Sophia Lin Movies
Inspired by actual events, writer/director Craig Zobel's sophomore feature Compliance examines the complex hierarchy of authority through the experiences of a teenage fast-food restaurant clerk who falls victim to a twisted practical joke. Becky (Dreama Walker) is doing her best to get through another tough shift when a man claiming to be a police officer calls to speak with her stressed-out manager Sandra (Ann Dowd). According to the man on the phone, Becky has just stolen money from a customer, and likely still has the cash on her person. When Becky denies any wrongdoing, the man on the phone insists that Sandra detain the frightened girl in the back room of the restaurant, an action that sets into motion a shocking sequence of events. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, (more)
An Ohio family man experiences a series of disturbing visions that gradually begin to weigh on his marriage and community when he begins obsessively constructing a heavily fortified storm shelter. Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) has a good life. He lives in a beautiful house with his loving wife, Samantha (Jessica Chastain), and their deaf six-year-old daughter, Hannah (Tova Stewart), but begins to sense that something ominous is on the horizon when the dark clouds of swelling storms begin invading his dreams. Taciturn, Curtis refuses to discuss the dreams with anyone, but feels compelled to dig out a massive storm shelter with the help of a good friend (Shea Whigham). Meanwhile, as Samantha grows increasingly concerned with Curtis' erratic behavior, the local rumor mill begins to churn. Are Curtis' dreams a prophetic omen of things to come, or is he perhaps headed down the same dark road as his mother, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when she was approximately the same age that he is now? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, (more)
James Franco of Pineapple Express and 127 Hours toplines this tense, visceral crime thriller. He stars as William Vincent, a laconic criminal with an enigmatic past, who falls hard for a New York gangster's prostitute lover (Julianne Nicholson). When the thug finds out, he forces William to leave the city and threatens him with death should he ever dare to return. Initially, William agrees, but after four years in exile spent pining for the young woman, he secretly returns to Manhattan, planning to rescue her from the ugly life that ensconces her. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Franco
Author Sherwood Kiraly pens the screenplay adaptation of his own comedic novel concerning a man (Matthew Broderick) who gets amnesia after suffering a blow to the head and the road trip he embarks on with his Alzheimer's-afflicted uncle (Alan Alda) and high-school sweetheart (Virginia Madsen). Convinced that they will make a fortune by selling an ultra-rare baseball card at a high-profile memorabilia show, the trio sets out on the open road in search of adventure. Bobby Cannavale and Lois Smith co-star in the feature directorial debut of actor-turned-director Terry Kinney. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Matthew Broderick, Virginia Madsen, (more)
Filmmaker Craig Zobel explores the shortcuts that some folks are willing to take to become famous while simultaneously exposing the unscrupulous manner in which others take advantage of these desperate souls with this story of two men who set out to train as record producers. Excited about the prospect of helping to sign undiscovered artists, Martin (Pat Healy) answers an ad to train as a record producer. Over the course of his apprenticeship, Martin is paired with like-minded trainee Clarence (Kene Holliday) -- a middle-aged man seeking out a new career path. Upon graduating from the program, Martin and Clarence are assigned the task of traveling to towns where the company has placed newspaper ads searching for untapped talent. For a fee, these emerging talents can have their music heard by an increasingly larger audience. Though at first everything seems to be going great with their new jobs, a few unsettling developments soon lead Martin and Clarence to suspect that the company may not always have the artists' best interests in mind. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pat Healy, Kene Holliday, (more)
Zooey Deschanel, Aaron Stanford, Izabella Miko, and Christopher Lloyd star in director Michael Lehmann's comedy concerning a New Orleans cereal bar manager whose slacker lifestyle is turned upside down when a rival cereal shop threatens both his livelihood and his love life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aaron Stanford, Zooey Deschanel, (more)
A documentary adaptation of the popular regional theatrical monologue -- in which such heavyweights as Paul Newman, Nathan Lane, and Joe Mantegna essayed the lead on various occasions -- Trumbo recounts the life and times of legendary Hollywood scribe-turned-HUAC scapegoat Dalton Trumbo. As with its source production, the film takes as its base material highly personal, detailed, and emotive letters written by Dalton Trumbo to his son, Christopher; the latter, in turn, molded the missives into a screenplay for this production. Here, however, in lieu of one actor portraying Dalton, a number of celebrities take turns narrating from the script, including Lane, Paul Giamatti, Brian Dennehy, Donald Sutherland, and others. As a visual accompaniment, the film intercuts home-movie footage from the Trumbos' lives; incisive interview material with Trumbo, his family, friends, and collaborators; and haunting glimpses of the HUAC trial hearings with the Hollywood Ten, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy; as well as extracts from The Sandpiper, Johnny Got His Gun, Spartacus, and other productions authored by Trumbo. Peter Askin, who helmed the stage play, directs. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joan Allen, Brian Dennehy, (more)
You can take the clerks out of the Quick Stop, but you just can't take the Quick Stop out of the clerks as Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randall (Jeff Anderson) prove in this long-awaited sequel to Kevin Smith's breakthrough comedy. Years after we last saw them, Dante is still toiling behind the counter at a New Jersey convenience store and Randall is still annoying customers at the video shop next door -- or at least they are until a fire burns down the strip mall, forcing Dante and Randall to look for work. Times are tough, and the guys find themselves embracing the ultimate indignity as they take jobs at Mooby's, a fast-food outlet where the burgers are advertised as "udderly delicious." While Randall's snarky attitude toward the public remains unchanged, Dante is trying to make the best of the situation as he plans to marry his fiancée, Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach Smith), and move to Florida. However, Dante's plans are complicated when he falls for Becky (Rosario Dawson), a funny and tart-tongued woman who happens to be his boss at Mooby's. Lurking about in the background, as always, are Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), who for good or ill have changed even less with the passage of time than Dante and Randall. Clerks II also features Wanda Sykes, Ethan Suplee, and Trevor Fehrman, with cameo appearances from Kevin Smith regulars Ben Affleck and Jason Lee. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, (more)
Gilda (Susan May Pratt of Center Stage) is a confused young woman, obsessed with iconoclastic actor Michael De Santis (Chris Noth). She repeatedly watches a tape of De Santis being interviewed by an unctuous, James Lipton-type talk show host (played by legendary indie producer's rep John Pierson). After the death of Gilda's beloved Italian papa (Michele Placido), she learns, much to her dismay, that he had a longtime mistress back in Italy. Using the excuse of her grandfather's (Josef Sommer) upcoming birthday, Gilda travels to New York City, planning to find a way to get close to De Santis. Video camera in hand, Gilda explores the city and runs into Adam (Jeremy Davies), a geology student. Sparks fly until Gilda's newfound cynicism turns Adam off. She decides to pose as a reporter for an Italian newspaper, and arranges to interview De Santis. She takes a bus down to Virginia and goes to the set. Everything goes according to plan, but De Santis quickly sees through her ruse. Intrigued by his pretty, spirited young fan, De Santis invites Gilda back to his hotel room, where neither of them finds what they expected. Searching for Paradise, written and directed by Myra Paci, was developed at the Sundance Institute. The film was a minor hit on the festival circuit and was eventually picked up for home video distribution under the Sundance imprint. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Susan May Pratt, Chris Noth, (more)
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