President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) is a successful politician, but he's also a widower with a young daughter. When he overhears environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade's (Annette Bening) unguarded criticism of his policy, he is intrigued. But can the country accept a president with an active love life? Directed by Rob Reiner. With Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Richard Dreyfuss and Samantha Mathis. Categories: Politics, Comedy, Drama, Romance. Year: 1995.
The American President
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
Chance (Peter Sellers) is a mentally handicapped gardener confined to the house of the old man who supported him all his life. When his benefactor dies, Chance is thrown out into the streets, knowing nothing except what he has heard on television. When an encounter on the street brings him together with Benjamin (Melvyn Douglas) and Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine), Chance's simple-minded utterances become the basis for a move into serious politics. Directed by Hal Ashby. With Jack Warden and Richard A. Dysart. Categories: Politics, Drama, Comedy, Based on a Novel. Year: 1979.
Being There
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
Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is a private detective working the case of a murdered engineer. Hired by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway), the dead man's wife, Gittes uncovers a real-estate conspiracy involving millions of dollars in undeveloped land. During his investigation, Gittes gets mixed up with Noah Cross (John Huston), the murdered man's one-time business partner and a powerful suspect in this murky case. Directed by Roman Polanski. With Diane Ladd and Perry Lopez. Categories: Politics, Cult Classics, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller. Year: 1974.
Chinatown
In a futuristic and violent Britain, Alex (Malcolm McDowell), a maniacal young killer, and his gang of thugs rape and murder at will, terrorizing anyone unfortuante enough to cross their path. But, when his gang turns on him, Alex is captured by the police and forced to undergo a powerful brainwashing treatment in exchange for shortened jail time. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. With Patrick Magee. Categories: Politics, Cult Classics, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller. Year: 1971.
A Clockwork Orange
Jody (Forest Whitaker) is a British soldier captured by an IRA terrorist named Jude (Miranda Richardson). Fergus (Stephen Rea), an IRA terrorist, befriends Jody until the kidnapping goes wrong and heflees to London. There, Fergus finds Dil (Jaye Davidson), Jody's lover, and begins seeing her under a false identity. However, Dil has an incredible secret of her own. Directed by Neil Jordan. With Stephen Rea, Adrian Dunbar and Joe Savino. Categories: Politics, Cult Classics, Drama, Romance, Thriller. Year: 1992.
The Crying Game
Charles H. Calthrop (Edward Fox), aka The Jackal, is an elite international assassin hired by members of the defunct French Foreign Legion to kill President Charles DeGaulle. As he scouts around 1960s Paris, his incredibly thorough planning makes this a hit he seemingly can't miss, but fate has more in store for him. Directed by Fred Zinnemann. With Terence Alexander, Michel Auclair and Alan Badel. Categories: Politics, Thriller. Year: 1973.
The Day of the Jackal
Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) thinks he has a simple plan. All he has to do is rob a bank and he'll be able to pay for his lover's sex-change operation. What he gets is a complicated, day-long standoff in a New York City bank, where nothing goes as planned. Directed by Sidney Lumet. With John Cazale, James Broderick and Charles Durning. Categories: Politics, Crime, Drama, Thriller. Year: 1975.
Dog Day Afternoon
A fatalistic American general (Sterling Hayden), convinced that Russia is trying to corrupt the American people, begins a countdown to nuclear holocaust that a council of politicians and generals, including Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, frantically tries to stop. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. With Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens and James Earl Jones. Categories: Politics, Cult Classics, Comedy, War. Year: 1964.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is a successful lawyer who stumbles upon evidence of a high-stakes political murder conspiracy. Hunted by a rogue NSA agent (Jon Voight) and his henchmen, Dean must turn to a surveillance expert and former spy (Gene Hackman) to help him escape the network of assassins coming after him. Directed by Tony Scott. With Jason Lee, Lisa Bonet, Barry Pepper and Stuart Wilson. Categories: Politics, Action, Drama, Thriller. Year: 1998.
Enemy of the State
The collapse of Enron, the energy giant once listed as the 7th largest company in America, caused one of the biggest corporate scandals in history when executives walked away with over one billion dollars while over 20,000 people lost their jobs. Directed by Alex Gibney. Starring Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling and Gray Davis. Categories: Politics, Documentary. Year: 2005.
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
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
When terrorists hijack an airplane flying to Washington, D.C., intelligence expert David Grant (Kurt Russell) convinces the military to let him accompany a crew of soldiers boarding the plane in mid-air and rescue its passengers. When the team discovers a bomb aboard, Grant must race against time to subdue the terrorists and dismantle the explosives. Directed by Stuart Baird. With Steven Seagal, Halle Berry, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt and Joe Morton. Categories: Politics, Action, Adventure, Thriller. Year: 1996.
Executive Decision
Guy Montag (Oskar Werner) is a firefighter in a future society where books have been banned because of their subversive effect on the public. Unable to handle his restricted world, Montag begins a relationship with an illegal book collector and begins questioning the totalitarian world he lives in. But, his growing awareness could cost him his marriage to Linda (Julie Christie) or even his life. Directed by Francois Truffaut. With Cyril Cusack and Jeremy Spenser. Categories: Politics, Sci-Fi, Drama, Based on a Novel. Year: 1966.
Fahrenheit 451
Unconventional documentarian and troublemaker Michael Moore takes on George W. Bush and the War on Terror. Focusing on the events surrounding 9/11, Moore uses footage of celebrities, politicians, soldiers and families affected by the event and its aftermath to make his case that Bush failed in his duty to protect the country. Directed by Michael Moore. Categories: Politics, Documentary, War, Expose. Year: 2004.
Fahrenheit 9/11
Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise) is an up-and-coming lawyer whose powerful job in a prestigious law firm becomes a desperate bid for survival. While the luxurious benefits of his employment initially hide the company's dark side, the truth becomes too great to ignore when two Associates are murdered and the FBI request Mitch's help solving the case. With his life in danger, Mitch must decide who is a greater threat: the FBI or the Firm. Directed by Sydney Pollack. With Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris and Holly Hunter. Categories: Politics, Thriller, Drama. Year: 1993.
The Firm
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
In 1977, after three years of silence, former president Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) agrees to sit down with British talk show host David Frost (Michael Sheen) to discuss his time in office and answer questions about the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. While Nixon intends to take advantage of the situation and use Frost to exonerate himself, Frost is more concerned with getting financial backing and selling the project to major networks. But, once the interviews begin, Frost realizes the importance of the meeting and sets out to deliver the truth. Directed by Ron Howard. With Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Toby Jones and Matthew Macfadyen. Categories: Drama, Based on a True Story, Politics. Year: 2008.
Frost/Nixon
Lt. Jordan O'Neill (Demi Moore) is the first woman ever allowed to go through Navy SEALs training. With a dropout rate of 60% for men, no one believes that she will be able to hack it. O'Neill is determined to prove them wrong, but the physical and mental abuse she experiences threatens to end more than her career. Directed by Ridley Scott. With Viggo Mortensen, Anne Bancroft and Jason Beghe. Categories: Politics, Action, Drama. Year: 1997.
G.I. Jane
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
Tom Hollander plays Simon Foster, the British secretary of state, while James Gandolfini is a highly placed American general. These two men agree on something important: They don't want a war. But the British prime minister and the American president want one very much. The American general and the British politician have just 24 hours to figure out how to stop their heads of state from starting a bloodbath. Directed by Armando Iannucci. With Chris Addison, Anna Chlumsky, Peter Capaldi, Gina McKee and Mimi Kennedy. Categories: Comedy. Year: 2009.
In the Loop
When John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas, Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner), an attorney from New Orleans, believes that the FBI isn't telling the whole story. As he begins a one man search for the truth, the details of that terrible day are revealed as the only criminal investigation connected to the assassination is brought to trial. Directed by Oliver Stone. With Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman, Vincent D'Onofrio, Joe Pesci, Walter Matthau, Sissy Spacek, Donald Sutherland and Jack Lemmon. Categories: Politics, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, History. Year: 1991.
JFK
When Frank White (Christopher Walken), a drug lord with a twisted sense of morality, is released from a long stint in prison, he comes out with a unique plan. He's decided to take down all his competition and use a portion of his profits to help the poor and homeless citizens of his city. But, when negotiations with his fellow gang leaders turn bloody, Frank is forced to return to his ruthless ways. Directed by Abel Ferrara. With David Caruso, Laurence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes and Steve Buscemi. Categories: Politics, Action, Drama, Crime, New York. Year: 1990.
King of New York
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
Elle Woodes (Reese Witherspoon), a beautiful, blonde sorority queen, seems to have the perfect life until her boyfriend (Matthew Davis) dumps her for being too ditzy. Determined to get back at him, she follows him to law school, cleverly finding her way into Harvard. Faced with doubters at every turn, Elle uses her enthusiasm and attention detail to become a top student and successfully defend a former member of her sorority accused of murder. Directed by Robert Luketic. With Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Ali Larter and Jennifer Coolidge. Categories: Politics, Comedy. Year: 2001.
Legally Blonde
After being discharged from the Army, Colonel William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) takes his three sons (Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn and Henry Thomas) and moves to the mountains of Montana in order to escape the corruption of early 20th century American society. As the three brothers grow up in the wide, open country, they become inseparably close. But, when Samuel returns from Harvard with the beautiful Susannah Fincannon (Julia Ormond), the resulting romantic feud sets of a series of tragedies, stetching from World War I through Prohibition, that rip the family apart. Directed by Edward Zwick. With Karina Lombard. Categories: Politics, Drama, Romance, Western. Year: 1994.
Legends of the Fall
Chuck Yeager (Sam Shepard), the first man to break the sound barrier, and the astronauts in the Mercury 7 program, including U.S. Marine John Glenn (Ed Harris) and U.S. Navy pilot Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn), rely on their exceptional skills and incomparable courage to become heroes during the early days of the US space program. Competitive and uncompromising, these pioneers blaze a trail toward the future, forming a lasting bond under the gruelling conditions of the Cold War. Directed by Philip Kaufman. With Dennis Quaid, Barbara Hershey, Veronica Cartwright and Jeff Goldblum. Categories: Politics, Adventure, Drama, History. Year: 1983.
The Right Stuff
After escaping from Cuba, small time hood Tony Montana (Al Pacino) rises through Miami's violent criminal underworld to gain the power and wealth he so desperately craves. Montanta secures his position as a top druglord by killing gangster Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia) and marrying his mistress (Michelle Pfeiffer). But, his relentless pursuit of power and an astronomical cocaine habit lead Montana to ruin, as a rival gangster competes to take over his empire. Directed by Brian De Palma. With Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Steven Bauer. Categories: Politics, Cult Classics, Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller. Year: 1983.
Scarface
Dicky Pilager (Chris Cooper) is a down-home politician running a gubernatorial campaign in Colorado. With his bad grammar and likeable simplicity, he's a popular choice with the people until he pulls in a corpse while pretending to fish in an environmental political ad. Knowing it can't be a coincidence, his campaign manager, Chuck Raven (Richard Dreyfuss), hires a private investigator (Danny Huston) to find out who planted the corpse. As the mystery unravels, it becomes clear that dozens of people are implicated in the damaging event. Directed by John Sayles. With James Gammon, Billy Zane, Maria Bello, Tim Roth and Daryl Hannah. Categories: Politics, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Year: 2004.
Silver City
CIA operative Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) thought he was done. After years of top-secret service protecting his country, Muir is only days away from retirement when he learns that his protégé, Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), has been arrested for espionage in China. Memories of his early encounters with Bishop as a young rookie in Vietnam spur Muir forward as he tries to save his friend's life. But, as Bishop's situation turns from bad to worse, his infatuation with a mysterious woman (Catherine McCormack) threatens his own survival. Directed by Tony Scott. Categories: Politics, Action, Drama, Thriller. Year: 2001.
Spy Game
Team America is an international police force fighting for justice and global stability. When North Korean dictator Kim Jong II tries to destroy the world, Team America must recruit Broadway actor Gary Johnston (Trey Parker) to go undercover and help them take down the dictator before he can complete his evil plan. Directed by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. With Matt Stone, Kristen Miller, Masasa, Daran Norris and Phil Hendrie. Categories: Politics, Action, Adventure, Comedy. Year: 2004.
Team America: World Police
When a British battleship vanishes in the South China seas, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is the man they call. As Bond begins to investigate, he connects the case to Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce), a maniacal media mogul with an insatiable ego. Working with a member of the Chinese Security Force (Michelle Yeoh), Bond must try to prevent Carver from starting a war simply for the television ratings. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode. With Teri Hatcher, Judi Dench and Vincent Schiavelli. Categories: Politics, Action, Adventure, Thriller, James Bond. Year: 1997.
Tomorrow Never Dies
One of the president's top advisors (Robert De Niro) joins with a Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) and a PR agent (Anne Heche) to artificially create a war to take the attention away from the President's misdeeds. Directed by Barry Levinson. With Denis Leary and Willie Nelson. Categories: Politics, Comedy. Year: 1997.
Wag the Dog