In the second installment of this groundbreaking documentary, viewers are reintroduced to a group of children at age fourteen, seven years after their initial interviews. The film chronicles the lives of fourteen students from England who come from various social backgrounds. Topics include secondary education, hobbies and free time, personal beliefs and financial ambitions. Directed by Michael Apted. Categories: Documentary. Year: 1970.
7 Plus Seven
After being around boxing her entire life, Jackie Kallen (Meg Ryan) is only able to climb up to being an assistant to a small time boxing promoter simply because she's a woman. But, when disgruntled boxing manager Sam LaRocca (Tony Shalhoub) offers her the contract of Luther Shaw (Omar Epps), a former contender and current drug addict, as a joke, Kallen jumps at the chance. With the help of trainer Felix Reynolds (Charles S. Dutton), Kallen is able to get Shaw back into top form and lands him the title shot he thought was gone for good. Directed by Charles S. Dutton. With Kerry Washington. Categories: Biography, Drama, Sports. Year: 2004.
Against the Ropes
Alexander the Great (Colin Farrell) is barely into his twenties when he begins his conquest of the known world. By 25, he will rule 90% of it. Following the young leader as he pits his armies against the Persian Empire and beyond, this biographic epic reveals Alexander's conquests up until his death at age 33. Directed by Oliver Stone. With Anthony Hopkins, David Bedella, Jessie Kamm, Angelina Jolie, Jared Leto and Val Kilmer. Categories: Adventure, Biography, Drama, War. Year: 2004.
Alexander
Starting as an up-and-coming professional boxer, Muhammad Ali (Will Smith) punches his way through his personal and professional struggles with religion, politics and fame, eventually becoming an American icon. More than just the greatest fighter of all-time, Muhammad Ali uses his notoriety and gift for verbal fireworks to champion the Civil Rights and anti-war movements. With Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles and Jada Pinkett Smith. Directed by Michael Mann. Categories: Biography, Drama and Sports. Year: 2001.
Ali
Hilary Swank plays legendary female aviator Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly long distances, who disappeared during an attempt to fly around the world in 1937. Richard Gere plays George Putnam, a longtime friend who supported her in her ambitions, while Ewan McGregor is a young man who has a hard time accepting her for who she is. Directed by Mira Nair. With Christopher Eccleston. Categories: Biography, Drama. Year: 2009.
Amelia
Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti) is a file clerk with a dead-end job and an unsatisfying life. A chance meeting with Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak), a greeting card artist turned comic book illustrator, convinces Harvey to create his own comic centered on his working-class existence. The underground success of his work connects him with Joyce Brabner (Hope Davis), his soul mate through years spent as an independent icon. Directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman. With Chris Ambrose, Joey Krajcar, Cameron Carter and the real Harvey Pekar. Categories: Biography, Comedy, Drama. Year: 2003.
American Splendor
Antwone Fisher (Derek Luke) is a navy man with a violent past whose aggressive outbursts bring him to the attention of a naval psychiatrist (Denzel Washington). Together, they break down Fisher's barriers and force a confrontation with his painful memories. As Antwone begins a search for the family he never knew, he is supported only by his doctor and a wish for peace. Directed by Denzel Washington. With Malcolm David Kelley and Joy Bryant. Categories: Drama, Based on a True Story. Year: 2002.
Antwone Fisher
As the notorious and charismatic outlaw Jesse James (Brad Pitt) plans his next great robbery, he must battle against the men who want to capture him for fame and a fortune in reward money. Meanwhile, Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), an admire of James, joins his gang, only to become resentful of his former hero and hatch a plan to kill the fastest gun in the West. Directed by Andrew Dominik. With Mary-Louise Parker, Sam Rockwell and Sam Shepard. Categories: Crime, Drama, Western. Year: 2007.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a millionaire tycoon, but his real passion is flying. A talented businessman with eccentric habits, Hughes becomes involved in oil, casinoes and the film industry before starting a quest to create the fastest and biggest planes ever flown. While courting some of Hollywood's most beautiful women, including Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale) and Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett), Hughes is also faced with severe obsessive-compulsive behavior, that ultimately leads to his downfall. Directed by Martin Scorsese. With John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Ian Holm, Jude Law and Alan Alda. Categories: Politics, Biography, Drama. Year: 2004.
The Aviator
John Forbes Nash (Russell Crowe) is a mathematical genius studying at Princeton University when he hallucinates for the first time. As his brilliance grows, so does his mental illness, caused by schizophrenia that even his love for Alicia (Jennifer Connelly) can't fix. After accepting a job as a cryptologist for the military, Nash's delusions explode and he must defeat the insanity threatening to destroy his life. Directed by Ron Howard. With Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany and Judd Hirsch. Categories: Biography, Drama, Mystery. Year: 2001.
A Beautiful Mind
Directed by Julian Jarrold. With James McAvoy, Anne Hathaway, Julie Walters, James Cromwell and Maggie Smith. Categories: Biography, Drama, Romance. Year: 2007.
Becoming Jane
The life of Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas inspired this film. Javier Bardem, who won an Oscar for his performance in No Country for Old Men, stars as the writer, who was a strong supporter of the Castro regime until he realized he was gay. Persecuted for his sexual orientation, he became an outcast in the country he once loved and eventually moved to New York. Sean Penn and Johnny Depp play friends who had a significant impact on his life. Directed by Julian Schnabel. Categories: Biography, Drama. Year: 2000.
Before Night Falls
Bobby Darin (Kevin Spacey) is the consummate entertainer. After growing up fatherless in the Bronx and learning music and dance from his mother, Darin sets out to become a star. With an already successful music career, he makes his way into movies and meets his future wife Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth). From then on it's a balancing act between his love of performing and his family life. Directed by Kevin Spacey. With John Goodman and Bob Hoskins. Categories: Biography, Drama, Music. Year: 2004.
Beyond the Sea
The true story of how George Jung (Johnny Depp) almost single-handedly created America's cocaine industry, rising from Boston's blue-collar suburbs to become multi-billion dollar trafficker for the Colombian cartels. Rather than working in construction like his father (Ray Liotta), George pursues his own version of the American dream and ends up losing everything that ever mattered to him. Directed byTed Demme. With Penélope Cruz, Franka Potente, Rachel Griffiths, Paul Reubens, Ethan Suplee, Jordi Mollà and Cliff Curtis. Categories: Biography, Crime, Drama, Based on a True Story. Year: 2001.
Blow
Bonnie (Faye Dunaway), a small-town girl, meets and falls in love with Clyde (Warren Beatty), an up-and-coming bank robber. Together, they begin a string of violent robberies that put them in the newspaper headlines, capturing the imagination of the Depression era Mid-West. Directed by Arthur Penn. With Gene Hackman, Michael J. Pollard and Gene Wilder. Categories: Biography, Crime, Drama, Romance, Classic. Year: 1967.
Bonnie and Clyde
In the late 13th century, William Wallace (Mel Gibson) returns to Scotland to find that the king has died without an heir. After the king of England, Edward the Longshanks (Patrick McGoohan), seizes the throne and his wife (Catherine McCormack) is killed, Wallace leads a grassroots army of rebels intent on regaining Scotland's freedom from English tyranny, becoming a hero and a legend. Directed by Mel Gibson. With Brian Cox, Sophie Marceau, Peter Hanly, Angus Macfadyen and Brendan Gleeson. Categories: Action, Biography, Drama, History, History. Year: 1995.
Braveheart
Author Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is sent to write an article about the brutal murder of a family in a small Kansas town, and ends up writing a celebrated book. Capote attempts to charm the locals and work his way into the story behind the murders, but he's soon shocked to find himself forming a friendship with one of the killers (Clifton Collins Jr.). Directed by Bennett Miller. With Catherine Keener and Chris Cooper. Categories: Crime, Drama, Biography. Year: 2005.
Capote
In 1920s Los Angeles, Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie), a single mother and telephone operator, returns home from work to discover that her son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) is missing. After an unsuccessful five month search, police eventually return a boy to her who claims to be he son. When Christine refuses to accept the lie, the police brand her as a delusional, unfit mother. With nowhere left to turn, Christine gets a helping hand from Reverend Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich), who is determined to confront city authorities and expose the corruption in the LAPD. Directed by Clint Eastwood. With Colm Feore, Denis O'Hare and Jeffrey Donovan. Categories: Biography, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Based on a True Story. Year: 2008.
Changeling
In the early 1980s, Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), a womanizing US congressional representative from Texas is persuaded by his major conservative supporter, Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), to assist rebels in Afghanistan in their plight against the Soviet Union. With the help of maverick CIA agent Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Wilson dedicates himself to supplying the Afghan mujahideen with the weapons and support. But, along the way toward victory, Wilson discovers that every war has unforeseen consequences. Directed by Mike Nichols. With Amy Adams. Categories: Drama, Politics. Year: 2007.
Charlie Wilson's War
After helping to overthrow the dictatorship in Cuba, Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio Del Toro), an Argentine doctor, continues his quest to spread a worldwide peasant revolution through guerrilla warfare. Following a speech at the UN General Assembly, Guevara disappears for a time before re-emerging in Bolivia. Unable to gain the same support he enjoyed in Cuba, Guevara finds that the Bolivian campaign is his undoing, and is eventually killed by CIA backed counterinsurgency forces. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. With Julia Ormond, Rodrigo Santoro, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Joaquim de Almeida. Categories: Biography, Drama, History, War, Based on a True Story. Year: 2008.
Che
Mark "Chopper" Reed (Eric Bana) is an insanely violent small-time criminal who becomes a celebrity in Australia after writing an exaggerated account of his exploits. Chopper's gift for storytelling is shown as he relates trumped-up confessions of the crimes he has committed, which are interspersed with vivid flashbacks to his dirty deeds. Directed by Andrew Dominik. Categories: Drama, Thriller, Crime, Foreign Film. Year: 2000.
Chopper
During the Great Depression, a desperate and disillusioned country is in need of a hero. Filling that role is James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), a prizefighter too broke to even pay his rent. Despite having lost nearly everything, Braddock is determined to win again. When he does, Braddock's inspired rise to prominence captivates and inspires a nation living on its knees. Directed by Ron Howard. With Paul Giamatti and Renée Zellweger. Categories: Biography, Drama, New York, Sports. Year: 2005.
Cinderella Man
Audrey Tautou plays the title role, the legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel, known both for elegance and popularizing slacks for women. In this look at early life, Beno_t Poelvoorde plays her first mentor, who introduces her to high society. Alessandro Nivola is the young British man who steals her heart in this gorgeous-looking drama. Directed by Anne Fontaine. Categories: Biography, Drama. Year: 2009.
Coco avant Chanel
Paul Betthany and Jennifer Connelly (a real-life married couple) star in this film, a biography of the biologist Charles Darwin, whose theory of human evolution continues to cause controversy today. Darwin is fiercely committed, while Emma (Connelly), his wife, cannot accept his ideas because of her religious beliefs. Directed by Jon Amiel. With Jeremy Northam, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch. Categories: Drama, Biography. Year: 2009.
Creation
The life of American composer Cole Porter (Kevin Kline) is told through a series of flasbacks as the elderly Porter is asked to watch a play based on his life. Transported into his world, we gain insight into this artist's complicated career and love life, including the intricate story of Cole and Linda Porter (Ashley Judd), his wife who had to come to terms with and help conceal his homosexuality. Directed by Irwin Winkler. With Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette and Natalie Cole. Categories: Musical, Romance, Biography. Year: 2004.
De-Lovely
Interviews, home movies and audiotape excerpts chronicle the life of Daniel Johnston, a genius musician and artist who suffers from manic-depression. In this portrait of madness, creativity and love, viewers learn about Johnston's pursuit of his art, from carnivals to MTV, and his losing battle with his own inner demons. Directed by Jeff Feuerzeig. Categories: Documentary, Biography. Year: 2005.
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
At the age of 43, Elle France editor Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) suffers a stroke that paralyzes his entire body, except his left eye. Determined to describe his interior world and express his imagination, Bauby uses the only form of communication that he has left to blink out his memoir. Directed by Julian Schnabel. With Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze, Anne Consigny and Olatz López Garmendia. Categories: Drama, Based on a True Story. Year: 2007.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Domino Harvey (Keira Knightley) is a former Ford model who leaves the fashion world behind for the gritty, hardcore life of a bounty hunter. She gets her first taste of adrenaline by smooth taking her way out of a stand-off with a roomful of gang members. From then on, Domino is hooked to the guns, the blood and the violence. Through the years of hard work and even harder living, Ed Mosely (Mickey Rourke) and Choco (Edgar Ramirez), her mentor and his longtime partner become her family. Directed by Tony Scott. With Delroy Lindo, Mo'Nique, Macy Gray and Christopher Walken. Categories: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller. Year: 2005
Domino
Directed by Oliver Stone. With Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Frank Whaley and Kyle MacLachlan. Categories: Biography, Drama, Music. Year: 1991.
The Doors
Ed Wood (Johnny Depp) is a legendary B-movie director considered by many critics to be the worst professional filmmaker of all time. Joined by Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau), Dolores Fuller (Sarah Jessica Parker), Orson Welles (Vincent D'Onofrio) and others, this film follows the director through his turbulent career. Directed by Tim Burton. With Bill Murray, Patricia Arquette and Jeffrey Jones. Categories: Biography, Comedy, Drama. Year: 1994.
Ed Wood
A romantic drama based on the life of poet Dylan Thomas, it stars Matthew Rhys as the hard-drinking poet and Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller as the women who compete for his love. Knightley plays Vera, his first love, whom he left behind years ago. They reconnect when she is a singer in London during World War II. But he is married then to the tempestuous Caitlin (Miller), a free spirit who loves him fiercely. Although they are rivals, the two women form a close friendship. Cillian Murphy plays a soldier who falls in love with Vera. Directed by John Maybury. Categories: Biography, Drama, Romance, War. Year: 2008.
The Edge of Love
Puerto Rican salsa pioneer Hector Lavoe (Marc Anthony), one of the biggest Spanish-language singers in the 1970s, starts the salsa movement and brings it to the US. Despite his passionate relationship with his love Puchi (Jennifer Lopez) and his international recognition, Lavoe is unable to escape the temptation of drugs and his personal pain. Directed by Leon Ichaso. Categories: Drama, Music. Year: 2006.
El Cantante
With the changing religious and political tides of late 16th century Europe, Queen Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett) finds her rule challenged by King Philip II of Spain (Jordi Mollà). With Spain's powerful army and armada intent on returning England to Catholicism, Queen Elizabeth must prepare to defend her empire, while struggling with her forbidden love with Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). Directed by Shekhar Kapur. With Geoffrey Rush, Samantha Morton and Abbie Cornish. Categories: Drama, History, Biography. Year: 2007.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) is an unemployed single mom who convinces her lawyer (Albert Finney) to give her a job after he loses her case. When she begins to investigate the shady dealings of a local corporation, Erin uncovers a conspiracy involving contaminated water that is poisoning a nearby town. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. With Julia Roberts, David Brisbin, Dawn Didawick and Albert Finney. Categories: Politics, Biography, Drama. Year: 2000.
Erin Brockovich
Ernie Davis (Clancy Brown), a two-time All-American running back at Syracuse who led his team to the national championship in 1960, becomes the first black player to win the prestigous Heisman Trophy. Raised in poverty, Davis overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to become one of the greatest players in college football history. Under the guidance of his bull-headed coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid), Davis refuses to be limited by the racist rules of the day, and eventually goes on to become the first pick in the NFL draft. Directed by Gary Fleder. With Clancy Brown, Charles S. Dutton and Omar Benson Miller. Categories: Biography, Drama, Sports, Based on a True Story. Year: 2008.
The Express
In 1967, college professor Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear), a middle class father raising six kids with his wife Phyllis (Lauren Graham), invents a working prototype of the world's first intermittent windshield wiper. Succeeding where every automaker in the world has failed, Kearns believes his family will be financially secure for the rest of their lives. But, when the major auto manufacturers steal his invention and refuse to give him credit, Kearns begins a one man crusade to ensure that his life's work is acknowledged. Directed by Marc Abraham. With Dermot Mulroney, Alan Alda and Jake Abel. Categories: Drama, Biography. Year: 2008.
Flash of Genius
Robert McNamara was Secretary of Defense for John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson before becoming President of the World Bank. In this film, documentarian Errol Morris interviews this powerful figure as he looks back at the 20th century. Using archival footage, documents and the wisdom of McNamara's age, this film raises many unsettling questions about the future of America and beyond. Directed by Errol Morris. Categories: Politics, Documentary. Year: 2003.
The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara
Directed by Richard LaGravenese. With April L. Hernandez, Hilary Swank and Jaclyn Ngan. Categories: Biography, Crime, Drama. Year: 2007.
Freedom Writers
In this biographical portrait of the Mexian artist Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek), her famous works of art are woven into the story, demonstrating how her life of physical and emotional pain gave rise to her paintings. Against the backdrop of the political upheaval of the communist era, her passionate yet tumultuous relationship with her husband and fellow painter, Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina), becomes a source of angst and inspiration. Directed by Julie Taymor. With Mía Maestro, Antonio Banderas, Edward Norton, Ashley Judd, Roger Rees, Geoffrey Rush, Valeria Golino and Patricia Reyes Spíndola. Categories: Drama, Biography. Year: 2002.
Frida
Mohandas K. Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) is an Indian lawyer who rises to become the spiritual leader of his country during its revolts against Britain by preaching a philosophy of nonviolence and protest through direct action. Directed by Richard Attenborough. With Candice Bergen, Edward Fox and Martin Sheen. Categories: Politics, Biography, Drama. Year: 1982.
Gandhi
An inner city drug dealer (50 Cent), who turned to crime after his mother's death, writes lyrics to keep his sanity while living a violent life. But, after a tragedy that nearly kills him, he turns away from his gangsta lifestyle to pursue his dream of becoming a rap superstar. Directed by Jim Sheridan. With Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Joy Bryant and Terrence Howard. Categories: Biography, Crime, Drama, Music. Year: 2005.
Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Timothy Treadwell was an incredibly free spirited, sensitive animal rights activist who spent the last years of his life living amongst and tending to the grizzly bears in the natural preserves of Alaska. In October of 2003, he and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were killed by one of the grizzlies. Composed of video Treadwell filmed of his experiences, this documentary showcases the beauty and danger of wild animals and reveals Treadwell's fascinating but flawed psyche. Directed by Werner Herzog. Categories: Documentary, Biography. Year: 2005.
Grizzly Man
A drama inspired by true events about George Reeves (Ben Affleck), the actor who played Superman on the television series. After his suicide, a detective (Adrien Brody) is called in to investigate his death. The detective learns that Reeves was having an affair with the wife (Diane Lane) of a studio executive (Bob Hoskins). Was foul play involved, or did Reeves really take his own life? Directed by Allen Coulter. Categories: Biography, Crime, Drama, History, Mystery. Year: 2006.
Hollywoodland
In 1966, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (Denzel Washington), a middleweight contender, is falsely accused and convicted of a triple murder. Sentenced to life in prison, he copes with his life behind bars by writing the story of his life. Twenty years into his incarceration, high school student Lesra Martin (Vicellous Reon Shannon), inspired by Carter's autobiography, convinces a group of friends and mentors to take up Carter's cause to try and prove his innocence. To set his idol free, Martin and his team not only have to deal with a racist establishment intent on keeping Carter behind bars, but also with Carter's broken spirit and sense of hopelessness. Directed by Norman Jewison. With Dan Hedaya, Clancy Brown, Deborah Kara Unger, Liev Schreiber, John Hannah and David Paymer. Categories: Biography, Drama, Sports, Based on a True Story. Year: 1999.
The Hurricane
Dr. Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) knows that the information he holds concerning the truth about cigarette addiction and tobacco industry malpractice could open a floodgate of litigation against Big Tobacco. After Wigand contacts Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), a producer for CBS's "60 Minutes," the industry sets out to discredit the doctor and shut him down any way they can. With Bergman's backing, Wigand's story finally makes it to the air and the two men form a relationship built upon a shared struggle to reveal the truth despite personal and professional hardships. Directed by Michael Mann. With Christopher Plummer, Michael Gambon and Diane Venora. Categories: Biography, Drama, Thriller. Year: 1999.
The Insider
Based on the nonfiction bestseller, this film tells the story of Chris (Emile Hirsch), a bright young college graduate from a troubled family who decides to go off on his own and live off the land. On the road, he makes friends with a sweet teenage girl (Kristen Stewart) and a lonely widower (Hal Holbrook). His parents (William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden) and sister (Jena Malone) become frantic, since they have no idea where he is. Eventually he abandons his new friends as he heads deep into the Alaskan wilderness, determined to live by his wits alone. With Catherine Keener and Vince Vaughn. Directed by Sean Penn. Categories: Adventure, Biography, Drama. Year: 2007.
Into the Wild
Directed by Clint Eastwood. With Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. Categories: Biography, Drama. Year: 2009.
Invictus
Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg), a part-time bartender, recently lost his job as a substitute teacher and had his wife leave him, taking all of his furniture. When Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear), the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, announces that the team will be holding open try-outs, Vince decides to give it a shot despite the staggering odds against him. Encouraged by his friends at the bar, Vince is chosen as the only new addition to the team and gets the chance to live out his dream of being a professional athlete. Directed by Ericson Core. With Elizabeth Banks and Kevin Conway. Categories: Drama, Sports, Based on a True Story. Year: 2006.
Invincible
Based on two true stories, one part of the film follows master cookbook writer Julia Child (Meryl Streep) as she overcomes anti-American snobbery and male chauvinism to become an expert in French cooking in Paris in the Fifties. The other half follows Julie Powell (Amy Adams), a mixed-up young woman living in contemporary New York, who decides to make cook every recipe in Julia Child's most famous book and write about it. Directed by Nora Ephron. With Stanley Tucci, Dave Annable, Jane Lynch, Vanessa Ferlito and Casey Wilson. Categories: Biography, Drama. Year: 2009.
Julie & Julia
Edith Piaf (Marion Cotillard), the Little Sparrow, overcomes overwhelming odds to become one of the most beloved singers of the 20th century. Born into proverty in France to an alcoholic street singer and a circus performer, Piaf spends much of her early life in her grandmother's brothel and singing on street corners. After being discovered by a wealthy club owner (Gérard Depardieu), Piaf struggles with alcohol and drug addiction and intense heartache as her magical voice captivates audiences around the world. Directed by Olivier Dahan. With Jean-Pierre Martins. Categories: Biography, Drama, Music, Based on a True Story. Year: 2007.
La Vie En Rose
A young British soldier named T. E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) journeys into the heat of the Arabian desert to find Prince Feisal (Alec Guinness), leader of an Arabian army. As Lawrence spends time with the Prince, he becomes sympathetic to his cause and begins fighting along side him, becoming a legendary foreign supporter of the Arabian nation's war against the Ottoman Empire. Directed by David Lean. With Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif and Jack Hawkins. Categories: Politics, Adventure, Biography, Drama, War, History. Year: 1962.
Lawrence of Arabia
An autobiography by director Agn_s Varda, the film uses walks on the beach as a backdrop to her turbulent life. She was married to celebrated composer Jacques Demy, covered the revolutions in China and Cuba, and fought for women's rights before it was fashionable. A fascinating look at a brilliant filmmaker. Directed by Agn_s Varda. With. Categories: Documentary, Biography. Year: 2008.
Les plages d'Agnes
In Madrid in 1922, artist Salvador Dali (Robert Pattinson), filmmaker Luis Buñuel (Matthew McNulty) and writer Federico García Lorca (Javier Beltran) develop a close friendship against the backdrop of Jazz, Freud and the avant-garde. Forming an ultra-modern trio, the three friends embrace the decadence of the time and set out on a jurney of art, inspiration and forbidden love. Directed by Paul Morrison. With Marina Gatell. Categories: Drama, Independent Film, Biography. Year: 2008.
Little Ashes
This documentary explores the philosophies of Noam Chomsky. A distinguished linguistics professor, intellectual and activist, Chomsky critiques the media and American society. Directed by Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick. With Mark Achbar. Categories: Documentary. Year: 1992.
Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media
France's naïve, beautiful Austrian-born Queen, Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst), joins a monarchy rife with conspiracy and scandal after marrying King Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman). Isolated and lonely, Antoinette finds comfort in extavagant gowns, pastries and parties. But, while the Queen basks in luxury, she turns a blind eye to the poverty and unrest amongst France's working class that eventually leads to the French Revolution. Directed by Sofia Coppola. With Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Rose Byrne and Molly Shannon. Categories: Drama, History, Biography. Year: 2006.
Marie Antoinette
Cuba Gooding Jr. stars as Carl Brashear, the first African-American man to serve as a Navy SEAL. Coming from a poor family, Carl faced an uphill battle to achieve his goal, and it became even more challenging after he lost part of his leg in an accident. His mentor in the Navy, Billy Sunday (Robert De Niro), was a tough taskmaster opposed to the idea of African Americans being trained as divers who gradually came to respect Carl. Charlize Theron plays Billy's wife. Directed by George Tillman Jr Categories: Biography, Drama. Year: 2000.
Men of Honor
In 1977, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) becomes the nation's first openly gay man to be voted into public office, joining the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Using his victory to champion not only gay rights but human rights as well, Milk unites a diverse group of people from across the political spectrum with his outspoken manner and sense of humor. But, as he gains recognition and increases his public profile, Milk also faces hostility from fellow supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin), the man who would ulitmately take the lives of both Milk and Mayor George Moscone (Victor Garber). Directed by Gus Van Sant. With Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Diego Luna, Alison Pill and Lucas Grabeel. Categories: Biography, Drama, Based on a True Story. Year: 2008.
Milk
Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron), a troubled Daytona Beach prostitute, becomes the nation's first female serial killer. Amongst the horrors of murders and life on the fringes of society, a love story unfolds between Wuornos and Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), a teenager sent to live with an aunt in Florida in order to "cure her homosexuality." Directed by Patty Jenkins. With Bruce Dern, Annie Corley and Pruitt Taylor Vince. Categories: Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller. Year: 2003.
Monster
Ernesto Guevara (Gael García Bernal), a medical student, and Alberto Granado (Rodrigo De la Serna), a biochemist, set out on a motorcycle road trip through the rural areas of Latin America to discover its land and its people. On the way to do their medical residency at a leper colony, Guevara and Granado encounter the poverty and suffering of the lower classes and indigenous peoples. Both Guevara and Granado are changed by their experiences, but it is clear that Ernesto has found a new direction for his life. Directed by Walter Salles. Categories: Adventure, Drama, Biography, Foreign Film. Year: 2004.
The Motorcycle Diaries
Ron Livingston stars as Richard Pimental, a real-life advocate for the rights of the disabled who was the driving force behind the Americans with Disabilities Act. Pimental was a soldier in Vietnam who lost most of his hearing when a shell exploded near him. Back home, he received poor medical treatment and little help living with his disability. He befriended Art Honeyman (Michael Sheen), a brilliant young man confined to a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy and together they began to fight for better treatment for the disabled. Directed by Steven Sawalich. With Rebecca De Mornay, Melissa George and Hector Elizondo. Categories: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Based on a True Story. Year: 2007.
Music Within
Heath Ledger stars as Ned Kelly, the most celebrated outlaw in Australian history. Back in the 19th century, along with his sidekick, Joe (Orlando Bloom) and their gang, Kelly terrorized banks and towns all over rural Oz. In one caper, he even held an entire town hostage. Naomi Watts is an upper-class woman who falls for Ned against her better judgment. Directed by Gregor Jordan. With Joel Edgerton, Geoffrey Rush and Laurence Kinlan. Categories: Action, Adventure, Biography, Crime, History. Year: 2003.
Ned Kelly
In 1607, three ships sail from England seeking to establish a foothold on the coast of the New World. Shackled below the deck of one of the ships is a soldier of fortune named John Smith (Colin Farrell). After landing, Smith seeks the assistance of the local tribesmen and meets a beautiful young woman named Pocahontas (Q'Orianka Kilcher). While the world around them changes forever, a bond develops between this Englishman and Native American woman that transcends friendship or romance. Directed by Terrence Malick. With Christopher Plummer and Christian Bale. Categories: Adventure, Drama, History, Romance. Year: 2005.
The New World
Rap legend the Notorious B.I.G. (Jamal Woolard) rises from the tough streets of Brooklyn to become one of the most famous MCs in history. Using the hard realities of his life for inspiration, Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, leaves drug dealing behind and teams up with Sean "Puffy" Combs (Derek Luke) to provide the East Coast's answer to LA's gangster rap movement. While dealing with difficult relationships with his wife Faith Evans (Antonique Smith) and fellow rapper Lil Kim (Naturi Naughton), the pressures of celebrity and a bitter feud with Tupac Shakur (Anthony Mackie), Biggie never loses his lyrical genius and becomes an inspiration to millions of fans. Directed by George Tillman Jr.. With Angela Bassett, Marc John Jefferies and Sean Ringgold. Categories: Biography, Drama, Music, Based on a True Story. Year: 2009.
Notorious
Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) is a Danish woman living in Africa with a man she married simply for the status he offered. As she grows restless with her hectic existence and distant husband, Karen begins a relationship with Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford), a hunter and traveler who shows her a life outside the confines of her coffee plantation. Directed by Sydney Pollack. With Klaus Maria Brandauer, Michael Kitchen and Malick Bowens. Categories: Biography, Drama, Romance. Year: 1985.
Out of Africa
Jerry Stahl (Ben Stiller) chronicles his rise and fall as a television writer in Los Angeles for Kitty (Maria Bello), a woman he meets while he is in rehab. From a bed in a cheap motel, Jerry tells a darkly comedic tale of self-inflicted mental, emotional and physical pain. Directed by David Veloz. With Owen Wilson, Elizabeth Hurley, Janeane Garofalo and Fred Willard. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Romance. Year: 1998.
Permanent Midnight
Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), a renowned composer and pianist, struggles for survival amidst the violence and inhumanity of World War II. After his family is taken to a concentration camp, Szpilman spends time doing forced labor before escaping to hide in the ruins of Warsaw, scavenging for food and shelter. Just as he is losing hope and succumbing to starvation, he finds help in an unlikely place. Directed by Roman Polanski. With Emilia Fox, Thomas Kretschmann and Michal Zebrowski. Categories: Drama, Biography, War, Music. Year: 2002.
The Pianist
Jackson Pollock (Ed Harris) is a brilliant painter living in New York City in 1941. Struggling with alcoholism, his talent goes to waste until he meets Lee Krasner (Marcia Gay Harden), a fellow artist whose love for Pollock brings her to give up her own career to save his. What emerges is some of the most famous and popular artistic work of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, even the support of the people around him cannot save Pollock from his inner demons. Directed by Ed Harris. With Tom Bower, Jennifer Connelly, Bud Cort and Val Kilmer. Categories: Biography, Drama. Year: 2000.
Pollock
Chris (Will Smith) struggles as a hapless salesman while his wife (Thandie Newton) works double shifts. Despite appearances to the contrary, Chris always believes that he is on the verge of securing a small fortune. When he runs out of money, his wife leaves him and his son in an act of desperation. While the newly-evicted Chris and his son, Christopher (Jaden Smith), are forced to stay in homeless shelters, this determined father works as an unpaid intern for a prestigious stock brokerage company, hoping to secure a coveted spot as a stock broker. Directed by Gabriele Muccino. With Dan Castellaneta, Brian Howe and James Karen. Categories: Drama, Based on a True Story. Year: 2006.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Shortly after the election of Tony Blair, the death of Princess Diana shocks Great Britain and the world. In the time that follows, a power struggle develops between the Queen (Helen Mirren) and the new Prime Minister (Michael Sheen). While the Queen's mannered upbringing prevents her from making any overt emotional gestures about Princess Di's death, Tony Blair knows that such a display is just want the country and the monarchy needs. Directed by Stephen Frears. With Helen McCrory, James Cromwell, Alex Jennings and Mark Bazeley. Categories: Drama, Biography. Year: 2006.
The Queen
Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro), a determined and talented fighter, gains fame and a fortune after becoming the middlewight champion. But, his professional accomplishments are offset by a troubled domestic life full of rage, jealousy, and paranoia. His obsession with the relationship between his wife (Cathy Moriarty) and manager/brother (Joe Pesci) ends up leaving him destitute and alone. After serving time in prison on a statutory rape conviction, LaMotta seeks to mend his realtionship with his brother and works on a stand-up comedy routine. Directed by Martin Scorsese. With Frank Vincent. Categories: Drama, Sports, Biography. Year: 1980.
Raging Bull
Ray Charles (Jamie Foxx) was stricken with blindness at a young age, left defenseless against a world that had little compassion for a disabled black child. Inspired by his mother to overcome the perceived limitations of his handicap, Ray works tirelessly to cultivate his extraordinary musical talents. But, as the pressures of celebrity and life on the road take their toll, Ray must overcome racism, broken relationships and drug addiction to achieve superstardom and international fame. Directed by Taylor Hackford. With Kerry Washington, Regina King and Clifton Powell. Categories: Biography, Drama, Music. Year: 2004.
Ray
After hearing radical American journalist John Reed (Warren Beatty) give a lecture, writer Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton) flees her unhappy marriage to follow the Communist activist. After becoming involved in labor and political disputes in the US, the couple travels to Russia when John is assigned to cover the Russian Revolution. Inspired by the Communist victory, John and Louise return to the US, hoping to lead a revolution of their own. Directed by Warren Beatty. With Edward Herrmann, Jack Nicholson, Paul Sorvino, Maureen Stapleton, M. Emmet Walsh and Gene Hackman. Categories: Biography, Drama, Romance. Year: 1981.
Reds
Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a self-absorbed, greedy German businessman, opens a factory in Poland during World War II using Jewish labor. After witnessing his workers' suffering and learning of their people's barbaric treatment at the hands of the Nazis, Schindler becomes an unlikely humanitarian, turning his factory into a refuge to save Jewish lives. Directed by Steven Spielberg. With Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes and Caroline Goodall. Categories: Biography, Drama, History, War. Year: 1993.
Schindler's List
This engrossing documentary chronicles the lives of fourteen students from various social backgrounds at the age of seven. From these interviews, viewers are invited to take a look at their lives in the making with anticipation of a follow-up film that checks in on them seven years later. Topics include secondary education, hobbies and free time, personal beliefs and financial ambitions. Directed by Paul Almond. Categories: Documentary. Year: 1964.
Seven Up!
A documentary about the controversy surrounding the successful female country band, the Dixie Chicks. When singer Natalie Maines criticized then-president George W. Bush for his Iraq policy in 2003, the group was attacked by right-wing Bush supporters. The Dixie Chicks found themselves heckled in public at every turn. This film examines how they rode out the storm and grew as artists in the process. Directed by Cecilia Peck. With Emily Robison and Martie Maguire. Categories: Documentary, Biography, Music. Year: 2006.
Shut Up & Sing
Bernie Rubens (Gregg Sulkin), a lonely 12-year-old, begins to plan the perfect Bar Mitzvah. Often ignored by his parents (Eddie Marsan and Helena Bonham Carter), who are more concerned with their failing business and their troublesome elder son Terry (Thomas Drewson), Bernie envisions the event as a time for him to finally receive a little recogntion. The only trouble is that it's a World Cup year and England is set to play in the final on the same day as Bernie's party, threatening to turn the whole thing into a complete disaster. Directed by Paul Weiland. With Stephen Rea, . Categories: Comedy, Drama, Biography. Year: 2006.
Sixty Six
While searching for his next story, LA Times journalist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) happens upon Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a homeless Julliard trained musician who suffers from schizophrenia. Once a promising musical prodigy, Ayers now supports himself by playing violin and cello on the streets. While Lopez attempts to help Ayers get back on his feet and realize his dreams, the two form an unlikely bond that transforms both of their lives. Directed by Joe Wright. With Catherine Keener, Nelsan Ellis, Stephen Root, Tom Hollander, Justin Martin and Lisa Gay Hamilton. Categories: Drama, Biography, Music. Year: 2008.
The Soloist
Directed by Marc Rothemund. With Julia Jentsch, Gerald Alexander Held and Fabian Hinrichs. Categories: Biography, Crime, Drama, History, War. Year: 2005.
