Bryan Gunnar Cole Movies
- 2009
A spy unwittingly puts himself and his family in danger as he tries to reconnect with the child he left behind in this independent drama from director Garrett Bennett. In the early 1980s, Thomas Sparrow (David Rasche) was an operative with the CIA whose work often kept him away from his wife and young daughter. During a secret money-drop operation in Germany, things went awry and Sparrow was seriously hurt while the cash went missing. When Sparrow returned home, he learned his wife had been having an affair with another man, leading to an ugly altercation that terrified his daughter Josephine. Sparrow's wife banished him from the house, and with a new assignment, he literally disappeared from the lives of his wife and child. Twenty-five years later, Sparrow has retired from intelligence, and he travels to Seattle where Josephine (Elisabeth Rohm), now in her mid-thirties, is living. Observing his daughter from a distance, Sparrow sees that growing up without a father had taken a toll on her; she's a single mother with a drinking problem who is clearly unhappy with her life, and Sparrow tries to reintegrate himself into her life and help repair the damage he's done. But Sparrow's years with the CIA still follow him, and he's become the target of Russian mobsters who are convinced he knows where the fortune he lost years ago can be found. Also starring Eric Roberts, The Spy and the Sparrow received its world premiere at the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Three men come face to face with their concerns about war when they're drafted in this independent drama set in the near future. As the United States becomes more deeply mired in wars around the world and the threat of major terrorist attacks looms large, the federal government decides to reinstate conscription, and three friends face conflicting emotions as they wait out their last few days before entering the Army under the new draft. George Rifkin (Chris Klein) is a lawyer who has been helping his wife, Molly (Ginnifer Goodwin), get through her recent cancer treatment; he would prefer to stay home with her as she recovers, but despite his legal know-how he can't find a loophole out of his current dilemma. Aaron Feller (Elijah Wood) is a slight and sensitive writer who doesn't feel physically or emotionally prepared to serve in the military, despite his sense of moral obligation, and he turns to a therapist, Dr. Reynolds (Ally Sheedy), to help him cope. And James Dixon (Jon Bernthal) is a cabbie who feels reasonably strong and confident about his future as a soldier until he meets Patricia (Elizabeth Moss), a college student who challenges his beliefs and assumptions about the war and each man's place in it. Day Zero was the first feature film from veteran editor Bryan Gunnar Cole, and received its world premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Chris Klein, (more)
- 2004
In 1967, not long after the Israeli Six Day War, noted author Amos Elon had moved into a new home in West Jerusalem, and he and his wife decided to hire someone to help watch over their one-year-old daughter, Danae. Mahmoud "Musa" Obeidallah, a Palestinian, applied for the job and got it, and so in the midst of bitter conflict, Danae grew up being taken care of and tutored by a man who was supposed to be a political rival of her family. In her early twenties, Danae lost contact with Musa, but recalled hearing that his children had relocated to New Jersey so they would be able to avoid the violence that had overrun his homeland. Years later, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Danae saw a news report stating that Patterson, NJ, was believed to have been home to an enclave of Arab terrorists, and Danae became both curious and concerned about the fate of Musa and his family. She decided to find Musa, and made a film about her search; Another Road Home was the result, and explores the odd contradictions of their relationship, as well as the deep affection that still exists between Danae and Musa. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mahmoud Musa Obeidallah, Haled Obeidallah, (more)
