Roger Deakins Movies
A frequent collaborator of offbeat visionary auteurs the Coen brothers, cinematographer Roger Deakins' work on such features as The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Fargo (1996), Kundun (1997), and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) -- all Oscar-nominated for Best Cinematography -- has earned him a reputation as one of the premier cinematic visionaries of his generation. Born in Devon, England, Deakins initially studied graphic design, a career path which eventually led him to realize his love for still photography. Following his education at the National Film School, Deakins was commissioned to create a photographic documentary on his hometown, an assignment that found him focusing on documentary filmmaking for the next seven years. Deakins subsequently stepped behind the camera for such television documentaries as Around the World with Ridgeway, Zimbabwe, and Eritrea -- Behind Enemy Lines; and in 1983 National Film School student Michael Radford offered him work on the fiction feature Another Time, Another Place. The mid-'80s found Deakins virtually abandoning documentary filmmaking for work on such strikingly visual efforts as 1984 (1984) and Sid and Nancy (1986); and following his work on the 1988 film The Moon Woman, he worked primarily in the United States.Deakins' remarkable work on the Coen brothers 1991 film Barton Fink proved the beginning of an enduring partnership, and since then, the cinematographer has remained behind the camera for virtually all of the eccentric pair's highly stylized efforts. Increasingly prolific in Hollywood since the mid-'90s, Deakins balanced lensing such blockbusters as Courage Under Fire (1996), Thirteen Days (2000), and A Beautiful Mind (2001) with such lesser-known efforts as The Secret Garden (1993) and Anywhere But Here (1999). Following the millennial turnover, Deakins would once again re-team with the Coen brothers for The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), and The Ladykillers (2004). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 1988
Angela (Greta Scacchi) is an Italian woman in Italy to attend her father's funeral in Sicily in this romantic drama. She meets the teenage Salvo (Luca Orlandini) when he jumps aboard the ferryboat and into her car. Salvo claims he is being chased by drug kingpins, and Angela wavers on believing his story. Her mood soon softens as Salvo shows romantic interest in the slightly older woman. When Angela and an American serviceman start to become chummy, Salvo shows his jealous colors. Musician Tim Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House) makes an acting appearance as Steve in this low-budget but well-crafted feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Greta Scacchi, Lucas Orlandini, (more)
- 1983
This story of a World War II romance in the Scottish highlands develops in a gradual but lyrical manner as Janie (Phyllis Logan), a Scottish woman married to a cold and remote man, starts an affair with Luigi (Giovanni Mauriello), an Italian confined to Janie's small community until the war is over. Luigi has two other compatriots to keep him company, but none of the Italians speak English, and life in exile is lonely. Although the townspeople continue to distrust the Italians, Luigi and Janie are kindred spirits, so when they meet, their mutual need is unconsciously acknowledged and sparks are ignited. Whether an illicit wartime romance will endure or not, that is another question entirely. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Phyllis Logan, Giovanni Mauriello, (more)
- 1981
Narrated by Julie Christie and banned from television, this is an unflinching look at wildlife abuse - documenting in a graphic way the cruelties imposed upon animals by man in the name of capitalism and science. The graphic violence to animals is examined through interviews, secretly-shot footage and military film clips. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- 1980
This British rock documentary covers the first Great Yarmouth Holiday Camp concert. Featured is singer Ray Campi, and the late Bill Haley of Bill Haley and the Comets fame is shown at a 1978 London concert. Film clips of Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and other early rock stars are also shown. ~ Brian Gusse, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Haley
- 1979
Van Morrison in Ireland is 60 minutes of Van Morrison belting out 12 songs, in which the quality of the music and the intensity of the singer speak for themselves. Interviews with the rock star (born in Ireland) were recorded, but nixed by him before the film went into final editing. Some shots of the singer in Dublin are the only scenes outside the concert stage, and were meant to underscore the fact that this was his first live performance in his native land in 15 years. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Van Morrison
- 1977
Aside from newspapers, most people in the 1930s got their news from movie newsreels. In this British documentary, the filmmaker makes the case that the generally vague and uninformative coverage of world events by the newsreel companies was a result of government and other pressures. A concerted effort was made to paint a rose-colored picture of the world situation, when in fact, much information was available which could have been used to give viewers a more realistic understanding of the world situation. As an example, by the late 1930s, news companies had on file much filmed footage showing the horrors of Nazi concentration camps. Using interviews with reporters and other important figures, as well as archival film footage, the director makes a strong case for his unpalatable assertions. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
In this erotic drama based on an infamous novel by the Marquis de Sade, two sisters are raised in a convent, where they suffer all manner of abuse. The girls are eventually expelled for misbehavior, and make their way to London, where they find work in a brothel. One is able to adjust to the realities of her new life, but the other rebels and runs away, only to fall victim to an especially cruel fate. Justine, which was also released under the title Cruel Passion, stars Koo Stark, who gained notoriety in 1982 after it became public knowledge that she had a brief affair with Britain's Prince Andrew. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Koo Stark, Martin Potter, (more)
- 1976
This documentary follows the 1975-76 efforts of Reuben Davis, who seeks to ease the difficulties of would-be immigrants, holders of valid British passports, who are denied resident entry permits to the country because of that country's schizophrenic practice of issuing such passports to citizens of former colonies (Pakistan, East Africa, Cyprus) and at the same time refusing them entry into the country. Mr. Davis is shown interviewing the victims of this policy, advising them of options, and is also shown badgering immigration officials and the hapless holder of the post of Minister of Information. His efforts seem to have borne little fruit, as this same difficulty continues through the 1990s. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
A high-powered sales executive struggles with his own dwindling sense of self-worth after becoming a victim to corporate downsizing. Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) has a big house, a new Porsche, a beautiful wife, and two adoring kids. When he's not in the office, he can usually be found on the golf course, perfecting his game or clinching an important business deal. But when the axe falls, Bobby and his colleagues Phil (Chris Cooper) and Gene (Tommy Lee Jones) find their necks on the chopping block, and their futures looking bleak. In order to stay afloat, Bobby reluctantly goes to work as a carpenter for his brother-in-law (Kevin Costner). But building houses is a far cry from the boardroom, and just as Bobby starts to wonder if he'll ever taste success again, he realizes that true prosperity doesn't come in the form of a paycheck, but through the satisfaction of knowing that his family will always be there to support him. Maria Bello, Craig T. Nelson, and Rosemarie DeWitt co-star in a drama from writer/director John Wells (ER). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Affleck, (more)
Filmmaking duo Joel and Ethan Coen write, produce, and direct this period black comedy set in 1967 concerning a Midwestern physics professor whose staid and stable life slowly begins to unravel after his wife announces that she's leaving him. As if the failure of his longtime marriage wasn't enough for Larry Gopnik (Tony-nominated Michael Stuhlbarg) to contend with, now his socially inept brother refuses to move out of the house as well. Larry is a modest man of science. Up to this point, his life has been uneventful at best, but things are about to get interesting. When his wife, Judith, announces that she is leaving him to move in with his smug colleague Sy Ableman, Larry does his best to contend with his failed marriage while barely tolerating his unemployable brother, Arthur, who appears to have grown roots on Larry's couch. Meanwhile, Larry's son, Danny, is getting into trouble at Hebrew school, and his daughter, Sarah, is stealthily snatching money from his wallet so she can afford a nose job. As Judith and Sy merrily begin making plans for their new life of domestic bliss together, Larry begins receiving a series of anonymous letters from someone who seems intent on sabotaging his chance for tenure at the university. To further complicate matters, a graduate student with failing grades is attempting to bribe the professor while simultaneously threatening him with a defamation lawsuit. Larry is in some serious need of equilibrium, though it's hard to focus on getting your life in order when your beautiful neighbor insists on sunbathing in the nude just outside your window. Perhaps by seeking the advice of three trusted rabbis, Larry can finally learn to cope with his afflictions and become a genuine mensch. A Serious Man is the second in a two-picture deal that the siblings made with Focus Features and Working Title. The first film in the deal, entitled Burn After Reading and starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Frances McDormand, was released nationwide in September 2008. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, (more)
Titanic shipmates Kathy Bates, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kate Winslet step onboard for director Sam Mendes' tale of suburban malaise in 1950s-era Connecticut. Adapted from the classic 1961 novel by author Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road tells the tale of a young Connecticut couple whose once-idealistic relationship steadily deteriorates into a ceaseless cycle of petty jealousy and bickering as they strive to retain their independence in the conformity-obsessed world of picket fences and perfectly manicured lawns. Ever since they first met, Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) saw themselves as special and different. They strive to form their relationship around higher ideals, though upon moving into their new home on Revolutionary Road, the defiant couple pledges never to be confined by the social conventions of the era. As time passes, however, Frank and April gradually become the very thing that they both feared most -- a typical suburban family complete with abandoned dreams and faded hopes. Frank loses his nerve after taking a comfortable job with a reliable salary, and April morphs into an unsatisfied homemaker desperate for passion and excitement. But April's independent spirit hasn't been suffocated just yet, and when she hatches a plan to head for Paris, her need to escape at all costs stands in direct contrast to Frank's desire to hold on to what they already have. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, (more)
Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes star in The Hours director Stephen Daldry's haunting period drama concerning the relationship between a 15-year-old German boy and a mysterious woman twice his age, and the way that it grows doubly complex when the man reencounters the woman years later and discovers a shocking truth about her past. Based on author Bernhard Schlink's best-selling novel of the same name, the film opens on the character of Michael Berg (Ralph Fiennes) in middle age -- cold, remote, and emotionally withdrawn. It then moves back in time to 1950s Berlin, where ailing teenager Michael (now played by David Kross) has fallen ill with fever, and is discovered in the street by Hanna, a woman in her thirties. After Michael recovers, the two immediately lapse into a torrid affair and Michael falls prey to the confusion of his own burgeoning sexuality. Their liaisons are often marked by Hanna's request that Michael read to her (hence the title). Later, when Michael returns to Hanna's flat and finds it deserted, her absence becomes an emotional blow for which he is completely unprepared, and indeed, scarred for life. The film then moves forward in time by eight years. Michael -- now a law student -- walks into a courtroom and comes across Hanna, one of a series of Nazi prison guards being tried for murderous war crimes during World War II. As he watches her on the witness stand, memories of their past experiences together bring him to the point of realization concerning a startling, long-buried truth about Hanna -- and Michael knows that if he divulges this information, it could modify the prison sentence handed out and dramatically alter her fate. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, (more)
When a model soldier who recently returned to the U.S. from the front lines of Iraq goes AWOL, his veteran father enlists the aid of a dedicated police detective in seeking out his son's true fate in director/screenwriter Paul Haggis' follow up to the Oscar-winning 2004 indie-hit Crash. Mike Deerfield (Jonathan Tucker) has served his country faithfully, and now the time has come for him to return home to the United States. Shortly after returning, however, Mike simply vanishes without a trace. Mike's father, Hank (Tommy Lee Jones), is a former MP from the Vietnam era, and quickly recruits Detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) to assist him in his search for the missing soldier. While it remains to be seen whether Hank will ever find his missing son, he gets quickly enmeshed in a tangled web of intrigue, cover-ups, and murder, all related to the Iraqi conflict. The drama thus highlights the profoundly personal toll combat takes on soldiers, while striking at the very heart of the American experience in Iraq. Inspired by a Playboy Magazine article written by Mark Boal, Haggis's fictionalized version of the actual events co-stars Jason Patrick, Susan Sarandon, James Franco, and Josh Brolin. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, (more)
- 2007
- R
- Add The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford to Queue Add The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford to top of Queue
Brad Pitt stars as legendary Wild West outlaw Jesse James in Chopper director Andrew Dominik's cinematic rendering of the events that would eventually bring about the death of the man rumored be the "fastest gun in the West." An eager recruit into James' notorious gang, Robert Ford eventually grows jealous of the famed outlaw. When Robert and his brother Charlie sense an opportunity to kill James, their murderous action elevates their target to near mythical status. Casey Affleck stars as Robert Ford and Sam Shepard co-stars as Frank James -- Jesse's devoted sibling and partner in crime. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, (more)
When a Vietnam veteran discovers two million dollars while wandering through the aftermath of a Texas drug deal gone horribly awry, his decision to abscond with the cash sets off a violent chain reaction in a stripped-down crime drama from Joel and Ethan Coen. Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) has just stumbled into the find of a lifetime. Upon discovering a bullet-strewn pickup truck surrounded by the corpses of dead bodyguards, Moss uncovers two million dollars in cash and a substantial load of heroin stashed in the back of the vehicle. Later, as an enigmatic killer who determines the fate of his victims with the flip of a coin sets out in pursuit of Moss, the disillusioned Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) struggles to contain the rapidly escalating violence that seems to be consuming his once-peaceful Lone Star State town. Woody Harrelson, Javier Bardem, and Kelly MacDonald co-star in a distinctly American crime story that explores timeless biblical themes in a contemporary Southwestern setting. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, (more)
A young man gets a crash course in the madness of war in this fact-based drama from director Sam Mendes. Anthony "Swoff" Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) decides to join the Marines, just like his father and his father before him, and signs on just in time to be sent to Iraq to fight in the Gulf War in 1991. After experiencing the rigors of boot camp, Swofford and his pal Troy (Peter Sarsgaard) are trained to be snipers, and under the leadership of Sgt. Sykes (Jamie Foxx) and Lt. Col. Kazinski (Chris Cooper), the two land in the middle of a desert where they're up against an enemy they can't always see under a blazing sun with hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. Swofford, Troy, and their fellow soldiers rely on the wits, their sense of humor, and their friendship of their brothers in arms to deal with a situation that doesn't much resemble what they saw on television at home. Jarhead was based on the memoirs of the real-life Anthony Swofford, who did serve as a sniper in the 1991 Gulf War; the title comes from military slang for a Marine enlistee. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, (more)
One of the best-loved films from the idiosyncratic British film studio Ealing Pictures gets an update from the equally idiosyncratic filmmaking team of Joel and Ethan Coen in this offbeat comedy. Marva Munson (Irma P. Hall) is a spry, elderly woman who attends church regularly, doesn't care for loud noises or harsh language, and is looking for a tenant for the spare room in her house. Enter Goldthwait Higginson Dorr (Tom Hanks), a silver-tongued college professor who moves in and gains Munson's permission to use the basement for rehearsals with his "medieval music ensemble." What Munson doesn't know is that Dorr's latest project is not academic, but criminal. Dorr is masterminding the robbery of a riverboat casino, and the fellow musicians in his ensemble are actually the crew he's assembled to pull off the job: foul-mouthed "inside man" Gawain (Marlon Wayans), clumsy demolitions expert Pancake (J.K. Simmons), quiet strong-arm man Lump (Ryan Hurst), and logistical expert The General (Tzi Ma). Despite the best efforts of Dorr and his cohorts (which aren't very impressive), Munson finds out about their scheme, and when she refuses to accept a share of the take in exchange for her silence, Dorr decides the best solution is to silence her permanently. The gospel tunes which grace the soundtrack to The Ladykillers were coordinated by T-Bone Burnett, who also helped assemble the acclaimed song score for the Coen brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou?. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Marlon Wayans, (more)
Russian filmmaker Vadim Perelman makes his feature-film debut with the psychological drama House of Sand and Fog, based on the novel by Andre Dubus III. Ben Kingsley plays Massoud Amir Behrani, an Iranian immigrant living the United States. Even though he was a high-ranking official in Iran, he works several menial jobs in order to provide his wife, Nadi (Shohreh Aghdashloo), and his son, Esmail (Jonathan Ahdout), with an apartment in California. He buys a California bungalow, thinking he can fix it up, sell it again, and make enough money to send Esmail to college. However, the house is the legal property of former drug addict Kathy (Jennifer Connelly). After losing the house in an unfair legal dispute with the county, she is left with nowhere to go. Wanting her house back, she hires a lawyer (Frances Fisher) and befriends a police officer (Ron Eldard). Neither Kathy nor Behrani have broken the law, so they find themselves involved in a difficult moral dilemma. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, (more)
Action comedy screenwriter Ed Solomon switches gears to psychological drama for his feature film directing debut, Levity. Manual Jordan (Billy Bob Thornton) gets released after doing 23 years in prison for accidentally killing a kid during an attempted robbery. Not having any place to go as a free man, he returns to the town where he committed the crime in hopes of seeking salvation. He ends up in a community center where he meets pastor Miles Evans (Morgan Freeman), who helps him out with practical matters like work, food, and housing. Trying to find redemption for his sins, he befriends Adele Easely (Holly Hunter), a single mother who just happens to be the sister of the boy he shot in the robbery. He also meets teenaged Sofia Mellinger (Kirsten Dunst), a rich girl with a drug problem. Still attempting to reconcile with his past, Manual seems drawn to interfere when Adele's son Abner seems headed down a criminal path. Levity premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Billy Bob Thornton, Morgan Freeman, (more)
Set in a sleepy Northern California town in the 1940s, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen's The Man Who Wasn't There stars Billy Bob Thornton as Ed Crane, a humble barber who suspects his hard-hearted and hard-drinking wife Doris (Frances McDormand) of having an affair with her boss (James Gandolfini). When a jocular stranger (Jon Polito) breezes into town hinting at the fortune to be made investing in an outlandish-sounding new invention called dry cleaning, Ed hatches a blackmail scheme he hopes will make him rich and get him some revenge at the same time. His plan goes horribly awry when he accidentally commits a murder for which Doris ends up being blamed, landing her in the slammer and Ed at the mercy of blowhard big-city lawyer Freddy Riedenschneider (Tony Shalhoub). Filmed in black-and-white by three-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins, The Man Who Wasn't There was inspired by the seedy crime novels of James M. Cain, putting a distinctly Coen brothers' spin on the film noir tradition. Though spiked with their characteristic humor, its moody atmosphere hearkens back to the darker moments of Blood Simple and Fargo -- a marked departure from the high-spirited slapstick of O Brother Where Art Thou. ~ Tom Vick, Rovi
- Starring:
- Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, (more)
In 1966, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was a top-ranked middleweight boxer whom many fight fans expected to become world champion. When three people were shot to death in a bar in Paterson, New Jersey, Carter and his friend John Artis, driving home from another club in Paterson, were stopped and questioned by police. Although the police asserted that Carter and Artis "were never suspects," a man named Alfred Bello, himself a suspect in the killings, claimed that Carter and Artis were present at the time of the murders. On the basis of Bello's testimony, Carter and Artis were convicted of murder, and Carter was given three consecutive life sentences. Throughout the trial, Carter proclaimed his innocence, saying that his African-American race and work as a civil rights activist were the real reasons for his conviction. In 1974, Bello and Arthur Bradley, who also claimed that Carter was present at the scene of the crimes, recanted their testimony, but Carter and Artis were reconvicted. In the early 1980s, Brooklyn teenager Lesra Martin worked with a trio of Canadian activists to push the State of New Jersey to reinvestigate Carter's case; in 1985, a Federal District Court ruled that the prosecution in Carter's second trial committed "grave constitutional violations" and that his conviction was based on racism rather than facts. Carter was finally freed, and he summed up his story by saying, "Hate got me into this place, love got me out." The Hurricane is based on Carter's incredible true story and stars Denzel Washington as Carter, Vicellous Shannon as Lesra Martin, and John Hannah, Liev Schreiber and Deborah Unger as the Canadian activists. Veteran filmmaker Norman Jewison directed. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Vicellous Shannon, (more)
The plot of this Raymond Chandler-esque comedy crime caper from the Coen Brothers (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen) pivots around a case of mistaken identity complicated by extortion, double-crosses, deception, embezzlement, sex, pot, and gallons of White Russians (made with fresh cream, please). In 1991, unemployed '60s refugee Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) grooves into his laid-back Los Angeles lifestyle. One of the laziest men in LA, he enjoys hanging with his bowling buddies, pompous security-store owner Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) and mild-mannered ex-surfer Donny (Steve Buscemi). However, the Dude's life takes an alternate route the afternoon two goons break into his threadbare Venice, California, bungalow, rough him up, and urinate on his living room rug. Why? Because Jackie Treehorn (Ben Gazzara) is owed money by the wife of a certain Jeff Lebowski. However, the goons grabbed the wrong Jeff Lebowski. With the right info, they would have invaded the home of philanthropic Pasadena millionaire Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston). The Dude looks up his wealthy namesake, manages to get a replacement for his rug, and meets the millionaire's sexy young wife Bunny (Tara Reid). Later, Jeffrey ("The Big") Lebowski calls in the Dude to deliver a $1 million ransom for the return of his kidnapped wife. Fine -- except that Walter intrudes and botches the ransom drop. As events unravel, the Dude gets caught up in the schemes of Lebowski's daughter, erotic artist Maude (Julianne Moore), encounters both cops and bad guys, and drifts through an elaborate bowling fantasy sequence titled Gutterballs. The soundtrack includes Bob Dylan, Yma Sumac, Moondog, Captain Beefheart, and the Sons of the Pioneers. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, (more)
Edward Zwick directed this action thriller about Islamic militants unleashing terrorism in New York City. As FBI Terrorism Task Force-chief Anthony Hubbard (Denzel Washington) investigates, a false-alarm bomb threat is followed by a legit bomb, with many killed when a Brooklyn bus explodes. Agents track a suspect through Brooklyn, while Hub teams with Middle East expert and NSA operative Elise Kraft (Annette Bening). After the FBI wipes out three Arabs in a Brooklyn apartment, an explosion in a Broadway theater is followed by attacks on a school and FBI headquarters. When the President declares martial law, neo-fascist Army General William Devereaux (Bruce Willis) swings into action, deploying tanks through Brooklyn, capturing Arab-American males, and herding them into an open-air stadium detention camp. Hub's Arab-American FBI associate Frank Haddad (Tony Shalhoub) is disgusted and quits when his son becomes one of the Arab detainees. With the Army out of control, the power-crazed Devereaux devises plans for torture and murder, turning his attention to Hub and Elise. President Bill Clinton is seen denouncing terrorists in TV clips. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, (more)
Filmmaking siblings Joel Coen and Ethan Coen both embraced and poked satirical fun at their Minnesotan roots with this comedy-drama-thriller that earned seven Oscar nominations, winning for Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay. Frances McDormand stars as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant police chief whose affable, folksy demeanor masks a whip-smart mind. When a pair of motorists are found slain not far from the corpse of a state trooper, Marge begins piecing together a case involving a pair of dopey would-be kidnappers, Carl (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear (Bergman stock player Peter Stormare). They've been hired by Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), a car salesman under the thumb of his wealthy, overbearing boss and father-in-law, Wade (Harve Presnell). Jerry's raised some money illegally through a petty scam he's run on General Motors and he's about to get caught. When Wade sours a business deal that could save his son-in-law's hide, the desperate Jerry hires Carl and Gaear to kidnap his wife and hold her for ransom. Things go predictably wrong and a series of murders occur, with Marge, waddling along behind her enormous belly and ever-hungering for an all-you-can-eat buffet, hot on the trail of the killers. Although the credits for Fargo state that the film is loosely based on real events, the story is entirely fictional, the claim being just an ironic jibe on the part of the Coens. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, (more)
A soldier discovers how elusive the truth can be in this first major film about America's role in the Gulf War. Lt. Col. Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) was the commander of a unit during Operation Desert Storm who mistakenly ordered the destruction of what he believed to be an enemy tank, only to discover that it actually held U.S. soldiers, including a close friend. Since then, Serling has been an emotional wreck, drinking heavily and allowing his marriage to teeter on the brink of collapse. As a means of redeeming himself, Serling is given a new assignment by his superior, Gen. Hershberg (Michael Moriarty). Capt. Karen Walden (Meg Ryan) was a helicopter pilot who died in battle during the Iraqi conflict, and the White House has proposed that Walden be posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Serling is asked to investigate Walden's actions on the field of battle, but he quickly discovers that no two stories about her are quite the same; Ilario (Matt Damon) says Walden acted heroically and sacrificed herself to save the others in her company, while Monfriez (Lou Diamond Phillps) claims she was a coward who was attempting to surrender to enemy troops. Meanwhile, reporter Tony Gartner (Scott Glenn) is hounding Serling, trying to get the inside story on Walden and on Serling's own difficulties. Matt Damon lost 40 pounds to prepare for his role in Courage Under Fire, which resulted in a potentially life-threatening illness for the young actor. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, (more)
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