Live action film about the Chinese Legend. Stars Zhao Wei (Vicky Zhao) as Hua Mulan, and theme song sung by award-winning songstress, Yanzi Stefanie Sun.
The film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team, Francois Pienaar, 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.
In this sometimes moving dark comedy, Broderick plays Ben-a failed children's folk singer and less-than-extraordinary weekend dad. Deeply cynical, Ben's sole pleasure in life is derived from chess games with his Senegalese roommate Ibou. When Ibou is suddenly struck ill and an insensitive municipal employee exacerbates the emergency situation, Ben's pessimistic worldview seems unequivocally confirmed. But when Ibou's sister Khadi takes his place in their apartment, what starts as an awkward living arrangement becomes something more, and Ben finds that cynicism may be all a matter of perspective.
Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig, Clifton Collins, and J.K. Simmons star in writer/director Mike Judge’s comedy about a flower-extract plant owner contending with an ever-growing avalanche of personal and professional disasters. An employee at the factory has just suffered an unfortunate accident on the assembly line, but little does the put-upon owner realize that things are about to get much worse. As the injured employee threatens to sue and it begins to look like his company will be bought out, the frazzled owner attempts to catch the culprit responsible for stealing wallets from the coat room and begins to suspect that his wife is sleeping with the gigolo he hired to seduce her.
A modern day retelling of the classic story The Frog Prince. The Princess and the Frog finds the lives of arrogant, carefree Prince Naveen and hardworking waitress Tiana crossing paths. Prince Naveen is transformed into a frog by a conniving voodoo magician and Tiana, following suit, upon kissing the amphibian royalty. With the help of a trumpet-playing alligator, a Cajun firefly, and an old blind lady who lives in a boat in a tree, Naveen and Tiana must race to break the spell and fulfill their dreams.
It is the story of one Mr. Fox and his wild-ways of hen heckling, turkey taking and cider sipping, nocturnal, instinctive adventures. He has to put his wild days behind him and do what fathers do best: be responsible. He is too rebellious. He is too wild. He is going to try "just one more raid" on the three nastiest, meanest farmers that are Boggis, Bunce and Bean. It is a tale of crossing the line of family responsibilities and midnight adventure and the friendships and awakenings of this country life that is inhabited by Fantastic Mr. Fox and his friends.
It's graduation weekend, and Sandy Channing, the popular class president of her small-town high school, should be enjoying the time of her life. But when her friends start disappearing, Sandy discovers they have unwittingly awakened the vengeful spirit of a girl they wronged long ago. Fighting for her sanity, Sandy must unlock a dark secret from her own past before it's too late.
After a home invasion leaves his wife and daughter dead, engineer Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is told that one of the criminals responsible will not be convicted, as much of the evidence against that criminal was compromised by a bungled forensic investigation. Shelton pleads for the prosecutor, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), to take the case to court. However, Rice is mostly interested in maintaining his 96% conviction rate, and tells Shelton that it does not matter what is right, but what can be proven in court, stating that it's how the justice system works. Rice then makes a deal with Clarence Darby (Christian Stolte), the actual criminal who murdered Shelton's wife and daughter, for third-degree murder; his accomplice, Rupert Ames (Josh Stewart), is sent to death row on what is essentially a theft charge. Shelton later sees Rice shaking hands with Darby as if they had just finished a deal, feeling betrayed.
Ten years later, Ames is executed by lethal injection; due to a chemical alteration, he dies an agonizing death. Initial evidence leads to Darby, who is alerted to the presence of police by a stranger who calls Darby's phone, helping him escape. The stranger orders Darby to throw away his gun and get in a cop car. He says that he will find a cop in the car sleeping. The caller tells Darby to make the cop drive to an abandoned warehouse. Once at the warehouse, Darby forces the cop out of the car and, with the cop's gun, gets ready to execute him. However, the cop is revealed to be Shelton in disguise, who reveals that he's also the stranger who called Darby in; when Darby attempts to shoot him, the gun handle injects him with tetrodotoxin, paralyzing him. Shelton proceeds to lead Darby into the warehouse, where he straps him to an operating table, confessing that he had caused the chemical alteration that killed Ames. At that point, Shelton systematically dismembers Darby alive in revenge of his family's demise. The police come upon Darby's remains, and they quickly arrest Shelton, who allows them to do so.
Rice arrives to interrogate Shelton and congratulate him on removing Darby from society. While he's doing so, Shelton initially appears to confess to the crime, and Rice begins to depart, but Shelton points out that his carefully worded statement was not technically a confession. During this time, Rice's family, whom Rice cannot spend enough time with due to the nature of his work (for example, he is unable to attend his daughter's cello recitals), receives a DVD of Shelton torturing Darby to his death. Shelton agrees to make a real confession in exchange for an expensive mattress in his prison cell. Rice agrees after his superior orders him to, as there is virtually no real evidence connecting Shelton to the murder. At his hearing, Shelton opposes Rice's motion to deny him bail, citing obscure legal precedents. After Judge Laura Burch (Annie Corley), who also presided at Darby's trial, agrees, Shelton begins a tirade, railing against the judge's myopia for the law versus justice, and is removed for contempt of court.
Rice delivers Shelton's mattress and receives his confession of the murders of Darby and Ames. However, Shelton bargains to make another confession for the life of Bill Reynolds (Richard Portnow), Darby's attorney. Shelton claims that Reynolds is alive, and will give his location in exchange for an expensive steak dinner delivered at precisely 1 p.m., along with music from his iPod. Despite repeating that the time must be exact, Warden Inger (Gregory Itzin) forces multiple searches, resulting in Shelton receiving his lunch eight minutes late. After finally getting Reynolds' location, Rice and Detective Dunnigan (Colm Meaney) take a helicopter to it, only to find Reynolds buried alive and only minutes dead, with Inger's delay causing him to suffocate. Shelton, after finishing lunch and sharing with his cell mate, brutally murders him using the bone from the steak. Shelton is then put into a solitary confinement cell underground. After Rice's assistant, Sarah Lowell (Leslie Bibb), finds evidence of contract payments to Shelton from the Department of Defense, district attorney Jonas Cantrell (Bruce McGill) takes Rice to meet a CIA operative (Michael Kelly) who worked with Shelton. The operative tells them that Shelton was a "brain" for the CIA, working in a black ops think tank, that he was the best in the field until he retired, and that if Shelton wants them dead, he'll succeed in it unless they kill him first. The following day, Rice and Cantrell convince Judge Burch to sign an order restricting Shelton's privileges, despite the fact that this might violate his civil rights. Moments later, the judge answers her cell phone and the phone explodes and kills the judge.
Rice confronts Shelton, who says the killings are not about revenge, but about the failure of the justice system, and Rice's personal failure to keep his word to place the criminals convicted in the first place. He then claims that, unless he is released with all charges dropped by 6 A.M., he will kill everyone in the DA's office. The office workers congregate at the prison, they once again do not listen to Shelton and 6 A.M. passes by. Rice sends them all home to rest. As they enter their cars, bombs go off from underneath each vehicle, killing six, including Rice's protege Sarah. Realizing that Shelton is keeping good to his word, Rice becomes puzzled over Shelton's spree of murders on the outside while he's behind bars, leaving him to speculate that Shelton has an accomplice.
At Sarah's funeral, a remote drone slaughters several attendees, including Cantrell. Rice is appointed acting DA by the mayor (Viola Davis), and a massive meeting is called to determine a way to remove Shelton. Rice, via Sarah's computer, receives some information that points to Shelton owning a garage right next to the prison. He and Dunnigan examine the garage, finding a tunnel system leading to every solitary cell underground, including Shelton's, which can explain how Shelton solely does his dirty work to commit the murders. Upon entering Shelton's cell, Rice finds it empty.
Shelton, dressed as a custodian, plants a napalm bomb in City Hall, planning to kill the mayor and most of the senior staff of the Philadelphia emergency services as the final cog of his master plan; however, Rice finds it just in time. Upon his return to his cell, Shelton is confronted by Rice. Shelton offers one final deal which Rice refuses, stating that he no longer makes deals with murderers (the origin of Shelton's anger). Rice calmly tells Shelton that if he attempts to detonate the bomb, he'll have to live with the consequences of that action for the rest of his life. Shelton, after considering for a long moment, does so anyway, and Rice locks shut Shelton's cell, while Dunnigan locks his escape route. Shelton quickly realizes the bomb was placed under his cot, but nevertheless, doesn't care about that anymore, as he calmly looks at a bracelet made by his daughter just before the home invasion. At that time, the bomb goes off, killing Shelton and blowing part of the prison off.
The film ends with Rice finally joining his wife for his daughter's recital.
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call: New Orleans draws elements from Abel Ferrara's 1992 film Bad Lieutenant, which featured a crooked cop (Harvey Keitel) who is a drug addict and takes sexual favors as bribes.
The main character is Terrence McDonagh, a New Orleans Police sergeant, who starts out as a good cop, receiving a medal and a promotion to lieutenant for heroism during Hurricane Katrina. During his heroic act, McDonagh injures his back and later becomes addicted to prescription pain medication. McDonagh struggles with addictions and finds himself involved with drug dealer Big Fate, who is suspected of murdering a family of African immigrants.
Samson and Delilah is the first feature film directed by Warwick Thornton. It stars Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson, both young first time actors. It was filmed in and around Alice Springs. Described as a “survival love story” by the director, the film depicts two indigenous Australian 14 year olds living in a remote Aboriginal community who steal a car and escape their difficult lives by going to Alice Springs. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, winning the Caméra d'Or ('Gold Camera Award' for best first feature film) at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Screen Australia announced on 29 September 2009 that the film has been nominated as Australia's official entry in the Academy Awards best foreign language film category.
The Blind Side is based on the true story of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a homeless 17-year-old from a broken home. He enrolls in a private Christian school and struggles to fit in because he is woefully under-prepared. Eventually, he is taken in by the Tuohys (Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Lily Collins, and Jae Head), a well-to-do Christian family who helps him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Tuohys' lives leads them to some self-discoveries of their own. Recognizing his potential talent as a football player, they encourage him, get him private tutors and get involved in his football career. Living in his new environment, the 18-year-old faces a completely different set of challenges. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.
Mary Horowitz (Sandra Bullock) is a crossword puzzle writer for a Sacramento, California newspaper. As brilliant as her puzzles are, her life is not—she’s socially awkward, lives with her parents, and her only friend is her hamster Carol. After a talk at a school career day where the children make fun of her obsession with words and her red patent leather go-go boots, Mary drags home to face a blind date that her parents set up with Steve Mueller (Bradley Cooper), a cameraman for a cable news channel. Contrary to her belief that he’s probably gay Steve turns out to be handsome and charming, and Mary is immediately smitten. When they go out to his car she attempts to pounce on him but is thwarted by the seat belt; eventually she succeeds. Steve is excited at first, but quickly finds Mary's incessant talking about random facts and their destiny to be together very scary. He is saved by a phone call from work, which takes him out of Mary's clutches. He says he has to go, and that life on the road is tough. He wishes she could join him, but since she has an important job it just won't work out. He gives her an umbrella as a gift and escorts her out of his car before taking off into the night.
Mary misreads his intentions and falls head over heels in love, staying up all night to create a new crossword for the week that’s completely Steve-themed. The whole city is perplexed by the oddball crossword, and Mary loses her job for being unprofessional. Sitting in the bathtub wallowing in her misery, she realizes that she just needed to line up the clues to figure out her next step. She now has no job that would keep her from following Steve on the road. So she starts watching the news and figures out how to track him down. Her first attempt fails--her annoying fact spewing on a bus gets her kicked off in the middle of nowhere--but in the process she charms a truck driver who finds her annoying yet oddly sweet and genuine.
Meanwhile Steve has given no more thought to Mary, consumed with working with over-the-top ambitious reporter Hartman Hughes (Thomas Haden Church) and Angus Tran (Ken Jeong), a fellow journalist and "chaperone." While covering a breaking news story about a 3-legged baby caught in a custody battle, Mary arrives via taxi and finds Steve, who's shocked and a bit frightened that Mary has found him. He'd heard about the crossword "All About Steve," and was naturally creeped out. Steve tells her he has to go to work, and Mary finds herself with some of the odd protesters making signs and lighting candles. Even though they are all a little "off" by normal standards, they're kind and welcoming to Mary, who fits in. She makes friends quickly. Hartman encourages Mary to continue to pursue Steve, and no matter how many times Steve tells her that he doesn't want her there Mary doesn’t believe him. When the story wraps and Steve, Hartman and Angus are leaving the scene, Mary chases after the van in hopes of finding out where Steve is going next. Hartman tips her off that they are going to Galveston to track a hurricane, and accompanied by two of her new friends Mary heads to Texas.
Before they can find Steve, however, a tornado stops them in their tracks and the three friends have to take cover in a sewer drain. Their car is ripped away, leaving them alive but completely alone and deserted. Hartman writes a message on the back of a bucket of fried chicken with their next destination, and Mary decides that she's on a road that she can't turn back on. She has to see where this road to Steve ends. Her friends stick by her and the three of them continue to follow Steve.
The movie culminates at the site of an abandoned mine shaft, where a bunch of deaf children have fallen after the ground caves in on them. News crews from all across the country come in to cover the story, and Hartmann sees this as his chance to beat his competitor and win a shot as an anchor as CCN. One by one the children are pulled out of the mineshaft, and as the last child is pulled out, the ground gives way and the crane tips over. The fire department tells everyone that the ground isn't safe and they all need to move back. Just then Mary arrives and, seeing Steve, races over to see him, falling right into the mineshaft. Suddenly Mary is a media star, and footage of her falling into the shaft is played over and over. The reporters dig up every detail of her life, bombard her parents' home, and CCN puts Steve on the spot to talk about his grief over "his girlfriend." Steve, feeling guilty for how he's treated Mary, goes on the air and says that Mary is perfect the way she is, though most people don't get her. She's kind and smart and she doesn't deserve any of this. Meanwhile, a crowd of Mary's friends gather around the site to hold a vigil. One of her friends confronts Hartman, telling him that he did all of this to Mary, and what she did was bring together a group of wonderful people who actually care about her.
While Mary is fishing her way out of the murky waters at the bottom of the mineshaft, she discovers one little deaf girl that the fire department forgot. Mary, who knows a little sign language, is able to communicate with the girl. As the hours go by Mary at once tries to figure out how to escape the mine and realizes that her pursuit of Steve is futile. She is able to jerry-rig the collapsed crane with counterweights to lift them out, but as they are rising a guilt-stricken Hartman dives into the shaft and brings them to the bottom again. After asking Hartman’s weight, Mary adjusts the rocks and all rise to the surface to be greeted by her family and new friends. Steve apologizes to Mary for his treatment of her, which she accepts before leaving him to join her “normal” crowd.
Burke Ryan (Aaron Eckhart), is a successful Ph.D. and author of a self-help book that gives advice about dealing with the loss of a loved one. He writes the book after his wife dies in a car accident as a way to deal with the grief. While giving a workshop in Seattle, where his wife was from, he meets Eloise (Jennifer Aniston), a woman who works as a florist. It seems, however, that Burke has not been following his own advice, and in fact has not been dealing with the loss of his wife. In the end, he confesses to an audience that he was driving the car, and not his wife, as he previously maintained. Due to this, he blames himself for her death. Eloise, along with his wife's father, (Martin Sheen), help Burke move past his wife's death.
Brothers is a 2009 drama-war film starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman. Directed by Jim Sheridan, the film is based on Susanne Bier's 2004 Danish film Brothers (Brødre) which takes place in Afghanistan and Denmark. Both films take inspiration from Homer's epic poem The Odyssey. Tobey Maguire received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.
Michael Jackson's This Is It (or just called This Is It) is a 2009 American both documentary and concert film directed by Kenny Ortega that documents Michael Jackson's rehearsals and preparation for the concert series of the same name scheduled to start on July 13, 2009, but canceled due to his death eighteen days prior on June 25. The film is now the highest grossing concert movie and documentary in the history of cinema.
Avatar is a 2009 epic 3-D science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron, starring Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. The film was originally set for release on May 22, 2009, but was pushed back to allow more post-production time. It premiered in London on December 10, 2009 and was released in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2009, one day prior to its theatrical release in the United States. Released by 20th Century Fox, the film was co-produced by Lightstorm Entertainment, and focuses on an epic conflict on Pandora, an inhabited Earth-sized moon of Polyphemus, one of three fictional gas giants orbiting Alpha Centauri A. On Pandora, human colonists and the sentient humanoid indigenous inhabitants of Pandora, the Na'vi, engage in a war over the planet's resources and the latter's continued existence. The film's title refers to the remotely controlled, genetically engineered human-Na'vi bodies used by the film's human characters to interact with the natives.
Avatar had been in development since 1994 by Cameron, who wrote a 114-page scriptment for the film. Filming was supposed to take place after the completion of Titanic, and the film would have been released in 1999, but according to Cameron, "technology needed to catch up" with his vision of the film. In early 2006, Cameron developed the script, the language, and the culture of Pandora. Cameron has stated that if Avatar is successful, he hopes to make two sequels to the film.
The film was released in traditional 2D and 3D formats, along with an IMAX 3D release in selected theaters. The film is estimated to have cost over $300 million to produce, and another estimated $200 million for the distribution and other costs, thus totaling to about half a billion dollars. Avatar is being touted as a breakthrough in terms of filmmaking technology, for its development of 3D viewing and stereoscopic filmmaking with cameras that were specially designed for the film's production. Opening to critical acclaim, it earned an estimated $27 million on its opening day and an estimated $73 million after two days.
