Natascha Wharton

The Ringan Ledwidge-directed, Andrew Upton and James Watkins-scripted psychological thriller Gone (a U.S.-British-Australian co-production) follows in the footsteps of such shockers as The Company of Strangers and Kalifornia, as several innocent, unwitting young travelers inadvertently find themselves at the mercy of a psychotic outsider who poses as a Good Samaritan. The story unfolds in the Australian outback, with Alex (Shaun Evans) en route to visit his girlfriend Sophie (Amelia Warner) in Byron. His intended plans take an unexpected left turn, however, when he misses his bus and accepts the offered assistance of another traveler, the seemingly benign American Taylor (Scott Mechlowicz). The men agree to spend the evening together and partake in a night of drunken excess with several women, but the next morning, Taylor takes a potentially incriminating Polaroid of Alex in bed with one of the girls. He nonetheless assures Alex that he has destroyed it, which assuages Alex's fears temporarily. When the men decide to remain together and travel across the outback with Sophie and her friend Ingrid, however, signs of duplicitous and shady behavior emerge from Taylor - including his overt sexual interest in Sophie, the threatening resurgence of the Polaroid, and Ingrid's sudden, inexplicable disappearance. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Terry Loane's period comedy-drama Jonjo and Mickybo (also released under the title Mickybo and Me) unravels in Belfast, Ireland circa 1970, at the outset of the violence that began to erupt at that time and plagued the country for decades. It observes the allegorical friendship that develops between two young boys living on radically opposed sides of the city: Micky Boyle (nicknamed Mickybo and played by John Joe McNeill) - a consummate troublemaker and one child of many in a large Catholic family - and Johnjo (Niall Wright), an only child torn between the attentions of his mother and his maritally unfaithful father. The two boys hatch a plot to swipe a gun and go on the lam to Australia, as outlaws ala Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Two guys facing more challenges than most people learn some valuable lessons about life and love in this comedy drama. Michael Connolly (Steven Robertson) is a young man in his early twenties who suffers from cerebral palsy; confined to a wheelchair, Michael's speech is unintelligible to all but a handful of people, and his situation has made him shy and withdrawn as he spends his days at a home for the disabled in Dublin. One day, a new arrival moves in at the home -- Rory O'Shea (James McAvoy), a lad about Michael's age who suffers from muscular dystrophy and can only use two fingers on one hand. This, however, hasn't stopped Rory from developing a sharp tongue, a quick wit, a taste for alcohol, and the courage to put the moves on any women who crosses his path. Rory can also understand Michael's attempts at speech, and Rory puts his outsized personality to work encouraging his new friend to become more outgoing and not to let life pass him by, despite his handicaps. In time, Rory and Michael are able to convince Eileen (Brenda Fricker), director of the home, that they should be allowed to get an apartment on their own, and the boys use their stipend to rent a flat and hire an assistant to help with the tasks they can't manage. Rory chooses Siobhan (Romola Garai) for the job, mainly because she's blonde and pretty, and she soon becomes attracted to him; unfortunately, Michael has fallen in love with her, and this leads to a major rift between him and Rory that drives them apart. Screened in the United Kingdom as Inside I'm Dancing and in the United States as Rory O'Shea Was Here, the film won the Audience Award at the 2004 Edinburgh Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A gang of crime-fighting kung-fu artists try to make their way home through a forbidding urban landscape in this stylish action thriller. In the not-so-distant future, a large city has been taken over by a handful of street gangs who have established their own territories and defend their turf from outsiders with their skills in martial arts. Moses (Kevin McKidd), a powerful figure in the city's underworld, calls a meeting of the town's gang kingpins, and proposes that they all join forces and take control of the city's organized crime syndicate under his rule. The Purifiers, a good-guy gang who strive to keep their neighborhood safe and free of crime, are not interested in working with Moses, but John (Gordon Alexander), their leader, discovers Moses expects full cooperation from everyone...and would rather have the Purfiers dead than have them as rivals. The Purifiers also stars Dominic Monaghan, best known for his work as Meriadoc Brandybuck in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Britain's satirist-of-all-trades Ali G (aka Sacha Baron Cohen) makes his feature-film debut with this gross-out comedy set against the backdrop of the House of Parliament. Where his British and U.S. TV shows had him conducting absurd interviews with real-life politicians and lawmakers, Ali G Indahouse casts him against Charles Dance as Carlton, an unscrupulous member of the House who's intent on upsetting the current Prime Minister (Michael Gambon) in the next election. Hoping to attract negative attention to the leader, Ali G is promoted as a running mate of sorts -- a tactic that backfires in Carlton's face as the clueless rapper quickly ascends the political ladder. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

For his debut feature film, writer/director Marcus Adams helmed this independent occult horror flick set in the U.K. Long Time Dead tells the story of a group of college students who find themselves playing with a homemade Ouija board late one night. Not taking the game seriously, they unwittingly conjure up a demon that promises to kill them all one by one. Starring Lukas Haas, Joe Absolom, and Lara Belmont, Long Time Dead screened in 2002 at Germany's Munchen Fantasy Filmfest and The Netherlands' Fantastic Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

A historical comedy that applies a 1990's mindset to a tale of crime in the 1740's, Plunkett and Macleane stars Robert Carlyle as Will Plunkett and Jonny Lee Miller as Capt. James Macleane. Plunkett is a druggist who has gone broke and turned to robbery to pay his bills, while Macleane was a minor member of the aristocracy who has resorted to similar means to support himself. The two meet while serving time in prison, and after comparing notes they set out together for a career in crime. They soon discover they make a good team; Plunkett understands the nuts and bolts of theft well enough, while Macleane has the charm and connections to get them into places where they might find things worth stealing. When Macleane manages to wrangle an invitation to a night of gambling at the estate of Lord Rochester (Alan Cumming), he uses the occasion to his advantage, making the acquaintance of the lovely Rebecca (Liv Tyler) at the party and donning a mask to relieve her of her winnings on the way home. The charm and panache with which the pair commit their crimes give them a widespread reputation as "The Gentlemen Highwaymen," but Rebecca's uncle, Lord Chief Justice Gibson (Michael Gambon) is not amused, and when an especially ruthless lawman, Chance (Ken Scott), is sent on their trail, Plunkett is eager to quit while he's ahead and flee the country. Macleane, however, is too busy wooing Rebecca to listen to reason. Plunkett and Macleane is the first feature film from director Jake Scott, who has a background in commercials and music videos and is now moving forward in the family business -- his father is Ridley Scott, while his uncle is Tony Scott. If you think you've seen leading men Carlyle and Miller together before, you have -- they were also co-stars in Trainspotting. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide