Ian Roberts Movies

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby co-stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly re-team with that film's director, Adam McKay, to tell the tale of two pampered best friends whose single parents fall in love and decide to marry. McKay and Ferrell share screenwriting credits, and Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller produce. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

There Will Be Blood's Paul Dano stars as Brian, an unhappy mattress salesman whose infatuation with Happy (Zooey Deschanel), one of his attractive customers, temporarily pushes aside his obsession with adopting a Chinese baby in this unconventional romantic comedy from director Matt Aselton. John Goodman, Ed Asner, and Jane Alexander co-star in the Killer Films production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

When America's number one NASCAR speed-demon is issued a direct challenge from a gay, French Formula One racer with a hunger for the top spot and a mean talent for tight-cornering, the race is on to become the number one man in all of NASCAR in a full throttle comedy starring Will Ferrell and directed by Anchorman cohort Adam McKay. Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) is a national hero with a "smokin' hot" trophy wife, pair of borderline-abusively precocious sons, and an endless line of endorsement deals filling his mansion with toys and driveway with sports cars and Hummers. His racing partner and lifelong friend Cal Naughton, Jr. (John C. Reilly), never fails to provide him with a hand on the racetrack, frequently performing their trademark "slingshot" maneuver to shoot Ricky into first place, leaving Cal in second. While the public loves these buddies (popularly known by the meaningless childhood nicknames they find so exceedingly cool: "Shake and Bake"), a wedge comes between the two, as Ricky Bobby's longstanding winning-streak is broken by flamboyand French Formula One driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen), robbing Ricky of everything in an instant as the trauma leaves him unable to drive. Ricky's wife takes his fortunes while Cal takes his wife, and now he's back with his mother (Jane Lynch) and long-estranged father (Gary Cole). Things look bad for Ricky, but his father was once a race car driver himself, and now with the help of a training montage, a live cougar, and the courage to drive without his gleaming white Wonder Bread endorsement, Ricky might be ready to face the track again. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Three stories, which offer differing perspectives on the AIDS pandemic, are featured in this anthology-drama. Sister Clara (Chloë Sevigny) is a young nun who is working with two, more experienced, missionaries (Olympia Dukakis and Sandra Oh) in a village along the African coast. Sister Clara finds herself struggling against ignorance and misinformation among the natives, but discovers she can only accomplish so much through traditional means and is forced to make a great personal sacrifice for the greater good. Denny (Shawn Ashmore) lives in Montreal and makes his living acting in pornographic movies -- a career he's kept hidden from his mother (Stockard Channing), who depends on Denny for financial support. Like most of his colleagues, Denny must present current HIV tests to producers in order to keep working. But unlike most of his fellow porn actors, Denny is actually carrying the AIDS virus, and presents fraudulent test paperwork in order to keep working. And Jin Ping (Lucy Liu) collects blood donations from villagers in mainland China, but while she claims that the blood will be used in government hospitals, Jin Ping is actually in cahoots with illegal private doctors, and she fails to use proper methods for safe blood collection. When Tong Sam (Tanabadee Chokpikultong) loses nearly all of his friends, family, and villagers to AIDS, he takes it upon himself to do something about Jin Ping and her reckless actions. Three Needles received its North American premier at the Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A dedicated human rights lawyer and a political activist who suffered at the hands of South African police officer with no regard for human life finds that the only thing more dangerous than standing up for your beliefs is the discovery of the truth in director Tom Hooper's adaptation of Gillian Slovo's captivating novel. Tortured at the hands of police officer Dirk Hendricks (Jamie Bartlett) for his efforts in seeking equality under the brutal apartheid regime, social activist Alex Mpondo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is shocked upon learning that Officer Hendricks is now seeking amnesty for his violent deeds. When human rights lawyer Sarah Barcant (Hilary Swank) returns to her South African home to represent Alex, she quickly discovers that the deeper she delves into the past, the more she has to fear in the present. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

American independent filmmaker Lawrence Blume makes his feature debut with the absurd dark comedy Martin & Orloff, starring a lot of the folks from the Upright Citizens Brigade. Martin Flam (Ian Roberts) designs mascot costumes for a corporate chain of Chinese restaurants. After a failed suicide attempt, he goes to see the incompetent therapist Dr. Eric Orloff (Matt Walsh). Under the guise of conducting therapy sessions, the quack doctor then drags Martin on a series of seemingly random adventures about town. Dr. Orloff then recruits a gang of oddballs and malcontents (played by Katie Roberts, Sal Graziano, David Cross, and H. Jon Benjamin) to help Martin face his fears. The film also includes cameos from comedians Janeane Garofalo, Tina Fey, Andy Richter, and Amy Poehler. Martin & Orloff was screened at the 2002 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Kim Basinger stars in this film based on the life and work of Kuki Gallmann. As a child, Kuki visited Africa with her family and became fascinated with the beauty of its land and wildlife. Years later, at the age of 25, Kuki returned to Africa with her husband, Paolo (Vincent Perez), and their young son, Emanuele (Liam Aiken). Kuki and Paolo built a ranch and developed a passionate interest in protecting the endangered wildlife of the region, such as elephants and rhinos. However, while Africa was a place of beauty and wonder for Kuki, it was also full of danger and tragedy, and when Paolo is unexpectedly killed, Kuki is left alone to fend for Emanuele and her unborn child in this spectacular but unforgiving landscape. I Dreamed of Africa was directed by Academy Award-winner Hugh Hudson and also features Robert Loggia and Eva Marie Saint. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a man dealing with the ghosts of his past defends a child whose cultural dictates differ with the law. Sean Raine (Gavin Hood) was born and raised in South Africa, but during his time as a soldier in that nation's army, he killed a young black man by mistake while fighting in Angola and has been plagued with guilt ever since. He left South Africa soon after; in time, he studied law and became a successful corporate attorney. While visiting South Africa for the first time in nine years, Sean and his wife Jennifer (Janine Eser) meet a herd boy named Sipho (Loyiso Gxwala) during a canoe trip. As they're returning to camp, Sean and Jennifer meet Sipho again, but this time he's in shock, standing motionless with a bloody axe in his hand as his mother carries the body of a baby with a fatal head injury. When questioned, Sipho asserts that what he killed was not a human infant but a tikoloshe, a creature cursed with evil spirits. Sean offers to defend Sipho, and as he stands before the court, he tries to explain to the judge (Nigel Hawthorne) and jury that Sipho was acting sincerely, in accordance with his faith, and therefore did not truly commit a crime. Actor Gavin Hood made his debut as a writer and director with this film, as well as playing the leading role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Carl Schenkel directed this Tarzan film "based on the stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs." In England of 1913, Tarzan (Casper Van Dien) is due to marry Jane (Jane March), but he suddenly chooses to return to the jungle to prevent villainous explorer Nigel Ravens (Steve Waddington) from burning and killing in his quest for the lost city of Opar. Jane's pursuit of the vine-swinging Lord of the Apes forces her to confront snakes and other jungle perils. The film's inane dialogue is heard amid magnificent South African locations. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

In this Norwegian conspiracy thriller, scripted by best-selling Swedish novelist Henning Mankell, a Norwegian who's dismantling land mines for the UN is killed in Mozambique during a car chase through Maputo streets. His successor (Terje Stromdahl) discovers it wasn't an accident, investigates, encounters cover-ups, and is dismissed as a conspiracy theorist. Mankell's novels about cop Kurt Wallander have been adapted as a film series (including The White Lioness). Mankell is familiar with Maputo, since he's a resident and runs a theater there. Shown at the Gothenburg Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

The title of this South African submission for the foreign language Oscar translates as "magic," or the ability to set things right. The story takes place outside rural Toorwater, where railroad-depot manager Hendrik MacDonald (Marius Weyers) lives some distance from the town with his unhappy family -- wife Katrina (Aletta Bezuidenhout), who finds her Hendrik inattentive; their son Willem (Larry Leyden), shocked into silence two years earlier; and sensitive teen daughter Emma (Liezel van der Merwe). Then one morning they awaken to find wild animals in an abandoned circus train which has been shunted off to the wrong station. Trainers and performers soon arrive, and the circus brings paljas to the remote railroad family. After the circus troupers leave, clown-mime Manuel (Ellis Pearson) stays on, moving into a nearby shack, befriending Willem and teaching him magic and clown arts. Although these events have a positive effect on the family, the local townspeople are threatened by the changes they see. Filmed simultaneously in an English version. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide