Richard Styles Movies

A thieving art auctioneer seeks the help of an alluring hypnotherapist in order to repair his damaged memory and recover the treasured Goya painting that he stashed following a brazen heist in this kinetic thriller reteaming Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle with Trainspotting and Shallow Grave screenwriter John Hodge. Adapted from the 2001 made-for-television feature by writer/director Joe Ahearne (who collaborated with Hodge on the screenplay), Trance finds prominent art auctioneer Simon (James McAvoy) dealing with brain damage after he teams with crime boss Franck (Vincent Cassel) to steal a Goya from an auction, then tries unsuccessfully to double-cross his fierce accomplice. In response, Franck knocks Simon unconscious with a vicious blow to the skull, wiping out any memory concerning the whereabouts of the prized painting. When Simon claims to have no recollection of where he hid the stolen masterpiece, Franck and his crew grudgingly agree to let talented hypnotherapist Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) try and pinpoint its location. Now, the deeper Elizabeth probes into Simon's subconscious, the more complex the mystery seems to grow. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

An MMA champion is forced to take part in a series of vicious fights to the death in order to free his terrified girlfriend from a psychotic millionaire and retired fighter in this bone-crunching action opus starring Stephan "The American Psycho" Bonnar. Upon learning that his girlfriend has been kidnapped by the ruthless Lucien Gallows, celebrated war hero Troy Jennings (Bonnar) prepares to face off against eight powerhouse brawlers to win her freedom. Only once he has defeated each of his formidable opponents and become the first ever to defeat Gallows will Jennings finally be able to walk away from the brutal world of underground fighting. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The world's most famous team of astronauts-cum-superheroes returns in the effects-heavy sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. As the story opens, Sue Storm (aka The Invisible Girl [Jessica Alba]) and Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic [Ioan Gruffudd]) prepare for their upcoming, superhero-studded wedding celebration. But Reed cannot stay focused on the nuptials -- he's distracted by wire reports of a bizarre, comet-like object hurtling toward the Earth with tremendous force, triggering brownouts, blackouts, tropical storms, and various other climatological disasters. When the said object hits the island of Manhattan, destroying much of the city in its wake, its identity becomes resoundingly clear. "It" is actually a "he" -- a psychotic villain known as The Silver Surfer (voice of Larry Fishburne) who intends, for some unascertainable reason, to destroy much of the Earth, just as he obliterated dozens of planets before it. Feeling compelled to rally their old gang and save the day, Sue and Reed summon Ben Grimm (aka The Thing [Michael Chiklis]) and Johnny Storm (aka The Human Torch [Chris Evans]) to take on the Surfer -- and end up battling not only him, but an obnoxious Army general (Andre Braugher) and the cantankerous Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), who has broken out of his icy prison that held him captive at the end of the first movie. Tim Story returns to direct this sequel. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Based on author Helen Fielding's sequel to Bridget Jones's Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason picks up four weeks after the original film left off, with Bridget (Renée Zellweger) emotionally satisfied at long last with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), her barrister boyfriend. Stability in Bridget's life, however, quickly becomes a contradiction in terms. Though Mark is openly supportive of Bridget's eccentricities -- and there are many -- she is nonetheless threatened by Mark's young, nubile intern, not to mention irked at finding out that he is, among other less desirable qualities in her eyes, a conservative voter. Complicating issues further is the reentrance of her ex-lover, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), whom Jones, perhaps mistakenly, thought she had finally gotten over. Before long, the situation escalates into another series of embarrassing circumstances for Bridget, who is faced once again with a crippling feeling of self-doubt and has only her diary and friends to combat it. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

British filmmaker Mike Barker directs the political costume-drama To Kill a King. Set in 1645 at the end of the English Civil War, General Thomas Fairfax (Dougray Scott) celebrates the victory with his right-hand man Oliver Cromwell (Tim Roth). While, King Charles I (Rupert Everett) is held prisoner, he appeals to the sensibilities of Fairfax's wife, Lady Anne (Olivia Williams). The old friends disagree over what to do about the king; Fairfax is willing to compromise and Cromwell is far more strict. The Speaker of the House, Denzil Holles (James Bolam), leads a group of conspirators to make an illegal deal with the king, but they are discovered and subsequently punished. The king is put on trial and executed, making Cromwell in charge. The conclusion involves a reunion between Fairfax and a dying Cromwell. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Loosely based on the 1958 comedy The Reluctant Debutante starring Sandra Dee, the family-friendly comedy What a Girl Wants features popular Nickelodeon teen star Amanda Bynes in her first feature-starring performance after her debut in Big Fat Liar. She plays teenager Daphne Reynolds, who lives in New York City with her musician mother, Libby (Kelly Preston). After she turns 17, Daphne is undecided about her future, so she takes off by herself to London in search of her father. She immediately meets cute musician Ian (Oliver James) before sneaking in to her father's estate to surprise him. He turns out to be Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a fabulously wealthy aristocrat who doesn't even know that she exists. He had met her mother in Morocco and the two were married in a tribal ceremony. Upon their return to England, she left him and went back to the U.S. without ever revealing that she was pregnant. The uptight Henry is already flustered by his campaign for election, advised by doting aide Alistair Payne (Jonathan Pryce). His no-nonsense fiancée, Glynnis (Anna Chancellor), and her bratty daughter, Clarissa (Christina Cole), are threatened by Daphne's presence, thinking that she will hurt Henry's political aspirations by causing a scandal. However, the family matriarch (Eileen Atkins) takes a liking to her and she soon finds herself trying to liven things up at several stuffy aristocratic parties. Meanwhile, the evil Glynnis and Clarissa conspire against her by trying to sabotage her appearance, leading up to the conclusion at Daphne's very own coming-out party. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

In Neil LaBute's film adaptation of A.S. Byatt's Booker Prize-winning 1990 novel, Aaron Eckhart (who has starred in all of LaBute's films) plays Roland Michell, an American academic researcher, working in London, who discovers some important letters written by a famous Victorian poet, Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam [Gosford Park]). Ash was presumed to have been totally devoted to his wife, but Roland finds letters written to another unnamed woman, and soon determines that the intended recipient was another, less well-known poet, Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle of Sunshine). Roland contacts Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow), an expert on LaMotte's life and work, who tells him that LaMotte couldn't have had an affair with Ash because she lived most of her life with a female companion, Blanche Glover (Lena Headey), in what was apparently a romantic relationship. Despite Maud's skepticism, the two begin to investigate, and uncover a wealth of information about the affair between the two poets. Period scenes of the illicit relationship between Ash and LaMotte are intercut with the contemporary investigation of the two academics. Roland and Maud initially fight their attraction to each other, but as the pair find more evidence of the historical and tragic romance, they find themselves overcoming their own resistance to romantic entanglement. Possession was kicked around as a film project for a long time before LaBute became interested. Director Sydney Pollack originally was slated to film a screenplay by David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), who receives a credit on the finished film. When LaBute took over the project years later, he reworked the screenplay with Laura Jones (The Portrait of a Lady). ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Maverick American filmmaker Robert Altman takes a witty and absorbing look at the foibles of the British class system in this intelligent murder mystery set in the early '30s. Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and his wife Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas) are a pair of wealthy British socialites who have invited a variety of friends, relatives, and acquaintances to their mansion in the country for a weekend of hunting and relaxation. Among the honored guests are Constance (Maggie Smith), Lady Sylvia's matronly aunt; Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), William's cousin who is also a well-known actor and songwriter; and Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban), an American film producer who is friendly with Ivor and researching an upcoming project. Observing the proceedings are the domestic staff of the mansion, including imperious butler Jennings (Alan Bates); footmen George (Richard E. Grant) and Arthur (Jeremy Swift); Probert (Derek Jacobi), a valet to Sir William; housekeeper Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren); Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins), who oversees the kitchen; and Elsie (Emily Watson), a maid. Also on hand are the guests' personal servants, including Mary (Kelly Macdonald), Constance's maid; Henry (Ryan Phillippe), Weissman's valet; and Parks (Clive Owens), a butler. While the servants are required to display a high level of decorum, they are expected to be passive observers who do not comment on what they see, though the gossip among them travels thick and fast once they retire to the servants' quarters downstairs. And it turns out that there's plenty worth gossiping about, especially after Sir William turns up dead, and everyone is ordered to stay at the mansion while the police investigate the killing. Gosford Park also features Charles Dance, Tom Hollander, Natasha Wightman, and Ron Webster; the screenplay was written by Julian Fellowes, based on a story by Altman and co-star Bob Balaban. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this sensual horror tale, Paul Stevens (Greg Wrangler) is transported to a mysterious world where he is surrounded by strange and beautiful women, led by Tara Coventry (Julie Strain). Tara initiates Paul into their world of bizarre erotic rituals; however, Tara and her minions are actually practitioners of black magic who are trying to snare Paul's soul through their sexual mischief. Will he realize the evil he has fallen into before it is too late? Sandahl Bergman and Jay Richardson highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this erotic mystery sequel, a woman goes undercover as a go-go dancer in a sleazy nightclub to find her sister's killer. Kimberly Kelley stars as Jennifer Brennan, whose sister, a professional stripper, was murdered by a serial killer whose modus operandi includes suffocating his victims with plastic wrap. In hopes of catching the deranged culprit, Jennifer agrees to pose as the Los Angeles club's new striptease artist, with the secret aid of a paraplegic detective, John Donnelly (Ross Hagen). While she's seeking the man who ended her sister's life, Jennifer befriends co-workers Lacy (Tane McClure) and Cherry (Julie K. Smith) and discovers that she's got a natural talent for the art of taking it all off. After she performs a lap dance for him, Jennifer also beds one of the club's regulars, Paul Douglas (Jack Turturici), an artist. Eventually, the intrepid Jennifer discovers that all of the killer's victims were mothers and begins to suspect the club's abusive owner, Joe Martoni (Brett Baxter Clark). But a clue leads her investigation to a shocking conclusion. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

In this thriller, a young woman comes to a small town in search of the one who murdered her brother and finds herself taking on the sadistic business magnate who oppresses and terrorizes the entire community. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In a thought-provoking treatment of the deep-rooted turmoil of war veterans, debut director (David Nutter) has fashioned a fast-paced story about Vietnam vet Tim Murphy (Don Johnson) and his struggle to regain both self-respect and emotional equilibrium. Tim suffers from nightmares, and there is nothing his loyal wife Paula (Lisa Blount) can do to prevent them, nor can she do much to help him get a job. She is hampered even further by Tim's bad temper -- he flies off the handle at friends and family alike. One day, Tim meets a fellow Vietnam vet in the unemployment line, and the two quickly become good friends. When tragedy later strikes, Tim faces an important decision about his future on his own. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) is startled when his former lover Aurora (Ana Alicia), whom he assumed to be dead, turns up very much alive on the Celestra, the Galactica support vessel helmed by Commander Kronus (Paul Fix). Urged on by Aurora, who claims that Kronus is a cruel dictator, Starbuck joins Apollo (Richard Hatch) in fomenting a mutiny against the Commander. But is Kronus truly as villainous as Aurora claims? "Take the Celestra" was later combined with the Battlestar Galactica episode "The Long Patrol" and reissued as the two-hour "TV movie" Space Casanova. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi