Jonah Smith Movies
Borat director Larry Charles follows host Bill Maher as he travels the continents interviewing various subjects about God and religion. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Maher
A once-successful novelist in search of creative inspiration and personal happiness purchases a puppy in hopes that the resulting companionship will open up a new path of self-discovery in a contemporary comedy of urban dissatisfaction directed by Scott Caan. There was a time when Solo (Giovanni Ribisi) had it all: success, fame, wealth. But now times have changed, and after squandering his savings on drugs, women, and therapy, Solo finds himself at a personal and professional crossroads. On his last visit to his high-priced psychiatrist Dr. Nourmand (Don Cheadle), the concerned doctor suggests that Solo get a pet to relieve his loneliness. Though Solo has never been particularly find of animals, he soon relents and purchases a pint-sized pooch. Not long after, Solo makes the acquaintance of spunky stripper Lola (Lynn Collins), who just so happens to be caring for a formidable dog that takes a healthy chunk out of Solo's decidedly timid lap-dog. Though the friendship between Solo and Lola soon promises to blossom into something much deeper, it seems as if a canine complication may be keeping the pair from realizing their relationship to the fullest. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Giovanni Ribisi, Lynn Collins, (more)
The war on drugs has been lost, and when a reluctant undercover cop is ordered to spy on those he is closest to, the toll that the mission takes on his sanity is too great to comprehend in director Richard Linklater's rotoscoped take on Philip K. Dick's classic novel. With stratospheric concern over national security prompting paranoid government officials to begin spying on citizens, trust is a luxury and everyone is a suspected criminal until proven otherwise. Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is a narcotics officer who is issued an order to spy on his friends and report back to headquarters. In addition to being a cop, though, Arctor is also an addict. His drug of choice is a ubiquitous street drug called Substance D, a drug known well for producing split personalities in its users. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey, Jr., (more)
A dirty bomb detonates in Los Angeles and a terrified husband decides to seal himself up in his suburban home and await the return of his working wife in first-time director Chris Gorak's tense and topical drama. As the sun rises on another day in Los Angeles, Brad (Rory Cochrane) sends his wife, Lexi (Mary McCormack), off to work with a kiss and a smile. When the media begins reporting on the detonation of a bomb within the city limits and a potentially toxic cloud covers the L.A. basin in ash, Brad enlists the aid of nearby handyman Alvaro (Tony Perez) in making his home as airtight as possible while worriedly awaiting the return of his wife. With roads closed, telephone lines jammed, and reports of multiple explosions pouring in from the media, the panic and isolation of the tragedy begin to take their toll on the horrified community. Though announcements over public airwaves claim that authorities are doing their best to ensure the arrival of help to those in immediate danger, Brad and the rest of the citizens of L.A. soon discover that the explosions are only the beginning of their horrific ordeal. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mary McCormack, Rory Cochrane, (more)
Dutch film producer Pieter Jan Brugge makes his directorial debut with the dramatic thriller The Clearing. Affluent executive Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) and his lovely wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), live in a beautiful home in Pittsburg. One day, Wayne is kidnapped by disgruntled employee Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe). He is then held for ransom in a forest. Meanwhile, Eileen is forced to reckon with the FBI agents as they negotiate with the kidnapper. Alessandro Nivola and Melissa Sagemiller star as the two grown Hayes children. Matt Craven plays FBI Agent Ray Fuller. The Clearing premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Redford, Helen Mirren, (more)
Produced by Kevin Spacey, The United States of Leland is a psychological drama concerning the aftereffects of a brutal murder. It's also the first big-studio theatrical release for writer/director Matthew Ryan Hoge, whose previous work consists of the independent comedy Self Storage. Ryan Gosling plays Leland, an imprisoned teenager doing time for the stabbing murder of a disabled boy. Prison writing teacher Pearl Madison (Don Cheadle) gets caught up in the story with the intention of making a book out of it, especially when he finds out that Leland's father is the famous novelist Albert Fitzgerald (Spacey). Pearl's investigation uncovers some of the details and effects of the murder for everyone involved, including the victim's parents, Harry (Martin Donovan) and Karen Pollard (Ann Magnuson). Jena Malone plays Becky, the teenage junkie who is both Leland's ex-girlfriend and the victim's sister. The situation also complicates the relationship between Becky's older sister, Jennifer (Michelle Williams), and her sensitive boyfriend, Allen (Chris Klein). The United States of Leland premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Gosling, Don Cheadle, (more)
Richard Linklater returned to the semi-improvised approach and philosophical themes of his debut feature Slacker while embracing a new and groundbreaking visual technology in his sixth feature film, Waking Life. Linklater and cameraman Tommy Pallotta shot the film on location in Austin, TX, using digital video equipment. Linklater and digital animator Bob Sabiston then used newly developed computer software to transform the images through a process called "interpolated rotoscoping"; the result merges the naturalism of live action with a stylized look that resembles a cartoon or a painting in motion. Waking Life's flexible, non-narrative approach follows a young man (Wiley Wiggins) who arrives in Austin and hitches a ride with a stranger, who engages him in a conversation about rarely considered facets of existentialism. As the visitor drifts through the city, he encounters a variety of people and finds himself absorbing their views on art, philosophy, society, and numerous other issues of contemporary life. Linklater's cast is dotted with well-known actors (Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg, Nicky Katt) and pop-culture notables (filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, Martin Scorsese associate Steven Prince, comic Louis Black), alongside a large number of relatively little-known players. Waking Life received its world premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival; Linklater's next film, Tape, was also screened at the same festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Wiley Wiggins
Based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr., this gritty drama concerns four people trapped by their addictions. Harry (Jared Leto), and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) are impoverished heroin addicts living in Coney Island, NY, while Harry's girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) is a fellow addict trying to distance herself from her wealthy father. Harry dreams of scoring a pound of smack, from which he could make enough money to open a clothing boutique with Marion, but so far he and his friends can barely scrape by supporting their own habits. Meanwhile, Harry's mother Sara (Ellen Burstyn), who spends her days watching television, is told she has the opportunity to appear on her favorite game show; wanting to lose enough weight to fit into her favorite red dress, she visits a sleazy doctor who gives her a prescription for amphetamines. Soon Sara has a drug habit of her own that is spiraling out of control. Requiem for a Dream was directed by Darren Aronofsky, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Selby; it was Aronofsky's second feature, following his acclaimed independent film Pi. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, (more)
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