Michael Cohen Movies

To be certain, there are few early 21st century social challenges as daunting as living as an Arab in the predominantly Jewish nation of Israel. But such is the situation that around 1.4 million Israeli citizens of Arabic ethnic origin are facing -- continually struggling to maintain their cultural identities despite pressure to conform or blend in. One area in which cultural assertion continues to take place is on the soccer field; Israelis are overwhelmingly passionate about the game, and it's a noteworthy fact that an Arabic league called Bnei Sakhnin (also known as the Sons of Sakhnin United) won the prestigious Israeli Cup in 2004. This victory -- even more than the existence of the team per se -- soon came to represent a potential bridge of peace between Hebrew and Palestinian cultures. As directed by Christopher Browne, the documentary After the Cup: Sons of Sakhnin United observes the Sakhnin team in the season immediately following the pivotal win, amid the realization that this season may be their final one in the public spotlight. Yet the team hardly goes through the season without obstacles: they must grapple with a dearth of funding, vast inexperience, conflict building between the coach and star player, and the sudden onslaught of pressure to transcend overwhelming public expectations. Browne observes the team and its members on the most intimate of levels and spares no detail or insight. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog returns to direct his first feature since 2001's Invincible with this dramatic action film inspired by his own 1997 documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly and detailing the escape efforts of a German-American pilot who was taken as a prisoner-of-war after being shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War. When U.S. fighter pilot Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) escaped death after being shot down over one of the most intense front lines in the Vietnam War, his troubles were only beginning. Subsequently taken captive by the enemy and forced to endure a harrowing stint in a Vietnamese prison camp, Dengler and his fellow captives stage a death-defying escape that would later inspire one of Germany's most accomplished directors to capture the remarkable tale on camera. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In 1972, investigative reporter Geraldo Rivera used a stolen key to secretly enter the now infamous Staten Island's Willowbrook State School, where he documented how disabled children were left living in conditions of deplorable neglect, all of them filthy, unhealthy, and infected with hepatitis. Now, 25 years after the shocking investigation, host Danny Aiello revisits the incident, remembering the over 5,000 children who were living in the facility at the time and focusing on three former residents, to see how the effects of the institution have been felt by families and friends of patients as well. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi