Alicia van Couvering Movies
Most 15-year-old boys are obsessed with the opposite sex, but this may be the only area in which Oscar Grubman (Aaron Stanford) could be called typical. An honor student at an exclusive prep school, Oscar is confident, keenly intelligent, speaks fluent French, and is well versed in the work of a number of French authors, particularly his favorite, Voltaire. Oscar seems to have gotten his fascination with French culture from his mother, who several years ago divorced his father Stanley (John Ritter), a college professor, and moved to Paris. Stanley has recently remarried, taking an attractive woman in her mid-forties, Eve (Sigourney Weaver), as his new wife. Oscar, however, senses that Eve isn't happy in their marriage; certain he can give Eve the affection (both physical and emotional) that she needs, Oscar begins waging a low-key but ardent campaign to seduce his step-mother over the course of Thanksgiving weekend, despite the fact a number of Oscar's female classmates have made no secret of their attraction to him. Oscar's efforts to bed Eve attract the attention of one of her close friends, Diane (Bebe Neuwirth), a smart and sexy chiropractor who also becomes the not-entirely-unwelcome focus of Oscar's romantic attentions. Shot using digital video equipment, Tadpole was enthusiastically received at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, where the film's director, Gary Winick, received the Director's Award. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sigourney Weaver, Aaron Stanford, (more)
- 2002
A high school girl is found murdered in the laundry room of her building. The ensuing investigation reveals that the dead girl had informed upon several of her classmates, who were running a website which spread vicious sexual rumors about their peers. The solution to the murder may hinge upon the eyewitness testimony of the victim's best friend -- if only the DA's office can persuade the reluctant friend to testify. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2010
A recent college graduate keeps stumbling as she steps out into the real world in this independent comedy drama. Aura (Lena Dunham) has just graduated from a university in the Midwest, receiving a degree in film theory that even she seems to realize is essentially worthless. With no real prospects she returns home to her mother, Siri (Laurie Simmons), a successful photographer living in New York City. Aura's 17-year-old sister, Nadine (Grace Dunham), is about to graduate from high school and is choosing which college to attend in the fall; Aura is ostensibly back home to help Siri and Nadine during a hectic time, but they don't appear to particularly need or want her assistance. Aura befriends Jed (Alex Karpovsky), a minor celebrity thanks to his surreal YouTube videos, who insists he's in New York to take meetings for an upcoming TV project; he soon invites himself into Aura's bedroom as a semi-permanent guest, though he clearly has no interest in any sort of romantic or sexual relationship. With little else to do, Aura takes a job at a nearby restaurant and becomes smitten with Keith (David Call), one of the cooks; while he seems attracted to her, he also has a girlfriend and it isn't until they're both stoned one night that he makes his move in a rather unusual setting. Tiny Furniture was written and directed by Lena Dunham, who also plays Aura; Laurie Simmons and Grace Dunham are her mother and sister in real life as well as in the film, which was mostly shot in Simmons' actual apartment. The film was named Best Narrative Feature at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lena Dunham, Laurie Simmons, (more)
Director Stephen Kessler sets out to profile the prolific singer/songwriter/actor who seemed ubiquitous in the 1970s and '80s, only to disappear from the spotlight following a protracted battle with drugs and alcohol. Convinced that the once-prolific Paul Williams has passed away as he scours the Internet to purchase one of his albums, Kessler discovers to his surprise that not only is Williams alive and well, but he's also still performing regularly to adoring fans around the world. Like many teens of the 1970s and '80s, Kessler connected with Williams' pensive, poetic songs about love and loneliness, and upon learning that he would be performing at a Winnipeg screening of Phantom of the Paradise (panned by critics, the notorious Brian De Palma bomb was a massive hit in just two cities: Winnipeg and Paris), the filmmaker convinces Williams to be profiled in a documentary. At first Williams is somewhat aloof, yet Kessler persists and, in time, makes a breakthrough by bonding with the performer over his favorite seafood. Meanwhile, as Kessler begins exploring the highs and lows of Williams' career, the subject pulls the storyteller into the film, and a close friendship begins to develop. Later, Kessler tags along with Williams for a concert in the Philippines, where their bond is cemented during a tense bus ride through the Mindanao jungle. As a result, the filmmaker gets the one thing he's craved since one of his earliest meetings with Williams, though when it seems to go awry he fears that he may have betrayed his new friend's trust.
~ Rovi
~ Rovi
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Whit Stillman (The Last Days of Disco) returns to the director's chair for the first time in 13 years with this comedy set at an East Coast university and centering on the trials of four female undergrads who seek to make life better for the entire student body. Violet Wister (Greta Gerwig) is a natural-born leader. Together with the help of her conscientious friend Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and their gorgeous pal Heather (Carrie MacLemore), Violet uses aroma and musical therapy to help her possibly suicidal classmates. When newly arrived transfer student Lily (Analeigh Tipton) seeks admission into their social circle, she's welcomed with open arms. While Lily appreciates having a group to be a part of, she soon realizes that Violet may not be a flawless friend. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A young New York artist upsets the balance in a Southern California household in this drama from Ry Russo-Young (You Won't Miss Me) and Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture). A 23-year-old woman named Martine (Olivia Thirlby) has just arrived in Silver Lake when she moves into a wealthy family's pool house, and begins working to complete her art film. Meanwhile, laid-back father of two Peter (John Krasinski) agrees to his wife's request to help their young guest finish the project. The more time Martine spends with her surrogate family, however, the more apparent it becomes no one will walk away from this situation unchanged. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Krasinski, Olivia Thirlby, (more)
- 2013
Indie filmmaker Joe Swanberg writes and directs this romantic comedy drama centering on the sexual tension between craft brewery employees Luke (Jake Johnson) and Kate (Olivia Wilde), who wrestle with their growing attraction to one another due to the fact that they're both in committed relationships. With Luke's marriage-minded girlfriend Jill (Anna Kendrick) and Kate's boyfriend Chris (Ron Livingston) out of the picture for a weekend, the flirtatious co-workers learn there is no denying what the heart wants. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2013
Single Las Vegas mother Angela Jerome (Lauren Ambrose) struggles to care for her beloved daughter Sunny (Audrey Scott) in a failing economy, and faces a difficult decision when presented with the option of giving up everything for a shot at a better life. Dylan Baker and Penelope Ann Miller co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.