Robert Wu Movies
Actor Robert Wu began his career in the late '90s, and built up his resumé by working steadily through the new millennium, appearing in low-profile films like Kung Phooey! and Painted Angels. After appearing in the Courteney Cox Arquette thriller November in 2004, Wu did some television work on shows like The Shield before signing on for Nanking, Bill Guttentag's documentary about the 1937 massacre of the Chinese city. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
Filmmaker Bill Guttentag takes a closer look at the atrocities committed by the Japanese after Nanking fell to the Imperial Japanese Army in 1937 with this documentary that was inspired by Iris Chang's novel The Rape of Nanking. Compiled from over 700 hours of footage including news-reel footage, interviews with survivors and soldiers, and staged readings, Nanking was financed in large by millionaire Ted Leonsis, who had read Chang's obituary and subsequently been prompted to read the author's best-selling account of the massacre. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugo Armstrong, Rosalind Chao, (more)
- 2005
Many changes have taken place between the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth season of The Shield. The Strike Team has been disbanded. Shane (Walton Goggins) is now working vice. Lem (Kenny Johnson) is with the Youth Authority, leaving Vic (Michael Chiklis) and Ronnie (David Rees Snell) working the AGC money-laundering sting operation at The Barn. Aceveda (Benito Martinez) is finally getting ready to leave to begin his work on the city council, and his replacement, Monica Rawling (Glenn Close), who got her start patrolling Farmington, has arrived and is preparing to take over. Dutch (Jay Karnes) and Claudette (CCH Pounder) arrive on the horrific scene of the drowning of a family of four. Because of Claudette's conflict with the DA last season, her and Dutch have been blackballed, and Aceveda assigns the high-profile case to another detective, Billings (David Marciano). It's discovered that the family's youngest child is missing from the scene, and when clues point toward gang involvement, Vic takes Monica out on the street with him to hook up with his sources. They stop in on Antwon Mitchell (Anthony Anderson), an ex-con who is now presenting himself as a community activist. Vic and Monica (who has her own history with Antwon) are not buying it, and believe that Antwon is still running the One-Niners. Recognizing how dangerous Antwon is, Vic makes a surreptitious trip to see Dead-Eye (Marcuis Harris), a One-Niner dealer who Antwon is pushing out of power, and offers to set him up if he helps Vic put Antwon back in jail. Later, Monica tells Vic that she's planning to set up a special gang task force at The Barn, and she wants him to run it, but she's not sure if she can trust him. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Cal (Joe Renteria), an old friend of Vic's (Michael Chiklis) who owns a restaurant, asks Vic to help him straighten out one of his employees, Cyril (Peter Pasco), who has a drug problem and has apparently disappeared. Vic goes out of his way to help Cal, which has negative repercussions when Cyril's problems turn out to be more serious, and he's involved in a shoot-out while robbing a store. Ben Gilroy (John Diehl, uncredited) turns up dead after apparently living a very rough life in Mexico. Aceveda (Benito Martinez) decides to shut down the AGC sting operation, because Louis (Dominic Hoffman) betrayed them, opening up a new company with seed money from the big clients he warned about the sting. Monica (Glenn Close) decides to offer Louis a deal to set up a new operation at the new company, angering Aceveda, who has not officially stepped down yet. Monica also gets the men's room fixed, and tells Aceveda that she plans to use a new forfeiture plan to seize criminals' assets and auction them off to pay for The Barn's upkeep and donate some cash to local social programs. Shane (Walton Goggins) has been shaking down the pimps and dealers on his beat, and is breaking in a new partner, Armando (Michael Pena of Crash), an Iraq War veteran. Vic confronts Shane about his possible connection to Antwon (Anthony Anderson), which Shane denies. But Vic still has his suspicions. Corrine (Cathy Cahlin Ryan) and Vic consider joining a class-action suit against a vaccine company. Dutch (Jay Karnes) and Claudette (CCH Pounder) bring in a prostitute (Donna Cooper) who's been raped, and Aceveda, still struggling with his own personal trauma, takes a special interest in the case. This episode also includes an uncredited appearance by Katey Sagal as Nancy Gilroy. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Antwon (Anthony Anderson) now has a hold on Shane (Walton Goggins) and Army (Michael Pena), and uses it to get them to bust one of his competitors, and give Antwon half his stash to replace the heroin he's lost. Monica (Glenn Close) gets injunctions against the One-Niners, meaning the gang members can no longer openly associate with one another, making it difficult to do business. Vic (Michael Chiklis) stumbles into a DEA sting. The DEA is trying to tie Antwon's heroin supply to a Salvadoran stolen car ring, and the local cops work with them to make a bust, but Shane tips off Antwon, so they end up with nothing. Vic is able to track down another drug stash at a local church. Julien (Michael Jace) refuses to be a part of the raid, angering Monica, who later suggests he request a transfer. The church raid is ugly, but successful. Lem (Kenny Johnson) tells Vic that Angie has disappeared, and he worries that Shane might have turned her over to Antwon or even killed her himself. Vic doesn't believe it, even though Vic and Ronnie (David Rees Snell) have surveillance video of Shane and Antwon making deals and sharing information. Claudette (CCH Pounder) isn't speaking to Dutch (Jay Karnes). Investigating the strangling of a young black woman, they bring in Kleavon Gardner (Ray Campbell), who recently moved to L.A. from Texas, where authorities suspected him of being a serial killer. The case goes in a different direction, but Dutch still believes that Kleavon is a murderer. Dutch also decides to ask Corrine (Cathy Cahlin Ryan) out on a date. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
From a script by first-time screenwriter Benjamin Brand, filmmaker Greg Harrison helmed this fantastical, psychological drama, the follow-up to his 2000 Independent Spirit-award nominated debut, Groove. Courteney Cox Arquette (TV's Friends) stars as Sophie Jacobs, a photographer who is stricken with feelings of guilt and sadness when her boyfriend is murdered during a robbery. Haunted by a belief that she could have somehow prevented the death, Sophie soon begins to see things that ought not be there and is forced to question the reality around her. Also starring James LeGros and Anne Archer, November had its premiere at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Courteney Cox Arquette, James LeGros, (more)
A bumbling martial artist embarks on a hilarious quest in this high-kicking spoof of kung-fu films from director Darryl Fong. The champion fighter of China's mystical Shur-Li Temple, Art Chew (Michael Chow Man-Kin), is sent to America by his master on a mission to find a mystical peach that holds the power of eternal life. Assisted by his best friend, Roy Lee (Colman Domingo), and the comely Sue Shee (Karena Davis), Art travels to the U.S. in hopes of completing his mission and earning the eternal respect of his wise Master Card (John Shin). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Chow Man-kin, Joyce Thi Brew, (more)
- 1998
British director Jon Sanders helmed this British-Canadian period re-creation of a 19th-century Midwestern prairie town's bordello run by tough madam Annie Ryan (Brenda Fricker). Despite competition during the 1870s, Ryan manages to maintain the business with her staff of frontier women: Married to a drunk, mother Nettie (Kelly McGillis) supports her child by moonlighting as an abortionist. Age is fast catching up with Ada (Anna Mottram), who now draws fewer customers, while youthful Georgie (Lisa Jakub) unwittingly betrays Ada. After another woman in the house is shot, German dancer Katya (Meret Becker) is the stand-offish newcomer who steps in as a replacement. Katya uses her alleged psychic powers to contact the departed family of Irish lass Eileen (Bronagh Gallagher), destined for a tragic situation. Actress Mottram co-scripted with director Sanders. Filmed in Saskatchewan locations and shown at the 1998 Rotterdam Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brenda Fricker, Kelly McGillis, (more)
