Jim Norton Movies

Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, and Asa Butterfield star in Little Voice writer/director Mark Herman's adaptation of John Boyne's novel concerning the forbidden friendship that between an eight-year-old German boy and a Jewish concentration camp prisoner in World War II-era Germany. The innocent son of a high-ranking Nazi commandant, Bruno has been largely shielded from the harsh realities of the war. When Bruno discovers that his father has been promoted and that their family will be moving from Berlin into the countryside, he doesn't take the news well. Increasingly bored in his sprawling yet dreary country abode and forbidden by his mother from exploring the backyard, young Bruno searches for something to do while his older sister plays with dolls and vies for the attention of handsome Lieutenant Kotler (Rupert Friend). One day, bored and gazing out his bedroom window, Bruno spies what first appears to be a nearby farm; his parents refuse to discuss it, and all of the inhabitants there are curiously clad in striped pajamas. But while Bruno's mother naïvely believes the "farm" to be an internment camp, her husband has sworn under oath never to reveal that it is in fact an extermination camp specifically designed to help the Nazis achieve their horrific "Final Solution." Eventually defying his mother's rules and venturing out beyond the backyard, Bruno arrives at a barbed wire fence to find a young boy just his age emptying rubble from a wheel barrel. Like Pavel, the kitchen worker who cooks all of Bruno's meals, the young boy is wearing striped pajamas. His name is Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), and before long the two young boys become fast friends. But the closer these two boys grow, the more Bruno becomes awakened to the horrors unfolding all around them. His mother is catching on quickly as well, a fact that causes great tension in her marriage to Bruno's father. Later, after Bruno swipes a piece of cake for Shmuel, Lt. Kotler accuses the Jewish boy of stealing and delivers a swift punishment. When Bruno's father announces that the young boy and his mother will be going to live with their aunt in Heidelberg, Bruno grabs a shovel and makes his way to the camp, setting into motion a tragic and devastating sequence of events. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Gustav Klimt was one of the most celebrated Austrian artists of the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century, and between 1900 and 1907 a wealthy gentleman from Vienna, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, commissioned five paintings by Klimt. In her will, Ferdinand's wife Adele bequeathed the valuable canvases to their nieces and nephews, including Maria Altmann, who was born in 1916. Like her wealthy aunt and uncle, Maria was Jewish, and when Austria willingly surrendered to an invasion by German forces in 1938, her family fled to the United States. The Gustav Klimt paintings that belonged to Maria's family -- including the one that was meant to be left to her -- were stolen by Nazi troops, and after the war they ended up in an Austrian state art museum. It wasn't until the late 1990's when Maria Altmann's family discovered Adele Bloch-Bauer's will that they realized that she'd been robbed of a fortune in art. With the help of attorney Randol Schoenberg, Maria Altmann took the Austrian government to court to win back her family's property, a legal battle that eventually went all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Stealing Klimt is a documentary which examines Altmann's efforts to win back the paintings her family lost in the war, as well as Austria's reluctance to atone for (or acknowledge) crimes committed during the Third Reich. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A young man has a hard time getting crime to pay better than honest work in this comedy-drama from Australia. When Jack Flange (Alex O'Lachlan) gets word that his sister Nikki (Claudia Harrison) has been in a serious auto accident, he leaves his home in Sydney and travels to the small seaside community where she lives. Money is tight for Nikki, so Jack looks for a job to help out; however, the best he can do is working for Brownie (David Field), who runs an oyster farm with his father Mumbles (Jim Norton). Jack soon learns that oyster farming is tough, physically punishing work, and while Brownie would be a difficult boss on the best of days, the fact that his ex-wife Trish (Kerry Armstrong) has opened a competing business has made matters significantly worse. Wanting more money and less labor, Jack steals a cache of money from an armored car, and to help cover his tracks mails the cash to himself. However, when the money never arrives in the mailbox, Jack wonders if someone has made off with his ill-gotten gains -- and if the law might be after him. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

U.K. filmmaker John Deery makes his writing and directing feature debut with the religious drama Conspiracy of Silence, dealing with the controversial topic of reforming the Catholic Church. At an Irish seminary school, student Daniel McLaughlin (Jonathan Forbes) is caught in a compromising position with fellow male student Noel (Owen McDonnell). He is subsequently kicked out of school and considers marrying his ex-girlfriend Sinead (Catherine Walker). Meanwhile, reporter David Foley (Jason Barry) investigates the suicide of HIV-positive priest Father Sweeney (Patrick Casey). Foley learns that Sweeney was romantically involved with former priest Matthew Francis (John Lynch), but Monsignor Thomas (Fintan McKeown) resorts to unjust tactics in order to cover up the story. Brenda Fricker also appears as Daniel's mother. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

A luckless gambler finally finds the secret to picking winners at the track -- a head in a jar -- in this comedy. Brendan (Robbie Coltrane) is a janitor at a university who has a fondness for gambling, especially betting on horse races. However, he doesn't have much skill at it, and poorly considered bets have drained the bank account he'd set aside for his daughter's education. Brendan's wife (Brenda Blethyn) has made Brendan promise to give up gambling, but when their daughter announces she's just been accepted to Trinity College in Ireland, Brendan has to come up with the tuition money, and fast. While doing his sweeping at work, Brendan makes a remarkable discovery -- the preserved head of an aboriginal tribesman who, under proper conditions, can pick the winners in horse races. Despite his promise to his wife, Brendan takes his new discovery and puts it to work forecasting upcoming races, and while the head's predictions are as good as gold, Brendan soon finds not everyone is happy about his new run of good luck. His wife is angry that he's gambling again, mobsters want to know what his secret is, a scholar from Australia insists that the head be returned to the people of his tribe, and a dean at the college (Dan Aykroyd) has some questions for Brendan about his discovery. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Walter Koenig returns as B5's pesky nemesis, Psi Cop Bester. On this occasion, Bester and the crew are obliged to form an uncomfortable alliance. The mission: to capture and neutralize Lindstrom (George Gerdes), the dealer of a dangerous telepathic drug. Main complication: G'Kar may be on the verge of becoming addicted to the deadly "dust." Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "Dust to Dust" was first syndicated during the week of February 5, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Both Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce) are jockeying for membership in the ultra-exclusive Empire Club. When the brothers find out that the club has only one opening, both men try to wreck each other's chances when they find out there's only one opening. In addition to the expected sibling rivalry run amok, this episode contains two pointed references to the TV series Cheers, both of them major sources of embarrassment for the huffy Frasier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

June Lockhart, who previously appeared with Babylon 5 regular Bill Mumy on Lost in Space, guest-stars as Laura Rosen, an unlicensed doctor. Though Dr. Franklin welcomes the "miracle" cure for all diseases developed by Rosen, he cannot shake the feeling that something is seriously amiss. Meanwhile, Talia participates in the "execution" of a condemned man's personality, while Londo and Lennier embark upon a wild B5 pub crawl. Originally titled "The Resurrectionist", "The Quality of Mercy" was written by J. Michael Straczynski. When the episode originally aired on August 17, 1994, it was advertised as Babylon 5's first-season finale -- though there was still one more episode, "Chrysalis", in the series' manifest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mike Newell directs Jim Sheridan's screenplay (based on a story by Tim Palmer) in this enchanting and magical modern-day fairy tale. Gabriel Byrne plays Papa Reilly, a widower who lives with his two young sons, Ossie (Ciaran Fitzgerald) and Tito (Ruaidhri Conroy), in the slums of Dublin. There seems to be no hope for their bleak existence until the children's grandfather (David Kelly) arrives. Accompanying him is a beautiful and imposing white stallion named Tir na nOg, a magical creature from ancient Irish legends. The stallion takes a shine to the boys and they love the horse in return. But a legion of corrupt police plot to impound the horse for the purpose of selling it to a rich businessman. Ossie and Tito sneak off to rescue Tir na nOg. Grabbing the stallion, they get their father and, as the police chase after them, they make their way west. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Harry Connick Jr. guest stars as Russell Boyd, cousin of Cheers bartender Woody (Woody Harrelson). Smitten by Rebecca (Kirstie Alley), Russell begins composing special songs for her; but his ardor doesn't stop there. Meanwhile, Cliff (John Ratzenberger) angrily protests the new postal uniforms, little realizing he's being set up for an elaborate practical joke. This is the episode in which Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) first appears with his trademark beard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In a futuristic world, the U.S. is ruled by a repressive government that bans most forms of media. As part of the enforcement, a cop (Billy Zane) is sent to the rebel state of Megaville on an undercover mission to infiltrate an unlawful media organization. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

The made-for-TV Sakharov stars Jason Robards as famed Soviet nuclear physicist D. Andrei Sakharov. Lauded by his government for his scientific achievements, Sakharov nonetheless becomes an outspoken critic of Russia's human rights violations. He is reclassified as a "non-person" and exiled to the cloistered city of Gorky. He is also awarded the 1975 Nobel Peace Prize. Originally slated for a September 1984 premiere, Sakharov debuted over the HBO cable service on June 20. This coincided with Sakharov's internationally publicized hunger strike, designed to secure much-needed medical attention outside the Soviet Union for his second wife, Dr. Yelena Bonner (played in the film by Glenda Jackson). Sakharov was filmed in England and Austria with two separate crews. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After she's attacked while travelling abroad, a woman becomes extremely suspicious of every male she encounters. When she finds out that her attacker has not been caught, she is sure that her attacker intends to return. ~ All Movie Guide