Jonathan Gordon Movies

David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook stars Bradley Cooper as Pat, a bipolar man from Philadelphia who has spent the last eight months in a mental hospital. He was ordered there after a violent incident involving his wife and another man. Pat moves in with his father (Robert De Niro), a lifelong Eagles fans who has low-level OCD issues. Pat wants to get back together with his wife, even though there is a restraining order keeping him from contacting her. He soon befriends Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a depressed young woman who's mourning the death of her husband by engaging in compulsive sex with almost everyone she meets; she also knows his wife and offers to deliver a letter of his to her if he acts as her partner in a local dance competition. Silver Linings Playbook screened at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

The budding romance between a rising U.S. congressman and a gifted ballet dancer is unexpectedly complicated by otherworldly forces seeking to drive them apart by altering the very fabric of reality in this high-concept sci-fi thriller based on a story by famed author Philip K. Dick. David Norris (Matt Damon) is a rising New York congressmen whose everyman charisma has earned him a loyal following among locals. One night, after suffering a crushing political defeat, David is rehearsing his concession speech in a hotel bathroom when out of a stall wanders Elise (Emily Blunt), who was hiding out from security guards after crashing a wedding. The chemistry between David and Elise is instant and electric. But as fast as she appeared, Elise has vanished, leaving David to wonder if he will ever see her again. A few days later, as if by chance, David is boarding a bus for work when he spots Elise in a window seat. Though he manages to get her number this time, David is terrified when he arrives at his new job and discovers a mysterious group of men performing an unusual procedure on his paralyzed co-workers. Informed by the imposing and sharp-dressed Richardson (John Slattery) that he has just seen behind a curtain that few will ever know even exists, David agrees never to tell anyone of their encounter or talk to Elise again lest his entire memory be completely erased. But three years later, when David spots Elise walking down the street from the window of a city bus, he can't resist the urge to rekindle their romance. Unfortunately for the two young lovers, the mysterious agents at the Adjustment Bureau are determined to keep them apart at all costs in order to ensure there is no deviation from the master plan drawn up by "The Chairman" for the future of all humankind. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A clandestine love affair may claim a terrible price from two desperate people in this psychological thriller. Charles Schine (Clive Owen) is an advertising executive who is married to Deanna (Melissa George) and has a young diabetic daughter whose third kidney operation has just failed. Charles' life turns a most unexpected corner when he meets Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston) on a commuter train. Lucinda, who is also married with a daughter, keeps bumping into Charles on the train, and they strike up a friendship that soon grows into something deeper. Eventually Charles and Lucinda meet for lunch, then dinner, then check into a posh hotel, but the consequences turn out to be greater than they imagined; the dangerous criminal Philippe LaRoche (Vincent Cassel) breaks into the couple's hotel room, beats Charles nearly unconscious, and rapes Lucinda. The problem doesn't end there, however; LaRoche soon unveils both his certainty that the couple avoided calling the police, and -- more troublingly -- his possession of Charles' personal information. When he makes the ill-advised attempt to blackmail the couple, Charles turns to a rough-cut friend from his workplace, who offers to help out -- for a small commission.Derailed was the first American project for Swedish filmmaker Mikael Håfström. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Two men who have made a career out of spinning remarkable stories find themselves bringing them to life in this inventive fantasy inspired by the creators of some of the world's best-loved fairy tales. Will Grimm (Matt Damon) and his brother Jake Grimm (Heath Ledger) earn their living by traveling from village to village and vanquishing strange supernatural beasts that have been menacing the populace. Or at least that's what their clients think has been happening; as it happens, Will and Jake are confidence men who cleverly stage the ghostly attacks and then take payment for making the creatures they fabricated go away. One day, the brothers arrive in a town and offer to help its people drive away evil spirits, unaware that the community is bordered by a genuine enchanted forest, and that young girls in the village have been disappearing at a frightful rate. The Grimm Brothers must now learn how to deal with real magic, with the help of the lovely but fearless Angelika (Lena Headey). Directed by Terry Gilliam, The Brothers Grimm also stars Monica Bellucci, Peter Stormare, and Jonathan Pryce. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Writer and director Kevin Smith embraces his warm and fuzzy side with this comedy drama about a man who learns a lot about life and love in the wake of a personal tragedy. Ollie Trinke (Ben Affleck) is a guy who seemingly has it made -- he has a great job as a music publicist with a major Manhattan public relations firm, and he's madly in love with his wife, Gertrude (Jennifer Lopez). Ollie is very much excited about the fact he and Gertrude are soon to become parents, but Ollie's joy turns to despair when Gertrude dies in childbirth. Emotionally shattered, Ollie isn't sure what to do next, and he and his newborn daughter, Gertie, soon move to New Jersey to live with his father, Bart (George Carlin), who grows tired of playing babysitter after several months. Juggling his career with single parenthood proves to be more than Ollie can manage, and one day he's fired after he bungles a major press event. Unable to find work, Ollie eventually takes a dead-end job in New Jersey's public works department, and devotes himself to his daughter as he retreats from his own life. But after frequent visits to the local video store, he strikes up a friendship with Maya (Liv Tyler), a pretty girl who works behind the counter. As Ollie finally begins to come out of his shell, he's offered a chance to move back into the music industry, but he realizes that would mean moving back to Manhattan -- and Gertie (Raquel Castro), now seven years old, makes it clear she doesn't want to go. Jersey Girl also features cameo performances from Kevin Smith regulars Jason Lee and Matt Damon, and significantly is Smith's first feature not to include Jason Mewes and Smith himself as stoner archetypes Jay and Silent Bob. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Country singer Dwight Yoakam is a co-producer of this Miramax comedy about marital infidelity among the Southern redneck set. Auto dealer Lonnie Earl (Billy Bob Thornton) and his wife, Darlene (Natasha Richardson), are best friends with good-natured Roy (Patrick Swayze) and his spitfire wife, Candy (Charlize Theron), who's ovulating and trying to become pregnant. When the quartet of Arkansas natives decides to take an SUV cross-country to a monster truck show in Reno, NV, an alarming secret is revealed: Lonnie Earl and Candy have been having an affair. The revelation comes as a shock to the guileless Roy and much put-upon Darlene, who absconds with her husband's credit cards for a spending spree that includes designer boutiques and a Tony Orlando concert. Meanwhile, Candy's quest to have a baby takes on a new dimension in light of her extracurricular activities with Lonnie Earl. Waking Up in Reno (2002) is based on a script by longtime screenwriting partners/actors Brent Briscoe and Mark Fauser, who also play supporting roles in the film. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Billy Bob Thornton wrote, directed, and starred in this serio-comic look at the trials (literally and figuratively) of an eccentric Arkansas family. Struggling musician Claude (Thornton) and his wife Ruby (Laura Dern) get the news that Claude's uncle Hazel (Jim Varney) has been accused of murder and is in jail awaiting trial. Claude and Ruby head for the Alabama town where they grew up, and, before long, there's a friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) war of words among the factions of the family, including Claude's mother Jewel (Diane Ladd), father O.T. (Andy Griffith), and sister Rose (Kelly Preston). Daddy and Them's supporting cast includes Jamie Lee Curtis and Ben Affleck as a pair of married attorneys, Brenda Blethyn as Hazel's wife Julia, and Jeff Bailey, and John Prine as Claude's brothers. While Daddy and Them was shot in 1999 -- and would have been his first directorial effort after his breakthough hit Sling Blade -- the film stayed in the editing room for several years, and wasn't released until after his third feature, All The Pretty Horses. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this drama, a young man joins the family business without knowing that he's entering a world of danger and deceit. Hot-headed Leo Handler (Mark Wahlberg) has had some scrapes with the law and served time for a crime he didn't commit. Hoping to get his life back on track, he takes a job in the New York subway yards, secured by his Uncle Frank (James Caan), who has a high-ranking position in the New York Transit Authority. The longer Leo works in the yards, the more he realizes that his uncle controls a corrupt underworld where graft, violent reprisals, and even death are just part of the job. Will Leo turn against his family in the name of justice, or will he keep quiet and ignore the danger and lawlessness that surround him? The Yards also features Charlize Theron, Joaquin Phoenix, Ellen Burstyn, and Faye Dunaway. It was director James Gray's first film after his acclaimed debut with Little Odessa. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Would you believe that the last living descendent of Jesus Christ is a woman working at an abortion clinic in Illinois? And that she's been sent on a holy mission with two minor characters from Clerks and Mallrats as her guides? Prepare to suspend any and all disbelief as you watch the religious satire Dogma, the fourth film from writer/director Kevin Smith. Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) has been disappointed in life and has found her faith severely tested after her husband leaves her when she discovers she cannot have children. So Bethany is all the more puzzled when she's approached by Metatron (Alan Rickman), a grumpy angel. Metatron wants her to help him stop Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Loki (Matt Damon), two fallen angels who were ejected from paradise, have escaped from exile and are heading to New Jersey. If they are able to pass through the arc of a certain church, it will prove God is fallible and the world will come to a swift end. Bethany has no idea what to do or why she's been given this project, but she heads out anyway, with her assigned assistants Jay (Jason Mewes), an appallingly rude former dope dealer and self-styled ladies man, and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith). Along the way, Bethany picks up more helpers, including a celestial muse named Serendipity (Salma Hayek) and Rufus (Chris Rock), who claims to have been the 13th apostle and that Jesus owes him 12 dollars. Boasting a huge supporting cast -- including George Carlin, Jason Lee, Janeane Garofalo, Bud Cort, and Alanis Morissette (as God) -- Dogma proved to be highly controversial even before its release. Miramax Pictures, owned by Disney, financed the film, but several weeks before Dogma's world premier at the Cannes Film Festival, they announced they would not release the picture and intended to sell it to another distributor (which would turn out to be Lions Gate Films). Director Smith, however, has always contended that Dogma is a film about the importance of faith, if not organized religion. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this suspense drama, a lawyer finds out more than she wanted to know about her friends and lovers. T.K. Katwuller (Barbara Hershey) is a lawyer with a firm command of her career but an unstable hold on her private life; she's more single than she'd like to be, and she's become romantically involved with one of her clients, Steven Seldes (J.T. Walsh), a real estate agent. When T.K. bumps into her college roommate Ellie (Mary Beth Hurt), she discovers that Ellie is Steven's wife, which T.K. hardly regards as welcome news. T.K. then learns that Steven has been accused of financing porn movies dominated by underage actors; after an angry confrontation, she bitterly breaks off the affair. The next day, Steven turns up murdered, and T.K. discovers that Ellie is the prime suspect. She agrees to handle Ellie's case, and Ellie is acquitted. However, T.K.'s conversations with police detective George Beutel (Sam Shepard) begin to plant a seed of doubt in her mind about Ellie's innocence. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This odd film was shot in 1967 but wasn't released until 1991. The reality of the production is quite amazing. The director, who up until then had only filmed documentaries, decided that he wanted to provoke his actors and crew beyond their level of tolerance so that they would in some fashion hijack his production. Ostensibly, they are filming an arty story called "Over the Cliff," which shows the same scene of a split between husband and wife as played by five different couples from a variety of different angles. Eventually the (secretly anticipated) revolt does happen, and the cast and crew film their late-night sessions in which they discuss what can be done to save the movie. Their uncensored and quite intelligent comments were then included in the completed film along with the footage of the continuing saga of the endlessly filmed marital break-up. While the set-up is nothing like that of the contemporaneous television show Candid Camera, reviewers professed discomfort in viewing the cold manipulations which led to the desired result. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi