Don Francks Movies

A young woman who's formed her sexual identity around anonymous one-night-stands considers the option of a committed, monogamous relationship in this erotic psychological drama. Introduced in voiceover, the twentysomething Leila (Lauren Lee Smith) makes clear her preferences for picking up guys based on mutual, animal attraction, as well as her desire to exhibit power over men. But when she locks eyes with the tall, dark, and handsome David (Eric Balfour), her priorities begin to change, and she finds herself wanting more from a man than just hot sex. Each partner has his or her own baggage -- David is taking care of an ailing father, while Leila is caught in the middle of her parents' messy separation. Already familiar with the concept of sexual liberation, Leila finds she has to be emotionally vulnerable as well if she wants to hang on to David. Directed by Canadian independent filmmaker Clement Virgo, Lie With Me had its world premiere at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

As originally conceived, La Femme Nikita was to have ended its run with its season-four "Lady or the Tiger" finale. But when thousands of viewers wrote in to the USA network demanding that the series come to a more dramatically satisfying denouement, the series was renewed for a fifth and final season. This is the year in which heroine Nikita (Peta Wilson) finally learns why she was rescued from a life prison sentence and recruited by the covert anti-terrorist organization Section One. Also, the true identity of the mercurial Section One head man "Operations" is revealed -- and the news has a very special meaning to the astonished Nikita! In other developments relevant to the series' "closure," Operation's deceased second-in-command, Madeline (Alberta Watson), is resurrected in the form of a holographic clone; "canceled" computer wonk Birkoff is replaced by Kate Quinn (Cindy Dolenc); and the relationship between Nikita and her partner and lover, Michael (Roy Dupuis), takes an unexpected turn during Michael's efforts to save his son, Adam (Evan Caravella), from terrorists. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this Canadian comedy, Richard (Gil Bellows) departs his office, driving north for a Christmas holiday at the country home of his fiancé Sarah (Kristin Leeman), the daughter of his boss George Billings (Leon Powhall). When his car collapses en route, he arrives instead at a house inhabited by a kooky family. He is subjected to various humiliations and indignities, but amid the madness and general goofiness, he soon finds himself attracted to the clan's sleepwalking Celia (Parker Posey), "the world's greatest hair stylist," causing him to question his planned marriage. Shown at the 1997 Mill Valley and Hollywood film festivals. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Reluctant spy Nikita (Peta Wilson) continues to perform acts of counterterrorism merely to save her own skin as La Femme Nikita launches its third season. The opening episode finds Nikita trying to ascertain the whereabouts of her partner and lover, Michael Samuelle (Roy Dupuis) -- even while her superior at the covert organization Section One, a man known as "Operations" (Eugene Robert Glazer), plots to "cancel" Nikita because he feels she has outlived her usefulness. Much to Nikita's surprise, she discovers that Michael has been married all along to a woman named Elena (Samia Shoaib) and has a son named Adam (Evan Caravella). However, he soon loses both wife and son -- and the will to live, giving Nikita a new "mission," that of saving Michael from himself. (By this time, both are back in the good graces of Section One...not that they trust Operations any farther than they can throw him!) And back at Section One headquarters, Nikita's co-workers Birkoff (Matthew Ferguson) and Walter (Don Francks) start gathering evidence to prove that Operations has been undermining the organization from the outset (it turns out, however, that Walter can't be trusted either). Meanwhile, Operations' second-in-command, Madeline (Alberta Watson), tries to break up the relationship between Nikita and Michael -- when she isn't trying to take over Section One herself, that is. The season's two-part finale finds Nikita and Michael trying out various subterfuges to see each other despite Madeline's efforts, Operations settling accounts with the duplicitous Walter, Birkoff putting his own life on the line to sabotage Walter's replacement -- and a sinister turn of events in which Nikita is "reprogrammed" as a potential force of evil! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Michael Anderson directed this Canadian coming-of-age adventure that generates nostalgia for rural America at the turn of the century. Farmer John Lee (Michael Ontkean) and wife Sarah (Leslie Hope) have two children, Jay Berry (Corey Sevier) and crippled Daisy (Katie Stuart). Hoping to buy a pony, Jay Berry works during the summer at the town's general store, run by Gramps (Wilford Bramley). After a train wreck, circus monkeys escape. Jay Berry spots them and sees an opportunity to earn extra money by collecting the reward. But how can he catch them? Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

In this follow-up to the previous episode "Gray," Nikita (Peta Wilson) is still romantically involved with architect Gray Wellman (Callum Keith Rennie) -- and in fact, Gray is the first and only true love of her life. Alas, if she doesn't dump Wellman and concentrate all her attention on Section One's planned capture of a drug lord, Nikita faces the likelihood of being "canceled." Making matters worse, a rogue CIA agent takes a hand in matters. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Anxious to escape the clutches of Section One without being "canceled" in the process, Nikita (Peta Wilson) is open to the plan being hatched by a fellow operative. If all goes well, Nikita and her comrade will be able to flee without danger, and their files will be completely eradicated. Will Nikita's ethics -- not to mention her feelings for Michael (Roy Dupuis) -- impede her escape attempt? And is it possible that the entire plan is a mere sham, cooked up as a loyalty test by Section One? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Kessler (Harris Yulin), an international terrorist and master of disguise, plans to use radioactive cobalt to poison a major city's water system. Madeline (Alberta Watson) subjects Kessler to intense interrogation, only to have the tables turned during a grim psychological game of one-upmanship. Hoping to use the knowledge that Kessler has a secret daughter to her advantage, Madeline is checkmated when Kessler reveals information pertaining to Madeline's sister. Caught in the middle of this battle of wills are Nikita (Peta Wilson) and Michael (Roy Dupuis), one of whom cooks up an 11th-hour switch to foil the villain. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Birkoff (Matthew Ferguson) is alerted to the fact that a nuclear bomb is being smuggled into the United States. The only witness to this operation is Rudy (Maury Chaykin), a mentally challenged pizza deliverer who accidentally spotted the smugglers at a large municipal airport. When Rudy is brought into Section One for debriefing, Nikita (Peta Wilson) realizes that he will never be allowed to leave alive, and tries to help him. But there may not be any time to help anyone: Unless the bomb is intercepted within 24 hours, a major American city will be wiped from the face of the Earth. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Nikita (Peta Wilson) discovers that one of the three thieves who have stolen a valuable computer chip is Steven Wolfe (Christopher Kennedy). Under any other circumstances, Wolfe would be dead meat -- except that he happens to be the long-estranged son of Nikita's superior Operations (Eugene Robert Glazer). Ordered to keep Steven alive at all costs, Nikita agrees -- but only if she is promised her own freedom from Section One. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Registry, a file listing the whereabouts of all Section One agents, is now in the hands of the Red Cell, a terrorist group. As the Red Cell minions begin stalking agents all over the world, Michael (Roy Dupuis) makes an astonishing security error by informing Nikita (Peta Wilson) where Section One's new headquarters will be. Inevitably, both Nikita and Michael are captured and tortured by Red Cell. Which agent will be the first one to crack and tell all -- and is this terrifying situation all that it appears to be on surface? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A terrorist intends to use a cache of virtual-reality "phasing shells" as part of a mysterious master plan. To find out what the villain is up to, Nikita (Peta Wilson) agrees to test a captured VR shell. Alas, like so many others, Nikita becomes addicted to the thrills provided by the shell. But will she, like so many others, go insane and commit suicide as a result of her addiction? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Nikita (Peta Wilson) is suspicious of Section One's motives when she is assigned to romance celebrated charity fundraiser Alec Chandler (Simon MacCorkindale); after all, if Alec is only a "money launderer" as her superiors claim, why go to the trouble of putting him under surveillance? Things become more problematic when Nikita, convinced of Alec's charitable selflessness, falls in love with him. But Alec's generosity may be merely a front for a particularly nasty criminal operation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi