre Benjamin • Cedric the Entertainer • Joe Pesci • Michael Shamberg • Stacey Sher • Peter Stienfeld

John Travolta is back as Chili Palmer in "Be Cool", a sequel to the comedy smash "Get Shorty". This time, Chili becomes a different kind of "hit" man—he abandons the movie industry to bring his wiseguy skills and negotiation tactics to the music business. When a friend is offed while they're at lunch, Chili takes the opportunity to visit the guy's wife, Edie (Uma Thurman), and pitch himself as her new business partner at an independent record label. With a promising young pop-star-in-training as his protégé (Christina Milian), Chili has to juggle her faux-urban manager (Vince Vaughn), his gay, wannabe-actor bodyguard (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), Russian mobsters, and an eloquent gangsta music producer (Cedric the Entertainer,) to save the label and land a hit—and keep from getting popped himself.

With Hope Davis • Campbell Scott • Hunt Lowry • Eamonn Walker • Carroll Ballard • Karen Janszen • John Wells • Mark St. Germain • Carol Flint

Set in the exotic country of South Africa, Duma tells the powerful adventure tale of an unbreakable bond of friendship between a cheetah named Duma and an intrepid young boy named Xan (Alexander Michaletos), who faces the true test of love when he must cross the whole of Southern Africa to return his best friend to his rightful home in the wilds. On his journey, Xan learns that everything always changes, but not love.

With Gerard Butler • Emily Mortimer • Andrea Gibb • John Kazek • Sharon Small • Jack McElhone • Mary Riggans • Sean Brown • Jayd Johnson • Katy Murphy • Anna Hepburn • Cal Macaninch • Sophie Main • Anne Marie Timoney • Shona Auerbach • Caroline Wood • Stephen Evans

Nine-year-old Frankie and his single mum Lizzie have been on the move ever since Frankie can remember, most recently arriving in a seaside Scottish town. Wanting to protect her deaf son from the truth that they've run away from his father, Lizzie has invented a story that he is away at sea on the HMS Accra. Every few weeks, Lizzie writes Frankie a make-believe letter from his father, telling of his adventures in exotic lands. As Frankie tracks the ship's progress around the globe, he discovers that it is due to dock in his hometown. With the real HMS Accra arriving in only a fortnight, Lizzie must choose between telling Frankie the truth or finding the perfect stranger to play Frankie's father for just one day.

With Eytan Fox • Knut Berger • Hanns Zischler • Lior Ashkenazi • Caroline Peters • Gideon Shemer • Carola Regnier • Eyal Rozales • Sivan Sasson • Gal Uchovsky • Amir Harel

A hit man for Mossad is given the mission to track down the very old Alfred Himmelman, an ex Nazi officer, who might be still alive. Pretending to be a tourist guide he befriends his grandson Axel, in Israel to visit his sister. He wants to convince her to come back to Germany for their Fathers birthday party. The two men set out on an extended tour of the country during which, Axel's frank and open attitude challenges Eyal's rigid, clichéd values. Their friendship grows until he learns of Axel's homosexuality. With this final straw he leaves. To finish his mission Eyal has to go to Germany. He meets Axel once more and succeeds in being invited to the family party where secrets will be revealed.

With Will Yun Lee • Bai Ling • Kristy Wu • Bertha Bay-Sa Pan • Oren Moverman • Kieu Chinh • Joseph Infantolino • Alexa L. Fogel

Three generations of Chinese women attempt to reconcile the cultural chasm between their traditional heritage and the everyday influences of life in America. Finding herself pregnant, career girl Kim was forced into an unhappy marriage in the late 70s. But Kim decided to flee, leaving her infant daughter in her mother's care. Now, year's later, she returns to find her independent daughter Genie involved in a relationship with black DJ Michael, causing controversy.

With Michael Tucker • Petra Epperlein

"Gunner Palace" reveals the complex realities of the situation in Iraq not seen on the nightly news. Told first-hand by our troops, "Gunner Palace" presents a thought provoking portrait of a dangerous and chaotic war that is personal, highly emotional, sometimes disturbing, surprisingly amusing ... and thoroughly fascinating. Filmmaker Michael Tucker, who lived with 2/3 Field Artillery, a.k.a. "The Gunners" for two months, captures the lives and humanity of these soldiers whose barracks are the bombed-out pleasure palace of Uday Hussein (nicknamed Gunner Palace), situated in the heart of the most volatile section of Baghdad. With total access to all operations and activities, Tucker's insider footage provides a rare look at the day-to-day lives of these soldiers on the ground—whether swimming in Uday's pool and playing golf on his putting green or executing raids on suspected terrorists, enduring roadside bombs, mortar attacks, RPGs and snipers.

With Sofia Vergara • Stanley Tucci • Robin Williams • Paul Giamatti • Jim Broadbent • Ewan McGregor • Halle Berry • Jennifer Coolidge • Dianne Wiest • Jamie Kennedy • John C. Donkin • Dan Hedaya • Chris Wedge • Lowell Ganz • Harl • D.L. Hughley • Mel Brooks • Drew Carey • Jerry Davis

Set on a world populated entirely by robots, this is the story of a young genius, Rodney (Ewan McGregor), who wants to make robots capable of making the world a better place, but he finds his dream challenged by a corporate tyrant and a master inventor, Big Weld (Mel Brooks), while also being seduced by a sexy corporate robot, Cappy (Halle Berry).

With Bruce Willis • Rumer Willis • Mark Gordon • Bob Yari • Ben Foster • Arnold Rifkin • Doug Richardson • Jimmy Pinchak • Richard D Zanuck • Jimmy Bennett • Jonathan Tucker • Kevin Pollack • Serena Scott Thomas • Marshall Allman • Michelle Horn • Florent Siri • Robert Crais

Bruce Willis stars as an LAPD hostage negotiator, who withdraws to the countryside to become chief of a two-man police department after a bloody standoff. Instead of achieving a sense of peace in the small town, he finds himself embroiled in negotiations to save his wife and daughter. Messner will play an FBI operative who comes onto the crime scene to work with Willis' character and retrieve computer disks.

With Danny Boyle • James Nesbitt • Lewis Owen MacGibbon • Daisy Donovan • Enzo Cilenti • Frank Cottrell Boyce

The countdown is on—in 7 days' time Britain converts to the Euro. It's the biggest opportunity the criminal world has ever had. Billions of sterling head for the incinerator. When a railway heist goes wrong and an enormous bag of money falls from the sky into the hands of Damian and Anthony, there's only one thing to do—spend it like there's no tomorrow.... But how can a 7 and 9 year-old hope to spend a quarter of a million quid a week? Anthony's black market operations bring hyper-inflation to the school playground and Damian wants to help the poor, but they're in short supply. Oh, and the train robbers want their money back. Will they manage to spend the money before it's worthless. Will the school authorities discover what's going on? Or will the robbers get there first?

With Evan Rachel Wood • Kevin Costner • Keri Russell • Erika Christensen • Joan Allen • Alicia Witt • Mike Binder • Mark Damon • Alex Gartner • Jack Binder • Sammy Lee

Sharp-witted Terry Wolfmeyer, a suburban wife and mother, has her life take an unusual turn when her husband unexpectedly disappears. Struggling to deal with his sudden absence, Terry finds herself increasingly at odds with her four headstrong daughters and regularly drowning her anger in alcohol, until she develops an offbeat relationship with her next-door neighbor, Denny. A once-great baseball star turned radio DJ, Denny becomes a drinking buddy for Terry and slowly evolves into her source of strength, as well as an ad-hoc father to her daughters. But things get complicated as Terry's daughters grow accustomed to having Denny around while attempting to juggle not only their mother's romantic dilemmas, but their own.

With Tom Hardy • Charlie Cox • James D'Arcy • Gael García Bernal • Natalia Verbeke • Matthew Parkhill

This is the story of Carmen (Natalia Verbeke), a young Spanish flamenco dancer living in London, who meets Kit (Gael Garcia Bernal), a Brazilian actor, the night before her wedding (to James D'Arcy) and ends up kissing him. What ensues is a plot of subterfuge to cover up their newfound affair.

With Samuel L. Jackson • Juliette Binoche • Brendan Gleeson • Nick Boraine • Menzi Ngubane • John Boorman • Ann Peacock

Langston Whitfield (Samuel L. Jackson) is a "Washington Post" journalist. His editor provocatively sends him to South Africa to cover the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, in which the perpetrators of murder and torture on both sides during the Apartheid era are invited to come forward and confront their victims. By telling the unvarnished truth and expressing contrition, they may be granted amnesty. Can the deep wounds of Apartheid be healed through reconciliation? Langston is deeply sceptical. He tracks down Col. De Jager, the most notorious torturer in the SA Police and tries to penetrate the mind of a monster, an experience that obliges him to confront his own demons. Anna Malan (Juliette Binoche), is an Afrikaans poet who is covering the hearings for radio. As a white South African she is shattered by the accounts of the cruelty and depravity committed by her fellow countrymen. Anna and Langston must both question their sense of identity. Where do they each belong? How responsible are they for what is done in the name of their respective countries? The moving testimony of the victims affects them deeply. In different ways they are both estranged from their families, and their shared experience draws them ever closer to each other. It is a story charting the unfathomable depths of human cruelty and the redeeming power of forgiveness and love.

With James Nesbitt • Patrick Bergin • Colm Meaney • Shaun Evans • Bernard Hill • Phil Barantini • Zelia Attzs • Charlotte Bradley • Margi Clarke • Andrea Corr • Marc O'Shea • Philip Richey • John Irvin • Nicholas Adams

This heartwarming comedy centers on two brothers, John Joe and Jimmy, who haven't seen each other in twenty years. Having parted on bad terms, they meet at the All Ireland traditional music finals as leaders of rival Irish dance bands. Romance ensues between Anne (Andrea Corr), a beautiful fiddle player, and Teddy, a brilliant young flute player, members of the rival bands leading to more than just a musical rivalry.

With Naomi Watts • Mary Elizabeth Winstead • Simon Baker • Elizabeth Perkins • Roy Lee • Sissy Spacek • Emily VanCamp • Walter F. Parkes • Meagen Fay • David Dorfman • Hideo Nakata • Ehren Kruger • Laurie MacDonald • Neil Machlis

Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts reprises the role of investigative reporter Rachel Keller in "The Ring 2", the sequel to the horror hit "The Ring

With Steven Seagal • William Atherton • Matthew Davis • Takao Osawa • Ken Lo • Elie Samaha • Kevin Van Thompson • Joe Halpin • Trevor Miller

A retired special agent is drawn into the treacherous world of the yakuza in order to protect his family.

With Hayden Panettiere • Juliana Cannarozzo • Kristin Burr • Kim Cattrall • Tim Fywell • Michelle Trachtenberg • Trevor Blumas • Joan Cusak • Bridget Johnson • Karen Glass • Hadley Davis • Meg Cabot • Richard Cowan • William W. Wilson III

A high-school ugly duckling transforms into a swan in Walt Disney Pictures' "Ice Princess." Brainy Casey Carlyle (Michelle Trachtenberg) has never quite fit in. Caught between her fantasy of becoming a championship figure skater and her strong-willed mother (Joan Cusack), who has her on the fast track to Harvard, she can only hope to be like Nikki, Tiffany and Gen (Hayden Panettiere) - three elite skating prodigies who are ruthlessly competing on the US Figure Skating circuit (and have attitudes to match). But when Casey gets the chance to train with Gen and her coach, a disgraced former skating champion who also happens to be Gen's mother (Kim Cattrall), she must dash her own mother's hopes in order to pursue her dream. Now, with only the support of Gen's teenage brother, a hunky Zamboni driver (Trevor Blumas), Casey takes on the challenge of her life when she finds herself competing against the best to make it into the championship circuit and become a real "ice princess."

With Katsuhiro Ôtomo • Sadayuki Murai • Susumu Terajima • Kiyoshi Kodama • Manami Konishi • Katsuo Nakamura • Ikki Sawamura • Anne Suzuki • Masatane Tsukayama • Kazumi Kawashiro

A retro science-fiction epic set in Victorian England, Steam Boy features an inventor prodigy named Ra Stim who receives a mysterious metal ball containing a new form of energy capable of powering an entire nation. This young boy must use it to fight evil, redeem his family, and save London from destruction. The lush Victorian interiors and the elegance of the era's mechanical design allows Otomo to create dazzling visual backgrounds and machines for this film.

With Ernie Hudson • Regina King • Nick Offerman • Bruce Berman • Mary McLaglen • William Shatner • Enrique Murciano • Diedrich Bader • Susan Chuang • William O'Leary • Abraham Benrubi • Heather Burns • Treat Williams • Elisabeth Rohm • Lusia Strus • Leslie Erin Grossman • John DiResta • Marc Lawrence • John Pasquin

The story catches up with FBI agent Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) shortly after she successfully disarmed a threat against the Miss United States Pageant while working undercover as a contestant in Miss Congeniality. Having become a media celebrity following her heroic pageant exploits, Gracie has been spending more time lately at the salon than the shooting range, working the talk show circuit and promoting her book. When her friends, pageant winner Cheryl and emcee Stan, are kidnapped in Las Vegas, Gracie's all-out efforts to jump back into action to save them puts her at loggerheads with the FBI top brass who don't want to risk losing their mascot and fear she might not be up to the job anymore.

With Paul Dano • Beau Bridges • Daniel Day-Lewis • Rebecca Miller • Jason Lee • Catherine Keener • Camilla Belle • Jena Malone • Lemore Syvan • Susanna Thompson • Ron Kastner • Jean-Louis Piel • Michael Rohatyn

Jack lives on the site of his abandoned island commune with his 16-year-old daughter Rose. A single father, Jack has always sheltered Rose from the influences of the outside world, but now, his fatal illness and Rose's emerging womanhood pose troubling questions about the days ahead. A man who has lived a life motivated by environmentalism and other altruistic causes, Jack now rages at those who do not share his concerns, like developer Marty Rance, who is building a housing tract on the edge of his property. When Jack invites his girlfriend Kathleen and her teenage sons, Rodney and Thaddius, to live with them, Rose feels betrayed and the situation quickly becomes precarious. Rose acts out wildly, creating chaos. Everything flies out of control, Jack finds himself trapped in an impossible place and is forced to take action, as Rose undergoes a sexual awakening with both liberating and devastating consequences.

With Steve Miller • Peter Weber • Christopher Browne • Walter Ray Williams • Chris Barnes • Wayne Webb • Wilhelmus Bryan

Tracing the historical arc of the professional bowling tour, the film includes archival footage from the sport's glory days in the 1950s and '60s, through its near extinction in 1997. The story takes a twist when newly installed CEO Steve Miller sets about modernizing the PBA. In addition to Miller, the chronicle focuses on four pro bowlers: Pete Weber, bowling bad-boy and son of legendary bowler Dick Weber whose conservative style doesn't jibe with the direction Miller is taking the new PBA. Pete's nemesis is Walter Ray Williams Jr., a straight-laced six-time world horseshoe-pitching champion and, with 36 PBA titles to his name, the dominant player on the tour. Also, there's Chris Barnes, a young father of newborn twins, who must leave his wife and sons at home and hit the road to compete for the winnings that his young family is depending upon. Finally there's Wayne Webb, a 20-time PBA champion who has fallen on hard times and hopes to squeeze one more good season out of his career to stave off bankruptcy.

With Ashton Kutcher • Zoe Saldana • Sherri Shepherd • RonReaco Lee • Bernie Mac • Judith Scott • Gus Lynch • Phil Reeves • Kellee Stewart • Peter Tolan • Kevin Rodney Sullivan • Jason Goldberg • Erwin Stoff • David Ronn • Jay Scherick

This comedy focuses on a man (Ashton Kutcher) marrying a black woman whose father (Bernie Mac) is having a difficult time dealing with the interracial relationship.

With Will Ferrell • Radha Mitchell • Wallace Shawn • Chiwetel Ejiofor • Woody Allen • Vinessa Shaw • Jonny Lee Miller • Zak Orth • Brooke Smith • Chloë Sevigny • Letty Aronson

Melinda and Melinda combines romantic comedy and drama in a way that Woody Allen, unique among filmmakers, likes to contrast. It takes place in Manhattan and chronicles a pair of crises that give great reign to the funny and serious talents of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Will Ferrell, Jonny Lee Miller, Radha Mitchell, Amanda Peet, Chloë Sevigny and Wallace Shawn. All the usual Allen areas are explained - the fragility of love, marital infidelity, sophisticated romance, the inability to communicate. As a character in the movie puts it, "He's despondent, he's desperate, he's suicidal. All the comic elements are in place."

With Hye-jeong Kang • Myeong-shin Park • Min-sik Choi • Ji-tae Yu • Seung-Shin Lee • Dal-su Oh • Byeong-ok Kim • Su-hyeon Kim • Seung-jin Lee • Su-kyeong Yun • Chan-wook Park • Jo-yun Hwang • Chun-hyeong Lim

An average man is kidnapped and imprisoned in a hotel room for 15 years without explanation. He then is released, equipped with money, a cellphone and expensive clothes. As he strives to explain his imprisonment and get his revenge, he soon finds out that not only his kidnapper has still plans for him, but that those plans will serve as the even worse finale to 15 years of imprisonment

With Isla Fisher • James Caan • Jeff Goldblum • Shawn Hatosy • Selma Blair • Scott Caan • Kelly Lynch • Marley Shelton • Heavy D • Bob Gunton • Val Lauren • Freddy Rodríguez • Raymond T. Williams • Tony Lee Boggs • Ann Scott

Rusty (Hatosy) starts to pursue a path to a more meaningful life, thanks to his connection to Bob (Goldblum), the boyfriend of his mother, Mary (Lynch). His new take on life causes friction with his best friend, Dallas (Cann), and both men find their friendship pushed to its breaking point, causing them to make life-changing decisions.

With Andie MacDowell • Djimon Hounsou • Ice Cube • Queen Latifah • Kevin Bacon • Alicia Silverstone • Wilmer Valderrama • David Hoberman • George Tillman, Jr. • Mena Suvari • Alfre Woodard • Todd LIeberman • Matt Alvarez • Little JJ • Bryce Wilson • Mark Brown • Shakim Compere • Bob Teitel • Norm Vance • Kate Lanier

Gina (Queen Latifah) moves to Atlanta so her daughter can attend a famous music school. She starts off working as a stylist in a salon, but when her boss takes credit for her work, Gina opens up her own beauty shop.