David Kanter Movies
A man having trouble with women suddenly finds himself surrounded by them in this independent comedy drama. Carter Webb (Adam Brody) is a successful writer who has fallen into an emotional tailspin after his girlfriend, well-known actress Sophia (Elena Anaya), breaks up with him. When Carter learns that his grandmother (Olympia Dukakis) is in failing health, he decides to leave California and return to his hometown of Detroit to help take care of her and beginning work on his long-planned novel. As Carter spends time with his grandmother, he becomes friendly with her neighbors -- mom Sarah Hardwicke (Meg Ryan) and her two daughters, angst-ridden teen Lucy (Kristen Stewart) and precocious 11-year-old Paige (Makenzie Vega). As Sarah attempts to deal with a pressing personal crisis and Carter begins sorting out his relationship issues, he discovers that sometimes what feels like the end is actually just a new beginning. In the Land of Women was the first directorial project for actor and screenwriter Jon Kasdan, the son of writer and director Lawrence Kasdan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Brody, Kristen Stewart, (more)
The director of the Academy Award-winning 2006 crime drama Tsotsi returns to the helm with this tale of a Middle East CIA operative who begins to have doubts about his latest assignment after witnessing the interrogation of a suspected suicide bomber by secret police. When Egyptian-born chemical engineer Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally) mysteriously vanishes on a routine flight from South Africa to Washington, his wife, Isabella (Reese Witherspoon), embarks on a frantic international search for her missing husband. At the same time, a CIA analyst (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrives at a clandestine detention facility outside of United States. As the interrogation of El-Ibrahimi gets under way, the CIA analyst is profoundly shaken by the unorthodox methods used by the man's captors, and quickly begins to reevaluate his assignment. Peter Sarsgaard, Meryl Streep, and Alan Arkin co-star in this topical political thriller penned by Kelley Sane and produced by Steve Golin. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, (more)
With Lake of Fire, American History X helmer and music-video director Tony Kaye climbs inside of the decades-old abortion debate for a 152-minute study of the pro-life and pro-choice positions. In the process, he uncovers not an objective black-and-white issue, but a myriad of circumstances and sub-issues of tremendous moral complexity and ambiguity. He then investigates the sub-philosophies and ideas that belie each side, with generous input and assistance from socialist Noam Chomsky, and via interviews with Christian theologians, and professors of bioethics, sociology, and philosophy. Kaye also gives substantial consideration to the violence directed by certain extremists at abortion doctors, nurses, and clinics. The director worked on the picture for well over 15 years, and it serves as a prime candidate for the definitive abortion documentary. However, be forewarned: Lake of Fire includes lengthy, graphic depictions of abortion procedures and their physical and emotional side-effects, and it is not for the squeamish or suitable for younger audiences. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Dick Wolf, the TV producer responsible for the seemingly endless Law & Order and its numerous spin-offs, entered the realm of "reality" television with his weekly 60-minute NBC series Crime & Punishment. Co-created by Wolf and David Kanter, the series followed a number of criminal cases, from arrest to final verdict, brought to trial by the D.A.'s office of San Diego, CA. Though the cases, lawyers, police, perpetrators, and witnesses were real, and the episodes were unscripted and unrehearsed, the series was edited in the manner of a "fictional" crime show, replete with mini-climaxes just before each and every commercial break. The opening episode of Crime & Punishment, originally aired June 16, 2002, dealt with the first-degree murder trial of James Dailey, a security guard accused of murdering his wife. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
