The Polar Express
USA, 2004, 100 minutes
Robert Zemeckis directs.
Tom Hanks stars.
The Academy Award®-winning team of Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away) reunite for The Polar Express, an inspiring and enchanting adventure steeped in the charm of Chris Van Allsburg's beloved children's book. When a doubting young boy, guided by Hanks, takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. This heartwarming story about the power of belief resonates across generations and cultures. We invite you to hop aboard and take a ride on the Polar Express-it's a journey you won't soon forget. (USA, 100 min. Rated G, Courtesy of Warner Bros.)

A Very Long Engagement
USA, 2004, 133 minutes.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet directs.
Audrey Tautou stars.
From the director and star of Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Audrey Tautou) comes a very different love story. Based on the Sebastian Japrisot's acclaimed novel set in France near the end of WWI, this sumptuously produced film tells the story of a young woman's determined and extraordinary search for her fiancée, who has disappeared. He is one of five French soldiers believed to have been court-martialed under mysterious circumstances. What follows is an investigation into the arbitrary nature of secrecy, the absurdity of war, and the enduring passion, hope and tenacity of the human heart. (USA, 133 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Warner Independent Pictures.)

Stage Beauty
USA, 105 minutes.
Richard Eyre directs.
Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Rupert Everett star.
A spirited plunge into the backstage world of Restoration England when women were banned from acting, Stage Beauty tells the tale of actor Edward "Ned" Kynaston (Billy Crudup in a tour-de-force performance), the toast of London town. The sex symbol of his day, Ned is swooned over by men and women, courtiers and commoners. All this is threatened when theater-loving Charles II (Rupert Everett) decrees women may tread the boards and Ned's formerly humble assistant Maria (Claire Danes) usurps his spotlight. Director Richard Eyre (Iris) vividly capture the flavor and farce of the 17th century theatrical world, concocting a bubbling mix of unrequited passions, thwarted ambitions, gender confusions, and reversals of fortune - climaxing in a thrilling final scene. (USA, 105 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Lions Gate Films.)

Enduring Love
UK/USA, 100 minutes.
Roger Michell directs.
Daniel Craig, Samantha Morton, Rhys Ifans star.
Joe (Daniel Craig) is a successful, articulate university professor living with, but not quite committed to, a quiet but passionate sculptress named Claire (Samantha Morton). During what was intended to be a serene weekend excursion with Claire, Joe tries, and fails, to save someone involved in a freak accident. Jed (Rhys Ifans), another man involved in the failed rescue, decides the tragedy has revealed a mysterious bond between himself and Joe. As this increasingly creepy relationship progresses, Joe finds his rational, well-ordered universe unraveling. Based on Ian McEwan's celebrated novel, this skillful, restrained exploration of the frailty and imperfection of love in its many forms is directed by Roger Michell (Changing Lanes, Persuasion). (UK, 100 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Paramount Classics.)

Finding Neverland
Special thanks to Cadillac
UK/USA, 101 minutes.
Marc Forster directs.
Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie star.
Peter Pan and Tinker Bell are happy icons of childhood wonderment, while their eccentric creator, playwright J.M. Barrie, seems an historical footnote. But it is the author's boundless imagination and the poignancy of his journey that take center stage in director Marc Forster's enchanting film. At the heart of this turn-of-the-century fairy tale is Johnny Depp's wonderfully nuanced performance as J.M. Barrie, the fanciful genius whose theatrical failures were as notorious as his scandalous affection for a young widow Sylvia (Kate Winslet) and her four boys. Despite the disapproval of Sylvia's stern Victorian mother (Julie Cristie) and his distant wife (Radha Mitchell), Barrie befriends the family and finds inspiration. Anyone with imagination will delight in this tale where magic is the stuff of real life. (UK/USA, 101 min. Rated PG, Courtesy of Miramax Films.)

Birth
USA, 100 minutes.
Jonathan Glazer directs.
Nicole Kidman, Danny Huston star.
Academy Award®-winner Nicole Kidman stars as Anna, a young widow who is finally getting on with her life. Now engaged to be married, she meets a ten-year old boy who claims to be her dead husband reincarnated. Drawn to remember her past, Anna begins to question the choices she's made, much to the concern and consternation of her fiancé (Danny Huston) and family. From director Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast) comes a very different but masterfully crafted tale that casts a haunting spell. Part romance, part mystery, and part family drama, Birth also stars Lauren Bacall and Anne Heche and is co-written by Glazer, Jean-Claude Carriere (The Unbearable Lightness of Being), and Milo Addica (Monster's Ball). (USA, 100 min. Rated R, Courtesy of New Line Cinema & Fine Line Features.)

In Good Company
USA, 109 minutes.
Paul Weitz directs
Dennnis Quaid, Scarlett Johansson, Topher Grace star.
From director and Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Paul Weitz (About a Boy) comes this insightful comedy about the relationship between a 50-year-old businessman and his new, 26-year-old boss. Demoted from head of ad sales for a major magazine, Dan (Dennis Quaid) finds himself working for a new boss half his age Carter (Topher Grace) – a business school prodigy who preaches corporate synergy. Both men are going through turmoil at home. Dan has two teenage daughters and is shocked when his wife tells him she's pregnant with a new child. Between college tuition, the mortgage and a new baby, Dan can't afford to lose his job in the wave of corporate layoffs. Meanwhile, Carter is dumped by his wife of seven months just as he gets his promotion. The men's uneasy friendship is thrown into jeopardy when Carter falls for, and begins an affair with, Dan's daughter Alex (Scarlett Johansson). Weitz's examination of life's surprises, ironies and coincidences combine to form In Good Company. (USA, 109 min. Rated PG-13, Courtesy of Universal Pictures.)

Kinsey
USA, 118 minutes.
Bill Condon directs.
Rated R, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Peter Sarsgaard star.
Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey changed American culture with a simple but revolutionary experiment: he asked people for honest descriptions of their sexual lives. A pioneer in the area of human sexuality research, Kinsey shattered myths and stereotypes about gender roles and sexual preferences, thus helping to create the sexual revolution. Liam Neeson brilliantly conveys the eccentricity and intellectual passion driving this scientific adventurer, and is aided by a skillful supporting cast headed by Laura Linney and Peter Sarsgaard. Writer-director, Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters) makes intellectual activity compelling and dramatic, confronting its unpredictable personal and social costs. Kinsey is a film for adults in the best sense. (USA, 118 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Fox Searchlight.)

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
USA, 118 minutes.
Wes Anderson directs.
Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett star.
Oscar-nominated writer/director Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) has assembled an all-star cast to set sail for outrageous misadventures on the high seas in this wildly original comedy. Internationally famous oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) and his motley crew set out on an expedition to hunt down the mysterious, elusive, possibly non-existent "jaguar shark" with whom Zissou has a score to settle. They are joined by a young airline pilot (Owen Wilson) who claims to be Zissou's long-lost son, a beautiful journalist (Cate Blanchett), and Zissou's estranged wife and co-producer, Eleanor (Angelica Huston). The unsinkable Zissou faces hilarious complications trying to keep his expedition afloat in a sea of challenges. (USA, 118 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Touchstone Pictures.)

A Love Song for Bobby Long
USA, 119 minutes.
Shainee Gabel directs.
John Travolta, Scarlett Johansson star.
Upon her mother's death, jaded teenage loner Pursy (Scarlett Johansson) returns to her native New Orleans, ready to reclaim her childhood home. She is shocked to discover it is inhabited by two of her mother's friends: Bobby Long (John Travolta), a former literature professor and his young protégé, Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht). These broken men, whose lives took a wrong turn years before, have been firmly rooted in the dilapidated house for years, encouraged only by Lawson's faltering ambitions to write a novel about Bobby Long's life. Having no intention of leaving, the three are forced to live together. As time passes, their tenuous, makeshift arrangement unearths a series of buried personal secrets that challenge their bonds, and reveal just how inextricably their lives are linked. (USA, 119 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Lions Gate Films.)

Bad Education
Special thanks to Roberto Posada
Spain, 109 minutes.
Pedro Almodóvar directs.
Gael Garcí a Bernal stars.
Only now, at the peak of his artistic powers and with two Oscars® to his name, has Pedro Almodóvar felt ready to exorcise the demons of his troubled boyhood. The creator of Talk to Her and All About My Mother has designed an intricate narrative that centers on the reunion of two friends, one a director, the other an aspiring screenwriter (Gael Garcia Bernal, The Motorcycle Diaries), who become intertwined in memories of Catholic education, sexual dualities, and above all, their passion for film. As the noirish plot unfolds, fact intersects with fiction, identities shift and emotional bargains are negotiated at great psychological risk. Gorgeously photographed, this complex tale is Almodovar's most provocative and beautifully made film to date. (Spain, 109 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.)

Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera
USA/UK, 132 minutes.
Joel Schumacher directs.
Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson star.
Director Joel Schumacher brings to the screen Andrew Lloyd Webber's celebrated musical, the story of a disfigured musical genius (Gerard Butler) who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera, terrorizing the theatre's ensemble of artists. When he falls in love with the lovely Christine (Emmy Rossum), the Phantom devotes himself to creating a new opera star, exerting a strange sense of control over the young soprano as he nurtures her extraordinary talents. Although she is enthralled by her charismatic mentor, Christine is undeniably drawn to the dashing Raoul (Patrick Wilson), enraging the Phantom and setting the stage for a dramatic crescendo. Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver and Simon Callow also star. (USA/UK, 132 min. Rated PG-13, Courtesy of Warner Bros.)

The House of Flying Daggers
China, 119 minutes.
Zhang Yimou directs.
Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau star.
Even his legions of admirers will be amazed at the sumptuous cinematic wizardry of multi-Oscar® nominee Zhang Yimou's latest masterwork, a touching ode to love and loyalty. The year is 859AD and opposition to the corrupt Tang Dynasty is growing. When a blind dancer named Mei - an agent of the Flying Daggers - is captured, the regime sends a double agent to free her, hoping that she'll lead them to the rebel group's headquarters. Their path is strewn with dangers both expected and unexpected - but none more perilous than those lurking in their hearts. This dazzling collage of color, movement, dance, and CGI technology features a terrific cast including Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro. (China, 119 min. Rated PG-13, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.)

Hotel Rwanda
USA/UK, 122 minutes.
Terry George directs.
Don Cheadle, Nick Nolte star.
Ten years ago, as the country of Rwanda descended into madness, one man made a promise to protect the family he loved - and ended up finding the courage to save over 1,200 people. Hotel Rwanda tells the inspiring story of real-life hero Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), a hotel manager in Rwanda who used his courage and cunning to shelter over a thousand refugees from certain death. While the rest of the world closed its eyes, Paul opened his heart and proved that one good man can make a difference. Cheadle delivers the kind of note-perfect performance that's deserving of Oscar® consideration. Rounding out the fine performances are Nick Nolte as a sympathetic but essentially powerless UN officer and Joaquin Phoenix as a photojournalist. (USA, 122 min. Rated R, Courtesy of MGM/UA.)

Being Julia
USA/Hungary, 104 minutes.
István Szabó directs.
Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons star.
This delicious tale of amorous folly and revenge is set in the world of 1930s London theatre. Based on W. Somerset Maugham's novel, the film follows Julia Lambert (Annette Bening), a glamorous and temperamental stage diva married to a successful impresario (Jeremy Irons). Directed by Academy Award®-winner István Szabó (Mephisto), this is one of those rare movies that has a bit of everything: roundly fantastic performances (notably Bening) and a seamless storyline that leaves you wanting more. Szabó outdoes himself in his rendering of the comic yet touching behind-the-scenes life of the theatre, where love and hate, vulnerability and deception, triumph and devastation, interweave like nowhere else. Miriam Margolyles, Juliet Stevenson, Michael Gambon also star. (USA/Hungary, 104 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.)

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
UK, 127 minutes.
Michael Radford directs.
Al Pacino, Jeremy Iron star.
Academy Award®-nominated director Michael Radford (Il Postino) brings one of Shakespeare's greatest and most controversial plays to the screen for the first time. This story of lovers who make hasty commitments is also a drama of vengeance and betrayal, of two enemies who try to exact horrific punishments from each other. Above all, it is a story of two communities that do not understand one another. Radford's alternately elegant and gritty adaptation of this literary classic features some of the greatest speeches in the English language, including one of the most iconic courtroom confrontations, performed by some of the finest actors of our day. Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons star. (USA/UK, 127 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.)

The Woodsman
USA, 87 minutes.
Nicole Kassell directs.
Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Benjamin Bratt star.
Kevin Bacon delivers his finest performance to date in this unflinching yet moving tale of one man's attempt to re-enter society while battling his demons. Walter (Bacon) is a convicted pedophile. After 12 years in prison, he returns home to try and start a new life. He lands a job, meets Vickie (Kyra Sedgwick), and begins a sweet and surprising romance. His brother-in-law (Benjamin Bratt) greets him with open arms but others view him with suspicion or worse. One wrong move could cost Walter everything. Avoiding black and white moral ground for a more complex view, director Nicole Kassell handles a truly contentious subject with rare compassion and insight. The results are accomplished and thought provoking. Mos Def and Eve also star. (USA, 87 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Newmarket Films.)

The Sea Inside
Spain, 125 minutes.
Alejandro Amenábar directs.
Javier Bardem stars.
Paralyzed by a diving accident, Ramón Sampedro has spent the last thirty years bedridden, tenderly cared for by his family. Known for his upbeat attitude, he holds on to a single wish: to bring his life to a dignified end. But Ramón's world opens up with the arrival of two women: Julia, a lawyer helping with his cause and Rosa, a local woman who wants to convince him that life is worth living. Their encounters with the charismatic Ramón will forever change their lives. Based on the profoundly moving true story, The Sea Inside is directed with intelligence and grace by Alejandro Amenábar. Oscar®-nominated Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) stars with a superb performance. (Spain, 125 min. Rated PG-13, Courtesy of New Line Cinema & Fine Line Features.)

The Assassination of Richard Nixon
USA, 95 minutes.
Niels Mueller directs.
Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Don Cheadle star.
Generating much critical attention when it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this fall, The Assassination of Richard Nixon focuses on the true story of Sam Bicke (Sean Penn in a quietly explosive performance), a disillusioned "everyman" who, in 1974, was driven to plot the assassination of the 37th President of the United States. Caught in a failing marriage and a dead end sales job, Sam's world is rapidly unraveling. With Watergate underway and images of Nixon - the greatest salesman of them all - flooding the airwaves, Sam believes he has found the person responsible for his, and America's, problems. He makes an appointment with destiny. Naomi Watts and Don Cheadle also star. (USA, 95 min. Rated R, Courtesy of THINKFilm.)

The Chorus
France, 96 minutes.
Christophe Barratier directs.
Gerald Jugnot stars.
Fond de l'Etang - literally "rock bottom" - is a harsh and forbidding place. Part orphanage, part reformatory, this post-WWII French school for boys seems straight out of Dickens. Into this world comes Clement Mathieu (the marvelous Gerard Jugnot), a mild-mannered musician who seems to have drawn fortune's short straw with his new teaching post. His charges are an unruly lot, lost souls beyond reach. Or are they? It is Mathieu's far-fetched dream that transforms their lives. Shot in a castle that lends a rich fairy tale atmosphere, The Chorus marks the directorial debut of Christophe Barratier, a classical musician turned filmmaker. A smash runaway hit in France and a pleasure for all ages, this emotional, music-filled film features a splendid cast and glorious score. (France, 96 min. Rated PG-13, Courtesy of Miramax Films.)

Imaginary Heroes
USA, 117 minutes.
Dan Harris directs.
Sigourney Weaver, Jeff Daniels star.
From screenwriter-turned-director Dan Harris (X2) comes this darkly funny, sardonic film about the usually hidden secret core of an ostensibly typical American family. Following an anguishing tragedy, the Travises go to pieces as each sets off on an ironic course of self-discovery. Teenage son Tim (Emile Hirsch), the black sheep, walks through his life like it's a bad dream. His dad (Jeff Daniels) completely disengages from the world around him, treating his wife and children like strangers. Meanwhile, his mom (Sigourney Weaver) takes up smoking pot and letting loose with all the considerable sarcasm she can muster. She also wages a bitter feud with the next-door neighbor over carefully concealed secrets that threaten to tear the family apart. (USA, 117 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.)

Vera Drake
UK, 125 minutes.
Mike Leigh directs.
Imelda Staunton, Phil Davis star.
Mike Leigh (Oscar®-nominated Secrets & Lies, Topsy Turvy) has created one of his very best, a shattering drama about the unintended consequences of virtue. Vera Drake is a selfless woman completely devoted to, and loved by, her family. She also secretly visits women and helps them induce miscarriages for unwanted pregnancies. While the practice is illegal in 1950s England, Vera sees herself as simply helping women in need. When the authorities find out, Vera's world and family life rapidly unravel. Leigh abjures satire for compassion and moral complexity as values of decency, stoical restraint, and class solidarity are put to the test. The gifted Imelda Staunton (Shakespeare in Love) stars as Vera. (UK, 125 min. Rated R, Courtesy of New Line Cinema & Fine Line Features.)

Beyond the Sea
Special thanks to Marty Flug
UK/Germany, 122 minutes.
Kevin Spacey directs.
Spacey, Kate Bosworth, John Goodman star.
For the legendary Bobby Darin, performing was his life. For Oscar®-winning actor Kevin Spacey, this effervescent tribute to the magnetic entertainer, most famous for his "Mack the Knife" rendition is a life's calling. Spacey directs and stars in this highly empathetic, energetic portrait of a man for whom music was literally the thing that kept him alive after a childhood illness. Scenes play across time as the boy and the adult re-examine the hopes and triumphs, fame and misfortune that nearly destroy both him and his idyllic marriage to movie star Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth). It is impossible to say which is more fascinating: Darin's life story or Spacey's transformation into the star he so admires. John Goodman, Brenda Blethyn, and Greta Scacchi also star. (UK/Germany, 122 min. Not yet rated, Courtesy of Lions Gate Films.)

The Incredibles
USA, 115 minutes.
Brad Bird directs.
Voices by Craig Nelson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee.
From the Academy Award® winning creators of Finding Nemo comes this hilarious action-packed, animated adventure about superheroes. Bob Parr used to be one of the world's greatest, saving lives and fighting evil on a daily basis. But now, fifteen years later, he and his family have adopted civilian identities and retreated to living normal lives in the suburbs. Bob is a clock-punching insurance claims adjuster, fighting boredom and a bulging waistline. Itching to get back into action, he gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment. Pixar Animation Studios stretches the boundaries of the art form with this stylish and entertaining film. (USA, 115 min. Rated PG, Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures & PIXAR Animation Studios.)

Sideways
USA, 124 minutes.
Alexander Payne directs.
Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church star.
The middle-aged buddy movie truly comes of age with Alexander Payne's (About Schmidt, Election) Sideways. Payne has established himself as a great comic chronicler of ordinary American lives. He and co-writer Jim Taylor take the oldest of Hollywood formulas - the buddy picture - and elevate it to a hilarious and insightful portrait of the seemingly clueless male psyche. Superb as ever, Paul Giamatti plays the tormented Miles, a failed novelist and wine snob who takes his vain, hedonistic actor friend on a tour of California's wine country. A last hurrah before Jack (Thomas Haden Church) ties the knot. Laugh out loud funny, yet peculiarly heartbreaking, this wonderfully cast film also stars Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. (USA, 124 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Fox Searchlight.)

Million Dollar Baby
USA, 134 minutes.
Clint Eastwood & Paul Haggis direct.
Hilary Swank, Eastwood, Morgan Freeman star.
In the wake of a painful estrangement from his daughter, boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) has been unwilling to get close to anyone for a very long time. Then Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) walks into his gym. In a life of constant struggle, Maggie's gotten herself this far on raw talent, unshakeable focus and force of will. What she's missing is someone to believe in her. Won over by her determination, Frankie begrudgingly takes her on. In turns exasperating and inspiring each other, the two discover they share a common spirit that transcends the pain and their pasts. Yet they will both face a battle that will demand more heart and grace than any they've ever known. Eastwood (Mystic River) directs and Morgan Freeman also stars. (USA, 134 min. Rated R, Courtesy of Warner Bros.)