Hugh Sachs Movies
A dejected nine-year-old girl finds her dreary Christmas in Vienna magically transformed by an enchanted gift in director Andrei Konchalovsky's adaptation of the timeless holiday classic. Just as it begins to look as if Christmas is going to be a total bust, young Mary (Elle Fanning) receives a gorgeously crafted nutcracker from her adoring uncle Albert (Nathan Lane). Later, as night falls on Christmas, the Nutcracker (Charlie Rowe) springs to life, and whisks Mary away on a breathtaking tour of the place where all Christmas gifts come alive. But something is amiss in this captivating world of wonder; the malevolent Rat King (John Turturro) and his wicked mother (Frances de la Tour) are plotting to claim the entire kingdom for themselves, and when they kidnap the Nutcracker, Mary teams up with the other toys to get him back. Saving the kingdom won't be easy, though, because before Mary and her friends can rescue the Nutcracker and restore order, they'll have to discover the Rat King's one true weakness, and summon the courage to strike back when he least expects it. The film features eight new songs by Oscar winner Sir Tim Rice (Aladdin, The Lion King). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elle Fanning, Nathan Lane, (more)
A murder lifts the lid on some disturbing actions among the pupils at a well-respected school in this drama. Nigel (Tom Sturridge), a student at an exclusive British private school, has been found murdered, and police detective McKenzie (Richard Roxburgh) has been assigned to investigate. Alex Forbes (Eddie Redmayne), one of Nigel's classmates who was known to have little fondness for him, is a prime suspect and has been brought in for questioning; however, he refuses to cooperate, and Sally Rowe (Toni Collette), a forensic psychiatrist working with the police, is brought in to talk to the boy. While Alex is initially no more helpful with Sally, in time she's able to find cracks in his resistance, and he begins to discuss his interest in the Knights Templar, a medieval Christian military order. As Alex shares his belief that the benefits of some actions can outweigh their wrongs, Sally learns more about the boy, and her research turns up some surprising facts – Nigel believed both he and Alex were descended from members of the Knights Templar, they may have been responsible for the death of a schoolmate in the interest of gaining mystical powers, and Alex's father (Patrick Malahide), also the headmaster at the school, has some troubling secrets of his own. Like Minds was the first feature film from writer and director Gregory J. Read. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eddie Redmayne, Tom Sturridge, (more)
