Isabella Rossellini Movies

Despite its late start in January of 2005 after a hiatus of eight months, the fourth season of Alias more than made up for lost time with a plethora of trials, tribulations, jaw-dropping revelations, big-time betrayals, and near-death experiences for the series' secret-agent heroine, Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner). Reeling from the disillusionment and embarrassment of her demotion, Sydney quits the CIA flat; however, it turns out that this is part of a master plan hatched by new CIA director Hayden Chase (Angela Bassett) to arrange Sydney's membership in Authorized Personnel Only (APO), a top-top secret black-ops organization. Sydney's co-workers at APO include several longtime associates: her father, Jack (Victor Garber); her partner and sometime lover, Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan); her steadfast previous partner Dixon (Carl Lumbly) -- and, much to our heroine's surprise, her duplicitous ex-chief, Sloane (Ron Rifkin), who has proven time and again that he can't be trusted. For her first APO assignment, Sydney is sent to Rio, where she has a fateful encounter with her latest adversary, Tamasaki (Rick Yune), a self-styled 21st century samurai. Previously a recurring character, Sydney's half-sister, Nadia Santos (Mía Maestro), becomes a full regular this season, the better to throw a monkey wrench into Sydney's volatile relationship with her father, Jack -- and to share with Jack a startling secret about Sydney's supposedly dead, supposedly traitorous mother. At the same time, Vaughn has a great deal of difficulty overcoming the treachery of his former wife, Lauren, and an equal amount of difficulty assimilating new and disturbing information about his own father. Major developments this season include a huge revival of interest in the Rambaldi code, which when broken may spell the doom of humankind; the surprising temporary recruitment of another of Sydney's longtime enemies, Julian Sark (David Anders), for a special APO mission; a grim prognostication that Sydney and Nadia are destined to duke it out to the death; and the resurrection of a long-presumed-dead central character, who will reveal anew to Sydney that she can never completely rely upon anyone or believe in anything, not even the evidence of her own eyes. Though the season ends with the good news that Sydney and Vaughn are engaged, any hopes for lasting happiness are dashed by still another shocking revelation -- and a spectacular car crash. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this witty drama, a pair of brothers debate integrity versus compromise as they try to succeed in the restaurant business. Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and Secondo (Stanley Tucci) have journeyed from Italy to New Jersey in the mid-1950s, determined to make a killing with an authentic Italian restaurant, The Paradise. But their food is a bit too authentic; Primo may prepare a superb risotto, but most of his customers are wondering why they can't get a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. Secondo tries to convince his brother not to berate the customers for requesting more "American" dishes, but Primo stands firm. Meanwhile, Pascal (Ian Holm), another local restaurateur, is doing great business with "Italian style" food the brothers wouldn't bother to spit on. Despite Primo's refusal to change his recipes to cater to lowbrow tastes, Secondo goes to Pascal begging for advice. With The Paradise on its last legs, Pascal offers to help -- Louis Prima, the famous Italian-American bandleader, is coming to town, and Pascal is to arrange a banquet in his honor. He'll stage the banquet at The Paradise in the hopes that Prima and his entourage (and hopefully the accompanying press) will fall in love with the authentic food and sing the praises of the foundering restaurant as he tours the country. The preparations for the big night and the behind-the-scenes family drama that ensues is highlighted by a strong supporting cast of Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini, and Allison Janney. Stanley Tucci, who plays Secondo, co-directed with Campbell Scott, who has a small but memorable role as a car salesman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this romantic comedy, two people brought together by marriage are brought even closer by their mates. Maria Hardy (Isabella Rossellini) and Larry Konzinski (Ted Danson) first meet at a wedding, where Maria's mother and Larry's uncle are tying the knot. However, the new cousins also have something else in common: Maria's husband Tom (William L. Petersen) is having an affair with Larry's wife, Tish (Sean Young). Maria and Larry get to talking at the wedding reception after their spouses go missing for a while, and they develop a rapport. A friendship grows between them, and they start seeing each other on a regular basis. When Maria confronts Tom about his infidelity, he responds by asking her if she's sleeping with Larry. As Maria and Larry become aware of what's happening between their not-so-better halves, they decide to get revenge by pretending to have an affair as well. However, the longer they pretend to be in love, the more they realize that they aren't pretending after all. Cousins was based on the popular French film Cousin Cousine. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Despite being busy with his profession of soldiery, Brantome (Richard Bohringer) manages to find much more time for amorous dalliances with the ladies of the 16th-century French court than for battles. Unfortunately for him, his true love, Victoire (Isabella Rossellini), is beyond his reach most of the time. He more than compensates for this in the arms of others. Reviewers found little merit in this uninspired drama, except for the gorgeous period settings and costumes. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

From the majesty of the snow-capped Alps to the sun-soaked landscape of Sicily, Discovery Atlas spends a year in Italy to offer armchair vacationers a wondrous look at one of the world's most picturesque countries while candidly speaking with the people who exemplify everything that it means to be an Italian. These are the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of Italy's heart and soul, set to awe-inspiring footage of a land seemingly untouched by time. All of the famous monuments are here, as are some hidden surprises known only to the few who call this land their home. Stunning computer graphics combine with a compelling narrative to take viewers on a tour of Italy that few are likely to soon forget. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Lord of the Rings fans take note, acclaimed fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin's epic tale of wizardry and prophecy comes to life as never before in director Robert Lieberman's imaginative screen adaptation of her popular Earthsea novels. Adapted for the Sci-Fi Channel, the two-part miniseries chronicles the journey of a reckless youth who seeks to master the ancient arts and become the most powerful sorcerer Earthsea has ever seen. As Ged (Shawn Ashmore) begins to discover the vast potential of his true powers, he must face great adversity if he is to truly fulfill his destiny and reunite his bitterly divided planet. Facing dragons, love, and eventually death itself, Ged's path to power is as wondrous and alluring as it is deadly. Also starring Isabella Rossellini, Danny Glover, and Kristin Kreuk (of TV's Smallville), this miniseries premiered in late 2004. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This film noir style, made-for-TV movie contains three parts, each based on stories by three different authors (Jim Thompson, Cornell Woolrich, and James Elroy). It looks as if a con-artist (Peter Gallagher) has finally met someone who can pull the wool over his eyes in "The Frightening Frammis." In "Murder, Obliquely," a shifty man (Alan L. Rickman) manages to win the affections of a woman (Laura Dern). Little does she know that his former girlfriend might have been murdered by his own hands. The mobster Mickey Cohen (James Woods) and Howard Hughes (Tim Matheson) both have their eyes on the same woman and Buzz Meeks (Gary Busey) has been contracted to seek her out in "Since I Don't Have You." ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Isabella Rosselini guest stars in this episode, in which Ross (David Schwimmer) tries to come up with the names of his five "dream" celebrities (a list that he's forced to pare down to four at the least advantageous moment). Meanwhile, Phoebe's half-brother, Frank Jr. (Giovanni Ribisi), shows up, prompting Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) to attempt a bonding exercise. And Joey (Matt LeBlanc) tries to convert his corner of the apartment into a home entertainment center (funny, it started out as a mailbox...). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Pope (Manfred Freyburger) is disturbed by the fact that today's youth are not as spiritually inclined as they should be, and so he decides to set up a Vatican television station and entice them back into the religion of their ancestors. In order to particularly grab the wandering flock, a priest invites the comedians from "The Other Sunday," an actual comedy program on Italian television, to perform on this new channel. He sets up a show that parodies an over-the-hill transvestite group, the Flagg Sisters, played by themselves. This understandably upsets one of the more eminent Cardinals (Luciano De Crescenzo) who tries every means he can to stop the show. Nothing succeeds, and he can only assemble with all the other devout men of God to view the first live broadcast. Worked into the plot are several outrageously incongruous scenes that casually juxtapose the secular and sacred, including God at the wheel of a Fiat - what else would He drive? In a real-life event that matched the humor in film, the producers were slapped with a lawsuit brought by indignant plaintiffs charging "offense to the state religion" - and were found not guilty. The offended parties had not noticed that Italy's constitution expressly forbids any state religion. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

This biography of Ludwig von Beethoven (played here by Gary Oldman) builds its narrative around an actual letter found after his death, addressed only to the composer's "immortal beloved." The responsibility of discovering this mysterious person's identity falls to Beethoven's friend and secretary (Jeroen Krabbé), who sets out on an investigation that soon becomes an exploration of the composer's life. Through recollections and scattered hints, we receive glimpses of Beethoven's relationships with women, particularly his close interaction with a pair of very different Countesses. The film also pays prominent attention to the composer's oddly obsessive relationship with the young nephew whom he attempted to mold in his own image, and Beethoven's eventual hearing loss and descent into emotional instability. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide