Robert Siegel Movies

Haris (Baktash Zaher) is a struggling artist living in New York City. He left Afghanistan as a child, when the Russians invaded and his parents were killed. Now in his late twenties, he feels disconnected from the world, and he's tormented by nightmares, so he decides to delve into the past and uncover his roots. He meets Sunny (David Azizi), a food vendor who brings Haris into his home. Laila (Yasmine Weiss) also lives in New York, with her conservative family, who are bound to the patriarchal traditions of their homeland. Her family is trying to arrange her marriage to a local Afghan man, who happens to be a thug. Laila despairs of ever finding true love, but she's determined to be her own woman. When she meets Haris, she's initially cold to him. She tells him she doesn't date Afghan men. But as her own family life begins to disintegrate, she begins to see that Haris has entered her world for a reason. FireDancer was the feature debut of writer/director Jawed Wassel. In October of 2001, Wassel was murdered by an old college acquaintance who had become involved with the film's production. Wassel's creative team, including co-producer Vida Zaher-Khadem (the star's sister) and producer John G. Roche, completed the film and brought it to Kabul, where it was the first film screened publicly after the Taliban regime was toppled. FireDancer was also the first film ever submitted by Afghanistan for Academy Awards consideration. The film had its U.S. premiere at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

His sense of identity fading into nothingness after the spotlights dim and he experiences a close brush with mortality, a retired wrestler begins to evaluate his life while considering the comeback that could very well kill him in director Darren Aronofsky's poignant portrait of an introspective former superstar in the twilight of his career. Back in his heyday, wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was an icon in the ring. His image immortalized in action figures and video games, he would headline arenas across the globe. Twenty years later, those glory days have passed, and Randy is forced to earn his keep by brawling before handfuls of fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey. In the wake of a heart attack, the former icon attempts to earn a little extra cash while working in a deli and making an effort to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). Yet, despite Randy's continued attempts at convincing local stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) to settle down with him in his humble trailer, the ring still calls to him. Later, when the prospect of a high-profile rematch with his longtime nemesis presents itself, Randy is forced to weigh his mortality against his desire to hear the crowd roar one last time. The Wrestler snagged two Oscar nominations, one for Best Actor (Rourke) and one for Best Supporting Actress (Tomei). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide