Daniel Brühl Movies

Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl star as legendary Formula One drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda respectively in this biographical drama set during the 1970s, at the peak of their heated rivalry. Both on the track and off, Hunt (Hensworth) and Lauda (Bruhl) couldn't have been more different. Yet as much as Englishman Hunt's showy public persona clashed with Lauda's reputation for tightly-controlled perfectionism, both men remained bound together by one undeniable fact - they were both among the best drivers ever to grace the racetrack. When a horrific crash during the 1976 Grand Prix at the Nürburgring nearly claims Lauda's life, however, a grudging respect begins to develop between the two racers as Hunt realizes just how devoted his greatest adversary is to the sport they both love. Olivia Wilde and Alexandra Maria Lara co-star in a film directed by Academy Award-winner Ron Howard, and penned by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, Hereafter). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Julie Delpy directs and stars in this biography of Erzebet Bathory, the 17th century countess whose love of a younger man drove her to madness and beyond. At the dawn of the 17th century, Countess Bathory was the most powerful woman in Hungary. At the age of 14, she married a powerful warlord twice her age and bore him four children. While her husband was away fighting wars, Countess Bathory maintained their estate with the help of her one true confidant, a powerful witch named Anna Darvulia. Over time, Countess Bathory's gained great influence, even holding sway over decisions made by the King. But she was unwilling to accept a world in which men were able to break the rules without consequence while women were expected to be unquestionably subservient, and after her husband died, Countess Bathory fell deeply in love with a young nobleman named Istvan (Daniel Brühl), whom she encountered at a lavish feast. Istvan too was smitten, though his relationship with the countess was cut short when his father, Count Thurzo (William Hurt), forced him to break off the romance. Meanwhile, as Countess Bathory becomes obsessed with the prospect that age was a factor in the failure of the relationship, Count Thurzo begins crafting an elaborate plot against her. Eventually Countess Bathory's blinding sadness gives way to irreversible madness, and she becomes convinced that she can maintain her youth and beauty forever by bathing in the blood of virgins. Her dementia and obsession flowing like the virginal blood she bathes in every night, Countess Bathory eventually realizes that she has become the victim of a vast political conspiracy hatched by the father of her beloved. But by now it's already too late, Countess Erzebet Bathory's downfall had already been set into motion. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director Marco Kreuzpaintner adapts author Otfried Preußler's award-winning novel about a young sorcerer's apprentice who rebels against his malevolent master after making a disturbing discovery. The year is 1646. Krabat is a starving fourteen year old orphan from Germany who has struggled for survival after seeing his country decimated by war and disease. One night, a strange voice calls out to Krabat in his dreams, beckoning the destitute child to a mysterious mill in the countryside. When the miller offers Krabat room and board in exchange for becoming an apprentice, the hungry young boy readily accepts. But something isn't quite right in this mill, and Krabat can sense it. He gradually begins to suspect that the eleven other young men who live in the mill are harboring a mysterious secret, suspicions that are later confirmed when the curious newcomer discovers that his fellow apprentices are involved with some truly bizarre activities. Upon further inquiry, Krabat discovers that the miller is in fact a master of the dark arts, and that the young men who reside in the mill are his students. Fascinated by their magic and eager to belong, Krabat accepts their invitation to become a member of their secret society. When Krabat discovers that his new master's plans could spell doom for his protector and best friend Tonda, however, realizes that in order to save Tonda he will somehow have to break free of the malevolent sorcerer's powerful grip. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Ingenue Julie Delpy does triple duty as writer, director, and star of this romantic comedy. French photographer Marion (Delpy) and American interior designer Jack (Adam Goldberg) are returning from a vacation in Venice. Despite the fact that it was supposed to be the ultimate romantic getaway, disagreements and misunderstandings seemed to drive them farther apart rather than bringing them closer together. Before they return to the United States, Marion and Jack have a quick two-day stop in Paris to visit Marion's parents and pick up the cat that they had been pet-setting for their daughter. Unfortunately for Jack, Paris proves to be quite a culture shock. Not only are Marion's parents a pair of eccentric former "revolutionaries" who make no qualms about having knock-down-drag-out arguments regardless of who's present, but they also appear to have a particular distaste for Americans. Add to this the fact that Marion's friends hold nothing back when it comes to discussing their sexual lives, seem fixated on food rituals, and that Marion seems to run into former lovers on every street corner, and Jack quickly begins to suspect that he doesn't know his girlfriend half as well as he thought he did when they were living the simple life back in New York. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director Manuel Huerga teams with screenwriter Lluis Arcarazo to explore the life and death of the last man executed by the garrote in this biopic following the life of leftist Spanish bank robber and revolutionary Salvador Puig. The product of a leftist bourgeois household, Salvador (Daniel Bruehl) railed against Franco's oppressive as a young student, and soon turned to bank robbery as a means of contributing to the radical labor movement. When a cop is killed during one of the robberies and Salvador is captured, the trial to determine the young activist's fate is swift. Though Salvador does put some hope into the chance for a reprieve, his grim fate is ultimately sealed when a bomb kills Franco's president. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Two sisters engage in a subtle war for the affections of a man half their age in this British comedy drama. It's 1936, and Janet Widdington (Maggie Smith) and her sister, Ursula (Judi Dench), are a pair of elderly spinsters who share a home in Cornwall on the coast of England. After a storm, the sisters discover that someone has been washed up on the beach in front of their house. Bringing the body inside, they discover the victim is a handsome Polish man named Andrea Marowski (Daniel Brühl) who has suffered a broken ankle and speaks no English, only Polish and German. As the sisters patch up Andrea's ankle, Janet dusts off her old German textbook from school, and begins getting to know more about their guest. It isn't long before Janet develops an infatuation for the good-looking stranger, and attempts to teach him English, which is more than a bit maddening to Ursula, who has fallen head over heels for him -- especially after the sisters discover he's a gifted violinist and hear him display his craft on a borrowed instrument. As the sisters find themselves vying for Andrea's attention, they wonder if they should report his presence to the authorities, especially after Olga (Natascha McElhone), an attractive woman in her early thirties who lives nearby, becomes aware of Andrea's presence in the home and wants to make contact with him. Based on a short story by William J. Locke, Ladies in Lavender marked the directorial debut of actor Charles Dance. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

German screenwriter Achim von Borries makes his directorial feature debut with the stylish period drama Was Nützt die Liebe in Gedanken (Love in Thoughts), based on original material by Annette Hess and Alexander Pfeuffer and the novel The Suicide Club by Arno Meyer Zu Kueingdorf. Bohemian Guenther (August Diehl) and the sensual Hilde (Anna Maria Mühe) are a wealthy brother and sister who host a wild weekend of sex, poetry, and alienation in a countryside summer home. Invited are working-class Paul (Daniel Brühl), hunky Hans (Thure Lindhardt), and shy Elli (Jana Pallaske). They all take absinthe and indulge in their most romantic psychosexual urges, only to return to Berlin on Sunday completely depressed and/or suicidal. Love in Thoughts premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

A dedicated young German boy pulls off an elaborate scheme to keep his mother in good health in this comedy drama from director Wolfgang Becker. Suffering a heart attack and falling into a coma after seeing her son arrested during a protest, Alex's (Daniel Brühl) socialist mother, Christiane (Katrin Sass), remains comatose through the fall of the Berlin wall and the German Democratic Republic. Knowing that the slightest shock could prove fatal upon his mother's awakening, Alex strives to keep the fall of the GDR a secret for as long as possible. Keeping their apartment firmly rooted in the past, Alex's scheme works for a while, but it's not long before his mother is feeling better and ready to get up and around again. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi