Babel

BABEL is the crowning achievement in the trilogy from the unstoppable creative pairing of screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga and director Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu, which also includes AMORES PERROS (2000) and 21 GRAMS (2003). Building upon its predecessors' method of weaving together disparate storylines, BABEL reaches new heights of ambition with a tale that, in the absence of traditional narrative and protagonist, relies on numerous incredible performances to evoke an affecting relevance by framing contemporary issues in very human struggles and mistakes. Richard and Susan (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) are a wealthy couple from San Diego who are vacationing in Morocco in order to heal after the death of their young child; their other two children are at home with their Mexican maid, Amelia (Adriana Barraza). In a complex shift of ownership to which the audience is privy, a rifle finds its way into the hands of a local herdsman's young sons (Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Caid), who recklessly take a shot at a tour bus and catch Susan in the shoulder, causing her to nearly lose her life. The distraught Richard calls home to tell Amelia of the situation, who promptly departs for Mexico to attend her child's wedding, with Richard and Susan's children in tow. Disaster thus multiplies, with the situation in Morocco ascribed to terrorists in the media, while Amelia meets with the harsh immigration policies of the Bush administration.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, a widower (Koji Yakusho) tied to the rifle in question attempts to deal with his memories and his raucous, promiscuous, deaf daughter (Rinko Kikuchi). Nearly every performance of the film is devastating, offering an intimate, emotional experience that would approach melodrama if it weren't rendered so realistically. Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto's color palette masterfully captures the muted tones of the harsh natural landscapes of Morocco and the Mexican border, as well as the fluorescent lights of Tokyo that denote another, though equally barren, end of the spectrum. The misunderstandings born of cultural, language, and class barriers are on par with those that occur between family members, depicting a world that, while connected in the least expected of ways, is also faced with a deep-seated crisis that threatens to alienate humanity from itself.

V for Vendetta

Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a young working-class woman named Evey who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man known only as "V." Profoundly complex, V is at once literary, flamboyant, tender and intellectual, a man dedicated to freeing his fellow citizens from those who have terrorized them into compliance. He is also bitter, revenge-seeking, lonely and violent, driven by a personal vendetta. In his quest to free the people of England from the corruption and cruelty that have poisoned their government, V condemns the tyrannical nature of their appointed leaders and invites his fellow citizens to join him in the shadows of Parliament on November the 5th – Guy Fawkes Day.

On that day in 1605, Guy Fawkes was discovered in a tunnel beneath Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder. He and his co-conspirators had engineered the treasonous "Gunpowder Plot" in response to the tyranny of their government under James I. Fawkes and his fellow saboteurs were hanged, drawn and quartered, and their plan to take down their government never came to pass. In the spirit of that rebellion, in remembrance of that day, V vows to carry out the plot that Fawkes was executed for attempting on November 5th in 1605: he will blow up Parliament. As Evey uncovers the truth about V’s mysterious past, she also discovers the truth about herself – and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plan to ignite a revolution, bringing freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.

Three Kings

March, 1991, the Iraqi desert. Special Forces Captain Archie Gates (GEORGE CLOONEY), U.S. Army Sergeant Troy Barlow (MARK WAHLBERG), Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin (ICE CUBE) and Private Conrad Vig (SPIKE JONZE) have spent weeks marking time in base camp while the Persian Gulf war is fought by high-tech specialists. The impersonality of the war has left the men bored and disoriented and, now that the cease-fire has become official, they’re looking forward to leaving this bleak landscape behind.

Archie Gates is a career soldier, a Green Beret who’s proven his bravery and intelligence in conflicts around the globe, but his experiences have left him cynical, detached and unwilling to take orders from those less seasoned than he is. Troy Barlow is young, capable, sincere, and homesick for his wife and baby daughter back in Detroit. Chief Elgin is a baggage handler at Detroit Airport when he’s not on active duty. Conrad Vig is a redneck who never finished high school. For him, the Army offers a chance to live out adventures he’ll embellish back home…

As the Americans prepare to dismantle their base camp and return home, Troy, Chief and Conrad unexpectedly come into possession of a map that indicates the location of a stash of Kuwaiti gold bullion stolen by the Iraqi army. While they puzzle over the map and what it implies for them, Archie Gates learns of their acquisition and takes command of the situation. In his words, "Saddam stole it from the sheiks; I have no problem stealing it from Saddam… Just one stash would be easy to take…and that would be enough to get us out of our day jobs – unless you reservists are in love with your day jobs."

Armed with little more than high expectations, the foursome jumps in a Humvee and launches its own private maneuver. Their plan is to "leave at dawn and be back by lunch." However, fate plays a trick on these AWOL treasure hunters. Their brief, single-minded foray into Iraqi territory becomes their first face-to-face encounter with the Iraqi people and the complex circumstances of life in a country at war with itself.

One misadventure leads to another, alternating grim reality with surrealistic dark humor, until the four soldiers’ mission changes radically, becoming a journey of discovery and redemption, and an adventure they’ll never forget.

Robinhood: Prince of Thieves

After being captured by Turks during the Crusades, Robin of Locksley and a Moor, Azeem, escape back to England where Azeem vows to remain until he repays Robin for saving his life. Meanwhile, Robin's father has been murdered by the Sheriff of Nottingham and when Robin returns home he vows to avenge his father's death.

Even though Marian, his childhood friend, cannot help him, he escapes to the Forest of Sherwood where he joins a band of exiled villagers and becomes their leader. With their help he attempts to cleanse the land of the evil that the Sheriff has spread.

The Road to Guantanamo

The post-9/11 climate found the U.S. government resorting to many unorthodox methods to quash the perceived threat from further terrorist attacks. None was more controversial or more headline-grabbing than the detainment camp set up in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which was constructed to imprison and interrogate Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives captured by U.S. soldiers. Prolific British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom (9 SONGS) turns his cameras on the camp with this true story of three innocent British 20-something Muslims who were captured and held at Guantanamo for two years. Winterbottom cleverly marries extensive interview footage with the three men--Asif Iqbal, Ruhel Ahmed, and Shafiq Rasifknown, collectively known as the Tipton Three--with nerve-jarring reconstructive footage of what happened to them.

After traveling to Pakistan for a wedding, the three men set out on an intrepid exploration of Afghanistan, only to find themselves captured by U.S. forces who mistook them for members of the Taliban/Al-Qaeda. The footage of the capture is intense and terrifying, with Winterbottom pulling some fearsome acting from his leads. But even that pales next to the reconstruction of their period in Guantanamo, where the men are stripped of their humanity and treated to brutal inquisition and torture methods, many of which seem untested and experimental in nature. Sometimes it's difficult to believe that one human being could treat another this way, until Winterbottom neatly intersperses more timely reminders from his interviews with the men themselves, adding further revelations to the shocking scenes the cast reenacts. Possibly Winterbottom's best film yet, THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO is must-see cinema that is likely to leave its audience shaking with rage and despair.

Rendition

Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal star in this nail-biting political thriller from director Gavin Hood (TSOTSI). Showing the price and behind-the-scenes drama of post 9/11 anti-terrorist security policies, the film focuses on the controversial U.S. practice of transporting suspected terrorists to locations outside the U.S. for intense interrogation and, as the film suggests, torture. Here, it is Egyptian-born Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally), an engineer and family man, who becomes a CIA target.

On his way home to Chicago from business in South Africa, Anwar disappears at the Washington, D.C., airport. The records show he boarded the plane, but he never returns to his pregnant wife, Isabella (Witherspoon), and small son. As Anwar is taken to an undisclosed location for questioning, several other plotlines are introduced. After his partner is killed by a suicide bomber, Douglas Freeman (Gyllenhaal), a young and relatively inexperienced CIA analyst, must step in to observe the brutal torture and interrogation of Anwar at the hands of the brutish Abasi Fawal (Igal Naor), whose own daughter has run away with the brother of a potential terrorist.

RENDITION tackles serious issues with an all-star cast that also includes a typically flawless Meryl Streep as a steely government official responsible for approving Anwar's kidnapping, and Peter Sarsgaard as old friend of Isabella who uses his political position to help her. Clever editing and solid writing contribute to the film's success by encouraging the audience to view events from multiple points of view and by never becoming preachy or one-sided.

RAMBO III

RAMBO III, which could be called "Rambo in Afghanistan," is set in 1988, near the end of the Soviet Union's involvement there. At the beginning of the film, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is living a secluded life in a Buddhist monastery in Thailand. When Rambo's close friend and mentor from the American military, Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna), asks for Rambo's help with a top-secret mission in Afghanistan, Rambo declines. Trautman goes in anyway and is captured by a ruthless Russian commander. In response, Rambo leaves his peaceful life, determined to rescue Trautman. Armed with only a handful of glow sticks and a dozen detonators, Rambo travels to Pakistan where he meets with a group of Mujaheddin freedom fighters who agree to lead him across the border into Afghanistan. On horseback, Rambo and the Mujaheddin approach the daunting Afghan landscape--high cliffs, jagged desert mountains, and networks of underground tunnels and caves. But before they even reach the prison where Trautman is held, the Russians head them off in a high-speed helicopter chase through steep ravines.

From this point forward, the action never abates. Rambo, whose complexion is a deep crimson throughout the film, scales cliffs with his bare (bleeding) hands, and defies husky guards and scores of heavily armed Russian soldiers. There are many intense parts of RAMBO III, including a disturbing look inside a shop that sells machine guns and prosthetic limbs to mine victims, and several action sequences in which Afghan soldiers use American-supplied shoulder-mount rocket launchers against the Soviets. But perhaps the most memorable scene of the film is a close-up on Rambo, alone in a dimly lit cave, where he removes a bullet from his stomach and then performs a dazzling medical trick with the leftover gunpowder.

Pitch Black

A spacecraft carrying an assortment of passengers including Riddick (Vin Diesel), a dangerous, shackled murderer between prisons, is forced to make a crash landing on a barren, triple-sunned planet after the craft suffers severe damage during a meteor shower. The ship is ripped into pieces, killing several crew members and leaving meek officer Fry (Radha Mitchell) in charge of the survivors. After two unfortunate deaths, the survivors discover that the only visible life form on the planet is a species of light-fearing, carnivorous, occasionally cannibalistic aliens dwelling in caverns beneath the desert surface.

Using a model of the planet and its suns in an abandoned research station, Fry deduces that she and her fellow travelers have unfortunately descended on the planet on the day of its first total eclipse in 22 years, giving them mere hours before they are bathed in total darkness. Only then is it safe for the hungry subterranean creatures to emerge, seeking to feed on the remaining survivors. However, the dangerous Riddick, through black market injections received in lock-up, is able to see in darkness- causing the surviving crew members to reluctantly remain dependent on the potentially harmful criminal. As the survivors are killed one by one by the hungry creatures, they realize that Riddick may be their only hope.

The Message

The film traces the growing influence of Mohammad in 7th century Arabia after returning to Mecca from a cave where he has received the Word of God. Mecca's leading merchants - including Abu Sofyan (Michael Ansara), Hind (Irene Papas), Otba (Robert Brown), and Abu-Jahal (Martin Benson) - worry that Mohammad's teachings, particularly his declaration that there is but one God, will offend visiting tribes whose false idols number in the hundreds. Mohammad's sympathetic uncle, Abu-Talib (Andre Morell), tries to intervene, but to no avail.

Mohammad's message of peace and brotherhood soon has a steadily growing list of followers, including Mohammed's warrior uncle, Hamza (Anthony Quinn), reformed soldier Khalid (Michael Forest, his voice inexplicably dubbed), freed slave Bilal (Johnny Sekka, in a role coveted by Muhammad Ali) and Mohammad's adopted son, Zaid (Damien Thomas), but the leaders of Mecca eventually drive them out of the city, and later send troops to destroy them when their message of equality for all men (and women) threaten the status quo of Arabia.

The Message is fascinating to watch partly because much of the iconography (slaves freed from their oppressive masters, an exodus through the unforgiving desert, etc.) of Christian epics like King of Kings is exactly the same and the settings are likewise familiar. To this end The Message is very accessible, and viewers intimidated by their unfamiliarity with The Koran need not worry. Unlike the Arabs of, say, Lawrence of Arabia, so alien in their customs to T.E. Lawrence, characters here are recognizable movie types while avoiding Arab stereotypes.

Malcolm X

Spike Lee brings the life of African-American leader Malcolm X (an intense Denzel Washington in an Oscar-nominated performance) to the big screen in this sprawling, epic biographical drama.

Born Malcolm Little, son of a Nebraska preacher, on May 19, 1925, he became one of the most militant leaders and charismatic spokesmen of the black liberation movement before his assassination at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City on February 21, 1965. The film sweeps through his early life as a small-time hustler and thief with his friend Shorty (Lee), his conversion to Islam in jail, and his subsequent life as a controversial spiritual leader and husband of Betty Shabazz (Angela Bassett). Malcolm's tragic assassination is presented as a conspiracy of Nation of Islam leaders; the film shows how his philosophy has been realized in the lives of others who have been moved by his words. Filmed with great visual flair by Lee, the film is a work of entertainment as much as it is a historical artifact.

Washington captures the spiritual conversion of the hero with a sincerity that is entirely as believable and ultimately moving as it was in the book that inspired the film, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X.

Lion of the Desert

This epic historical film tells the story of Libyan guerrilla leader Omar Mukhtar, who struggled to stop Benito Mussolini's invading army from seizing control of his country. Mussolini ordered General Rodolfo Graziani and his troops to destroy the Bedouin's rebellion but the Fascists weren't counting on the determination and skill of the Arab fighters. The Libyans engaged in a long and deadly war, which lasted from 1911 to 1931.

The movie focuses on the final two years of Mukhtar's resistance.

Kingdom of Heaven

"Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Speak the truth, always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. That is your oath..."
Director Ridley Scott is the master of epic cinematic storytelling with a deeply personal core, as he has shown in films like Gladiator & Blade Runner. In KINGDOM OF HEAVEN he now turns to the Crusades — that world-shaping 200-year collision between Europe and the East — to frame the tale of a young Frenchman who discovers his destiny as a knight, then lives out what that glorious title really means. Orlando Bloom stars as Balian, a blacksmith who has lost his family and nearly lost his faith. The religious wars raging in the far-off Holy Land seem remote to him, yet he is pulled into that immense drama. Amid the pageantry and intrigues of medieval Jerusalem he falls in love, grows into a leader, and ultimately uses all his courage and skill to defend the city against staggering odds. Destiny comes seeking Balian in the form of a great knight, Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson), a Crusader briefly home to France from fighting in the East. Revealing himself as Balian's father, Godfrey shows him the true meaning of knighthood and takes him on a journey across continents to the fabled Holy City.

In Jerusalem at that moment — between the Second and Third Crusades — a fragile peace prevails, through the efforts of its enlightened Christian king, Baldwin IV, aided by his advisor Tiberias (Jeremy Irons), and the military restraint of the legendary Muslim leader Saladin (Ghassan Massoud). But Baldwin's days are numbered, and strains of fanaticism, greed, and jealousy among the Crusaders threaten to shatter the truce. King Baldwin's vision of peace — a "kingdom of heaven" — is shared by a handful of knights, including Godfrey of Ibelin, who swear to uphold it with their lives and honor. As Godfrey passes his sword to his son, he also passes on that sacred oath: to protect the helpless, safeguard the peace, and work toward harmony between religions and cultures, so that a kingdom of heaven can flourish on earth. Balian takes the sword and steps into history.

James Bond: The Living Daylights

In this installment of the James Bond series, Agent 007 (Timothy Dalton) is assigned to protect a Russian defector (Maryam d'Abo) from the KGB. When the defection proves to be an elaborate ploy, Bond woos her anyway, and together they follow a trail to a crooked American arms dealer supplying weapons to Afghanistan. Dalton finally assumes the role of Bond after refusing it 16 years earlier with DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. The film is loosely based on Ian Fleming's short story.

Children of Men

CHILDREN OF MEN is not a popcorn movie. With its almost relentlessly bleak perspective on the future, Alfonso Cuarón's film doesn't make for pleasant viewing. But it's an exhilarating experience because the picture is an amazing dystopian drama that lacks all the typical trappings of the genre. Set uncomfortably close to the present, it paints a frighteningly realistic picture of the future. In 2027, every woman on earth is infertile. With the loss of the ability to have children, the world has also lost hope. Clive Owen (CLOSER) plays Theo, an Englishman attempting to make a life in a hellish world. His estranged wife (Julianne Moore) convinces him to help transport a young woman to safety. When Theo learns that the woman is pregnant, their journey takes on a significance--and a danger--he never imagined.

This is Cuarón's best film to date, a strong statement considering his wonderful HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and Y TU MAMA TAMBIÉN. Filmed using a handheld camera, the action draws the audience close, making the horror that much more real. In addition to its remarkable car-chase scenes, the film features impressive acting. With his expressive face and voice, Owen gives a nuanced performance that ranks with the best of his career. As a reclusive hippie, Michael Caine shares a charming counterculture view of the crumbling world. Chiwetel Ejiofor (DIRTY PRETTY THINGS) brings gravitas to the role of a terrorist. Just when the film threatens to overwhelm with its sense of dread, small moments of comedy show through in Owen's wry sense of humor and Caine's perfect delivery. When the credits roll, CHILDREN OF MEN leaves the audience feeling shell-shocked, not only because of its brutal prophecy, but also because of its brilliance.

Ali

Michael Mann's ALI manages to be an informative look at the career of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali and an entertaining and moving portrait of the man. The action begins with the brash young Cassius Clay's surprising victory over Sonny Liston. The film depicts Clay's conversion to Islam, his partnership with "Bundini" Brown (Jamie Foxx in a wonderfully complex turn), his friendship with Howard Cosell (a transformed Jon Voight), his principled refusal to serve in the military during Vietnam, and his subsequent problems with the law and the boxing commission. The film concludes with Ali's battle with George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle."

Will Smith delivers a worthy performance, transforming his body, face, and voice to capture the spirit of the charismatic fighter. The work of the supporting cast is superb, including Smith's real-life wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Marvin Gaye's daughter, Nona Gaye, as the women in Ali's life. Mann brings the viewer in close to the boxing action, effectively depicting Ali's unique grace and quickness, and the violent frenzy of the sport. The film shows the familiar public figure of fights and press conferences, and also gives a glimpse of the quiet, thoughtful private life of Ali.

The 13th Warrior

Director John McTiernan takes viewers back to 900 A.D. in THE 13th WARRIOR. After courting "an untouchable" Muslim princess, Ahmed (Antonio Banderas) is banished and sent North as an emissary. When traveling from Baghdad to Saqaliba, he stumbles into an encampment of Vikings. At first repulsed by their Nordic ways, Ahmed soon grows fond of the Northerners and joins their party. When news is brought that a horde of flesh eating monsters are ravaging the land, the mystic Oracle ordains that a group of 13 must travel to fight their evil doings. Twelve Nordes from the party are chosen, Ahmed, a Muslim, is picked as the thirteenth. Knowing that defeat is imminent, the 13 warriors must undergo indeterminable odds to battle and rid the land of the horrific flesh eaters.

The 13th Warrior is an epic tour de force created by two of Hollywood's most ingenious people: Michael Crichton (JURASSIC PARK, LOOKER) and John McTiernan (PREDATOR, THE LAST ACTION HERO). Its sheer epic scale and style make it an astonishing spectacle. Never before has such detail and large scale beauty been present in a Viking film.