Sophie Scholl - Die letzten Tage
Maria (Julie Andrews), a former nun, leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess for the seven children of Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), a wealthy naval officer widower who has become a cold and strict disciplinarian. Following her arrival, Maria teaches the children the joy of singing, eventually softening the heart of their father and gaining his love. Directed by Robert Wise. Categories: Drama, Family, Musical. Year: 1965.
The Sound of Music
The true story of Ralph "Petey" Greene (Don Cheadle), a man who went from an ex-con to a popular radio talk show host and community activist in 1960s Washington, D.C. Combining soul music and outrageous social commentray, Greene made a commotion on and off the airwaves. With his fiery girlfriend (Taraji P. Henson) by his side, Greene became the voice of a community, speaking out on power and race with biting humor and poignant observations. Directed by Kasi Lemmons. With Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mike Epps, Cedric the Entertainer and Martin Sheen. Categories: Drama, History. Year: 2007.
Talk to Me
Harvey Milk was San Francisco's first openly gay Supervisor and one victim of a deadly attack by fellow Supervisor Dan White that killed Milk and Mayor George Moscone. The subsequent trial resulted in one of the most controversial criminal verdicts in American history. Directed by Rob Epstein. Narrated by Harvey Fierstein. Categories: Documentary, Biography. Year: 1984.
The Times of Harvey Milk
A documentary about the life, times and work of the Oscar-winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who wrote Spartacus, Roman Holiday and many other classics. He was blacklisted during the late Forties because he had been involved with the Communist Party, then went on to win an Oscar for a movie script, The Brave One, he wrote under a pseudonym. In interviews and archival footage, Trumbo and his friends and family recall his struggles and triumphs. Contemporary actors including Joan Allen, Michael Douglas, Brian Dennehy and Dustin Hoffman perform scenes from his work. Directed by Peter Askin. With Josh Lucas, Christopher Trumbo, Donald Sutherland and Peter Hanson. Categories: Documentary, Biography. Year: 2007.
Trumbo
At the height of WWII, Col. Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) assembles a group of high-ranking Nazi officers to carry out a plot intent on assassinating Hitler (David Bamber) and seizing control of the military in order to end the war. Codenamed "Valkyrie," after Hitler's own emergency plan to address a revolt against the German government, the operation is seen as the last chance to stop a mad man and bring justice and honor back to Germany. With everything seemingly in place and millions of lives hanging in the balance, von Stauffenberg must take matters into his own hands and accepts the charge of killing Hitler himself. Directed by Bryan Singer. With Carice van Houten, Eddie Izzard, Bill Nighy, Terence Stamp, Tom Wilkinson and Kenneth Branagh. Categories: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, Based on a True Story. Year: 2008.
Valkyrie
George W. Bush (Josh Brolin) follows in his father's (James Cromwell) footsteps to become the 43rd president of the United States. Overcoming alcoholism and discovering his Christian faith, Bush's eventful and controversial life swings from the triumph of his successful campaign to the tragedy of 9/11 and unpopular war in Iraq. Directed by Oliver Stone. With Elizabeth Banks, Thandie Newton, Ioan Gruffudd, Toby Jones, Jeffrey Wright, Scott Glenn, Ellen Burstyn and Noah Wyle. Categories: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Biography. Year: 2008.
W.
While growing up during the Great Depression, Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) quickly learns to love music. This film explores the life of this country legend, starting with his early years on a cotton farm to his rise to success. But, the focal point quickly becomes the love he shares with musician June Carter (Reese Witherspoon). Directed by James Mangold. With Robert Patrick. Categories: Biography, Drama, Music, Romance. Year: 2005.
Walk the Line
Discovering that he has no memory of an Israeli Army mission he participated in during the first Lebanon War of the early 1980s, filmmaker Ari Folman sets out on a journey to recover a piece of his life that has been missing for over 20 years. Interviewing old friends and comrades around the world, Folman begins to remember the events as a series of surreal images that lead him deeper and deeper into the mystery of this lost period. Directed by Ari Folman. With Ori Sivan. Categories: Documentary, Animation, Biography, Drama, War. Year: 2008.
Waltz with Bashir
Frankie Lyman (Larenz Tate), the singer who made the hit record Why Do Fools Fall in Love at the age of 13, died at age 25 and left behind three women, all claiming to be his widow. They come to his manager after his death staking their claims. One is a singer (Halle Berry), formerly of the Platters; one is a petty thief (Vivica A. Fox) from Philadelphia; and one is a teacher (Lela Rochon) in Georgia. Little Richard has a small role. Directed by Gregory Nava. Categories: Biography, Drama, Music. Year: 1998.
Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Stephen Fry plays the playwright famed for his wit, and infamous for his trial and conviction for homosexuality in 19th century England. Jude Law is the young aristocratic lover who treated Wilde cruelly, while Tom Wilkinson plays the young man's father. Vanessa Redgrave is another noblewoman in Wilde's circle. Directed by Brian Gilbert. With Gemma Jones, Jennifer Ehle, and Judy Parfitt. Categories: Biography, Drama. Year: 1997.
Wilde
Wyatt Earp (Kevin Costner) was one of the Wild West's greatest heroes, a family man who became a law man to bring justice to the frontier. Together with Doc Holiday (Dennis Quaid), Earp reigns in the same kind of rough and tumble bandits he would eventually face in the famous showdown at the O.K. Corral. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan. With Gene Hackman, David Andrews, Catherine O'Hara. Categories: Biography, Western. Year: 1994.
Wyatt Earp