Edie Falco Movies

HBO split the sixth and final season of its serial mafia drama The Sopranos into two halves, spaced 10 months apart: the first half (episodes 1-12) aired from mid-March through early June of 2006; a hiatus followed between episodes 12 and 13, before the series picked up again for its final nine episodes on April 8, 2007, purportedly thanks to overwhelming audience demand for an extension. As the season begins, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) is plagued by problem after problem at home: though he has made peace with wife Carmela (Edie Falco), and daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) is relatively well-adjusted and happy, attending college and living with fiancée Finn De Trolio (Will Janowitz), Tony's son, A.J. (Robert Iler) is a complete slacker and layabout who has just failed out of college and seems hesitant to accomplish anything of merit. Meanwhile, Tony finds himself saddled with a new captain, Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) who expresses more hesitation over "working" him than his incarcerated predecessor, Johnny Sacks (Vince Curatola). Complicating matters are two employees: Tony's soldier Eugene Pontecorvo (Robert Funaro), who attempts to buy his way out of the syndicate via an inheritance, and the homosexual captain Vito Spatafore (Joe Gannascoli) who comes out of the closet and ends up being spotted in a leather bar - then is knocked off by a member of the family, which leads to the death of a Lieutenant and sparks a tidal wave of mob violence. In another subplot, aspiring screenwriter Christopher (Michael Imperioli), Tony's cousin, devises an idea for a gangster picture which he describes as "The Godfather meets Saw," and heads off to Hollywood to pitch it to Ben Kingsley. The season cliffhanger, however, involves Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese), an elderly man suffering from extreme senility who mistakenly draws a gun and plugs Tony in the stomach, sending him into a coma - leaving consigliere Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt of The E Street Band) to tend to family business. This, in turn, yields several sequences where Tony wanders around in a dream state, and contemplates his own mortality. The second half of the season has Christopher continuing his strenuous efforts to have his epic (which he entitled Cleaver) produced, the absence of Johnny Sack leaving an ongoing void of power in the syndicate, and Tony again coming to terms with aging and mortality, while he struggles (as ever) to balance personal and professional demands. Guest stars in the 2007 episodes include: Sydney Pollack, Tim Daly, Daniel Baldwin and Geraldo Rivera.

Writer-director Hal Hartley's first feature -- shot in less than 12 days in his backyard for a mere $200,000 -- is a dry and dark comedy about the dangerous undercurrents that exist below the surface of normal middle class existence. Over the credits, Josh (Robert Burke), a man garbed in black, is seen hitch-hiking back to his Long Island home. People ask him, "Are you a priest?" and Josh responds, "No. I'm a mechanic." Back in Long Island in the town of Lindenhurst, beautiful and somber 17-year-old Audry (Adrienne Shelly) is busy worrying about the forthcoming apocalypse. Josh arrives in Lindenhurst and is hired by Audry's father (Chris Cooke) as a mechanic at his garage. But Audry's father worries about him, particularly when he falls in love with Audry. Her father's problems compound when Audry dumps her old boyfriend and rejects an invitation to attend Harvard. The whole town is now gossiping about Audry's new boyfriend, with rumors spreading that Josh is a mass murderer who killed two members of the family of local waitress Pearl (Julia McNeal). Pearl tells Audry, "He seems like a nice man." Audry responds, "Even though he killed your father and your sister?" Audry finally makes her father happy when she tells him she won't see Josh again, but dad's relief is short-lived when Audry informs him she's moving to New York to become an underwear model. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Still frustrated by the unsolved Watson murder, Bayliss (Kyle Secor) and Pembleton (Andre Braugher) are in no mood to tackle the murder of a police dog -- but they must, since the Baltimore municipal code dictates that any police killing in the line of duty must be given first priority. Meanwhile, Howard (Melissa Leo) and Felton (Daniel Baldwin) go after a sadistic drug dealer who has ritualistically murdered his victim -- and in so doing, they find a link to a case being handled by Lewis (Clark Johnson). And on the domestic scene, Bolander (Ned Beatty) meets the teenage son (Stiv Paskoski) of his current amour Dr. Carol Blythe (Wendy Hughes); and Crosetti's (Jon Polito) wife is pregnant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Worn out by the dead-end investigation of the Watson killing, Bayliss (Kyle Secor) turns on the obstreperous Capt. Barnfather (Clayton LeBouef) and calls him a "butthead." As his ex-partner Thormann (Edie Falco) recovers from her wounds, Crosetti (Jon Polito) closes in on the man whom he thinks pulled the trigger -- and who seems eager to confess whether he's guilty or not. While investigating a double murder, Munch (Richard Belzer) becomes fed up with being constantly compared to Bolander's (Ned Beatty) former partner. And Pembleton (Andre Braugher) and Felton (Daniel Baldwin) search for a car that may be crucial to the outcome of a case. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this psychological thriller, a songwriter seeks a psychiatrist's help after his obsession with his best friend's wife turns to chilling fantasies of murder. The poor composer is so consumed by thoughts of her that he begins losing his ability to discern reality from fantasy. Unfortunately, the doctor only worsens matters. A wild party brings matters to a climax. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

After the body of former homicide detective Steve Crosetti is found floating in a river, Bolander (Ned Beatty) arrives at the sad conclusion that his late colleague has committed suicide. Crosetti's ex-partner Lewis (Clark Johnson) refuses to accept this verdict, and launches an after-hours investigation of his own. As several members of the department draw up separate funeral arrangements for Crosetti, they are deluged by a steady stream of bad news, reopening several old and festering sores. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this crime comedy, a wastrel is helping his girlfriend move into a new apartment and accidentally stumbles into a drug theft gone awry that leaves his girlfriend dead and him literally holding the bag. Within that bag is a fortune in illegal narcotics and Jerry realizes that he has no choice but to take the dope and split. In desperation he goes to his pal Christy who sends him to stay with his con-artist aunt Rose who quickly cheats Jerry at cards. Later Rose's son Angie shows up and tries to convince his ma to toss Jerry out. She refuses. In time, Jerry and Angie become friends. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A handful of Minneapolis teenagers, just out of high school and on the cusp of adult responsibilities, try to sort out their messy romantic and emotional lives in this independent comedy/drama. Greg (Sam Trammell) is a cocky aspiring photographer who has already been accepted for a job at a major magazine; in his spare time, he takes nude photos of his sister Clhoe (Bridget White), while discussing her physical flaws with a highly professional detachment. Greg is friends with the cynical Denise (Colleen Werthmann), who is attracted to other women. Denise confesses her lesbianism to a shy classmate, Rebecca (Heather Gottlieb), who responds with enthusiasm to Denise's advances, even though she's already written Greg a letter in which she declares that she's infatuated with him. Greg does some confessing of his own when he tells Denise's mother, the recently divorced Evelyn (Cameron Foord), that he's long had a crush on her. Evelyn responds by leading Greg to his bedroom and seducing him; She is soon involved in an ongoing affair with Greg that she sees no reason to hide, which causes much tension and misunderstanding among Greg's friends, especially Denise. Childhood's End was the debut feature for writer/director Jeff Lipsky. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A police officer is killed and a hired driver kidnapped during a carjacking. Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) manage to capture one of the perpetrators, who offers to reveal the whereabouts of the missing driver to Assistant D.A. Ross (Carey Lowell) in exchange for immunity on the cop-killing charge. This potential deal results in much professional grief for Ross' partner Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston). Edie Falco returns in the role of defense attorney (and McCoy's ex-lover) Sally Bell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An award-winner at the 1997 AFI/Los Angeles Film Festival, this low-budget drama follows the misadventures of drifter Billie (Edie Falco), who ditches her motorcycle and picks up a car. The vehicle is hit by another car, and she can't collect from the other driver (Andrew Lowery). Instead, she settles into a marginal existence in an impoverished fishing village where she takes on odd jobs while camping out with a local resident (Caitlin Clarke) and contemplating a bleak future. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

A teenager tries to do the right thing with heavy odds stacked against him in this hard-hitting independent drama. Marcus (Brendan Sexton III) is a 14-year-old growing up in a tough section of New York City. Marcus' father is dead, and his mother is in prison; while she told him that it was for helping to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States, he later discovers that she was actually convicted of the murder of his dad. Living with his grandmother, who works as a bartender, Marcus doesn't get much in the way of guidance, and he soon falls in with a group of kids who ride bikes, hang out, and engage in small-time theft for fun and profit. Marcus and his new friends shoplift CDs and sneakers and then sell them in the schoolyard; however, before long, some of the other kids bring up the idea of pulling bigger thefts for bigger profits, and while Marcus is resistant to the idea at first, the decision isn't entirely his to make. One of Marcus' few friends who wants to see him straighten up is Melena (Isidra Vega), who is growing up with a strong set of principles despite being raised in an abusive home. Hurricane (also released under the title Hurricane Streets) won both the Audience Award and the Director's Award at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival; it was the first feature for director Morgan J. Freeman (not to be confused with actor Morgan Freeman). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Boaz Yakin (a Sundance winner for Fresh) wrote and directed this drama, set in Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish community, about a young woman who harbors doubts about continuing to follow the path of her religion. Sonia (Renee Zellweger) gives birth to her first child. She wants to name the boy after her dead brother, but after an argument over the name, she resentfully defers to her husband, scholarly zaddik (holy man) Mendel (Glenn Fitzgerald). Both are apprehensive over the child's circumcision. Hasidic traditions dictate their life, including aspects of making love which leave Sonia sexually frustrated. This leads her into an affair with Mendel's older brother, the materialistic Sender (Christopher Eccleston), who offers her an opportunity to manage his neighborhood jewelry store. Against the wishes of Mendel, she accepts, displaying her flair for the jewelry business and establishing herself as a very good businesswoman. However, after she befriends sensitive Hispanic artist Ramon (Allen Payne), a sculptor and jewelry designer, she upsets everyone, especially Sender, who bars her from the store. Forbidden to see her child, Sonia begins a confused, downward spiral. Shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide