Scott Franklin Movies

Based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr., this gritty drama concerns four people trapped by their addictions. Harry (Jared Leto), and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) are impoverished heroin addicts living in Coney Island, NY, while Harry's girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) is a fellow addict trying to distance herself from her wealthy father. Harry dreams of scoring a pound of smack, from which he could make enough money to open a clothing boutique with Marion, but so far he and his friends can barely scrape by supporting their own habits. Meanwhile, Harry's mother Sara (Ellen Burstyn), who spends her days watching television, is told she has the opportunity to appear on her favorite game show; wanting to lose enough weight to fit into her favorite red dress, she visits a sleazy doctor who gives her a prescription for amphetamines. Soon Sara has a drug habit of her own that is spiraling out of control. Requiem for a Dream was directed by Darren Aronofsky, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Selby; it was Aronofsky's second feature, following his acclaimed independent film Pi. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

His sense of identity fading into nothingness after the spotlights dim and he experiences a close brush with mortality, a retired wrestler begins to evaluate his life while considering the comeback that could very well kill him in director Darren Aronofsky's poignant portrait of an introspective former superstar in the twilight of his career. Back in his heyday, wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was an icon in the ring. His image immortalized in action figures and video games, he would headline arenas across the globe. Twenty years later, those glory days have passed, and Randy is forced to earn his keep by brawling before handfuls of fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey. In the wake of a heart attack, the former icon attempts to earn a little extra cash while working in a deli and making an effort to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). Yet, despite Randy's continued attempts at convincing local stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) to settle down with him in his humble trailer, the ring still calls to him. Later, when the prospect of a high-profile rematch with his longtime nemesis presents itself, Randy is forced to weigh his mortality against his desire to hear the crowd roar one last time. The Wrestler snagged two Oscar nominations, one for Best Actor (Rourke) and one for Best Supporting Actress (Tomei). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Writer/director Julie Delpy follows-up her 2007 comedy 2 Days in Paris with this tale of a happy couple who find their comfortable relationship put to the test during a tumultuous family visit. Marion (Delpy) and Mingus (Chris Rock) both come from failed relationships. But by bringing their children together, they've managed to form a small yet happy family. Tensions in their household soon begin to spike, however, when Marion's jovial father (Albert Delpy -- the director's real-life father) shows up on their doorstep with his randy daughter and her peculiar boyfriend in tow. Later, as the motor-mouthed houseguests shatter every taboo imaginable, the happy couple begin to question their commitment. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Pop icon Madonna returns to the director's seat for the first time since her 2008 feature debut, Filth and Wisdom, for this ambitious romance detailing one lonely woman's obsession with the relationship between King Edward VIII (James D'Arcy) and American divorcée Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough). To Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), no act of devotion in history is more romantic than King Edward VIII abdicating the throne to be with his one true love. But the deeper Wally dives into the background of this controversial love affair, the more apparent it becomes that their relationship was no bed of roses. Now, as each new discovery paints an increasingly dire picture for the once-happy couple, Wally begins to grow disillusioned about the prospect of true love. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi