2003 Movies : Romance

With Tom Sternberg • Diane Lane • Raoul Bova • Lindsay Duncan • Audrey Wells • Kate Walsh • Dan Bucatinsky • Vince Riotta • Giulia Steigerwalt • Laura Fattori • Frances Mayes

Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) is a 35-year-old San Francisco writer whose perfect life has just taken an unexpected detour. Her recent divorce has left her with terminal writer's block and extremely depressed, and her best friend, Patti (Sandra Oh), is beginning to think she might never recover. "Dr. Patti's" Rx: 10 days in Tuscany. And it's there that, on a whim, Frances purchases a villa named Bramasole - literally, "something that yearns for the sun." The home needs much restoration, but what better place for a new beginning than the home of the Renaissance? As she flings herself into her new life at the villa in the lush and beautiful Italian countryside, Frances makes new friends among her neighbors, but in the quiet moments, she is fearful that her ambitions for her new life - and a new family - may not be realized... until a chance encounter in Rome throws Frances into the arms of an intriguing Protobello antiquities dealer named Marcello (Raoul Bova). Can this be what she dreamed of? Can love last with Marcello? Will her new life flower under the Tuscan sun?

With Adrien Brody • Vera Farmiga • Milla Jovovich • Jared Harris • Ron Leibman • Joanne Bayes • Jessica Walter • Illeana Douglas • Mirabella Pisani • Adam LeFevre • Helen Hanft • Richmond Hoxie • Lou Martini Jr. • Gabor Morea • Edward Hibbert • Greg Pritikin

Set in suburbia, the Greg Pritikin-directed film centers on socially challenged Steven (Adrien Brody), who quits his job to pursue a life-long dream of becoming a ventriloquist. Ignored at home by his father (Ron Leibman), mother (Jessica Walter) and embittered sister (Illeana Douglas), Steven begins to find his voice with the help of a wisecracking dummy.

With Mami Koyama • Masatane Tsukayama • Miyoko Shoji • Fumiko Orikasa • Shouzou Iizuka • Masaya Onosaka • Shouko Tsuda • Hirotaka Suzuoki • Koichi Yamadera • Satoshi Kon

Genya Tachibana is a director and the president of a small production company. One day, he is contacted by the famous Gin Ei studios, that ask him to direct a documentary commemorating their 70 years of existence. Genya chooses as a subject the legendary actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, a superstar actress who 30 years earlier chose to end her career and disappear from public life. Chiyoko Fujiwara is a cinematographic enigma that nobody ever seemed to shed light on. Genya is obsessed by this fallen star, wanting to unravel the truth behind her secret. Accompanied by a young cameraman, Genya finds his way to Chiyoko, who has transformed into an elderly hermit living alone in an isolated house. At their first meeting, Genya sees that Chiyoko, although touched by the hand of time, has not lost any of her charm or energy. To gain her confidence, he brings her an ancient key that holds sentimental value, that rapidly allows Chiyoko to begin recounting her memories. The interview takes course, and our 3 protagonists are plunged into the past, visiting each fragment of what has been long gone, where the past and present meld together. The actress' recollections soon metamorphosize into a great adventure where cinema confronts her history and an incredible love is unveiled, that conflicted with her rather uncommon lifestyle...

With Ginette Reno • Claudia Ferri • Luke Kirby • Tim Post • Paul Sorvino • Peter Miller • Pierrette Robitaille • Mary Walsh • Shaun Balbar • James Berlingieri • Richard Jutras • Diane Lavallee • Sophie Lorain • Dino Tavarone • Emile Goudreault

They're all Italian living in Montreal, but they could be from any large city in the western world with an Italian community. Angelo is a travel agent trying to become a television writer in his late twenties. Nino is a well-respected law enforcement officer, also in his thirties. Maria and Gino, Angelo's parents, emigrated in the 1950's and married after their arrival in "the new world". Maria and Gino's world is shattered when their son decides to get a place of his own. They are relieved however when Angelo's childhood buddy Nino decides to move in with their son. Their relief is short lived as they find out that Nino and Angelo are more than just roomates-they're lovers!

With Glenn Close • Danny DeVito • Christina Ricci • Jimmy Fallon • Woody Allen • Jason Biggs

The story of a struggling artist (Woody Allen) who has an affair with a much, much younger woman (Christina Ricci), which breaks the heart of her boyfriend (Jason Biggs), and raises the ire of her shotgun-wielding father (Dammu DeVito).

With Heather Graham • Colin Firth • Minnie Driver • Mary Steenburgen • Oliver Platt • Mark Herman

In this romantic comedy, British artist Colin Ware (Colin Firth) discovers that his fiance, Vera (Minnie Driver), the love of his life, is going to marry another man. Distraught and despondent, he gets on a plane for America and ends up in the tiny town of Hope in New England. At first, Colin is depressed, but he soon finds more than a shoulder to cry on when his innkeepers introduce him to Mandy (Heather Graham), a beautiful nurse. All's going well and Colin has almost forgotten his old flame until Vera suddenly shows up with a surprise of her own. "Hope Springs" is about finding happiness where you least expect it.

With Eytan Fox • Assi Cohen • Ohad Knoller • Yehuda Levi • Hani Furstenberg • Aya Steinovitz • Sharon Raginiano

Two male soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces fall in love, which is forbidden in the army. They hide their love while stationed at an outpost during the Lebanon war.