Miranda Frigon Movies
A man with the ability to see the future and change the outcome of events before they occur is forced to choose between saving himself and saving the world in this supernatural thriller starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day, The Edge). Cris Johnson (Cage) is a Las Vegas magician who possesses the unique ability to witness the events of the immediate future moments before they happen. As a child Cris was subjected to a series of cruel experiments by government scientists and doctors, but a change of name and a new identity allowed the tortured psychic to elude detection and start a new life away from the prying eyes of his former captors. Though his clairvoyant vision only extends a few minutes into the future, it has still allowed Cris to eke out a living as a low-rent Las Vegas magician while earning a little extra cash at the blackjack tables. Up to this point in his life Cris has never used his power for anything substantial, but when he experiences a vision of Los Angeles being incinerated in a nuclear holocaust, the small-time magician realizes that he could hold the key to saving millions of lives. But as low as he has tried to lie in recent years, Cris has never completely escaped detection by the government. Now, as terrorists prepare to unleash the ultimate horror on an unsuspecting city, FBI counter terror agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore) sets out to capture Cris and convince him to use his exceptional gift to prevent the nuclear nightmare from becoming a terrifying reality. Jessica Biel, Peter Falk, and Thomas Kretschmann co-star in the film, which is based on a short story by acclaimed sci-fi author Philip K. Dick. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, (more)
- 2005
A man struggles to reconnect with his family and community as he deals with the scars of war in this independent drama from writer and director Shirley Cheechoo. Johnny Tootall (Adam Beach) is a Native North American from Vancouver who joined the military when he found himself unable to handle his responsibilities at home. Johnny ended up serving as a soldier in Bosnia, and the war and devastation he witnessed has had a lasting impact on him; he's especially haunted by the death of a young boy he killed in battle. When his hitch is over, Johnny comes home and has to face the loose ends he left behind -- his girlfriend, Serena (Alex Rice), the members of his tribe, and especially his brother, RT (Nathaniel Arcand). RT is a scruffy political activist who long found himself at odds with Johnny, and the returning soldier discovers RT is in the midst of a campaign to save the sacred land of their people. RT wants Johnny to help him in this fight to save their culture, but as Johnny struggles to sort out his demons, he wonders how much he can really do for others. Johnny Tootall was named Best Feature Film at the 2006 Native American Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Beach, Alex Rice, (more)
Divorced architect Jonathan Rivers (Michael Keaton) seems to lead a pretty good life with partial custody of his young son and a happy second marriage to Anna (Chandra West), a best-selling author. Things take an ugly turn when Anna disappears during a thunderstorm, apparently the victim of a freak accident. Eventually, her body is found, and Jonathan sinks into despair. Then he meets Raymond (Ian McNeice), who claims that Anna has contacted him through EVP, or electronic voice phenomena. Raymond explains that the dead can communicate from beyond via static on common electronic equipment like radios and televisions. Jonathan is skeptical until he starts getting phone calls from Anna's inactive cell phone. He visits Raymond, whose home is filled with audio and video monitors and high-tech recording equipment. There he meets Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger), who has recently received a farewell message from her late fiancé. Jonathan eventually receives what appears to be a communication from Anna, but soon afterward, Raymond turns up dead. Obsessed with maintaining contact with his late wife, Jonathan visits a psychic (Connor Tracy) who warns him that he's going down a dangerous path, "meddling" in the affairs of the dead. Undaunted, Jonathan continues to study EVP and eventually finds that he's getting messages from people who haven't died...yet. White Noise was directed by Geoffrey Sax from an original script by Niall Johnson. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Chandra West, (more)
