Richard Bekins Movies

A struggling writer unlocks the full potential of his brain by taking a cutting-edge pharmaceutical, only to find that his newfound abilities have made him a target for some of the most greedy and dangerous men on the planet. Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is an author without a novel. No matter how hard he tries, he just can't summon the inspiration to write a single word. That all changes when an old friend wanders back into Eddie's life, and opens his eyes to a powerful new drug called NZT. The moment Eddie takes NZT, his brain begins functioning at 100 percent, giving him the ability to quickly recall every event in his life down to the smallest detail, learn new languages in a flash, and harness the untapped power of complex mathematical equations. But when Eddie's supply of NZT runs out, the party is over. Of course, it doesn't take Eddie long to make a mint on Wall Street, and when he does, it draws the attention of Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro), one of the world's most powerful and prominent businessmen. With Eddie's help, Carl plots to arbitrate a complex corporate merger that will shake the establishment to its very core. Just as the deal is about to be brokered, however, some dangerous characters discover Eddie's secret and come gunning for his dwindling supply of medicine. Now, if Eddie can just endure the debilitating side effects of NZT long enough to run for his life, he may just survive to see another day. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A haunted family receives an unwelcome visitor who seeks to absolve them of their sins in this grim thriller from comic book writer-turned-filmmaker Philip Gelatt. As the Smith family struggles to break free of the lingering stigma that turned them into small-town pariahs, smooth-talking Southern gentlemen Nick (Patrick Breen) shows up on their doorstep claiming that he needs a place to sleep for the night because his car has broken down. Later, at the dinner table, a casual conversation between Nick, father Matt (Richard Bekins), mother Marilyn (Betsy Aidem), and daughter Gloria (Alexandra Chando) quickly turns dark, hinting at something deeply sinister hidden just beneath the surface of the Smiths' picture-perfect home. Meanwhile, brother Quentin (Charlie Hewson) and his girlfriend, Lynne (Nina Lisandrello), hatch a plan to leave their small town behind for a fresh start elsewhere. Unfortunately for the Smiths, Nick has other plans. But later, as the true nature of the family's dark past becomes known, the unwanted intruder realizes that he may be in over his head. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Nora Ephron adapts Julie Powell's autobiographical book Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen with this Columbia Pictures production starring Amy Adams as an amateur chef who decides to cook every recipe in a cookbook from acclaimed celebrity chef Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep) in order to chronicle it in a blog over the course of a year. Streep's Devil Wears Prada co-star Stanley Tucci re-teams with the actress as Child's husband. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Three families living in a rural Vermont community struggle with loss while allowing the delicate hands of time to gradually ease their sorrows in director Dorothy Lyman's poetic drama. Sgt. Claire Rodman (Ed Blunt) has just returned home from the Iraq War suffering a permanent hand injury, and as he slips into a helpless state of self-pity, his sister dutifully cares for their dying mother. In time, Sgt. Rodman's despondence drives a bitter wedge between the two siblings. Meanwhile, housekeeper Kathy McClellan struggles to maintain her relationship to her two grown children, Carissa and Glen. But while Glen's paranoid rants about the war seem like nonsense to many, the truth is they contain an explosive secret. Over on a neighboring farm, Nan (Dorothy Lyman) and her partner Sandra (Dey Young) find their regular routine interrupted by the sudden appearance of Sandra's daughter Enid, who isn't her usual self following a recent encounter with "the light." As the snow continues to fall, each family will confront their issues while discovering that nature really can ease sorrow. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Bloody Sunday director Paul Greengrass marks the five-year anniversary on the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States with this speculative meditation on the events that took place onboard the fourth hijacked plane, and the actions of the passengers who gave their lives to ensure the safety of others. Told in real time and acted out by a cast of unknowns who were provided with detailed studies of their real-life counterparts, United 93 attempts to reconstruct the airborne tragedy from the view of the ground and flight controllers, the passengers, and their nervous families awaiting word on the fate of their loved ones. As the terrified travelers and crew gradually become aware of the historical events taking place on the ground so far beneath them, the 90 minutes in which a random collection of strangers realized their fate and came together to confront an unthinkable threat are re-created. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In this film version of E. L. Doctorow's Billy Bathgate, Loren Dean plays the title character, a street-smart kid who inveigles his way into the confidence of 1930s gangster Dutch Schultz (Dustin Hoffman). Billy is ordered to look after Schultz' new moll, Drew Preston (Nicole Kidman), while Dutch fends off tax evasion charges and such up-and-coming rivals as Lucky Luciano (Stanley Tucci). Even though they know they're playing with dynamite, Billy and Drew fall in love. In attempting to escape Schultz' wrath, Billy succeeds only in putting himself in the thick of a gun battle between his boss and Luciano. When "Charley Lucky" emerges triumphant, Billy is forced once again to rely on his wits to escape being sent to the bottom of the briny in a cement overcoat. Bruce Willis shows up in an extended cameo as Dutch Schultz' former business associate. Billy Bathgate was adapted for the screen by British playwright Tom Stoppard. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi