From Up on Poppy Hill

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(2011)

Genre: Animation/Drama

Director: Goro Miyazaki

Writers: Tetsurô Sayama, Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa, Chizuru Takahashi

Producers: Nobuo Kawakami, Kathleen Kennedy, Robyn Klein, Frank Marshall, Tetsurô Sayama, Toshio Suzuki, Chizuru Takahashi, Geoffrey Wexler

Synopsis: The story centers on an innocent romance beginning to bud between Umi and Shun, two high school kids caught up in the changing times. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics - and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past. While the children work together to save a dilapidated Meiji era club house from demolition, their tentative relationship begins to blossom. But - in an unexpected twist that parallels what the country itself is facing - a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart. -- (Written by Independent Pictures)

Cast:

• Sarah Bolger
• Anton Yelchin
• Jamie Lee Curtis
• Bruce Dern
• Christina Hendricks
• Ron Howard
• Chris Noth
• Aubrey Plaza

IMDb - From Up on Poppy Hill

Monsieur Lazhar

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(2011)

Language: French

Genre: Drama

Director: Philippe Falardeau

Writers: Philippe Falardeau, Evelyne de la Chene

Producers: Luc Déry, Kim McCraw, Claude Paiement

Synopsis: In Montreal, an elementary school teacher dies abruptly. Having learned of the incident in the newspaper, Bachir Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag), a 55-year-old Algerian immigrant, goes to the school to offer his services as a substitute teacher. Quickly hired to replace the deceased, he finds himself in an establishment in crisis, while going through his own personal tragedy. -- (Written by Music Box)

Cast:

• Mohamed Fellag
• Sophie Nélisse

IMDb - Monsieur Lazhar

Silent House

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(2011)

Genre: Horror

Director: Chris Kentis, Laura Lau

Writers: Gustavo Hernández, Laura Lau

Producers: Eva Diederix, Thomas Fatone, Adeline Fontan Tessaur, Meir Gal, Lynette Howell, Kristen Konvitz, Laura Lau, Mickey Liddell, Agnés Mentre, George Paaswell

Synopsis: From the directors of the hit film Open Water, Silent House is a uniquely unsettling horror thriller starring Elizabeth Olsen as Sarah, a young woman who finds herself sealed inside her family's secluded lake house. With no contact to the outside world, and no way out, panic turns to terror to terror as events become increasingly ominous in and around the house. Directed by filmmaking duo Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, Silent House uses meticulous camera choreography to take the audience on a tension-filled, real time journey, experienced in a single uninterrupted shot. -- (Written by Open Road Films)

Cast:

• Elizabeth Olsen

IMDb - Silent House

North Sea Texas

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(2011)

Language: Dutch

Genre: Drama

Director: Bavo Defurne

Writers: André Sollie, Bavo Defurne, Yves Verbraeken

Producers: Lise Lambert, Luc Roggen, Guy van Baelen, Wilfried van Baelen, Mariano Vanhoof, Yves Verbraeken, Jan Vrints

Synopsis: Pim, an introverted child, occupies his time drawing and fantasizing while keeping his emerging desires a secret. As a teenager, he grows infatuated with Gino, the handsome boy next door. When a hunky young man from the local fair starts living with Pim and his mother, he seizes the opportunity to leave home and move in with Gino's family. His plan backfires as Gino departs, romancing and living with a girl from across the border. It seems like Pim's dreams will never come true, but then one rainy day Gino returns home. (Written by Strand Releasing)

Cast:

• Ben Van den Heuvel
• Eva van der Gucht
• Nathan Naenen
• Noor Ben Taouet

IMDb - North Sea Texas

Samsara

 

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(2011)

Genre: Documentary

Director: Ron Fricke

Writers: Ron Fricke, Mark Magidson

Producers: Salim Amin, Suha Arraf, Keiko Hagihara Bang, Leigh Clarke, Myles Connolly, Bianca Costa, Touré Ousmane Diadié, J.C. Earle, Deborah Gabinetti, Hala Galal, Rasmini Gardiner, Dan Halsted, Kim Hansen, Winifred Hmensa, Genevieve Hofmeyr, Miles Johnson, Ann L. Kalber, Mick Kalber, Richard Kipnis, Ute Leonhardt, Samanna Lui, Mark Magidson, Michael Neale, Maria Polotan, Marco Valerio Pugnini, Christopher Reyna, Ghassan Salti, Zulfikar Shahnawaz, Dileep Singh Rathore, Tim Smythe, Thananath Songchaikul, Sonny Nyunt Thein, Amadou Thiam, Sushil Tyagi, Jean Manuel Vignau, Dylan Voogt, Noah Weinzweig, Aydan Özbalkan

Synopsis: Prepare yourself for an unparalleled sensory experience. Samsara reunites director Ron Fricke and producer Mark Magidson, whose award-winning films Baraka and Chronos were acclaimed for combining visual and musical artistry. Samsara is a Sanskrit word that means "the ever turning wheel of life" and is the point of departure for the filmmakers as they search for the elusive current of interconnection that runs through our lives. Filmed over a period of almost five years and in twenty-five countries, Samsara transports us to sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial sites, and natural wonders. By dispensing with dialogue and descriptive text, Samsara subverts our expectations of a traditional documentary, instead encouraging our own inner interpretations inspired by images and music that infuses the ancient with the modern. -- (Written by Oscilloscope Pictures)

IMDb - Samsara

A Separation

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(2011)
Language: Persian
Genre: Drama
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Writer: Asghar Farhadi
Producers: Negar Eskandarfar, Asghar Farhadi

  

Nominee

Synopsis: Set in contemporary Iran, A Separation is a compelling drama about the dissolution of a marriage. Simin wants to leave Iran with her husband Nader and daughter Termeh. Simin sues for divorce when Nader refuses to leave behind his Alzheimer-suffering father. Her request having failed, Simin returns to her parents' home, but Termeh decides to stay with Nader. When Nader hires a young woman to assist with his father in his wife's absence, he hopes that his life will return to a normal state. However, when he discovers that the new maid has been lying to him, he realizes that there is more on the line than just his marriage. -- (Written by Sony Pictures)

Cast:

• Leila Hatami
• Payman Maadi
• Sareh Bayat
• Shahab Hosseini
• Sarina Farhadi

IMDb - A Separation

10 Years

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(2011)

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Director: Jamie Linden

Writer: Jamie Linden

Producers: Marty Bowen, Reid Carolin, Wyck Godfrey, Eric Gores, Louis Hagney, Adam C. Londy, D. Scott Lumpkin, Frank Mancuso Jr., Channing Tatum

Synopsis: In this ensemble comedy, 10 Years follows a group of friends on the night of their high school reunion who, a decade later, still haven't quite grown up. Channing Tatum plays Jake, who is deeply in love with his girlfriend (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) and ready to propose-until he runs into his high school flame (Rosario Dawson) for the first time in years. Jake's friend Cully (Chris Pratt) married his cheerleader girlfriend (Ari Graynor), and has been looking forward to the reunion so he can finally apologize to all the classmates he bullied in high school. However, after a few too many drinks, the jock-turned-family man ends up reverting back to his old ways instead. Meanwhile, longtime rivals Marty (Justin Long) and A.J (Max Minghella) spend the night picking up right where they left off, vying to impress the hottest girl in class (Lynn Collins). The famous one of the group, Reeves (Oscar Isaac) is now a rock star, but is still too shy to talk to his high school crush (Kate Mara.) -- (Written by Anchor Bay Films)

Cast:

• Channing Tatum
• Rosario Dawson
• Justin Long
• Max Minghella
• Oscar Isaac
• Chris Pratt
• Ari Graynor
• Jenna Dewan-Tatum
• Lynn Collins
• Anthony Mackie
• Kate Mara
• Aaron Yoo
• Ron Livingston

IMDb - 10 Years

The Details

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(2011)

Genre: Drama/Comedy

Director: Jacob Aaron Estes

Writer: Jacob Aaron Estes

Producers: Lynn Givens, Mark Gordon, Mickey Liddell, Eugene Mazzola, Jennifer Monroe, Jennifer Roth, Joel Sadilek, Hagai Shaham, Bryan Zuriff

Synopsis: After ten years of marriage, Jeff and Nealy Lang (Tobey Maguire and Elizabeth Banks) have an idyllic suburban home... and a relationship on the skids. But, when a family of hungry raccoons ransacks their perfectly manicured backyard, Jeff becomes single-mindedly obsessed with eradicating the pests by any means necessary. Soon the relentless rodents aren't merely uprooting the lawn, but also overturning the Langs' entire bourgeois existence, as the man-versus-beast battle leads into an absurd mess of infidelity, extortion, organ donation and other assorted mayhem. -- (Written by Radius TWC)

Cast:

• Tobey Maguire
• Elizabeth Banks
• Laura Linney
• Kerry Washington
• Ray Liotta

IMDb - The Details

Killer Joe

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(2011)

Genre: Thriller

Director: William Friedkin

Writer: Tracy Letts

Producers: Nicolas Chartier, Vicki Cherkas, Molly Conners, Scott Einbinder, Zev Foreman, Laurence Freed, Patrick Newall, Jamin O'Brien, Eli Selden, Roman Viaris-de-Lesegno, Ryan Westheimer, Doreen Wilcox Little, Christopher Woodrow

Synopsis: When 22 year-old drug dealer Chris (Hirsch) has his stash of drugs stolen from him by his mother, he has to come up with six-thousand dollars quick, or he's dead. Desperate, he goes to the trailer-park to see his father, Ansel (Hayden Church), and he lays out the plan. Chris's mother, who everyone hates, has a life insurance policy that would clear up his debt and make them all rich. The problem is that Chris' mother is very much alive. Enter Detective "Killer" Joe Cooper, a hired hit man with the manners of a Southern gentleman, who will do the job - for an upfront fee, that Chris and Ansel can't pay. Just as Joe is about to leave, he spots Dottie (Temple), Chris' innocent younger sister. Joe makes Chris an offer, he'll keep Dottie as sexual collateral until the money is collected and his fee can be paid. -- (Written by Voltage Pictures)

Cast:

• Emile Hirsch
• Matthew McConaughey
• Juno Temple
• Thomas Haden Church
• Gina Gershon

IMDb - Killer Joe

The Intouchables

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(2011)

Genre: Biography/Comedy/Drama

Directors: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano

Writers: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano

Producers: Arnaud Bertrand, Dominique Boutonnat, Hubert Caillard, Nicolas Duval-Adassovsky, Laurent Zeitoun, Yann Zenou

Synopsis: An irreverent, uplifting comedy about friendship, trust and human possibility, The Intouchables has broken box office records in its native France and across Europe. Based on a true story of friendship between a handicap millionaire (Francois Cluzet) and his street smart ex-con caretaker (Omar Sy), The Intouchables depicts an unlikely camaraderie rooted in honesty and humor between two individuals who, on the surface, would seem to have nothing in common. -- (Written by The Weinstein Company)

Cast:

• François Cluzet
• Omar Sy
• Audrey Fleurot

IMDb - The Intouchables

Babycall

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(2011)

Language: Norwegian/Swedish

Genre: Thriller

Director: Pål Sletaune

Writer: Pål Sletaune

Producers: Karl Baumgartner, Anna Croneman, Turid Øversveen

Synopsis: After escaping an abusive husband Anna and her 8 year old son move to a secret location in a giant apartment building. Terrified that her ex-husband will find them she buys a baby monitor to keep in her son's room at all times. But strange noises echo in the baby monitor from elsewhere in the building. As she witnesses the sounds of what she believes is another child being murdered she fears it is her own. Reliving the nightmare she recently escaped Anna will need to figure out what's real and what isn't before she loses her sanity and her child. -- (Written by IMDb Editors)

Cast:

• Noomi Rapace
• Kristoffer Joner
• Vetle Qvenild Werring

IMDb - Babycall

The Sitter

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(2011)

Genre: Comedy

Director: David Gordon Green

Writers: Brian Gatewood, Alessandro Tanaka

Producers: Josh Bratman, Michael De Luca, Jonah Hill, Donald J. Lee Jr., Lisa Muskat

Synopsis: When the world's most irresponsible babysitter takes three of the world's worst kids on an unforgettable overnight adventure through the streets of New York City, it's anyone's guess who's going to make it home in one piece. The Sitter is a new level of twisted and debauched hilarity from the director of Pineapple Express, starring Jonah Hill. -- (Written by 20th Century Fox)

Cast:

• Jonah Hill
• Max Records
• Ari Graynor
• Sam Rockwell
• Landry Bender
• Kevin Hernandez

IMDb - The Sitter

Newlyweds

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(2011)

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Director: Edward Burns

Writer: Edward Burns

Producers: Edward Burns, Mike Harrop, Aaron Lubin, Nicolas Newbold, William Rexer

Synopsis: Buzzy (Edward Burns) and Katie (Caitlin FitzGerald) are a newly married couple living a seemingly conflict-free life. But when Buzzy's damaged and impulsive half-sister Linda (Kerry Bishé) arrives at their doorstep expecting to stay for an indefinite period in their Tribeca loft, her antics threaten to disrupt the couple's commitment to an "easy" marriage. Meanwhile, with Katie's sister Marsha projecting suspicions of her own husband's infidelity onto Buzzy, will the couple's formerly trusting and insulated life be able to withstand the dysfunctions of their respective siblings? -- (Written by Tribeca Films)

Cast:

• Edward Burns
• Caitlin FitzGerald
• Kerry Bishé

IMDb - Newlyweds

Bernie

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 (2011)

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Director: Richard Linklater

Writers: Richard Linklater, Skip Hollandsworth

Producers: Michael Bassick, William T. Conway, John Paul DeJoria, Donald Fox, Jack Gilardi Jr., Liz Glotzer, Alex Gudim, Lissa Gudim, Ken Hirsh, Rav Indran, Hardy Justice, Todd J. Labarowski, Johnny Lin, Richard Linklater, Sean McEwen, David McFadzean, Kirsten McMurray, Dete Meserve, Duncan Montgomery, Mark Mower, Darby Parker, Judd Payne, Celine Rattray, Tiller Russell, Jack Selby, Martin Shafer, Ginger Sledge, John Sloss, Shane Stanger, Matt Williams

Nominee

Synopsis: In the tiny, rural town of Carthage, TX, assistant funeral director Bernie Tiede was one of the town's most beloved residents. He taught Sunday school, sang in the church choir and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Everyone loved and appreciated Bernie, so it came as no surprise when he befriended Marjorie Nugent, an affluent widow who was as well known for her sour attitude as her fortune. Bernie frequently traveled with Marjorie and even managed her banking affairs. Marjorie quickly became fully dependent on Bernie and his generosity and Bernie struggled to meet her increasing demands. Bernie continued to handle her affairs, and the townspeople went months without seeing Marjorie. The people of Carthage were shocked when it was reported that Marjorie Nugent had been dead for some time, and Bernie Tiede was being charged with the murder. -- (Written by Millenium Entertainment)

Cast:

• Jack Black
• Shirley MacLaine
• Matthew McConaughey

IMDb - Bernie

Polisse

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(2011)

Language: French

Genre: Drama

Director: Maïwenn

Writers: Maïwenn, Emmanuelle Bercot

Producers: Alain Attal, Arnaud Bertrand, Dominique Boutonnat, Rémi Burah, Hubert Caillard, Véronique Cuilhe, Stéphane Célérier, Valérie Garcia, Alain Kappauf

Synopsis: Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and nominated for 13 César Awards, Polisse follows the daily lives of a tight-knit team of men and women working in the Child Protection Unit of the Parisian police. Basing her richly textured script on real child investigation cases, writer-director actor Maïwenn has gathered an accomplished ensemble cast of French actors who convey the emotional strain of the unit's work with gritty realism. They not only deal with the stress of their jobs but the inevitable fall-out in their personal lives-breakdowns, divorce and adulterous relations within the force. In between, there are frequent flashes of humor as the team attempts to diffuse daily realities. As the cases,confessions and interrogations pile up, the squad members have only each other as support as they face an uphill battle against both criminals and bureaucracy. -- (Written by IFC Films)

Cast:

• Maïwenn
• Joey Starr
• Marina Foïs
• Karin Viard
• Nicolas Duvauchelle
• Riccardo Scamarcio
• Emmanuelle Bercot

IMDb - Polisse

Ages of Love

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(2011)

Language: Italian

Genre: Comedy

Director: Giovanni Veronesi

Writers: Ugo Chiti, Giovanni Veronesi

Producers: Maurizio Amati, Luigi De Laurentiis Jr., Aurelio De Laurentiis, Giulio Gallozzi

Synopsis: Roberto is a young and ambitious lawyer who is going to marry Sara. His whole life is perfectly planned out. During a expropriation which he is in charge of, he meets Micol, a gorgeous and provocative young woman from a small village in Tuscany. This is when things start to get complicated... Fabio, a famous anchorman, has been the perfect husband for twenty five years. At a party one night, he meets Eliana, a femme fatale full of surprises. This one-night stand proves to be more than what he bargained for when she refuses to leave... Adrian is an American art history professor who moved to Rome after his divorce. He is friends with Augusto, the building's concierge, whose ebullient daughter Viola is about to disrupt his peaceful existence and relight his fire... (Written by IMDb Editors)

Cast:

• Robert De Niro
• Monica Bellucci
• Riccardo Scamarcio
• Michele Placido
• Laura Chiatti
• Valeria Solarino
• Donatella Finocchiaro

IMDb - Ages of Love