Toby Kebbell
- 2008
- R
- AddRocknRollato Queue
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels director Guy Ritchie heads back to the London underworld for this hyperkinetic crime comedy concerning a shady land deal that leaves every schemer in the city determined to get rich or die trying. When a Russian mobster orchestrates a lucrative real estate scam, every criminal in London wants a piece of the action. Greed is the universal language, and everyone from unrelenting crime boss Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson) to street-smart criminal One Two (Gerard Butler), corrupt accountant Stella (Thandie Newton), and unpredictable punk rocker Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell) seem to speak it fluently. As the bullets start to fly and the double crosses multiply, there's no telling who will walk away with the fortune after the gun smoke has cleared. Jeremy Piven, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, and Quantum of Solace Bond girl Gemma Arterton co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, (more)
- 2008
Based on recently declassified information and the personal wartime experiences of journalist Mark Boal (who adapted his experiences with a bomb squad into a fact-based, yet fictional story), director Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker presents the ongoing conflict in the Middle East from the perspective of those who see the fighting firsthand -- the soldiers. As an elite Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team tactfully navigates the streets of present-day Iraq, they face the constant threat of death from incoming bombs and sharp-shooting snipers. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, (more)
Prolific music-video helmer and award-winning photographer Anton Corbijn makes his feature directorial debut with this biographical drama concerning the late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. Based on the book Touching from a Distance: Ian Curtis & Joy Division by the enigmatic singer's wife Deborah Curtis, Control documents the life of a legend who changed the face of modern music but never lived to witness the remarkable impact of his life's work. The time was the late 1970s, and the post-punk explosion was just gaining momentum in England. At the forefront of this movement was a band named Joy Division. Formed in 1976 and first calling themselves Warsaw, Joy Division favored mood and expression over the aggressive stance that had come to define punk rock. The band was championed by Factory Records founder Tony Wilson, and collaborated with producer Martin Hannett on the album that would become their undisputed masterpiece -- 1979's Unknown Pleasures. But despite the band's rising popularity, lead singer Curtis was not in good mental or physical health due a debilitating battle with epilepsy and an extramarital affair, and hanged himself in his Macclesfield home on the eve of the band's first U.S. tour. Newcomer Sam Riley stars opposite Samantha Morton in the film that sets out to tell the definitive story of a true rock & roll legend. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samantha Morton, Sam Riley, (more)
A group of juvenile delinquents are forced to fight for their lives after being sent the forest for an exercise in teamwork and tracked by a crossbow-wielding madman with a pack of flesh-eating dogs. The Young Offenders Institution is the kind of place kids are sent when all hope is lost. In order to test their mettle in an environment where every decision counts, the powers that be at the Young Offenders Institution send their worst offenders into deep into the woods for a tough-love lesson in character-building. Suddenly surrounded by dense forestation, deadly rapids, and a jagged coastline that makes escape virtually impossible, the young criminals must band together after their group leaders are ruthlessly slaughtered. With time running out and their numbers quickly dwindling, these tough-talking teens must put their survival skills to the ultimate test and band together to take down a merciless predator who relishes in watching his victims suffer. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Pertwee, Alex Reid, (more)
A clandestine love affair sends one man's charmed life into a tailspin in this dark, disturbing drama written and directed by Woody Allen, his first film set and shot in Great Britain and one his few films sans any humor. Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) is an Irish tennis player with an impoverished background. Just accomplished enough to make his way onto the professional circuit, but not skilled enough to be a consistent winner, he now works as an instructor at a London tennis club. The wealthy Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode), who is as impressed by Chris's charm and good looks as he is by his game, takes a tennis lesson from the young man. Chris's intelligence and wit also make a strong impression on Tom's pretty sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer), who soon falls for him. It isn't long before Chris and Chloe are engaged to be married, a match that pleases both Tom and his father, Alec (Brian Cox), a successful businessman who believes Chris has a bright future in his firm. However, Chris also feels an overwhelming attraction to Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson), a sexy blonde from the United States who is dating Tom. Though Nola initially puts up some resistance, Chris gently nudges her in the direction of an affair. Passion soon ignites between the two, and they have a one-time sexual encounter, even as Chris and Chloe plan their wedding. Nola resists, however, when Chris makes additional attempts to wheedle her into bed. Nola drops out of Chris's life shortly before his wedding, but a chance meeting a few months later resurrects the relationship as Chris and Chloe try to start a family. Match Point received its world premiere in an enthusiastically received presentation at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, (more)
Richard (Paddy Considine of In America) returns to the rural region of Derbyshire, where he grew up, after seven years in the military. His mentally challenged brother, Anthony (newcomer Toby Kebbell), tags along. Something awful has happened to Anthony, and Richard means to set things right. Richard angrily confronts Herbie (Stuart Wolfenden), a small-time drug dealer, in the local pub, then creepily apologizes to him a few minutes later outside. Herbie runs to his mates and tells them what happened, but before they have a chance to respond, they find that they're targets. Richard starts out with relatively harmless pranks, vandalizing their houses and painting their faces while they're asleep. Sonny (former boxer Gary Stretch), the gang's bullying leader, confronts Richard on the street, but Richard refuses to back down. Sonny's ragtag crew are ill equipped to respond to Richard's ruthless military tactics. As Richard inexorably goes about his business, and the bodies begin to pile up, we learn, through flashbacks, what happened to Anthony. Dead Man's Shoes was directed by Shane Meadows (Once Upon a Time in the Midlands), who co-wrote the script with Considine. The film had its U.S. premiere at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paddy Considine, Gary Stretch, (more)
The fourth film to chronicle the life of fourth-century B.C. ruler Alexander the Great, Oliver Stone's Alexander stars Colin Farrell as the titular Macedonian conqueror. The film follows the young king as he leads his forces on a bloody empirical conquest across the known world, taking large parts of Asia and the Middle East to amass a giant empire, all by the time he turned 25. Anthony Hopkins co-stars as Ptolemy I along with Rosario Dawson as Roxane, Angelina Jolie as Olympias, Jared Leto as Hephaistion, Val Kilmer as King Philip II, and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Cassander. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, (more)
