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Indiewood Circuit

Posted: January 2, 2010

Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos)

Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Writer: Pedro Almodóvar
Producers: Esther García

Stars:

Penélope Cruz
Lluís Homar
Blanca Portillo

Tri-genre: noir romance suspense
Story Situation: dangerous love
Satisfaction Rating: above average
Maturity Rating: 13+

Plotline: Mateo (Lluis Homar) lives, lusts and writes in the dark.  He was the victim of a violent car accident fourteen years previously.  Not only did he lose his vision, but also the love of his life, Lena (Penelope Cruz).  He was a movie director and Lena was his leading lady on-set and steamy lover off-set.  But it was a secret passion because Lena was stuck in an intimate relationship with jealous aging tycoon Ernesto (Jose Luis Gomez).  The situation grows increasingly tense as Lena pulls away from the ever-suspicious Ernesto and into the arms of her true love Mateo … until the accident.

Now, under the pseudonym Harry Caine, Mateo lives a quiet life as a novelist with his past suppressed. But after an unintended drug mishap involving Diego (Tamar Novas), the son of his business partner Judit (Blanca Portillo), Mateo sits vigilantly at his bedside and entertains him by recounting the whole sad tale, revealing his suspcion that the tycoon’s son Ray (Ruben Ochandiano) may have been responsible for the fatal accident and that he may not yet be done with his underhanded deeds.  Then Judit reveals the truth that Diego is Mateo’s own son from their short fling. Suspicion now turns to her.

Posted: December 8, 2009

Case 39

Director(s): Christian Alvart
Writer(s): Ray Wright
Producer(s): Steve Golin, Kevin Misher
Star(s):

• Renee Zellweger (Best Supporting Actress recipient - Oscar/Golden Globe/BAFTA awards)
• Jodelle Ferland

Tri-genre: supernatural thriller horror
Story Situation: monster
Satisfaction Rating: good
Maturity Rating: 17+

Plotline: Family services social worker Emily (Renee Zellweger) rescues 10-year old Lilith (Jodelle Ferland) from her homicidal parents, then decides to take in Lillith until a good foster family can be found.  Soon, however, Emily discovers that Lilith brings with her a malevolent ghoul.

BRITISH COMMONWEALTH

Harry Brown

Director(s):  Daniel Barber
Writer(s):  Gary Young
Producer(s):  Keith Bell, Kris Thykier
Star(s):

• Michael Caine (Best Actor recipient - Oscar/Golden Globe, BAFTA awards)
• Emily Mortimer (Best Actress nominee - European Film awards)

Tri-genre: crime drama suspense
Story Situation: retribution
Satisfaction Rating: above average
Maturity Rating: 17+

Plotline: Elderly ex-marine Harry Brown (Michael Caine) visits his dying wife daily in the hospital while his public-housing neighborhood continues to become increasingly overrun by warring gangs and nightly violence.  When Harry’s best friend Leonard (David Bradley) is viciously murdered on the heels of his wife’s death, Harry decides to stealthily clean up the streets … vigilante-style … right under the nose of suspicious police detective Frampton (Emily Mortimer).

• Ben Barnes as Dorian
• Colin Firth (Best Actor - European Film award) as Lord Wotton
• Rachel Hurd-Wood as Sybil

Dorian Gray

Victorian London.  Handsome young Dorian (Ben Barnes) arrives from the countryside to claim his inheritance from a wealthy grandfather and is immediately taken under the wing of Lord Wotton (Colin Firth) who introduces him to the up-class nightlife and pleasures of the city.  Lord Wotton’s society artist buddy Basil (Ben Chaplin) paints Dorian’s portrait to capture the power of his youthful appearance and, when unveiled, Dorian glibly boasts he would give his soul to stay as he appears in the picture.  Soon Dorian falls in love with beautiful stage actress Sybil (Rachel Hurd-Wood) until Lord Wotton, sensing his loss of influence over Dorian, conspires to break them up.  Dorian leaves her broken-hearted, pregnant and ruined to pursue a life of debauchery as orchestrated by Lord Wotton.  Although Dorian’s outer appearance remains eternally the handsome youth in his debut portrait, the painting itself gradually captures his true inner ugliness.  Based on the novel by Oscar Wilde.