Michelle Raimo Movies
- 2009
The quirky, humorous feature The Silver Linings Playbook concerns a man released from a sanitarium after a mental breakdown. Though he feels bound and determined to look on the bright side of things -- the "silver linings" of the title -- he also experiences a break from reality, sinking into a mire of complete denial about his wife's decision to leave him and remarry another man. Despondent, the former patient moves back in with his folks and strikes up a friendship with a sad dumpling of a woman who agrees to act as an intercessor between him and his wife. This film originated with an unpublished novel by a former East Coast lit professor, Matthew M. Quick, who sent his unsolicited manuscript in to a literary agent and culled a massive amount of interest, signing a deal with an imprint of the esteemed Farrar, Straus and Giroux; producers Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella subsequently bought the option prior to the actual publication of the novel. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
John Dahl directed this war drama based on the true story of one of the most daring military actions of World War II. In the waning days of World War II, General Douglas MacArthur chose to make good on a pledge that he made in 1942 -- that he would return to the Philippines after he and his troops were forced to retreat. However, MacArthur's determination was more than a matter of pride. Over 500 American soldiers were being held in Cabanatuan, a notoriously brutal prisoner of war camp in the Philippines operated by the Japanese army, and MacArthur wanted to see to it that they made it home. MacArthur chose Lt. Col. Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) to lead the Sixth Ranger Battalion on a mission 30 miles behind enemy lines to infiltrate Cabanatuan and liberate the American prisoners. With the help of Capt. Prince (James Franco), Mucci leads his men on a life-or-death raid against forces known for their savagery. The Great Raid was based on William B. Breuer's book The Great Raid on Cabanatuan: Rescuing the Doomed Ghosts of Bataan and Corregidor, and also stars Joseph Fiennes, Connie Nielsen, and Marton Csokas. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, (more)
Two generations of a damaged family are brought together in this emotional drama. Einar Gilkyson (Robert Redford) was a once successful rancher whose spread went to seed after he developed a serious drinking problem. Now on the wagon, Einar looks after what's left of his spread with his friend Mitch (Morgan Freeman), a one-time cowhand who never fully recovered after being mauled by a bear. Einar once had a son named Griffin, but he died in a car wreck while Griffin's wife, Jean (Jennifer Lopez), was driving; Einar never forgave her for the death, and he had never met the granddaughter she was carrying until she arrived at his doorstep 11 years later. Jean has become involved with a violent man named Gary (Damian Lewis), and seeks refuge on Einar's ranch for the safety of her daughter, Griff (Becca Gardner). Einar reluctantly takes in Jean and Griff, giving them a place to stay as Jean looks for work and tries to put her life back together. But old trouble makes its way back to town in two ways -- Gary tracks down Jean and wants to make her pay for leaving him, while the bear who attacked Mitch comes down from the mountains looking for new prey. An Unfinished Life was adapted from the novel of the same name by Mark Spragg. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, (more)
The most tempting of all sweets becomes the key weapon in a battle of sensual pleasure versus disciplined self-denial in this comedy. In 1959, a mysterious woman named Vianne (Juliette Binoche) moves with her young daughter into a small French village, where much of the community's activities are dominated by the local Catholic church. A few days after settling into town, Vianne opens up a confectionery shop across the street from the house of worship -- shortly after the beginning of Lent. While the townspeople are supposed to be abstaining from worldly pleasures, Vianne tempts them with unusual and delicious chocolate creations, using her expert touch to create just the right candy to break down each customer's resistance. With every passing day, more and more of Vianne's neighbors are succumbing to her sinfully delicious treats, but the Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), the town's mayor, is not the least bit amused; he is eager to see Vianne run out of town before she leads the town into a deeper level of temptation. Vianne, however, is not to be swayed, and with the help of another new arrival in town, a handsome Irish Gypsy named Roux (Johnny Depp), she plans a "Grand Festival of Chocolate," to be held on Easter Sunday. Based on the novel by Joanne Harris, Chocolat features a distinguished supporting cast, including Judi Dench, Lena Olin, Carrie-Anne Moss, Peter Stormare, Hugh O'Conor, and Leslie Caron. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin, (more)
