Menno Meyjes Movies

The long-running feud between an emir and a sultan reignites following a surprising discovery about the strip of land that has been the source of so much contention in this drama from acclaimed director Jean-Jacques Annaud (The Name of the Rose, Seven Years in Tibet). Nesib (Antonio Banderas), emir of Hobeika, and Amar (Mark Strong), sultan of Salmaah, both claim ownership of the Yellow Belt, a vast area of land that separates the two men. Eventually, Nesib and Amar strike an agreement that seems to satisfy them both: In exchange for Nesib adopting Amar's sons Saleeh and Auda, the Yellow Belt will remain a no-man's-land. Years later, Saleeh has grown into a fierce warrior and dreams of reuniting with his father, while Auda remains content to spend his days reading and soaking up knowledge. Tensions begin to simmer between the two adversaries once again, however, when a Texas oil prospector reveals to Nesib that the Yellow Belt is brimming with black gold, and that selling it could mean untold riches. As Nesib grows obsessed with the idea of attaining unlimited wealth and power, the ultimate confrontation draws near. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Adrien Brody and Penélope Cruz star as legendary Spanish matador Manolete and his tempestuous girlfriend Lupe Sino, respectively, in director/screenwriter Menno Meyjes' tale of love and bullfighting. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In the wake of his rise to power, Adolf Hitler became known as perhaps the most villainous and destructive political leader of the 20th century. But what was he like before he formed the Nazi party? Screenwriter and director Menno Meyjes explores that question in this drama, a work of fiction keyed to the fact that Hitler unsuccessfully pursued a career as an artist following World War I. In 1918, Max Rothman (John Cusack) is a former artist who lost an arm during the war. While Max can no longer create, his eye for talent is as keen as ever, so he has become a successful art dealer, specializing in Modernists such as George Grosz. Max's success has brought him a fine home and a beautiful wife, Nina (Molly Parker); he's also acquired a mistress, Liselore (Leelee Sobieski), a lovely young woman with artistic aspirations of her own. One day, Max meets Adolf Hitler (Noah Taylor), an emotionally intense, fellow war veteran who has found himself penniless in Munich. Adolf fancies himself an artist, and while Max isn't especially impressed with his technique, he sees in him a burning passion and a desire to communicate, so he encourages Adolf to express his demons through his art. While Adolf takes Max's advice to heart and strikes up a friendship with him, Max's friends find Adolf's open advocation of anti-Semitism rather troubling; Max, who is Jewish, simply chalks Adolf's attitudes up to unpleasant wartime experiences. But as Adolf immerses himself more deeply into his political interests and his thoughts on social engineering, he begins to leave painting behind in favor of a more interesting art form, the political arena. Max marked the first directorial effort of noted screenwriter Meyjes. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A French boy goes to Virginia and finds love with an intelligent black girl in this nostalgic French drama set in 1955, and based on the popular 1986 novel by Philippe Labro. The movie was filmed in both Paris and Virginia. The film contains many references to blues and jazz, Faulkner, Chandler and Salinger. The French student Phillippe Le Clerc meets many interesting characters when he becomes a foreign exchange student in a Virginia college. Of all the people he meets, the one he loves the most is April, a highly educated "Negro girl," who must clean faculty houses when she is not in school. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Ricochet, a suspenseful, exciting police thriller that loses its way at the end, is the story of a good cop whose life is destroyed by an obsessed psychotic criminal whom he sent to prison years before. Nick (Denzel Washington) is a successful happily married police officer with a distinguished record. He is drugged, kidnapped and framed by Blake (John Lithgow) who has never forgiven him for arresting him years before. Nick must redeem himself both to the police force, his family and the public who had come to love and respect him. Denzel Washington is excellent in his role of the good man in an impossible situation. John Lithgow, while always interesting, is completely over-the-top as the psychotic criminal, and the film looses plausibility during an extended and highly improbable and unbelievable final chase sequence around the Watts Towers. Despite these flaws, Ricochet is an exiting suspense film with a fine performance by Washington and worth watching despite its disappointing conclusion. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

When a screenwriter gets involved on a film project with his producer friend, he is seduced by the director's adolescent sister--even though his agent has repeatedly warned him to try to keep a distance from the two. Soon he finds that the girl has been manipulating everyone around her and when she winds up missing, the writer is left to try to figure out what has happened. This psychological/sexual drama features actors Jeff Goldblum, Daniel Ceccaldi, Dexter Fletcher, Liza Walker and Miranda Richardson. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

Based on J.G. Ballard's autobiographical novel, Empire of the Sun stars Christian Bale as a spoiled young British boy, living with his wealthy family in pre-World War II Shanghai. During the Japanese invasion, Bale is separated from his parents. With the help of soldier-of-fortune John Malkovich, Bale learns to survive without a retinue of servants at his beck and call. By the time Malkovich and Bale are tossed into a Japanese prison camp, the boy has picked up enough street-smarts and developed enough intestinal fortitude to regard his imprisonment as an exciting adventure. The story ends during the 1945 liberation: on the verge of manhood, the 13-year-old Bale will never again be the pampered, privileged brat whom we met in the early scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi