Set almost entirely in London, England during five frantic weeks before Christmas follows a web-like pattern of inter-related, loosely related and unrelated stories of a dozen or more various individuals with their love lives, or lack of them. The central character is the new bachelor prime minister David who cannot express his growing feelings for his new personal assistant Natalie. The prime minister's older sister Karen slowly grows aware of her husband Harry's flirtation with an office worker named Mia. Karen's friend Daniel is a recently widowed writer whose 11-year-old son asks for love advice about a girl he has a crush on. Meanwhile, Jamie is another writer who leaves his girlfriend after catching her cheating on him and travels to France to write a novel where he pursues a possible romance with his non-English speaking Portuguese maid Aurelia. Also, Harry's American secretary Sarah questions a romance she pursues with the office hunk Karl, but her personal family problems get in the way. Other secondary characters involve a photographer who pursues his best friend's new wife Juliet; a pair of movie stand-ins, named John and Judy, who grow closer after their simulated love scenes; a libidinous chum who wants to travel to Wisconsin, USA to score with women; and a burned-out former rock star named Billy Mack who is the main connection between all stories involved.
Harry Potter, Ron and Germiona continue studying at the Hogwarts. Third year of study brings the new mystery: the condemned magician escaped from the ominous Azkaban prison, so Harry's life is under a deadly threat. Terrible dementors are lurking around the Hogwarts, trying to track down the dangerous fugitive, and a howl of wolves is being brought by the wind from neighbouring forests...
Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti) leads an ordinary life in the city of Cleveland, working as a file clerk at the local VA hospital. Being divorced twice, Harvey fills his solitary days with reading and listening to music, and he regularly scours garage sales and thrift stores for rare Jazz records. His routine life changes for the better when a chance meeting with a greeting card artist and music enthusiast Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak) develops into a warm friendship through their common interests. Once Crumb becomes famous for his underground comic books, Harvey decides to write his own book with Crumb’s illustrations. ‘American Splendor’ tells truthful, unsentimental, warts-and-all stories about his working-class life. Soon Harvey achieves cult fame and meets his future wife, Joyce (Joyce Brabner), a comic book storeowner from Delaware.
In present day Montreal, a famous Nicolo Bussotti violin, known as "the red violin," is being auctioned off. During the auction, we flash back to the creation of the violin in 17th century Italy, and follow the violin as it makes its way through an 18th century Austrian monastery, a violinist in 19th century Oxford, China during the Cultural Revolution, and back to Montreal, where a collector tries to establish the identity and the secrets of "the red violin."
Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), an eccentric, sarcastic writer, suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder which shows itself in many different ways. For example, he avoids stepping on the crack in the sidewalk. Every time he wants to wash his hands, he takes a new bar of soap. Melvin brings a plastic spoon and fork in a hermetically sealed bag to the café where he eats every day. He generally hates people and the only person he befriends is Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt), a single-mother waitress. Melvin finally comes out of his shell when his neighbor, Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear), ends up in hospital after being brutally beaten and left penniless by muggers. He is forced to look after Simon's dog that teaches him to be kind-hearted and devoted.
Gilbert Grape lives in Endora, a place where nothing much happens. The only times the police got something to do is when Gilbert's autistic brother Arnie tries to climb up on the watertower nearby. Taking care of Arnie is mostly Gilbert's task which can be pretty demanding, at least while you are working at the local grocery store. Then one day Becky and her grandmother passes through Endora getting trouble with the car. Gilbert falls in love with Becky, but gets problems when he tries to find time for his own private life.
W. Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) was a high school student who changed places of employment working as a doctor, a pilot, a lawyer... not even wielding any skill of these professions. He was a perfect con artist pursued by the FBI in the sixties along with more dangerous offenders - terrorists, serial killers and others. This venturesome forger has been hunted by an FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) who tried to do his best to catch Abagnale in this funny picture by inimitable Steven Spielberg. This film is based on the real events!
When Mr. Dashwood dies, he must leave the bulk of his estate to the son by his first marriage, which leaves his second wife and three daughters (Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret) in straitened circumstances. They are taken in by a kindly cousin, but their lack of fortune affects the marriageability of both practical Elinor and romantic Marianne. When Elinor forms an attachment for the wealthy Edward Ferrars, his family disapproves and separates them. And though Mrs. Jennings tries to match the worthy (and rich) Colonel Brandon to her, Marianne finds the dashing and fiery Willoughby more to her taste. Both relationships are sorely tried. But this is a romance, and through the hardships and heartbreak, true love and a happy ending will find their way for both the sister who is all sense and the one who is all sensibility.
In an era when Americans were in great need of heroic figures to help them forget their troubles, SEABISCUIT comes to the rescue. The picture relates a moving story of friendship and devotion in rehabilitating the main characters'fractured lives, as it interweaves the interactions between horse, jockey, trainer and owner and their adoring fans. The film accurately portrays the real people and events of those troubled times and how Seabiscuit "fixed us, every one of us."
Set in London, 1593, the romantic comedy revolves around a rising young playwright, Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes). Writer's block hits him quite unexpectedly and at the most inconvenient time when he is out of cash and the Globe theater owner, Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush), who is on the verge of bankruptcy, wants him to finish his new play "Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter" as soon as possible. What Will needs to overcome the worst hiccup in the writing profession is a muse. And when the hope of finding inspiration seems to go glimmering, compelling love for a bewitching noblewoman, Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), invades his soul. A devoted fan of Shakespeare's plays, Viola disguises herself as a man to join the Globe troupe and win the leading male role in his latest stage production. Viola is also inflamed with love for the passionate Will but there's just one snag: she is betrothed to Lord Wessex (Colin Firth) who is intent to take her to a remote English colony.
Charlie loves chocolate, but he comes from a needy family and can’t afford even a little bit of the desired sweet. His penniless, but loving family lives by the walls of the mysterious Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, and the last thing Charlie sees falling asleep is the magic building. He is dreaming about the secrets, hidden inside this amazing building of the most celebrating candy company. Eventually, he gets a chance to take there. While the Wonka's confectionery plant is usually closed to any visitors, the candy man who is famously living in seclusion decides to let the only five pleased children in to see the inside of his manufacture by placing five desired "golden tickets" in five different chocolate bars. Along with four other children, Charlie explores the astonishing world of the eccentric Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp). A really amazing movie, for Johnny Depp it’s just another film of a chocolate theme and another perfect role.
When Waring Hudsucker, head of hugely successful Hudsucker Industries, commits suicide, his board of directors, led by Sidney Mussberger, comes up with a brilliant plan to make a lot of money: appoint a moron to run the company. When the stock falls low enough, Sidney and friends can buy it up for pennies on the dollar, take over the company, and restore its fortunes. They choose idealistic Norville Barnes, who just started in the mail room. Norville is whacky enough to drive any company to ruin, but soon, tough reporter Amy Archer smells a rat and begins an undercover investigation of Hudsucker Industries.
Will Freeman (Hugh Grant) seems to "have it all" - a cool sport car, a chic flat, pretty girls, etc. In his thirty-eight he is a mischievous child who use to pamper himself and not to take it all to the heart. Will's life was a series of fleeting romances, he had no problems and no boring obligations, and he was simply a handsome egoist until he met Marcus - twelve-aged child who turned all his life upside down. A sybarite and sweet bachelor's life is now totally changed... for the better!
Denzel Washington is hired as the T.C. Williams High football coach over a white coach in Alexandria, Virginia in the early 1970's during a time when the school has just been integrated to allow blacks into the school.
An elderly Jewish widow living in Atlanta can no longer drive. Her son insists she allow him to hire a driver, which in the 1950s meant a black man. She resists any change in her life but, Hoke, the driver is hired by her son. She refuses to allow him to drive her anywhere at first, but Hoke slowly wins her over with his native good graces. The movie is directly taken from a stage play and does show it. It covers over twenty years of the pair's life together as they slowly build a relationship that transcends their differences.
A sailor (Derek Luke) prone to violent outbursts is sent to a naval psychiatrist (Washington) for help. Refusing at first to open up, the young man eventually breaks down and reveals a horrific childhood. Through the guidance of his doctor, he confronts his painful past and begins a quest to find the family he never knew.
Dewey Finn’s (Jack Black) brilliant career as a rock star ends in dead failure. Fired from his own band and faced with unsettled debts and deep depression, Dewey pretends to be his roommate Ned Schneebly (Mike White) and accepts substitute-teaching position at a private school. What do you think he can teach the 4th grade students? He shows the kiddies the guitar strings, explains what music is and teaches them how to rock. Long live rock-n-roll!
Scotty Smalls moves to a new neighborhood with his mom and stepdad, and wants to learn to play baseball. The neighborhood baseball guru Rodriquez takes Smalls under his wing, and soon he's part of the local baseball buddies. They fall into adventures involving baseball, treehouse sleep-ins, the desirous lifeguard at the local pool, the snooty rival ball team, and the travelling fair. Beyond the fence at the back of the sandlot menaces a legendary ball-eating dog called The Beast, and the kids inevitably must deal with him.
The action takes place in a small French town where its residents lead a hopeless life full of restrictions, rules and regulations. They are blamed and faced with a boycott for any irregularity. Regular church services and masses give no joy to the townspeople but strengthen dogmatism and prejudices in their hearts.
One winter day a mysterious young woman, Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche), and her 6-year-old daughter, Anouk (Victoire Thivisol), move to the conservative town. A stranger to fear and prejudice, she dares to open a chocolate shop during Lent and offer the customers to enjoy her delicious candies they've never tasted. Vianne is immediately met with bitter censure and resistance. But, vivacious and persistent, she doesn't lose heart and continues to work her magic giving love and comfort to those around her. It's no wonder that the locals are gradually won-over by this cordial, responsive woman and her delectable chocolates.
Sam Dawson has the mental capacity of a 7-year-old. He works at a Starbucks and is obsessed with the Beatles. He has a daughter with a homeless woman; she abandons them as soon as they leave the hospital. He names his daughter Lucy Diamond (after the Beatles song), and raises her. But as she reaches age 7 herself, Sam's limitations start to become a problem at school; she's intentionally holding back to avoid looking smarter than him. The authorities take her away, and Sam shames high-priced lawyer Rita Harrison into taking his case pro bono. In the process, he teaches her a great deal about love, and whether it's really all you need.
