Brigitte Bako Movies
Written and directed by Terrance Odette, Saint Monica centers on a young girl named Monica (Genevieve Buechner), whose fervent desire is to return to the Toronto church with which she grew up. Determined to play an angel in its annual Christmas procession, Monica steals a pair of wings and prepares to join the rest of the cast. Complications arise when an eccentric old woman (Clare Coulter) steals them back. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
In the opening sequence, Internet millionaire Josh (Eric Roberts) -- worth 150 million dollars -- falls to his death from the balcony to the lobby of his building after being shot in his office. As the life force drains from his 150-million-dollar body, he wonders how his life changed so drastically so fast. He examines recent events in flashback to see what went wrong. Once his story is told, his conniving partner Michael (David Lipper) recalls his version of the events, and then Josh's less-than-faithful wife (Brigitte Bako) tells her side of the story. Not until the very end does Josh know why his killer slayed him. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- 2000
In this thriller, Frank (Richard Grieco) is a career criminal who gets his girlfriend Macy (Brigette Bako) involved in a high-stakes robbery. Frank proves there's no honor among thieves when he double-crosses Macy after she's severely injured during the robbery, taking her share of the loot and leaving her for dead. But Macy makes an unexpected recovery, and she sets out to get revenge against Frank, as well as her share of the money. Also screened under the title Sweet Revenge, Die! Die! Die! also stars Greg Evigan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Grieco, Brigitte Bako, (more)
William Baldwin plays an undercover cop driven to desperation in this psychological thriller directed by former character actor Jeff Celentano. Baldwin plays Christian Box, a loose cannon detective who's still suffering from the loss of his wife when the film opens. The force reprimands Box for his hostile tendencies by assigning him a desk job. However, when his friend asks him to assist in a sting operation aimed at the man responsible for his wife's death, Box accepts in the single-minded hope that he can wreak some vengeance. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Baldwin, Brigitte Bako, (more)
- 2000
This Japanese anime series tells the story of Pai, the sole survivor of a race of immortal three-eyed beings known as the Sanjiyan Unkara who temporarily assumes the form of a human girl in a quest to recover an ancient artifact which will make her human attributes permanent. She eventually befriends young Yakumo Fuji, the son of an archaeologist who has become an expert on Sanjiyan lore. Together they set out to recover the mystical object, embarking on an adventure beyond the boundaries of life and death. The journey takes on a whole new meaning for Yakumo when he is killed in a supernatural battle and resurrected as Pai's spiritual sidekick. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Joseph Slotnick, Paula Devicq, and Brigitte Bako star in this romantic comedy about a woman who gives her fiancé his walking papers when she finds out he's still been seeing his ex-girlfriend. Saturday Night Live star Molly Shannon also appears in a supporting role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joey Slotnick, Paula Devicq, (more)
- 1994
In this futuristic science fiction drama, two firms are both on the working overtime to see who can be first to perfect a new and groundbreaking invention -- a technology that can perfectly recreate human tissue, allowing people to be replicated at will. One of the companies is a small, cutting-edge concern, while the other is a major multinational conglomerate, and in a world where such companies control the legal and judicial system (hey, are you sure this is science fiction?), beating them to the punch can have deadly consequences. The larger firm sends a team of thugs to destroy the smaller company's offices, just as inventor Ludo (Michael St. Gerard) is using himself as a guinea pig for his final tests on the replication system; things go haywire during the assault, and soon Ludo finds himself chasing his own manmade evil twin. Replikator also stars Ned Beatty, Brigitte Bako, and Ilona Staller, the latter better known as Cicciolina, the Italian adult film star who was elected to that nation's Parliament. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael St. Gerard, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1998
- R
In this drama, a popular writer fights for justice after he realizes that he helped convict the wrong man during a murder trial. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Sheffer, Costas Mandylor, (more)
20 years ago, Jana Mercer (Brigitte Bako) witnessed the brutal murder of her entire family by a ruthless serial killer, Calvin Hawks (Larry Drake). Today, Jana has isolated herself inside an apartment that's more like a fortress than a home, with her last contact with the outside world being therapy session conducted via computer. However, one day Jana discovers Calvin has hacked his way into her computer system, and with his release from prison imminent, it's only a matter of time until he also hacks into her stronghold ... and her. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Set in Los Angeles two days before the end of 1999, Strange Days introduces us to Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes), an ex-cop turned sleazy hustler who hawks the newest underground thrill on the black market: a "squid," a headpiece that allows one to transmit digital recordings of other people's thoughts, feelings, and memories into their brain; as Lenny describes it, "this is real life, pure and uncut, straight from the cerebral cortex." Lenny deals "clips" (the software) as well as "squids" (the hardware) for this new and illegal entertainment system, and while sex and violence are the most popular themes, Lenny refuses to deal in "blackjack" -- slang for snuff clips. Lenny is nursing a broken heart after his girlfriend, punk singer Faith Justin (Juliette Lewis), left him, and he spends a lot of time with clips he recorded when they were together. Faith is now involved with Philo Grant (Michael Wincott), a music business tycoon who once managed Jeriko One (Glenn Plummer), a hip-hop musician and political activist whose murder has sent L.A. into a state of chaos. When a clip emerges that shows that Jeriko was killed by L.A. police officers, Lenny finds his life in danger, and he tries to escape possible death on both sides of the law with the help of his friend Mace Mason (Angela Bassett). Strange Days was written by James Cameron in collaboration with former film critic Jay Cocks; Kathryn Bigelow directed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, (more)
- 1993
- R
While on a deep-sea diving expedition, a couple is threatened by the advances of the ship's captain, who fancies the woman. Dark Tide also comes in an unrated version with several edited scenes remaining. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Sarandon, Brigitte Bako, (more)
Actor Henry Adler (Tom McCamus) has a tenuous hold on his identity in Canadian director David Wellington's I Love a Man in Uniform. On his way to audition for a violent TV police show, he sees an officer shot in the line of duty. Using what he witnessed in his tryout, he impresses the casting director and gets the role of a tough street cop. But it's more than just a part for him: he takes his uniform home, goes out on the street, and gets mistaken for a real cop. Like Anthony John in A Double Life, he has become his character, and like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, he wants to clean the world of its filth. This film is not merely an exploration of one man's descent into madness; it is also an indictment of society's confusion of televised fiction with real life. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom McCamus, Brigitte Bako, (more)
An honest man struggles to do the right thing, even if it means breaking the law, in this drama. Artie Lewis (Michael Keaton) is a scrupulously ethical cop who believes in his work, loves his wife Rita (Rene Russo), and stands by his partner Stevie Diroma (Anthony LaPaglia). Stevie is a single parent, and when he's shot and killed on duty, his three daughters (Grace Johnston, Rhea Silver-Smith, and Blair Swanson) are left with nowhere to go. Artie and Rita want to adopt Stevie's girls, but Child Welfare Services decides that their apartment is too small for three children. Artie needs to buy a house, which would require a $25,000 down payment that he doesn't have. Desperate, Artie grabs his gun and robs Beniamino (Tony Plana), a particularly scummy drug dealer who was peripherally involved in Stevie's death. Artie uses most of the take to buy the house, and he gives the rest to Father Wills (Vondie Curtis-Hall), who runs a local orphanage. However, what Artie doesn't know is that Beniamino's girlfriend Grace (Rachel Ticotin) is actually an undercover cop who won't stand by as Artie plays Robin Hood. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Rene Russo, (more)
The omnibus film New York Stories is the product of three powerhouse filmmakers. The film is divided into three stories, each exploring a different aspect of life in the Big Apple. Life Lessons, directed by Martin Scorcese, is a Dostoevsky-like tale of the rarefied Art World, with Nick Nolte as a self-indulgent abstractionist who loves Rosanna Arquette, but can't bring himself to lie to her about her negligible artistic talents. Life Without Zoe, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is more than a little reminiscent of Kay Thompson's Eloise stories, with 12-year-old Zoe (Heather McComb) running amok at the Sherry-Netherland hotel while her parents are embarked upon a world-girdling vacation. The last and is Woody Allen's Oedipus Wrecks, wherein a schnooky lawyer (guess who?) inadvertently "creates" the Jewish Mother From Hell: thanks to a misguided magic trick, Allen's mama (the incomparable Mae Questel) becomes a huge spectral vision on the New York skyline, telling everyone within earshot about her son's inadequacies. The cinematographer lineup on New York Stories includes Nestor Almendros, Vittorio Storaro and Sven Nykvist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Nolte, Rosanna Arquette, (more)
- 1997
- NR
In this drama, an escaped convict attempts to evade his former captors. Despite his efforts to flee, however, his pursuers draw ever closer. Matters become more complex when the fugitive falls in love with a cellist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Dempsey, Brigitte Bako, (more)
