Lisa Ray Movies
A glamorous, visually stunning performer best known for one unique feature -- her green, cat-like oculars -- model-turned-actress Lisa Ray owed her exotic appearance and her ability to smoothly segue between productions on different continents to a uniquely mixed ethnic parentage, including a Bengali father. Born in Toronto in 1974, Ray originally planned to study journalism, but representatives of a high-profile Indian fashion magazine "discovered" the young woman during her trip to India to visit relatives and promptly recruited her to pose for several spreads in their publication. She thus commenced modeling at the age of 16 and built a lucrative career out of it, but reportedly found catwalk strutting an ill-fit given her 5'5" height. The gorgeous Ray's prominence in various magazine glossies ultimately prompted The Times of India to tag her as "one of the 10 most beautiful women of the millennium."In time, various Bollywood producers also noticed Ray and sought to recruit her for features; though she rejected nearly all offers (later observing that Bollywood-styled films weren't her style), she made an exception in the case of the 2001 Kasoor, then teamed up for multiple features with the Indian-born, Canadian-based writer/director Deepa Mehta, in whose acclaimed outings Bollywood/Hollywood (2002) and Water (2005) she starred. These experiences seemed to set a precedent for Ray, who went on to star in a series of offbeat, intelligent films produced far beyond the shores of Hollywood in projects including Canadian director Camelia Frieberg's gentle sibling drama A Stone's Throw, the South African-produced period lesbian drama The World Unseen (2007), and a similar LGBT outing in which Ray starred as a lesbian in director Shamim Sarif's British-produced drama I Can't Think Straight. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
Woody Harrelson is construction worker by day, self-made superhero by night in Defendor, a comedy that takes aim at society's infatuation with comic-book mythologies. While the city is awake, Arthur Poppington (Harrelson) holds traffic signs, and is nearly invisible to all who pass; after hours, he assumes his secret identity (complete with homemade costume) and prowls the streets in search of his arch nemesis, "Captain Industry." Along the way, he saves a young prostitute (Kat Dennings) from an abusive undercover cop (Elias Koteas), a move that proves his commitment to fighting for the weak, but also turns him into a real live fugitive from the law. ~ Kimber Myers, Rovi
- Starring:
- Woody Harrelson, Elias Koteas, (more)
Shamim Sarif's autobiographical novel serves as the inspiration for this film directed by the author, and concerning two women from deeply diverse backgrounds who discover that the love between them is too powerful to deny. Tala (Lisa Ray) is a London-based Jordanian of Palestinian descent. She's a spirited Christian in the midst of planning her wedding to her handsome Jordanian fiancé. Leyla (Sheetal Sheth) is a shy Muslim who's currently dating Leyla's best friend, Ali. Brought together by chance, Tala and Leyla form a slow bond that grows deeper with every minute they spend together. Eventually, the two girls reveal their true feelings to one another, and realize that they have fallen in love. But Tala is bound by her cultural heritage, and books a flight back to Jordan as Leyla's wedding date draws near. Back in London, a heartbroken Leyla decides to be honest with herself and her family by coming clean about her feelings for Tala. Inspired by Leyla's fearless commitment to Tala, Leyla's sister and Ali make it their mission to reunite the two girls. But before Tala can be truly happy with Leyla, she must first define for herself what true love really means. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lisa Ray, Sheetal Sheth, (more)
The owner of an apartheid-era Cape Town café experiences an attraction that threatens to change her life forever in director Shamim Sarif's look into a South Asian community in a divided South Africa. Amina (Sheetal Sheth) is the rebellious proprietor of the popular Location Café -- a destination spot for adventurous social outlaws who resent having their lives dictated by racist laws. From the black waitress who doesn't realize her place in South African society to the older white woman who makes eyes at the handsome brown-skinned bachelor, these people like to have a little fun, and they know that they can just be themselves in the Location Café. When the apartheid police come knocking and Amina's conservative Indian neighbors cast an accusing eye, the emboldened café owner always stands up for her rights. Yet, despite her defiant exterior, Amina instantly turns soft when she meets the gaze of the beautiful Miriam (Lisa Ray). Despite the fact that Miriam is a married woman, she is endlessly fascinated by the free-thinking Amina. Eventually, Amina works up the courage to invite Miriam along for driving lessons, and both women succumb to the true power of their mutual attraction. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lisa Ray, Sheetal Sheth, (more)
Luke Kirby and Keith Carradine star in director Leonard Farlinger's adaptation of author Brad Smith's laid back neo-western novel. Ray Dokes (Kirby) has just been released from prison, and now as the laconic ex-con makes his way back home he is stunned to see just how much progress has transformed the countryside of his youth. Looking to lie low for a while, Ray heads to the farm of his good friend Pete Culpepper (Keith Carradine). A garrulous farmer who's drowning in debt, Pete is a true Texas cowboy whose corn seems too stubborn to grow this season. The first order of business for Ray is to visit his old flame Etta (Lisa Ray, but things have gotten complicated since Ray was put away and making his way to the woman he loves isn't going to be nearly as easy as he had hoped. Soon after hooking up with firebrand jockey Chrissis (Rachel Leigh Cook), Ray discovers that his old nemesis Sonny Staunton (Noam Jenkins) - the wealthy heir to a thoroughbred dynasty - is currently attempting to buy up as much farmland as possible in order to start breaking ground on a luxurious new golf course. It seems that Etta is the only member of the rural community bold enough to stand up against Sonny, but when a valuable thoroughbred goes missing from Staunton Stables the desperate entrepreneur forces the sale of the area's few remaining farms. Realizing the danger of contending with such a powerful and determined man (after all, it was Sonny who got Ray locked away in the first place), Ray does his best to sideline Sonny's nefarious plan and save the remaining farmlands without making the one false move that could land him back in jail. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Luke Kirby, Keith Carradine, (more)
- 2006
A reunion between two siblings opens wounds both old and new in this drama from Canada. Olivia Walker (Kathryn MacLellan) is a newly divorced woman in her early 40's living in Nova Scotia with her fifteen-year-old son Thomas (Aaron Webber) and younger daughter Sarah Lantz). As Olivia is putting her life back together again, she's surprised by an unexpected visit from her bother Jack (Kris Holden-Ried), a veteran photojournalist with a reputation for his exposes on industrial polluters and crimes against the environment. Jack moves in with Olivia and quickly bonds with Thomas, who is fascinated by his uncle's rabble-rousing stories of taking on enemies of the planet. Jack also strikes up a friendship with Lia (Lisa Ray), a schoolteacher who is Olivia's best friend, and before long they've become lovers. But things become tense between Olivia and Jack when she learns the target of his next investigation is going to be a paint company run by her ex-husband -- and that Jack has enlisted Thomas to help him. Matters become worse when Olivia learns that Jack has not told her the truth about some of his recent exploits -- and that he's wanted by the law in the United States. A Stone's Throw was the first directorial project for established independent producer Camelia Frieberg. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kristen Holden-Reid, Kathryn MacLellan, (more)
Two young Texans locked in a pre-arranged marriage do their best to convince their parents to call the impending nuptials off in a romantic comedy directed by Shiraz Jafri and featuring Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle star Kal Penn. Ameet (Sunil Malhotra) and Saima (Lisa Ray) were more than happy apart when their marriage-minded parents insisted that they spend the rest of their lives together. Now, with their engagement cemented and the wedding frenzy kicking into overdrive, Ameet, Saima, and Ameet's best friend Bobby (Penn) must break every rule in the book to prove that their marriage will only spell misery for all involved. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sunil Malhotra, Lisa Ray, (more)
A twenty-seven year old bachelor struggling in a dead end job and living it up with his single buddies finds his wild life of leisure suddenly interrupted when his on-again, off-again girlfriend gives him a serious ultimatum. Now, with his relationship on the line and the New York City singles scene becoming more treacherous than ever before, Neil must make the important life decisions that will steer him into his thirties and beyond. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maulik Pancholy, Lisa Ray, (more)
- 2005
- PG13
- Add Water to Queue Add Water to top of Queue
Following the sudden and unexpected death of her husband, a widowed child bride lashes out against her fate in the Hindu ashram where she is expected to atone for her sins in this humanistic drama, the third installment of filmmaker Deepa Mehta's Elemental Trilogy. Chuyia's (Sarala) husband has died, and religious doctrine dictates that she now retire to an ashram to atone for the sins that caused her husband's untimely death. As Chuyia bides her time among widows both young an old -- some accepting of their fate and some bitterly resentful -- the preadolescent widow's spirit remains unbroken and hopeful for a brighter future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, (more)
After making a string of social commentaries, Canadian director Deepa Mehta satirizes India's beloved genre in the lighthearted romantic musical Bollywood/Hollywood. Indo-Canadian millionaire Rahul (Rahul Khanna) goes against the wishes of his mother and grandmother to date the Caucasian pop star Kimberly (Jessica Paré); however, she gets killed in an accident and he is left devastated. His mother (Moushumi Chatterjee) seizes the opportunity and announces that he must get engaged to an Indian girl before his sister is allowed to wed. This is complicated by the fact that his sister is already engaged and pregnant. Under pressure, Rahul enlists the help of Sue (supermodel Lisa Ray), a professional escort who agrees to play the part of his Indian fiancée. He thinks she is really Hispanic, and she claims to have no love for traditional Indian men. Throughout his sister's wedding preparations, Sue begins to befriend his entire family, including the tough old grandmother (Dina Pathak). After some random bursts into songs and dances, Sue reveals her true identity and they fall in love. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rahul Khanna, Lisa Ray, (more)
Television director Neema Barnette directs the forceful drama Civil Brand, based on a story by Preston A. Whitmore II. Shot with a micro-budget of 500,000 dollars, the film stars confrontational rap and hip-hop artists Mos Def, MC Lyte, and Da Brat. The story concerns a women's prison that exploits its largely African-American inmate population as cheap labor to manufacture products for a corporation. Mostly incarcerated due to domestic violence situations, the inmates also face sexual abuse as the hands of the prison staff, headed by Captain Deese (Clifton Powell) and Warden Nelson (Reed McCants). Accused of murder, Frances Shepard (Lisa Rae) joins forces with inmates Little Momma (Lark Voorhies), Wet (Monica Calhoun), and Nikki Barnes (N'Bushe Wright), as well as law student Michael (Mos Def), in order to start an uprising. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
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