Andrew Kosove Movies
Romeo and Juliet gets updated -- and played for laughs -- in this romantic comedy set in the City Island section of the Bronx. Mike and Sadie Cappamezza (Joseph Bologna and Lainie Kazan) are a hard-working couple who have run a family-style Italian restaurant for years. The Cappamezzas' fiercest rivals have long been Count and Countess Malacici (Paul Sorvino and Barbara Carrera), who operate a pretentiously upscale Neapolitan eatery (and whose titled nobility seems to be in question). The Malacicis don't like the Cappamezzas any more than the Cappamezzas like them, and for years they've been trying to run each other out of business. So no one is pleased when Rosario Cappamezza (Nathaniel Marston), Mike and Sadie's son, and Gina Malacici (Angelina Jolie), the daughter of the Count and Countess, are cast in a student production of Romeo and Juliet -- and annoyance gives way to shock when Rosario and Gina fall in love offstage as well as on. The husband and wife team of Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor co-wrote and co-directed this film; Taylor also appears in a small role as a psychic. While completed in 1994, Love Is All There Is didn't enjoy a theatrical release until 1996. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lainie Kazan, Joseph Bologna, (more)
Just how low will a guy sink in order to impress the woman of his dreams? How does stealing her dog sound? In Lost and Found, David Spade plays Dylan, who is about to open an new restaurant and has finally found the perfect apartment. The apartment just gets better when he meets his new neighbor, Lila (Sophie Marceau), a very beautiful women who has recently come to the United States from France. However, Lila has just gotten out of a bad relationship with René (Patrick Bruel), who doesn't want to leave her alone, so she has little interest in romance, preferring to devote herself to her cello and her dog Jack. One day, Jack runs away and Dylan finds him; when he returns the pooch to Lila, it's the first time she's been willing to speak in full sentences to him, though not for very long. Faster than you can say "That idea is so crazy it just might work!", Dylan decides to kidnap Jack; when Lila thinks the dog is lost, Dylan will generously volunteer to help look for him, which will give Dylan a chance to impress Lila when he's able to find Jack so quickly. Sure enough, Dylan swipes the dog, but from that point on the plan hardly goes the way he had hoped. Star David Spade also co-wrote the screenplay with J.B. Cook and Marc Meeks; the supporting cast includes Martin Sheen, Mitchell Whitfield, Artie Lang and Jon Lovitz. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Spade, Sophie Marceau, (more)
The popular memoir by Pulitzer prize-winning author Willie Morris became this family comedy-drama about a boy and his dog. Young Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz) is a shy eight-year-old in 1942 Yazoo, MS, who is more comfortable reading than playing sports. A target for local bullies, Willie's only real pal is his older next-door neighbor Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson), once the town's living sports legend and a big brother figure to Willie, an only child. When Dink is shipped overseas for service in World War II, Willie's mother Ellen (Diane Lane) finally forces his gruff father Jack (Kevin Bacon) to allow into the family a pet dog, a Jack Russell terrier named Skip. The smart and playful Skip gets his owner into a series of adventures on the baseball field and with a band of moonshiners, quickly turning Willie into a popular, accepted kid who even wins the affections of the school's prettiest girl, Rivers Applewhite (Caitlin Wachs). In the meantime, Dink returns from war branded a coward for an incident that occurred in combat but finds an unexpected ally in the normally taciturn Jack, a fellow veteran. Harry Connick Jr. narrated as the adult Willie; the role of Skip was played in later scenes by Moose, the pooch star of television's Frasier. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Muniz, Diane Lane, (more)
The startling effects of chemically induced short-term memory loss provide the backdrop for this resinous teen comedy. Jesse (Ashton Kutcher) and Chester (Seann William Scott) are two hard-partying dudes who wake up after a very long night on the town to discover they've forgotten the presents they bought for their girlfriends Wanda (Jennifer Garner) and Wilma (Marla Sokoloff), twins who are more than a bit miffed that the stoners they've come to tolerate appear to have forgotten their anniversary. The presents are in Jesse's car, but they're so fuzzy on the details of the previous 24 hours that they have no idea where they left said automobile. Jesse and Chester set out to find their wheels, and along the way they discover that they had an even more eventful evening than they imagined, as strippers, aliens, a suitcase full of money, and a kitchen full of pudding become important pieces in the puzzle of the missing car. Dude, Where's My Car? also stars Hal Sparks, Kristy Swanson, Kevin Christy, and Fabio; it was written by Philip Stark, previously a writer for the TV series That 70's Show, which also features Kutcher in its cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott, (more)
A director of contemporary comedies, Charles Shyer makes a genre leap into period costume drama with this lavish epic based on a controversial chapter of French history. Hilary Swank stars as Jeanne de la Motte Valois, a countess whose royal title has been stripped from her family by the crown in late 18th century. Determined to restore her good name and privilege, Jeanne schemes politically and sexually with a trio of co-conspirators that includes her gigolo lover, Retaux de Villette (Simon Baker), her husband, Nicolas (Adrien Brody), and a mysterious Italian count (Christopher Walken) to obtain a diamond necklace worth millions. Jeanne's cabal concocts a series of forged letters linking Marie Antoinette (Joely Richardson) and the stunning 2,800-carat jewelry to the debauched Cardinal Louis de Rohan (Jonathan Pryce), an act that could end up restoring rank to the Valois family or fanning the flames of growing revolutionary sentiments. The Affair of the Necklace (2001) co-stars Brian Cox as the narrator Minister Breteuil. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hilary Swank, Jonathan Pryce, (more)
Director Christopher Nolan follows up his breakthrough sophomore film Memento with this remake of a stylish Norwegian thriller. Al Pacino stars as Detective Will Dormer, a Los Angeles Police Department legend who temporarily escapes an internal affairs investigation that may ruin his career by traveling to Nightmute, AK, the remote site of a murder that has the local authorities flummoxed. Along with his partner, Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan), and the small town's wide-eyed rookie investigator, Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), the exhausted Dormer probes the brutal slaying of a teenage girl who was rumored to have a secret lover. A clever ruse quickly lures the killer into a police trap, but the suspect escapes and a tragic accident at the scene leaves Dormer at the mercy of the murderer, a pulp crime novelist named Walter Finch (Robin Williams). As Finch plays a dangerous game of extortion with Dormer, the detective's mental health deteriorates rapidly from guilt over his complicity in a crime and sleep deprivation compounded by the lack of darkness in the land of the midnight sun. Meanwhile, the bright and dogged Ellie continues putting the pieces of a complex puzzle together despite Dormer's skillful attempts to lead the investigation toward the right suspect, but away from his own malfeasance. Insomnia co-stars Paul Dooley, Nicky Katt, Maura Tierney, and Jonathan Jackson. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Robin Williams, (more)
The sophomore outing for writer/director/actress Troy Beyer, Love Don't Cost a Thing is a romantic teen comedy based on the screenplay for the 1987 Partick Dempsey film Can't Buy Me Love. Nick Cannon stars as Alvin, a brilliant but awkward teenager -- and budding engineer -- who seizes a golden opportunity when popular cheerleader Paris (Christina Milian) wrecks her parents' SUV and is strapped for cash. They strike an agreement: Alvin will do the repairs for free if Paris pretend to be his girlfriend for two weeks, all in the hopes of elevating his social standing. Little does he know, being popular isn't all its cracked up to be. Kal Penn and Steve Harvey co-star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Cannon, Christina Milian, (more)
Television director Andy Cadiff turns toward feature films to direct the romantic comedy Chasing Liberty, which appears to be loosely based on the 1953 Audrey Hepburn classic Roman Holiday. Mandy Moore stars as Anna Foster, the 18-year-old daughter of President of the United States James Foster (Mark Harmon). Anna has led quite a privileged life, but she has grown to resist the constant presence of Secret Service agents getting in the way of her independence. While on a family trip to Europe, Anna manages to get away from security for a brief time. She inevitably falls into the romantic arms of British boy Ben Calder (Matthew Goode), with whom she enjoys a fresh and clean European vacation. Not wanting to ruin her fun, she doesn't tell him about her upper-class social status. But, alas, Ben surprises her with a secret identity of his own. Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra play two Secret Service agents. Caroline Goodall plays the wise, conventional First Lady. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mandy Moore, Matthew Goode, (more)
- 2005
- PG
- Add The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants to QueueAdd The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants to top of Queue
Ann Brashares' best-selling novel for young adults comes to the big screen in this engaging comedy drama. Carmen (America Ferrera), Bridget (Blake Lively), Lena (Alexis Bledel), and Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) are four teenage girls who have been close friends since they were babies (and even before -- their mothers all knew each other from attending the same prenatal exercise class). However, fate has dictated that for the first time ever the young women will be spending their summer apart -- Carmen will be visiting her father, whom she hasn't seen in years, Lena will be visiting her grandparents in Greece, Bridget is attending a soccer camp in Mexico, while Tibby is stuck working at a discount store. A few days before Carmen, Lena, and Bridget leave, the four go shopping, and while at a thrift shop they discover an unusual pair of blue jeans that, despite the fact they're all of different height and weight, fits all four women perfectly. The girls buy the jeans and pledge to each look after them for a week at a time, hoping they'll bring one another good luck as the girls deal with a variety of new life experiences, both good and bad. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, (more)
A horse of a different pattern becomes a spoiler in a high-stakes race in the family-friendly comedy-drama. Nolan Walsh (Bruce Greenwood) is a farmer who once earned his living training racehorses before his wife was killed in an accident while riding, which led him to leave the racing game. Nolan tends to his farm and looks after his daughter Channing (Hayden Panettiere) and a large flock of animals, who speak to one another but not to humans. After a traveling circus passes through town, a zebra pony is left behind; Nolan takes in the animal, intending to return it to the circus, but at Channing's insistence they keep the zebra, naming him Stripes (voiced by Frankie Muniz). Channing loves Stripes, and the zebra is welcomed by the other critters on the farm, including grumpy Shetland pony Tucker (voiced by Dustin Hoffman), slow-moving hound dog Lightning (voiced by Snoop Dogg), a New Jersey-born pelican named Goose (voiced by Joe Pantoliano), skinny-brained rooster Reggie (voiced by Jeff Foxworthy), and deep-thinking goat Franny (voiced by Whoopi Goldberg). Channing discovers that Stripes can outrun nearly any horse around, and Woodzie (M. Emmett Walsh), a local character who has spent years handicapping the ponies, is convinced the zebra would be shoo-in in the Kentucky Open, a prestigious race held at the estate of champion horse breeder Clara Dalrymple (Wendie Malick). Channing believes Stripes can win, but he'll need the help of Nolan, who isn't so sure he's ready to start training again; meanwhile, Stripes gets plenty of advice from the other farm animals about his big step onto the race track. Mandy Moore, David Spade, and Steve Harvey also contribute their voice talents to the picture. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hayden Panettiere, Bruce Greenwood, (more)
A grieving widow finds her husband's warmth radiating from the afterlife when she discovers that he left her a series of tasks to be revealed in ten monthly messages and designed to help her overcome her sorrow while gradually making the transition into a new life. Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank) is a New York real estate broker whose good-humored husband, Irishman Gerry (Gerard Butler), always stood by her side. Suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere, Gerry succumbs to a brain tumor and Holly is left to face an uncertain future. No one in the world knows Holly better than Gerry, not even her mother (Kathy Bates) or her best friends, Sharon (Gina Gershon) and Denise (Lisa Kudrow). But while Holly remains unsure if she can go on without the love of her life to help guide her, Gerry has planned ahead. On Holly's 30th birthday, she receives a cake and a special tape recording from Gerry that implores her to get out and celebrate instead of staying in and mourning. Later, as the months wear on, a series of additional messages arrive from Gerry -- always delivered in the most remarkable and surprising of ways. With each new message comes a new adventure, and each letter signs off in the same familiar way: "P.S. I love you." Despite the fact that Holly's mother and friends think these humorous, posthumous messages are keeping Holly bound to the past, the truth is that they are lovingly guiding her into the future while proving that sometimes death isn't just the end, but a new beginning as well. Director Richard LaGravenese teams with screenwriter Steve Rogers to adapt author Cecelia Ahern's best-selling novel. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, (more)
Shannyn Sossamon and Ed Burns star in director Eric Valette's remake of Takashi Miike's frightful tale about a cell-phone call from the future that foreshadows one's own death. Beth Raymond (Sossamon) is a college student whose friends have all been dying in droves, and the one connecting factor between all of the incidents is that just before their deaths, each of the victims received a message in which they heard themselves being murdered. Upon receiving her own frightening phone call, Beth has only three days to solve the mystery and cheat death. Burns co-stars as a detective who is deeply troubled by the recent spate of deaths. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shannyn Sossamon, Edward Burns, (more)
- 2008
- PG13
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The 2008 sequel to the female buddy film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants constitutes an adaptation of Ann Brashares' novel Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood. Like the premier installment, this picture explores the seriocomic events that unfold one summer in the lives of four temporarily estranged friends as an extremely special pair of jeans works its way from one girl to the next. In one subplot, Lena (Alexis Bledel) travels to Providence, RI, and enrolls in a painting course; in another, Bridget (Blake Lively) embarks on an archaeological excavation in Greece; in a third, Carmen (America Ferrera) works on the backstage crew for a Vermont-based theater festival; and in the fourth, Tibby remains in New York and enrolls in summer courses. Sanaa Hamri, best known for her Prince and Mariah Carey music videos, directs; Elizabeth Chandler, who co-scripted the first film, adapts the Brashares book. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, (more)
- 2009
- PG13
- Add The Blind Side to Queue
Taken in by a well-to-do family and offered a second chance at life, a homeless teen grows to become the star athlete projected to be the first pick at the NFL draft in this sports-themed comedy drama inspired by author Michael Lewis' best-seller The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. Michael Oher was living on the streets when he was welcomed into the home of a conservative suburban family, but over time he matured into a talented athlete. As the NFL draft approaches, fans and sports radio personalities alike speculate that Oher will be the hottest pick of the year. Sandra Bullock stars in a film written and directed by John Lee Hancock (The Rookie, The Alamo). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, (more)
- 2010
Casino Royale's Martin Campbell directs this espionage thriller concerning an FBI agent's mission to thwart a terrorist attack. The Alcon/Lightstorm/8:38 co-production was written by David and Peter Griffiths, with rewrites by Flags of Our Fathers' William Broyles and producing duties headed by James Cameron. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- 2011
Hanna-Barbera's kung-fu canine character gets his big-screen debut in this Alcon Entertainment production. Alex Zamm directs this mix of live-action and animation from a script by Family Guy's David Goodman. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
