Jennifer Fox Movies

Closer co-stars Julia Roberts and Clive Owen reunite for Oscar-nominated director Tony Gilroy's drama tracing the illicit love affair between two spies-turned-corporate operatives. The Cold War has thawed, and for CIA agents seeking to make an easy mint, the real money is in multinational corporations. CIA officer Claire Stenwick (Roberts) and Ray Koval (Owen) are both racing to secure the formula for a product that will bring untold wealth to the company that lands the patent first as the stakes begin to rise, and their passions start to flare. Meanwhile, their mutual employers, industry giant Howerd Tully (Tom Wilkinson) and trailblazing CEO Dick Garsil (Paul Giamatti) start resorting to some seriously underhanded tactics in hope of gaining an advantage over the competition. Loners by definition of their own careers, Claire and Ray engage in a series of schemes and double-crosses while contending with the fact that their mutual attraction could ultimately jeopardize their entire missions. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Michael Clayton (George Clooney) handles all of the dirty work for a major New York law firm, arranging top-flight legal services and skirting through loopholes for ethically questionable clients. But when a fellow "fixer" decides to turn on the very firm they were hired to clean up for, Clayton finds himself at the center of a conspiratorial maelstrom. Once an ambitious D.A., Clayton is now a shell of his former dynamic self, thanks to a divorce, an unfortunate business venture, and astronomical debt. Though he longs to leave the cutthroat, ethically dubious world of corporate law behind, Clayton's poor financial situation and devotion to firm head Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack) leave him little choice but to remain on the job and tough it out. Meanwhile, litigator Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) finds her entire company's future hinging on the outcome of a multi-billion-dollar settlement overseen by Clayton's friend, star lawyer Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson). When Edens snaps and decides to blow the whistle on the questionable case, sabotaging the defense, Clayton must decide between his loyalty and his conscience. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

First-time writer/director Scott Burns spins this suspenseful yarn about a nuclear technician who has a curious encounter with a notoriously violent Russian gangster (Nikolaj Lie Kaas). The year is 1995, and Timofey (Paddy Considine) is a nuclear power-plant worker in post-Soviet Russia. After being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation while working to avert a disaster, Timofey discovers that the authorities have deliberately misled him about the severity of his exposure, and that he will likely die in just a few days. Determined to provide for his wife (Radha Mitchell) and young son before he succumbs to the effects of radiation, Timofey absconds with a small amount of weapons grade plutonium, straps the vial to his body, and makes his way to Moscow in hopes of making a quick and profitable sale in the criminal underground. This is the "new Russia," where everything has its price, and Timofey is determined to secure his family's future even if he himself has none. Oscar Issac and Jason Flemyng co-star in a film produced by Section Eight and Beacon Pictures for HBO Films, and distributed by Picturehouse. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Nearly two decades after her Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning Beirut: The Last Home Movie, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Fox delivered this intensely personal six-hour film. Jumping off from her own life experiences, Fox broadens her scope to all women, exploring topics ranging from career to motherhood to monogamy. Flying: Confessions of a Free Woman premiered at the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

George Clooney pays homage to one of the icons of American broadcast journalism, Edward R. Murrow, in this fact-based drama, which was Clooney's second feature film as a director. In 1953, Edward R. Murrow (played by David Strathairn) was one of the best-known newsmen on television as host of both the talk show Person to Person and the pioneering investigate series See It Now. Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, was generating no small amount of controversy in the public and private sectors with his allegations that Communists had risen to positions of power and influence in America, and an Air Force pilot, Milo Radulovich, had been drummed out of the service due to McCarthy's charges that he was a Communist agent. However, Radulovich had been dismissed without a formal hearing of the charges, and he protested that he was innocent of any wrongdoing. Murrow decided to do a story on Radulovich's case questioning the legitimacy of his dismissal, which was seen by McCarthy and his supporters as an open challenge to his campaign. McCarthy responded by accusing Murrow of being a Communist, leading to a legendary installment of See It Now in which both Murrow and McCarthy presented their sides of the story, which was seen by many as the first step toward McCarthy's downfall. Meanwhile, Murrow had to deal with CBS head William Paley (Frank Langella), who was supportive of Murrow but extremely wary of his controversial positions, while Murrow was also trying to support fellow newsman Don Hollenbeck (Ray Wise), battling charges against his own political views, and working alongside Fred Friendly (George Clooney), the daring head of CBS News. Good Night, and Good Luck also stars Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, and Robert John Burke; the film won Best Film honors after its world premiere at the 2005 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Oil drives greed in Oscar-winning Traffic screenwriter Stephen Gaghan's labyrinthine sophomore directorial effort that traces the corruption of the global oil industry from the backrooms of Washington, D.C., to the petroleum-rich fields of the Middle East. Based in part on the writings of former CIA case officer Robert Baer, Syriana combines multiple storylines to explore the complexities that befall a proposed merger between two U.S. oil giants. Reform-minded Gulf country prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig) is in favor of making his nation more self-sufficient rather than U.S.-reliant, and his money-minded Western connections couldn't be less pleased. Before settling into a cushy desk job for the remainder of his career, CIA agent Bob Barnes (George Clooney) is sent on one last assignment -- to assassinate Prince Nasir and reinstate U.S. ties in the oil-rich region. Though his loyalty dictates that Barnes carry out his current mission despite lingering doubts of a previous blunder, his mission goes horribly awry when his field contact goes turncoat and Barnes becomes a CIA scapegoat. Meanwhile, up-and-coming Washington attorney Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) attempts to walk a fine line in overseeing a tenuous merger between two oil giants that's plagued with shady business dealings. Hotshot energy analyst Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) is in talks to form a lucrative partnership with Prince Nasir, though the death of his son during a party at the prince's estate makes him question his loyalty to business over family. Back in Washington, D.C., Bennet's boss Dean Whiting attempts to undermine Prince Nasir's attempts to make his country less reliant on the U.S. dollar by planting the seeds of dissonance between the progressive prince and his money-minded younger brother Prince Meshal (Akbar Kurtha). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A con artist finds family squabbles are getting in the way of a major payday in this sharp blend of comedy and suspense, based on the Argentinean hit Nueve Reinas (aka Nine Queens). Richard Gaddis (John C. Reilly) is a smart-suited confidence man who knows how to run a big con but prefers to pull off a number of small scams over the course of the day, cheating a lot of folks out of a little instead of taking one or two for a lot. One day, while looking for marks at a gambling casino, Gaddis spies Rodrigo (Diego Luna), a fellow grifter with little polish but obvious talent. Gaddis takes Rodrigo under his wing, and after showing him a few tricks, the two begin working as a team. A golden opportunity presents itself when Gaddis learns the whereabouts of an incredibly valuable antique bank note just as an ideal customer is passing through town; Gaddis and Rodrigo quickly try to set up a deal that will separate cash from customer without the note actually changing hands, but the scheme proves complicated enough that others have to be brought in, causing each individual's share of the loot to dwindle. Adding to Gaddis' annoyance is the appearance of his sister Valerie (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who works at the hotel where the deal is to go down and isn't especially happy with her brother and his attempts to get his hands on the family's fortune. Criminal marked the directorial debut of Gregory Jacobs, who previously distinguished himself as a producer and assistant director. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Jennifer Dworkin taught photography workshops in the New York City shelter system, and that's how she eventually met the subjects of her documentary, Love and Diane. Diane Hazzard is a single mother of six children and a recovering crack addict living in Brooklyn. As the film opens, one of her daughters, Love Hinson, has just given birth to a baby boy, Donyaeh. Love and Diane follows the family's trials over nearly three years, as Diane struggles valiantly to reunite her family and regain the trust of her children. Love, meanwhile, deals with her own history of abuse and her HIV-positive status as she fights to maintain custody of Donyaeh. Love's fitness as a parent is called into question as she grapples with depression, and with her powerful rage at her mother and the world. Diane's efforts to hold her family together after it has been wracked by tragedy are thwarted by a well meaning but inept child welfare system. Donyaeh, meanwhile, grows up a miraculously bright and happy little boy. Dworkin's film was shown at the 2002 Locarno Film Festival, where it shared the Golden Leopard Video prize. It was also selected for the 2002 New York Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

In this episode of the documentary series about a biracial family, daughter Cicily returns to Colgate, and finds that the black community there is critical of her actions. After her Nigerian experiences, she discovers that her white friends are not as easy to get along with. In An American Love Story, Part 6: The Devil You Know..., Cicily must learn to cope in a society that sees in terms of black or white. After 30 years, her mother Karen still has difficulty with the racial environment of Florida where her own mother lives. On a visit home, she does not bring her husband and children. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide

The PBS series about a biracial family continues in An American Love Story, Part 4: It's Another Year and I Ain't Gone. The series follows family members over a period of 18 months. Daughter Cicily's experiences with her college group in Africa matured her, and she finds that her attitudes toward her parents have changed. The holidays have arrived, along with grandparents, and she becomes ill. Alarmed, her parents rush her to the hospital. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide

This video is part of a series that documents the lives of a racially diverse American family living in New York. Bill Sims and Karen Wilson are raising their two daughters, leading them through the struggle to understand their cultural heritage and racial identity. In this episode, the couple discusses the early days of their marriage, which in many ways were the most difficult, and the strength they find in their 30-year marriage. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

This video is part of a series that examines the joys and sorrows of a racially diverse family in America. Bill Sims and Karen Wilson have two daughters they are raising in a racist society. With patience and humor, they meet the daily challenge of providing strength to each other. In this episode, the family shows support for Sims as he returns to his hometown of Marion, OH, where he has gone to help his son, who is in trouble with the law. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

The difficulties facing Bill Sims and Karen Wilson, a biracial couple, are explored in this PBS series. In this episode, their daughter Cicily has decided to take a break from her predominately white college to spend a semester in Nigeria. While this news pleases her father, her mother must deal with separation anxiety. In An American Love Story, Part 2: A Piece of the Puzzle Is Missing, Wilson is experiencing medical difficulties, and her attitudes are in direct contrast to the feelings of Cicily, who is excited about the opportunity for new adventures in her ancestral land. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide