Anant Singh Movies

This inspirational documentary celebrates the life and career of anti-apartheid activist, lawyer, and former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela. Journeying behind the public image to understand the man, the film examines the personal struggles and victories that Mandela underwent as he led his people to freedom. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

Seven years after the population of planet Earth was devastated due to an attack by "soulless ghosts," the few human survivors living a primitive existence on the outskirts of a decimated city discover that the worst is yet to come. The human race is haunted. Stalked from the beyond by ghosts who use technology to enter our reality, our numbers have dwindled to nearly nothing. Only a few survivors still exist, and they must do their best to get by without any modern technology whatsoever. Their lives are changed forever with the arrival of a sixteen year old girl named Justine, whose adolescent curiosity may ultimately cement the extinction of our species. Unable to resist the allure of a working laptop, Justine opens the computer and unleashes the most horrific supernatural attack ever to be waged against mankind. Now, in a world devoid of hope, humanity wages its last stand against a force powerful enough to swallow up entire civilizations. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

An American family on vacation in Africa are stalked by lions after becoming lost in a game reserve in director Darrell James Roodt's fierce, wilderness-based thriller. Bridget Moynahan and Peter Weller star in a film produced by Videovision Entertainment and released to stateside screens by The Weinstein Company. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Ahmed Jamal and Ramesh Sharma's documentary The Journalist and the Jihadi: The Murder of Daniel Pearl documents the life of the reporter slain by terrorists, and compares and contrasts that life with that of one of the terrorists, Omar Sheikh. Both were well educated, but where Pearl sought to bring people together through his work, Sheikh took a path that led to religious extremism. The film showcases how Pearl's death reverberated through much of the world. The film had its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Controversial South African helmer Darrell James Roodt (Sarafina!, Yesterday), writes and directs the experimental melodrama Faith's Corner. The effort (which recalls and suggests influence by Ousmane Sembene's 1966 Borom Sarret) weaves the tale of an impoverished mother named Faith (Leleti Khumalo) who travels to a Johannesburg street corner each morning with her two sons, Siyabonga (Sibonelo Xulu) and Lucky (Thobani Khybeka), and begs for change - only to run head first into jeers and catcalls from the passersby. In time, Faith discovers the existence of a day care center that will take the boys in, but brings them back after learning that it lowers her alms. She is subsequently crushed by the escalating burden of grief and sorrow. Roodt filmed the picture with an ancient, hand-cranked camera and dated film stock to give it a yellowed aesthetic; he also avoids the use of all sync sound and works in title cards. Philip Glass scored the picture, and interlaces the music with sound effects to coincide with many of the images. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

A dedicated human rights lawyer and a political activist who suffered at the hands of South African police officer with no regard for human life finds that the only thing more dangerous than standing up for your beliefs is the discovery of the truth in director Tom Hooper's adaptation of Gillian Slovo's captivating novel. Tortured at the hands of police officer Dirk Hendricks (Jamie Bartlett) for his efforts in seeking equality under the brutal apartheid regime, social activist Alex Mpondo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is shocked upon learning that Officer Hendricks is now seeking amnesty for his violent deeds. When human rights lawyer Sarah Barcant (Hilary Swank) returns to her South African home to represent Alex, she quickly discovers that the deeper she delves into the past, the more she has to fear in the present. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Based on the novel by Dodie Smith (101 Dalmatians), director Tim Fywell's comic romance follows 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain (Romola Garai) and her quirky family as they attempt to make the best of their meager existence in a crumbling English castle. While her father (Bill Nighy) has been struggling for over a decade to repeat the success of his debut novel, her beautiful sister Rose (Rose Byrne) frequently voices her displeasure with their current situation, and nudist stepmother Topaz (Tara Fitzgerald) proves little help at much of anything. The arrival of American landlord Simon Cotton (Henry Thomas) and his brother Neil (Marc Blucas) provides a glimmer of hope as the initially repelled Rose soon takes a liking to Simon and the two arrange to marry. Lost in the chaotic shuffle of marriage plans and increasingly complicated relationships, the hapless Cassandra soon begins to blossom into womanhood as she experiences aspects of life that were heretofore unknown to her. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

An elderly man tries to achieve one of his greatest ambitions by turning a rank amateur into a champion in this drama. German-born Bertold Bohmer (Armin Mueller-Stahl) was a competitive distance runner in his youth who had one great dream -- to win the Comrades Marathon, a punishing 54-mile race that stretches between two cities through an arid desert in South Africa. Now in his mid-sixties and living in South Africa, Bohmer never achieved this goal, but as a trainer he's helped a number of other athletes achieve theirs, and he's coaching four African runners as they prepare for the Comrades. But Bohmer is abruptly fired from his training assignment, only to be replaced by a much younger man, Gasa (Paterson Joseph), who refocuses his runners in middle-distance competition. Bohmer is despondent until he discovers Christine (Nthati Moshesh), a young woman he sees jogging one day. Bohmer's trained eye tells him that she has the natural gifts and talent to win the Comrades, but he learns that she's never trained for a competitive athletic event in her life -- and she's an illegal alien from Namibia to boot. After a police raid on her home, Christine has little recourse but to accept Bohmer's invitation to stay with him, and while he spares no expense in coaching her for the Comrades, she begins to chafe under his rigorous training program; furthermore, when Gasa hears about the remarkable new runner Bohmer has discovered, he tries to convince her to join his team. Renowned South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo contributed several songs to The Long Run's soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The BBC1 military miniseries Bravo Two Zero was based on the actual experiences of Sergeant Andy McNab, who adapted the teleplay from his own novel. Set during the 1991 Gulf War, the series' two 60-minute episodes follow an SAS Patrol as they burrow deep into Iraqui-held territory. Their mission: to destroy the scud missiles in the arsenal of Saddam Hussein. Getting into enemy territory was the "easy" part; getting out was another matter entirely. Without giving away the ending, it should be noted that the SAS team in question was the most highly decorated British patrol since the days of the Boer War -- and that only five of the eight operatives lived to receive their decorations. Sean Bean starred as protagonist Andy McNab. Bravo Zero Two made its first television appearance in 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Continuing cinema's fascination with bringing the stories of handicaps and the mentally challenged to the big screen (Rain Man, My Left Foot, Shine, etc.), here comes a low-budget film about the unlikely love story of people brought together by fate, as well as 120 hours of community service. As a frustrated artist who can't build himself a flying machine, Richard (Kenneth Branagh) eventually finds himself in trouble with the law. As punishment for his eccentric behavior, he accepts community service in the company of Jane (Helena Bonham Carter), a strong-willed woman suffering from the neuromuscular disorder called ALS (otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease). As the two learn from each other, Jane turns to Richard with the biggest favor of all, helping her lose her virginity. What ensues is a romance/friendship that changes their lives forever. ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide

Five criminals with varying degrees of experience are brought together and torn apart by a major robbery in this hard-edged British drama. Ray (Robert Carlyle) was once a leftist political activist whose ideals were dashed by England's increasing political conservatism, while his close friend Dave (Ray Winstone) is an East End hard man with a long history in crime. Ray and Dave plan a heist that they expect will leave them set for life: the robbery of a major London security firm. Ray and Dave's new associates are Ray's one-time cellmate Stevie (Steven Waddington); Jason (Damon Albarn), whose uncle is veteran mobster Sonny (Peter Vaughn); and Julian (Philip Davis), an unstable young criminal with more ambition than experience. After the break-in, the gang discovers that their haul was far less than expected, which leads to infighting among the thieves over who should get how much, with violence and betrayal as the inevitable result. Face marked the screen debut for Damon Albarn, already well-known in England as the lead singer for the successful rock band Blur. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Alan Paton's classic novel about two fathers coming to terms with personal loss and the emotional scars inflicted on South Africa during the era of apartheid was brought to the screen for a second time with this adaptation, the first major film produced in South Africa after Nelson Mandela's election ended mandatory white rule in that nation. Rev. Stephen Kumalo (James Earl Jones) is a minister from a poverty-stricken farming community who travels to Johannesburg for the first time in search of his son Absalom (Eric Miyeni), who moved to the city some time back and has gone missing. Kumalo regards the big city as a den of iniquity, and his low expectations are not betrayed; he is robbed and beaten shortly after he arrives, and when he visits his brother John (Charles S. Dutton), he discovers that Absalom has become a petty thief with a pregnant girlfriend, his sister Gertrude (Dambisa Kente) is a prostitute, and John has renounced his faith in God and advocates the violent overthrow of South Africa's white leadership. James Jarvis (Richard Harris) -- a wealthy white landowner from the same part of the country as Kumalo -- has also arrived in Johannesburg, also with sad personal business to attend to; his son, a well-liked activist for the rights of the city's black majority population, was killed during a robbery. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This violent crime drama has its dramatic roots in old spaghetti westerns. It is set in a small southwestern town on the US-Mexican border. The ordeal begins as a lone Frenchman hitchhikes. He is boorish, misogynistic actor Denis Brabant who was dumped there by his lover after he informed her of his wife's pregnancy. Meanwhile, all-around good guy Zac Cross is on a phone trying to convince his lover, Beth, to return to him. Denis asks for a ride. Zac, who is low on cash decides to take him in provided he pay his way. They load up Zac's convertible and set off. Soon they end up entangled with Astor, a drug dealer, and the non English-speaking Mexican girl Nadia, who hit the travelers up for a ride across the border. Along the way, they encounter a variety of self-serving characters. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide