Sophie Dahl Movies
A seven year-old boy who believes he has killed his older brother flees to Coney Island in director Joanna Lipper's remake of the 1953 classic that Francois Truffaut once credited with sparking the French New Wave film movement. Young Lenny is about to turn twelve. Since their father is in prison and their mother works long hours at a nearby nursing home, Lenny and his younger brother Joey often spend long portions of the day unsupervised. In order to celebrate his birthday, Lenny and his friends make plans to ride the world famous Cyclone rollercoaster at the Coney Island amusement park. Joey too wants to ride the Cyclone, but he is too small and won't be permitted onboard even if he does tag along. When Joey defies Lenny's order to stay at home, the scheming older sibling concocts an elaborate prank in order to teach his insolent sibling a message. Much to Lenny's horror, however, the innocent prank goes frightfully awry and Joey now believes that he has killed his older brother. Realizing just how much trouble the terrified Joey could get himself into without proper supervision, Lenny soon sets out for Coney Island in a desperate quest to rescue him before events take a truly tragic turn. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Castro, Nicolas Marti-Salgado, (more)
A powerful behind-the-scenes man in politics and show business finds himself skidding into a very public scandal in this taut drama. Eli Wurman (Al Pacino) was raised in the deep South, attended Harvard Law School, and has devoted his spare time to progressive political causes since working alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s. However, Wurman now makes his living as a press agent and PR man, and while he's near the top of his profession, years of overwork, constant smoking and drinking, and ceaseless tension are taking their toll, leaving him on the verge of collapse, with only the prescriptions of his friend Dr. Napier (Robert Klein) keeping him on his feet. One of Wurman's biggest clients is Cary Launer (Ryan O'Neal), a fading film star with political aspirations who, after attending a disastrous Broadway opening, asks Wurman to do him a big favor -- bail Launer's girlfriend, Jilli (Téa Leoni), out of jail and keep an eye on her. Wurman manages to get Jilli out of the stir, but she insists upon being escorted to an exclusive sex and opium den for a night of heavy drinking and drugging, and then reveals to Wurman that she owns a device which she's used to record footage of the most public figures who attend the club, including Elliott Sharansky, a billionaire Jewish civic leader (Richard Schiff). That night, a half out-of-it Eli accompanies Jilli back to her hotel room when an intruder barges in and forces an overdose on her, killing her instantly. The next morning, Wurman has only fuzzy memories of what transpired. He decides to focus on his attempts to set up a political fundraiser, but has a hard time getting the right A-list celebs to appear, just as many of New York's power brokers aren't especially interesting in working with Wurman or Launer. In the midst of this chaos, Victoria (Kim Basinger), who was married to Wurman's late brother, arrives in New York and urges him to leave the city and his career behind while he still can. People I Know was screened in competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Kim Basinger, (more)
- 2000
Mary McGuckian directs this bleak biopic about famed Manchester United soccer star George Best, who dumped his career down the drain with booze, brawling, and drugs. The film charts Best's (John Lynch) rise from Belfast, to fame, to dissipation. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Lynch, Ian Bannen, (more)
