Jimmy Jean-Louis Movies
Born in Petion-Ville, Haiti, actor Jimmy Jean-Louis moved to Paris during adolescence (1980). He enrolled in business courses, but quickly realized that his heart lay in performance, and studied at the Academie International de Dance. This marked a prescient move, for around a decade later, producers discovered Jean-Louis during one of his dancing stints in a French club (1991); deeply impressed, they tapped him to appear in a Coca-Cola ad, the success of which prompted the star ascendant to spend several years modeling across Europe for such notables as Gianfranco Ferré and Valentino. By the mid-'90s, he was gracing music videos by such superstars as Mariah Carey, Seal, and George Michael, and appearing in low-budget "independent" films in Los Angeles. Hollywood A-list roles were quick to follow. Jean-Louis debuted on the big screen in the Jean-Claude Van Damme action opus Derailed, then signed for supporting roles in such films as Hollywood Homicide (2003), Monster-in-Law (2005), and Phat Girlz (2006). He achieved his most widespread fame, however, when cast in the recurring role of The Haitian on the superhero-themed serial Heroes (2007). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide- 2007
- PG13
A twenty-something misfit dedicates his life to giving the drummer some, even when the drums are only imaginary, in this comedy written and directed by comic Ari Gold. Power (Gold) grew up in a small mining town in New Mexico, where his father (Michael McKean) always imagined his son would one day join him in digging copper from the earth. But Power has a dream of playing the drums, and since he doesn't have a drum kit, he's become a master of "air drums," flailing his arms in the manner of Neil Peart or Keith Moon against a huge but nonexistent set of traps. Power's desire to become the world's greatest air drummer doesn't earn him much respect at home, so he travels to Mexico, where he learns of an air-drumming competition in Newark, New Jersey. Power hits the road for the garden state and meets Carlos (Steven Williams), a master air-drummer who becomes his guide in the art of not really playing. Power also gets some much-needed encouragement from Annie (Shoshannah Stern), a sweet born-again girl living upstairs from him. But when Power learns that his father back home is leading a strike to save jobs for the employees at the local copper mine, winning the title becomes a matter of defending the honor of his family and his hometown, and he dedicates himself to defeating arrogant country music star Dallas Houston (Adrien Grenier), who is favored to win. Adventures of Power also stars Jane Lynch, Travis Johns and Jimmy Jean-Louis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ari Gold, Michael McKean, (more)
A privileged man with a profitable job, a beautiful girlfriend, and a loving family becomes hopelessly entangled with a vengeful drug dealer who assumes the role of his best friend before revealing his diabolical true colors. Tristan Price (Jesse Metcalfe) has a bright future, but when the shade begins to eclipse the sun, things turn bad more quickly than he could have ever anticipated. It seems that sometimes the most stable of folks are also the ones who crave adventure most, and Jesse is a prime example of that penchant. When Jesse meets up with charismatic cocaine dealer Sebastian Cole (Corey Large), the allure of fast cars, fast women, and automatic weapons find the thrill-seeking everyman suddenly drawn into a dangerous world of sex, drugs, and violence. But Jesse's new best friend is also his new worst enemy, and if he has any hope of pulling out of his current tailspin and salvaging relationship with his faithful girlfriend (Monica Keena) he will have to confront the man that could take it all away with the lightening flash of a finger on the trigger. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jesse Metcalfe, Erin Gray, (more)
In Season 2 of the superhero saga, the nascent heroes learn more about their similarly superpowered families and ancestors. Indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) and her family are forced to go into hiding in California in order to escape the clutches of the Company, an organization that tracks and captures superheroes. While her father, Noah (Jack Coleman), a former employee of the Company, insists she not do anything to attract attention, Claire finds herself attracted to a fellow student (Nicholas D'Agosto) with a superpowered secret of his own. After barely managing to avert a nuclear explosion in Season 1's finale, Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) is presumed dead by his grieving family, only to awaken in Ireland with no idea who he is or how he got there. Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) accidentally time travels to 17th-century feudal Japan, where he encounters his childhood hero, the legendary swordsman Takezo Kensei. But Hiro's joy is short-lived: He discovers that not only is Kensei a white foreigner (David Anders) living in Japan, but he's also a drunken coward who needs Hiro's help in order to achieve his destiny. Hiro eventually returns to the present and learns his father (George Takei) has been killed, the first in a series of murders of superheroes who had been active a generation ago. As the murders continue, it becomes clear that this killing spree is an act of revenge connected to a deadly virus that could spell disaster for humanity. In addition to this threat, the heroes must also deal with the return of superpowered serial killer Sylar (Zachary Quinto) and the arrival of a new villain (Kristen Bell), a mentally unstable agent of the Company with the ability to control lightning and electricity. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Masi Oka, Milo Ventimiglia, (more)
- 2006
Circumstances threaten to corrupt a beautiful and innocent girl in this allegorical romantic drama from Haitian filmmaker Richard Senecal. Jessica (Jessica Geneus) is a lovely young woman who is attending school under the watchful eye of her father. When her father unexpectedly dies, Jessica is left alone in the world, with no one to help her but her streetwise best friend Johanne (Soledad Elizabeth Jean). While there are plenty of men who would be more than willing to care for Jessica in exchange for her favors, the virtuous young girl is waiting for true love, and she thinks she may have found it in Bobby (Jerry Lentz Rocher), a boy from her school who is handsome and noble, though he lives in poverty. As Jessica and Johanne struggle to make their way through difficult times, the bereaved girl receives a proposal from a wealthy lecher (Roland Dorfeuille), who will give her $100,000 to sleep with him. As Jessica weighs love against money, a third option appears when a mysterious gentleman from out of town, Ralph Baptiste (Jimmy Jean-Louis), appears and makes his romantic intentions towards her clear. Cousines received its American debut at the 2006 Brooklyn Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Geneus, Jimmy Jean-Louis, (more)
Director/screenwriter Tim Alexander details the increasingly complex relationships between black men and women in this controversial comedy detailing one man's quest to find the perfect mate. James is a successful and single black man who longs to find love. The only problem is that every black woman James dates seems to have serious anger issues. Tired of all the drama that goes along with dating black women, James makes the decision to begin dating outside of is own race. As James is about to find out, however, this decision comes with its own new, and entirely unique, set of problems. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Jean-Louis, Paula Lema, (more)
A woman makes it her business to convince the world that bigger is better in this comedy. Jazmin Biltmore (Mo'Nique) is a plus-size woman trying to find a place in the skin-and-bones world of high fashion. Jazmin has her heart set on launching her own line of clothes for large ladies, but she hasn't had much luck convincing the moneymen that there's a market for her work. Jazmin is also looking for love, but she finds that few men are willing to look past her dress size and see the woman within. Jazmin is becoming despondent when she gets some good news -- she's won an all-expenses paid trip for two to an exclusive resort in Palm Springs, and she and her best friend, Stacey (Kendra C. Johnson), another zaftig woman, head out to enjoy some fun and sun. While on vacation, Jazmin meets Tunde (Jimmy Jean-Louis), a handsome and successful doctor from Nigeria, and she discovers to her surprise that Tunde is strongly attracted to her. Tunde tells Jazmin than in his country, large women are considered beautiful, and his friend Akibo (Godfrey) is similarly drawn to Stacey. Will Jazmin's new luck in love follow into other parts of her life or is Tunde's interest in her just a passing fancy? Phat Girlz was the first feature film from writer and director Nnegest Likké. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mo'nique, Jimmy Jean-Louis, (more)
The NBC series' first season begins with the origin stories of several lonely, disconnected people who learn they're destined to become superheroes. At the center of the unfolding tale is Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia), a nurse haunted by cryptic dreams who believes he's meant to do great things with his life. Peter tries to convince his politico brother Nathan (Adrian Pasdar), who is running for the U.S. Senate, that something strange is happening to both of them, but Nathan is adamant about maintaining a low profile and keeping his personal life out of the press. Meanwhile, a Texas cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere) discovers she's completely indestructible, but she's in for an even bigger shock when she realizes her family is hiding a dark secret. Over in Los Angeles, a beat cop (Greg Grunberg) develops the ability to read minds, and an Internet stripper (Ali Larter) begins to manifest a murderous alternate personality. And in Tokyo, bored cubicle drone Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) is desperate for the kind of adventures found in comic books and Star Trek. (In a sly in-joke, Hiro's father shows up later in the season and is portrayed by Star Trek alum George Takei.) Hiro's wish is miraculously granted when he develops the ability to travel through time and space, teleporting himself instantly from a Tokyo subway to Times Square. But Hiro's elation quickly turns to fear when he witnesses a nuclear explosion lay waste to New York City. Upon teleporting home, he realizes he's just seen a glimpse of a catastrophe that will happen in a few weeks unless he can stop it. Heroes from across the globe gradually meet up and form alliances as they try to prevent the nuclear attack and fight back against a shadowy, superpowered serial killer known as Sylar (Zachary Quinto), who is able to murder the would-be superheroes and steal their abilities in the process. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Masi Oka, Milo Ventimiglia, (more)
- 2005
Army (Michael Pena) and Shane (Walton Goggins) are practicing to beat the lie-detector test that Monica (Glenn Close) is making them take, but Army is very nervous about it. At a meeting with community leaders, Assistant Chief Phillips (Nigel Gibbs) lets Monica know that the seizure policy is being reevaluated. She goes to Aceveda (Benito Martinez), blaming him. Aceveda offers to help her if she'll agree to a few modifications, but she refuses, telling Phillips that she'll quit if the program is stopped. Antwon's arrest has created a power vacuum among the One-Niners, and Vic (Michael Chiklis) uses that to his advantage, playing Halpern (Laurence Mason) and Weed (Petey Pablo) against each other to get information about the cop killings. This leads him to a pair of Nigerian suspects, and, surprisingly, to a Russian mobster with no clear ties to Antwon. Dutch (Jay Karnes) and Claudette (CCH Pounder) investigate a drive-by shooting at a local car wash, and find out that Billings (David Marciano) witnessed the crime, but did nothing to stop it, and reported it anonymously. Corrine (Cathy Cahlin Ryan) tells Vic that she's been dating Dutch, and is surprised to learn that the two cops have an antagonistic relationship. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
In 1950, most Americans had only a passing familiarity with the game of soccer, even though it was the world's most popular sport, and few athletes in the United States played the game with any particular degree of expertise. However, when an invitation was extended to the United States to participate in the World Cup tournament in Brazil -- the international soccer championship held every four years -- Bill Jeffrey was determined that America participate. In less than two weeks, Jeffrey assembled a team comprised mostly of players from St. Louis (where soccer had developed a small but loyal following) and the East Coast (where the game gained a foothold on college campuses), with immigrants from Haiti, Portugal, and Scotland filling out the ranks. Against all odds, the Americans not only made it to the World Cup games, but defeated the British team (favored by many to win the championship) in the greatest upset of the 1950 games. The Game of Their Lives is a sports drama based on the remarkable true story of the 1950 United States team, featuring John Rhys-Davies as Bill Jeffrey, Wes Bentley as team leader Walter Bahr, Gerard Butler as goalie Frank Borghi, Jimmy Jean-Louis as Joe Gaetiens, a dishwasher born in Haiti who found his way onto the team, and Patrick Stewart as a journalist covering the games. David Anspaugh, who made the acclaimed basketball drama Hoosiers, directed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gerard Butler, Wes Bentley, (more)
It's not unusual to see two women fighting over the same man in a movie, only this time it's his mother and his fiancée vying for his attention in this broad comedy. While Charlotte Cantilini (Jennifer Lopez), known to her friends as Charlie, has never had much luck in her love life, one day her ship arrives in a big way when she meets Kevin Fields (Michael Vartan), a doctor who is charming, handsome, and wealthy. Kevin also has a famous mother, Viola Fields (Jane Fonda), who has enjoyed a long and successful career as a news broadcaster. When Kevin and Charlie fall head over heels for one another, he opts to propose marriage to her as he's introducing Charlie to Viola over lunch. However, as far as Viola is concerned, this could not come at a worse time -- Viola has just been fired from the anchor desk, and regards her son as the only anchor left in her life. Not willing to share Kevin with anyone, Viola sets out to sabotage his relationship with Charlie in any way she can, often with the wary assistance of her secretary Ruby (Wanda Sykes). But once Charlie gets wind of Viola's schemes, she decides two can play this game. Monster-in-Law marked Jane Fonda's return to the screen after a long leave of absence; it was her first film after co-starring with Robert De Niro in 1990's Stanley & Iris. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, (more)
Further cementing 2003 as the year of Ron Shelton cop movies, the director continued his vacation from the sports genre with Hollywood Homicide, a police comedy that comes right on the heels of Shelton's Dark Blue, a decidedly grittier cop thriller. The film stars Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett as LAPD homicide detectives Joe Gavilan and K.C. Calden, two cops with bigger dreams. Gavilan moonlights as a real estate agent, while Calden teaches yoga and yearns for a career on the big screen. When an entire hip-hop group is murdered on-stage, Gavilan and Calden are called in to handle the case. As their investigation progresses, they begin to suspect that the rappers were offed for attempting to get out of their recording contract with label head Sartain (Isaiah Washington). Along with Bruce Greenwood and Keith David, the supporting cast boasts a plethora of real-life musicians, including Dr. Dre, Gladys Knight, Dwight Yoakam, Master P, and Ronald DeVoe of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Josh Hartnett, (more)
A career soldier is forced to choose between following orders and saving lives in this action thriller. Lt. A.K. Waters (Bruce Willis) is a veteran Navy SEAL whose commander (Tom Skerritt) has given his team a special assignment. A Central African nation is expected to explode into war at any moment, and Waters and his cohorts are to escort any American citizens in the area to safety, most notably Dr. Lena Kendricks (Monica Bellucci), a doctor from the United States who has set up a clinic in the jungle. Waters and his men find Kendricks, but she refuses to leave with them unless she can bring along 70 refugees who have been left to her care. Kendricks makes it clear that if they are left behind, the refugees will face certain death, but Waters's C.O. insists he bring back Kendricks -- but not her patients. Forced by his conscience to disobey orders, Waters and his team race against time to escort the refugees to a border town where they will find safe haven before invading troops can ambush them. Tears of the Sun (which was produced under the title Man of War) also features Cole Hauser and Fionnula Flanagan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Monica Bellucci, (more)
The best-selling suspense novel by late author Robert Ludlum comes to the screen for a second time, following a 1988 made-for-TV movie. Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne, a barely alive amnesiac with a pair of bullet wounds in his back, pulled from the Mediterranean by Italian fishermen. Bourne's only clue to his own identity is a bank account number etched on a capsule implanted in his body. He quickly finds the Zurich bank where money, a gun, and a few identification documents await, but after he's pursued by security goons at the American consulate, Bourne realizes he can trust no one and offers a German gypsy named Marie (Franka Potente) ten thousand dollars for a ride to Paris. Encountering more professional killers bent on his destruction, Bourne discovers that he possesses a surprising degree of skill in combat, martial arts, and linguistics -- handy talents that clearly indicate his past includes work as a spy and assassin, but for whom? With Marie's reluctant help, Bourne edges closer to the truth, something CIA officials want concealed at all costs. The Bourne Identity co-stars Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, and Julia Stiles. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Damon, Franka Potente, (more)
Director Bob Misiorowski helmed this straight-to-video actioner starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme plays Jacques Kristoff, a special government agent assigned to protect Dr. Galina Konstantin, a scientist played by Laura Elena Harring (Mulholland Drive). When a group of terrorists hijack the train they're riding and demand to see Konstantin, it's up to Kristoff to defeat the bad guys before they get their hands on the biological weapons the doctor has with him. Also starring Tomas Arana and Susan Gibney, Derailed was released in Europe under the title Terror Train. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Claude Van Damme, Laura Elena Harring, (more)
