Benito Martinez Movies

Blind college student Sofia (Martha Higareda) returns home to investigate the unexplained suicide of her cousin Eva, and learns that the most painful truths can often be the hardest to recognize. Risking her own safety as she unearths sinister family secrets, Sofia discovers that Eva's boyfriend Ethan (Chad Michael Murray) may hold the key to the grim mystery. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Season Six of The Shield opens as Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chilkis) and the rest of the Farmington District Strike Force mourn the death of their colleague Curtis Lemensky (Kenneth Johnson), who was killed by a hand grenade just before he was to be shipped out of the country to prevent his revealing all of the Force's past peccadilloes to relentless Internal Affairs investigator Lt. Jon Kanvanagh (Forest Whitaker). Upon discovering that he is slated to be forcibly retired from the force, the embittered Mackey embarks upon a personal vendetta, bent upon killing the man responsible for "Lem"'s demise--never suspecting that the person he seeks is his own best friend and colleague, Det. Shane Vendrell (Waylon Goggins). . .who may well beat Vic to the punch by committing suicide. His one best chance of destroying the Strike Force gone, Kavanagh becomes more obsessively unhinged than ever, resorting to strongarming witnesses and tampering with evidence to bring Mackey down. This puts Kavanagh on the outs with his two most fervent supporters (and the only thoroughly honest members of the Force), Dutch Wagenbach (Jay Karnes) and newly promoted Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder). Wyms in fact is so disillusioned by Kavanagh's tactics that she puts her animosity toward Mackey on the shelf and affords Vic an opportunity to save his job. Other developments this season include the ever-growing (and ever-threatenng) political ambitions of Mackey's old adversary, Councilman Aceveda (Benito Martinez); and Off. Danielle Sofer's (Catherine Dent) revelation of the identity of her child's father (to no one's surprise, the man in question is her erstwhile lover Vic Mackey). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A man fascinated with the process of ending one's own life meets some rather disturbing kindred spirits in this dark comedy. Erik (Andreas Wilson) is a commercial photographer and would-be screenwriter who has left his native Sweden to come to Hollywood in hopes of selling his latest script. Erik quickly discovers there isn't much of a market for stories about suicide in Tinseltown, and he's looking for new inspiration when he meets Lola (Lolita Davidovich), a beautiful but wildly unpredictable woman who lures him into joining her on a road trip to Las Vegas. As it happens, Lola is drawn to Vegas by the presence of Dr. Bangley (John Larroquette), a psychologist and television chat-show host who is publicizing his latest book in Sin City -- "Stay Alive," a guide for those contemplating suicide. As part of the book launch, Bangley is arranging for a number of his more colorful patients to meet him in Las Vegas, where they'll take part in a television reality show hosted by the doctor. The clients include Katherine (Julie Benz), who has been suffering from depression since losing custody of her son; Geert (Alexander Skarsgård), a troubled cross-dresser; and Ella Toscana (Terry Moore), an elderly former movie star with remarkable mood swings. Bangley also has to deal with his teenage daughter, Sunshine (Skye McCole Bartusiak), who is willing to do anything to get her busy dad's attention. As Erik crosses paths with Bangley's entourage, he's confronted with people who are even more obsessed with killing themselves than the average Swede, and feels as if he fits in until gangster and part-time limo driver Omar (Fares Fares) reveals his sinister side. Kill Your Darlings received its North American premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Although the gritty cop drama The Shield would become the FX's network longest-running dramatic series during its fourth season, a serious drop in ratings at the end of season three could well have precipitated the show's cancellation. Giving the program a major shot in the arm was the addition of two new regulars, Glenn Close and Anthony Anderson. Close is introduced as Monica Rawling, the new captain of the Farmington District Strike Force and the new (nominal) boss of tough, brutal, and borderline-corrupt Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis). Rawlings has been appointed to her post after Mackey's former captain and longtime enemy David Aceveda (Benito Martinez) is elected to the city council. Though certainly not enamored of Vic's strong-arm tactics and questionable ethics, Rawling is willing to give the detective a relatively free hand in dealing with the district's most vicious drug dealers. Even so, both Aceveda and Rawling intend to closely monitor Vic's movements, forcing him to play it "straight" (or as straight as he's capable of being) throughout the season. The promotion of Rawlings has a profound effect not only on Vic but also on his fellow detective Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder), who is bitter over not being promoted to captain herself.

Anthony Anderson is cast as Antwon Mitchell, at once the most formidable and most frustrating adversary that Mackey and his team have ever come up against. Once a powerful drug lord, Mitchell has managed to win release from prison, and is now regarded by many of the power elite as a reformed man, a dedicated community activist. Of course, Vic (and the viewers) known that Mitchell hasn't changed a bit, and in fact is a more dangerous mob leader and drug pusher than he'd been before his arrest thanks to strong ties with the Russian mafia. But to the public at large, Mitchell is virtually a saint, and thus above suspicion when the you-know-what hits the fan. Even when Vic and Rawlings have Mitchell dead to rights, he manages to wriggle out of their clutches, leading Vic to suspect that there's a mole in the ranks of the strike force -- a mole who may or may not be his longtime colleague Shane Vendrell (Walton Goggins). Vic's determination to expose Mitchell heats up after several cops are murdered in a well-planned ambush. In giving Vic a tacit carte blanche to blast Mitchell's operation apart, Rawling puts her own job on the line. Ironically, what ultimately seals Rawling's doom is not her war against drugs, but her fierce determination to bring the city's most heinous child abusers to justice. Bringing Glenn Close and Anthony Anderson to the fold turned out be the best thing that had happened to The Shield in years. The series ended its four season posting its best-ever ratings -- indeed, some of the best ratings in the entire realm of cable television. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) is a veteran boxing trainer who has devoted his life to the ring and has precious little to show for it; his daughter never answers his letters, and a fighter he's groomed into contender status has paid him back by signing with another manager, leaving Frankie high and dry. His best friend and faithful employee Eddie Dupris is a former fighter who Frankie trained. In his last fight, Eddie suffered a severe injury, a fact that brings Frankie great guilt. One day, Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) enters Frankie's life, as well as his gym, and announces she needs a trainer. Frankie regards her as a dubious prospect, and isn't afraid to tell her why: he doesn't think much of women boxing, she's too old at 31, she lacks experience, and has no technique. However, Maggie sees boxing as the one part of her life that gives her meaning and won't give up easily. Finally won over by her determination, Frankie takes on Maggie, and as she slowly grows into a viable fighter, an emotional bond develops between them. When a tragedy befalls one of the three characters, each comes to a decision that shows how the relationships in the film have changed them. Adapted from a short story by F.X. Toole, a former corner man with years of experience in the fight game, Million Dollar Baby also stars Morgan Freeman, Anthony Mackie, and Mike Colter. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Season two of The Shield begins with Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), the hard-nosed, sometimes homicidal, and seldom ethical leader of the Farmington District Strike Force, desperately missing his wife, Corinne (Cathleen Cahlin Ryan), and his three kids, who have left him; meanwhile, the Strike Team's armed robbery of an Armenian money-laundering operation has embroiled the team in heavy drama. Though Vic's family is rescued, he soon faces another crisis: What to do about his co-worker, Detective Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder), who is on the verge of exposing Vic's connections with the underworld? Fortunately, he is spared the necessity of buying off or whacking one of his "own" and is able to move on to other matters. In the course of the season, the viewer is treated to an extended flashback sequence, showing how the various members of the Strike Force originally got together (this was actually a cannibalization of the series' hitherto unseen pilot episode). Also, the local press gets wind of the corruption within the force causing everyone to wonder if the jig is up and if they're all out of jobs -- or worse. Vic burns a gang leader's face on a stove, causing an equivalent retaliation against one of Vic's men, leading to the murder of the gang leader--in the precinct's holding cell, no less. By season's end, the force's gay member, Officer Julian Lowe (Michael Jace), is no longer part of the big picture; Officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer is given some very disturbing news; and it looks as though Vic Mackey is about to pay for his sins -- big time! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A guy looking for a break in the movie biz discovers the power of word of mouth in this satirical comedy. Kevin Taylor (Jordan Bridges) is an aspiring screenwriter who has pulled up stakes and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream. While working a day job, Kevin meets Marianne Roxbury (Marisa Coughlan), who is trying to work her way up the Hollywood ladder as a production executive. Biz-savvy Marianne advises Kevin that it makes more sense to spend his days schmoozing and making contacts rather than writing if he actually wants to get paid for his work and see it on a screen. With this in mind, Kevin takes a job as an assistant to Muster Hansau (Dan Hedaya), a once-powerful producer whose career is in a downward spiral. Kevin comes to realize he's merely a glorified errand boy for a washed-up blowhard, and the only people he meets are fellow lackeys with little real pull in the business, so he decides to have some fun and starts talking up a screenplay called "The New Suit" by Jordan Strawberry, even though both the script and the writer exist only in his imagination. Not wanting to sound out of the loop, no one admits they don't know anything about Strawberry and his work, and before long gossip has turned "The New Suit" into the most sought-after project in town, and Kevin finds himself controlling the destiny of a hot new writer who doesn't exist. The first American film from French director François Velle, New Suit also features Heather Donahue, Paul McCrane, and Amber Smith. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

After Mal (Nathan Fillion) and the crew help a backwater community fend off a vicious band of robbers, Mal takes off his dress and bonnet (long story) and there's a drunken celebration. The next morning, Serenity has to leave in a hurry to avoid an Alliance patrol boat, and Mal finds an uninvited guest aboard. Her name is Saffron (Christina Hendricks), but she introduces herself to Mal by telling him, "I'm your wife." It seems that at the party the night before, as Book (Ron Glass) helpfully explains, Mal unwittingly participated in some kind of primitive marriage ceremony with this pretty, impossibly naïve and innocent young woman. Since they can't bring her back, Mal reassures her that he won't kill her, and decides to drop her off at their next destination, Beaumont, where she can probably find work on a farm. Most of the crew are amused at Mal's predicament, with the notable exception of Inara (Morena Baccarin). Jayne (Adam Baldwin) offers to trade Mal his most beloved gun, Vera, for the blushing bride. Book warns Mal that if he takes sexual advantage of Saffron during the week-long trip to Beaumont, he'll be going to a "special Hell...reserved for child molesters and people who talk at the theater." Unfortunately for the pent-up Mal, Saffron seems determined to consummate their marriage. "Leave me at the nearest port," she tells him, "only let me have my wedding night." Unfortunately for the rest of the crew, Saffron seems to be in cahoots with some rather less pretty types who are greedily tracking Serenity. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Realizing that Danny (Rick Schroder) and Diane (Kim Delaney) are too tense and high-strung to continue working together, Fancy (James McDaniel) assigns each of them to a different case. While on assignment, Diane again runs into her old nemesis Denby (Scott Cohen), who may be using a courier service for an illegal operation. And after tracking down Sid Thompson (Phil LaMarr), a suspect in two brutal subway murders, Danny completely loses it and beats Thompson to a pulp -- thereby seriously damaging his case against the alleged perp. At this, Andy (Dennis Franz), who has tried to keep Danny on an even keel, angrily washes his hands of his partner. The episode comes to an explosive conclusion when Denby shows up at the precinct for a final showdown with the relentless Diane. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi