Bono Movies

Ted Braun's documentary about Darfur showcases how six different people have each done their part in order to help stop the genocide in the region and bring humanitarian relief to the millions there who suffer. His subjects include a UCLA student who, with no political experience whatsoever, passes a state bill to stop any money from going to Sudan; the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court; Pablo Recalde, a central figure in the World Food Program; and actor Don Cheadle, the star of the movie Hotel Rwanda. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Set against the anti-war protests, rock & roll revolution, and mind-expanding psychedelia of the 1960s, Julie Taymor's hallucinogenic musical follows the arduous journey of star-crossed lovers Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) as they and a small group of musicians are swept up in the raging waters of the volatile counterculture movement. Guided through their journey by a pair known only as Dr. Robert (Bono) and Mr. Kite (Eddie Izzard), Jude and Lucy are eventually forced to find their way back to one another after being split apart by powerful forces beyond their control. The music in the film consists exclusively of songs made popular by the Beatles during the time period depicted in the movie. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cowboy Jack Clement is one of the great behind-the-scenes figures in the history of country and rock and roll, as well as a legendary eccentric in a field full of outsized personalities. As Sam Phillips' second-in-command at Sun Records, Clement recorded some of Jerry Lee Lewis's biggest hits, and helped Johnny Cash and Charlie Rich refine their styles. After moving to Texas, Clement cut a handful of early hits for George Jones and suggested he record "She Thinks I Still Care". In Nashville, he discovered Charley Pride and Townes van Zandt and after deciding that recording studios were a bad environment for recording he turned his home into "The Cowboy Arms Hotel and Recording Spa," where he's cut sessions on everyone from Emmylou Harris to Frankie Yankovic. Clement has also written hit songs, produced a horror movie (Dear Dead Delilah), shot hours of video for a variety of unaired television special starring himself and his friends, and become known as one of the funniest and canniest minds in Nashville. Shakespeare Was A Big George Jones Fan: Cowboy Jack Clement's Home Movies is a documentary (produced in part by Clement himself) that takes a look at his life and career as well as offering a healthy portion of the anecdotes, philosophies and tall tales Clement is known to share. The film also includes excerpts from Clement's library of home movies and videos, including footage of him having fun with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson and many more. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Throughout the '80s and '90s there were few bands that could rival the sheer musical power and intensity of U2 - yet despite their prolific place atop the musical charts, few fans truly knew the story of perpetually shaded, enigmatic front man Bono. Now, for the first time ever, fans can follow the charismatic front man from his early childhood to his later days as an arena-filling rock star thanks to this revealing documentary. Featuring rarely seen, behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews, Bono: God's Favorite Son reveals the compelling story of a rock legend as seen through the eyes the friends and family members who know him best. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The violent rise of gangland power in New York City at a time of massive political corruption and the city's evolution into a cultural melting pot set the stage for this lavish historical epic, which director Martin Scorsese finally brought to the screen almost 30 years after he first began to plan the project. In 1846, as waves of Irish immigrants poured into the New York neighborhood of Five Points, a number of citizens of British and Dutch heritage who were born in the United States began making an open display of their resentment toward the new arrivals. William Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), better known as "Bill the Butcher" for his deadly skill with a knife, bands his fellow "Native Americans" into a gang to take on the Irish immigrants; the immigrants in turn form a gang of their own, "The Dead Rabbits," organized by Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson). After an especially bloody clash between the Natives and the Rabbits leaves Vallon dead, his son goes missing; the boy ends up in a brutal reform school before returning to the Five Points in 1862 as Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio). Now a strapping adult who has learned how to fight, Amsterdam has come to seek vengeance against Bill the Butcher, whose underworld control of the Five Points through violence and intimidation dovetails with the open corruption of New York politician "Boss" Tweed (Jim Broadbent). Amsterdam gradually penetrates Bill the Butcher's inner circle, and he soon becomes his trusted assistant. Amsterdam also finds himself falling for Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz), a beautiful but street-smart thief who was once involved with Bill. Amsterdam is learning a great deal from Bill, but before he can turn the tables on the man who killed his father, Amsterdam's true identity is exposed, even though he has concealed it from nearly everyone, including Jenny. Gangs Of New York was the first film in two years from actor Leonardo DiCaprio; ironically, it was at one time scheduled to open on the same day as Catch Me if You Can, the Steven Spielberg project that DiCaprio began filming immediately after Gangs wrapped. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This documentary on the cocky Caucasian rapper who is championed by some and vilified by others as sexist and homophobic uses interviews with Eminem (Marshall Mathers) himself, as well as with his friends and family. It contains footage from his concerts and commentary from music luminaries such as Bono, Dido, and Courtney Love. Mathers, a protegé of Dr. Dre, got his start in Detroit at the age of 14, and both his The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP CDs have sold millions in the hip-hop underground market. Purporting to reveal "the real man, behind the mask," the documentary also looks at the Mathers' family photo album and traces his rise from his poverty-stricken roots. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi

Legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders returns to the screen with this loosely structured murder mystery. The Million Dollar Hotel unites Wender's obsession with cool music, lost souls, and American trash culture. Set in 2001, the film opens with Tom Tom (Jeremy Davies) taking a flying leap off the roof of the Million Dollar Hotel, an ironically titled dive in the seedy section of L.A. Told in an extended flashback, Tom Tom recounts the murder investigation of a down-and-out artist and son of a media mogul, Izzy Goldkiss (Tim Roth), who also fell off the hotel. FBI special agent Skinner (none other than Mel Gibson), sporting a neck brace, looks into the death only to discover that the building is teeming with weirdos and losers. There is Vivien (Amanda Plummer), who claims to be the fiancée of the rock star; Geronimo (Jimmy Smits), a huckster trying to make a buck by selling Izzy's abstract painting; Eloise (Milla Jovovich), a burned out prostitute with a passion for intellectual literature; and Dixie (Peter Stormare), who swears up and down that he is the fifth Beatle. As the film progresses, Skinner proves to be just as much of a freak as the hotel tenets -- he was born with a third arm that was surgically removed from his back. Just as in his Until the End of the World (1991), Wenders features a fantastic soundtrack including songs from Bono, Daniel Lanois, and Brian Eno. The Million Dollar Hotel opened the 2000 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

A video celebrating the incredible career of Tina Turner. The main attraction is a reprise of Turner's 60th birthday concert, featuring duets with Bryan Adams. Clips of her past performances with Cher, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Rod Stewart are interspersed with testimonials to her artistic achievements from stars like Paul McCartney, Sting, and Oprah Winfrey. Some of the songs featured on the video are "What's Love Got To Do With It," "Talk to My Heart," "When the Heartache Is Over," "Let's Stay Together," and "The Best."

~ Sarah Block, Rovi

From a Whisper to a Scream documents the rise of Irish musicians through the ranks of rock & roll royalty to become the vibrant force they are in music today. This segment examines the years 1987 to the present and the rise of performers like Sinead O'Connor, U2, and Therapy? Also profiled are the divergent paths of Irish popular musicians, including the ethereal sounds of performers like Clannad and Enya. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi

Pierce Brosnan made his first appearance as James Bond in this action thriller, the 17th in the series (excluding the 1967 Casino Royale and the 1983 Never Say Never Again) featuring the suave British super-agent. As the story begins, Agent 007 and his partner, Agent 006 (Sean Bean), pull a daring raid on a chemical weapons plant in the Soviet Union; however, they are captured by Russian troops, and while Bond is able to escape, 006 is not so lucky. Several years later, the Soviet Union and the Cold War are a thing of the past, but Bond is still at work ferreting out evildoers everywhere. Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), a beautiful but vicious villain working with the Russian Mafia, spearheads the theft of the controls to GoldenEye, a high-tech satellite weapons system, and with her gunmen, she kills most of the soldiers and guards at a top-secret military facility in the process. Bond joins forces with Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), one of the base's few survivors, to help track down Onatopp's minions and the controls to GoldenEye, which can destroy all electronic circuits in a given area in a matter of seconds; however, in time, Bond discovers the true identity of the criminal mastermind who is behind this bid for unholy power and world domination -- none other than Alec Trevelyan, the man Bond once knew as 006. In addition to Brosnan, GoldenEye also marked another significant cast change for the Bond series -- Judi Dench made her debut as M, Bond's superior. Minnie Driver also has a cameo as a nightclub singer. Sadly, this was the last film in the Bond series for special-effects supervisor Derek Meddings, who died in the midst of production; the film was dedicated to him. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This is the first volume of a ten video set on the complete history of Rock and Roll music. On this first tape the history of rock is profiled, featuring a number of superstars and legends, like Little Richard, Mick Jagger, Bono of U2, and Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen. Some of the groups featured on this video from those early days include Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and Tina Turner. And of course what documentary on rock n' roll would be without a feature of the king himself, Elvis Presley, blazing a new trail in music and musical style. ~ Forrest Spencer, Rovi

Recorded live in opera legend Luciano Pavarotti's own home, this benefit concert for the war children of Bosnia includes performances from Pavarotti, Bono and The Edge, Brian Eno, Zucchero, Jovanotti, Simon Le Bon, Dolores O'Riordan, Meatloaf, Michael Bolton, The Chieftans, and Nenad Bach. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi