Heartbeats

Release Date: September 10th, 2010

Starring: Xavier Dolan, Niels Schneider, Monia Chokri, Anne Dorval, Marie-Christine Cormier

Director: Xavier Dolan

Writer: Xavier Dolan

Studio: IFC Films

Genre: Drama, Romance

Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes

The dramatic story of passion and insanity of love is told in “Heartbeats” from the scriptwriter and director Xavier Dolan, who also stars in the title role of the film.

The cast-iron friendship of Francis and Marie cracks all of a sudden, when they get acquainted with Nicolas, a young man from the country, who has recently arrived to the town. The irresistible mystique of his striking beauty makes their hearts to beat faster, and both of them begin to look for his attention. The classical good looks of Nicolas can’t but create strange fantasies and thoughts, the friends can’t resist. The more Francis and Marie meet Nicolas, and the more intimate their relations get, the more the feeling of rivalry captures the friends’ minds. As a result the tight-knit relations between threesome turn to a love triangle, threatening their further friendship…

The film explores the complex nature of human emotions and feelings, connected with the object of passion. By the film Dolan takes an attempt to understand, why we become almost insane, when fall in love.

The cast of the film includes Xavier Dolan in the role of Francis; Monia Chokri as Marie; and Niels Schneider as Nicolas.

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The Romantics

Release Date: September 10th, 2010

Starring: Katie Holmes, Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel, Malin Akerman, Jeremy Strong

Director: Galt Niederhoffer

Writer: Galt Niederhoffer

Studio: Paramount Famous Productions

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes

Seven friends are gathered together because of a wedding of their good buddies Lila and Tom. Lila is a bright girl in all senses, and a dream of any man. But Tom has been always a reason of strife between two close roommates Lila and Laura during their college past. And now Laura, a single and the only Jew in the tight-knit group of friends, is offered to become a maid of honor.

As the friends reunite after ten years of graduating from, they have to remember the times of their relations at college and test their bonds of friendship.

Arranged to be set on the background of the seashore of Maine, where the family’s estate is situated, the wedding ceremony promises to be a great event. But as the wedding date draws nearer and the friends try more wine, their inner troubles and unsolved issues become evident and manifest themselves.

 Being pretty drunk, they start playing a game on the shore, when the waves pull them out to the sea. When the friends swim back, they find the groom missing among them…

The romantic comedy from scriptwriter and director Galt Niederhoffer is a Zeitgeist story of love and friendship, based on generational realities. The film stars Josh Duhamel, Anna Paquin, Katie Holmes, Jeremy Strong, Malin Akerman and the others.

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Jack Goes Boating

Release Date: September 17th, 2010

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Ortiz , Richard Petrocelli, Thomas McCarthy, Amy Ryan

Director: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Writer: Robert Glaudini

Studio: Overture Films

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Runtime: 1 hour 29 minutes

The film by director Philip Seymour Hoffman is an adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway play, touching upon such issues as friendship, love, grace and betrayal.

In the center of the plot are two couples, living and working in New York. Jack works as a limo driver and is keen on reggae music so much, that decides to grow dreadlocks. Clyde is his buddy driver, who has a nice wife called Lucy. They are a couple, with whom Jack spends the most of his spare time. Connie is a co-worker of Lucy at a funeral home.

Lucy and Clyde have been married for a long time and now face unresolved problems, accumulated during their life together. Connie and Jack are two singles, who keep in touch as friends after having been introduced to each other by the married couple.

Both Jack and Connie got used to live on their own, but their friendly relations are about to grow into something more serious one day. And while the first couple is losing their mutual understanding, the second one finds it.

Inspired by his feelings to Connie, Jack decides to change himself for the better. He begins to study cooking, changes his work and takes swimming lessons from his best friend. He wants to please Connie, who has a dream of making a boat ride…

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A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop

Release Date: September 5th, 2010

Starring: Honglei Sun, Dahong Ni, Ni Yan, Benshan Zhao, Xiao Shen-Yang

Director: Yimou Zhang

Writer: Jianquan Shi, Jing Shang, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes

The movie is a remake of the film “Blood Simple” released in 1985 by Ethan and Joel Coen. The events of “A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop” directed by filmmaker Yimou Zhang take place in a remote and neglected town somewhere in western China. In the center of the plot are four personages: gloomy noodle shop owner Wang; his unfaithful wife; Wang’s employee Li, who is also a secret lover of Wang’s wife; and cunning patrol officer called Zhang.

The relations between shy Li and the noodle shop owner’s wife cannot escape the suspicious husband, and soon he decides to get rid of his disloyal wife and her lover. For that purpose Wang hires a local officer Zhang, who is to kill the adulterous couple. Zhang although has his own plans concerning this affair. Thus the seemingly perfect plan of Wang goes awry, resulting cruel and bloody violence…

The film is a new feature from acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou, known by his eminent directional work “Fifth Generation”. The thriller blends dark humor and absorbing twists of plot. Yimou offers the viewer the ironical view on the problem of human relations in the face of great passion, provoking great suspense, and their consequences.

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The Town

Release Date: September 17th, 2010

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively

Director: Ben Affleck

Writer: Peter Craig, Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard, Chuck Hogan

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Genre: Drama

The criminal drama, directed by eminent Ben Affleck who also stars in the title role, is a story of great bank robber Doug MacRay and his band, who are skillful criminals, perfect in stealing money and getting out clean. MacRay lives an idle and vacant life, free from obligations and attachments. He has nothing to lose, he has nobody to care of and fear for. But one day everything changes in his life. During the latest operation the robbers have to take a hostage. That’s Claire Keesey, a bank manager. The woman though is permitted to go unharmed, but since that time she has been nervous, because the robbers got to know her name and the place of living. Doug’s partner Jem is worried either, as he is not sure, if she knows something particular of them or not. MacRay decides to pay her a visit to check Jem’s misgivings. But Claire seems to have nothing against a handsome stranger named Doug when they meet and even let her guard go. She doesn’t even suspect him to have been among those guys, who took her a hostage some time ago… The attraction between Doug and Claire deepens into a fervent romance. Now the main hero is up against difficult situation. On the one hand he can’t risk Claire’s life due to his job; on the other hand – it’s not easy to betray his friends either…

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Tomorrow, When the War Began

Release Date: September 2nd, 2010

Starring: Rachel Hurd-Wood, Phoebe Tonkin, Caitlin Stasey, Lincoln Lewis, Masa Yamaguchi

Director: Stuart Beattie

Writer: John Marsden, Stuart Beattie

Studio: Paramount PIctures

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes

Eight teenagers take a trip to a remote valley known under mysterious name “Hell”. When their journey is about to be over, the high school friends return home to see, that the place of their living has been changed inevitably during their absence. The houses they lived in are destroyed by unknown enemy, the electricity is cut off, and most of the citizens are killed or hold hostage. The teenagers decide to check their houses one by one in order to get some information. Soon they have to realize, what really happened, while they were out.  The war has begun and found the main heroes of the film absolutely unawares. Being cut off from their relatives and familiars, having lost their homes and means of subsistence, the teenagers find the shelter in the Hell Valley, where they hide from the enemies and start to make plans. Only eight in number, the friends band together to survive and withstand the enemy, who has destroyed not only their homes, but their lives as well…

“Tomorrow, When the War Began” is a new feature from filmmaker Stuart Beattie, which blends action, drama and adventure. The film stars Rachel Hurd-Wood, Caitlin Stasey, Lincoln Lewis, Phoebe Tonkin, Masa Yamaguchi and the others.

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Hideaway (Le Refuge)

Release Date: September 10th, 2010

Starring: Isabelle Carré, Louis-Ronan Choisy, Pierre Louis-Calixte, Melvil Poupaud, Claire Vernet

Director: François Ozon

Writer: Mathieu Hippeau, François Ozon

Studio: Strand Releasing

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes

Louis and Mousse are a wealthy, young, beautiful couple, who love each other and have it all, what one dreams to have in his life. But drug addiction doesn’t let them to be happy and enjoy life to the full. They just can’t imagine their existence without drugs.

One day due to overdose Louis dies. Mousse survives, but soon after her partner’s death she gets to know, that she is pregnant. Completely lost and stricken with grief, the woman sees her life empty and senseless without her beloved. When the mother of the deceased learns, that Mousse is expecting a child, she offers her to have an abortion. Instead of that the main heroine sets off to France and settles down in a remote coastal village, where she looks for solitude and rehabilitation and where nobody disturbs her in her grief. The drug addiction still dominates over maternal instincts of Mousse and doesn’t prevent her from drinking and swigging methadone syrup throughout the film.

Several months later the brother of Louis joins the refugee. The relations which grow between them are rather controversial, taking into account, that Paul is a gay. Besides they are troubled by past and have no future, but still the blood ties are strong and matters a lot for both of them…

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The Sicilian Girl

Release Date: August 4th, 2010

Starring: Veronica D'Agostino, Gérard Jugnot, Giulia Andò, Mario Bellevista, Roberto Bonura

Director: Marco Amenta

Writer: Marco Amenta, Sergio Donati, Gianni Romoli

Studio: Eurofilm

Genre: Crime, Drama

Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes

The criminal drama from filmmaker Marco Amenta is based on real story, shaken the world of Sicilian Mafia in 1991.

A seventeen-year-old girl, Rita Atria grown up in the family, entirely engaged in criminal business. From early years she took Mafia for granted, while she was born in the village, which was one of many completely involved in Mafia’s activities. Rita knew of course too much for the girl of her age. But she has never thought of using this information against the criminal system, until her beloved father and brother were murdered by the Mafia.

From that moment the Sicilian girl went on the warpath. She started to write notes in her personal diary, connected with the mob’s activity in her village. They were very descriptive and scrupulous, including data and names and everything what seemed to be important for Rita. A bit later she brought and passed her diary to Palermo judge Paolo Borsellino, who, thanks to the girl’s written chronicles, managed to shatter the Sicilian criminal world.

It was the first case, when such a young girl broke the Mafia’s code of silence and succeeded in her revenge. And it was clear, that the days of the betrayer were numbered, although the Italian government did everything possible to protect Rita and placed her in a witness protection program... 

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Mao's Last Dancer

Release Date: August 6th, 2010

Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen, Chi Cao, Amanda Schull

Director: Bruce Beresford

Writer: Jan Sardi, Cunxin Li

Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes

The film “Mao's Last Dancer” centers on the life and career of Li Cunxin – the unsurpassed ballet dancer of a world-class, who originates from a poor village of China.

At the age of eleven, young boy Li got a chance to fulfill his dream of becoming a ballet dancer. Madame Mao drew attention to the poor but very talented boy from the Chinese province, and her cultural representatives took him to Beijing to study ballet.

1979 Li Cunxin fell in love with an American woman during a cultural exchange to Texas. A couple of years later the brilliant dancer appeared on stage of the Houston Ballet as a principal artist. At the same time Li was considered to be the principal dancer of the Australian Ballet.

The drama from filmmaker Bruce Beresford is the adaptation from the original Australian novel and bestseller, based on Li Cunxin’s autobiography. Starring in the film is Chi Cao - the principal ballet dancer of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Besides the cast crew of the film includes such celebrities as Kyle Maclachlan, Joan Chen and Amanda Schull.

The events of the film touch upon the questions of love, freedom and courage, depicting the uneasy way to the top of the world, which goes through struggles and triumphs.

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Daniel and Ana

Release Date: August 27th, 2010

Starring: Dario Yazbek Bernal, Marimar Vega, Chema Torre

Director: Michel Franco

Writer: Michel Franco

Studio: Strand Releasing

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes

Daniel and Ana are a brother and a sister, who come from a wealthy and respectable family. Ana is a cute and gorgeous young woman, who is going to get married soon. Daniel is a shy teenager, who is still on the way to his personal identity. Being unlike, the siblings nevertheless find a common language and are on good terms with each other.

But one day everything changes in their lives and relations. One weekend Ana returns from her college to help the family with the preparations to her big day. Daniel and she go shopping to buy some things to the coming holiday, and do not come back home that day.

In the town they get kidnapped by a gang of criminals. The thugs need neither money, nor anything else like that. Their demands are much more shocking and terrifying, than one could imagine. Ana and Daniel are forced to have sex with each other in front of a video camera – that is the price for their freedom.

Next morning they are released, but the mental health of both of them is shattered. They neither can tell anybody of what has happened to them, nor keep in touch with each other as before. The shame and humiliation are the emotional consequences of their common drama. As a result Ana breaks off her marriage and retreats into her own world, while Daniel accuses himself in everything happened…

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