2009 Shop Movies

A young man aggressively seeks an escape from his restrictive life -- and finds one in a unique girlfriend -- in this tense romantic thriller from Mexico. As the wealthy, handsome, and intelligent heir to Vizcaino, Inc. -- a banking conglomerate launched by his high-rolling father Ricardo (Sergio Jurado) -- Alejandro Vizcaino (Jose Maria de Tavira) appears to have everything he could want or need. But in truth, Ricardo is thoroughly corrupt and rotten, and controls every single aspect of Alejandro's life and world -- from how he dresses, to what he eats, to who he will marry. Alejandro grows so suffocated from this treatment, and so desperate, that his need to escape propels him into a dangerous drag racing feat, and causes an extreme accident. Shaken but physically unharmed, Alejandro rejects his life in one sudden and swift maneuver by fleeing town. He ends up in an impoverished beachside community, popular among locals for its surfing, and his eyes soon fall on Rosa (Martina Garcia), the most beautiful woman he has ever laid eyes on. By Ricardo's standards, Rosa falls well below Alejandro's social class, but Alejandro doesn't care; he seeks Rosa out and the two fall madly in love with one another. Unfortunately, Rosa lives under the oppressive thumb of a local gangster, El Tigre (Alberto Estrella), which means that Alejandro will be putting his life on the line if he attempts to abscond with his new paramour. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Their marriage turning stifling after just four years, a young New York couple attempts to escape their ennui by carefully strategizing their own breakup. Blurring the lines between fiction and reality, real-life couple Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones star as themselves in order to offer an unguarded exploration of young love, lust, and the hardships of codependency. By exploring alternatives to monogamy, creating arbitrary rules for their relationship, and doing everything in their power to avoid getting emotionally bruised, Daryl and Zoe attempt to discover a means of growing apart, together. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director Jean-Marc Vallée takes the helm for this look at the turbulent early years of Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt), who was crowned at the age of 18, and whose ill-fated marriage to Prince Albert (Rupert Friend) would later prompt her into a life of mournful seclusion. Graham King and Martin Scorsese produce a film penned by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Jim O'Hanlon directs this adaptation of Jane Austen's literary classic chronicling the travails and travails and triumphs of the would-be matchmaker Emma Woodhouse (Romola Garai). Emma's deadly combination of pure intentions and naivety create no small amount of trouble to her friend Harriet, who rejects an appropriate marriage proposal at the behest of Emma, who insists she will be paired with Mr. Elton, a handsome gentleman much higher on the social scale. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

A romantic character study examining the obstacles to intimacy and the compromises we make in the name of love, Adam stars Hugh Dancy as a man living with Asperger's syndrome who does his best to reach out to his pretty new upstairs neighbor. Due to his condition, Adam isn't the best when it comes to communicating. Though he frequently escapes by submersing himself in the world of space exploration, Adam senses an opportunity for a real human connection after Beth (Rose Byrne) moves into the apartment just upstairs. As Adam attempts to gain control of his off-kilter, sometimes embarrassing social skills, he discovers that with a little patience and understanding, developing a meaningful relationship might not be as hard as he previously thought. Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison, and Mark Linn-Baker co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Nora Ephron adapts Julie Powell's autobiographical book Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen with this Columbia Pictures production starring Amy Adams as an amateur chef who decides to cook every recipe in a cookbook from acclaimed celebrity chef Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep) in order to chronicle it in a blog over the course of a year. Streep's Devil Wears Prada co-star Stanley Tucci re-teams with the actress as Child's husband. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Everyone wants love but no one can seem to get it from the right place in director Jorge Ramirez Suarez's urban romantic comedy. Whether Susana is turning down Carlos, Joel is bending over backwards for Patricia, Gabriel is waiting for Martha, or Amando is trying his luck with an American girl, everyone seems to be unlucky in love as passions flare south of the border. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi