Actor Brad Pitt (1963)

The American fantasy romantic drama film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), directed by David Fincher, follows the loosely based storyline by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1922 short story of the same name. In August 2005, Daisy Fuller shares with her daughter Caroline the tale of Mr. Gateau, a blind clockmaker commissioned to create a train station clock in 1918 as a tribute to those who lost their sons in World War I, including Gateau ...

Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) is an American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien. Businessman Reuben Tishkoff takes on a new project, building a hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip, against the advice of his friend and former criminal associate Danny Ocean. However, things take a turn for the worse when investor and casino mogul Willy Bank strongarms Reuben into giving up his ownership stake. After suffering a heart attack, Reuben is left bedridden. In an attempt ...

The American epic revisionist Western film, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), is a retelling of the events leading up to the titular killing. Written and directed by Andrew Dominik and based on Ron Hansen’s novel of the same name, it portrays the relationship between Jesse James and Robert Ford. In 1881, a starstruck young man named Robert ‘Bob’ Ford seeks out Jesse James while the James Gang plans a train robbery in Blue Cut, Missouri. Despite his brother Charley being a member of the gang, Bob’s attempts to join are unsuccessful. The robbery is not as successful as hoped and Frank James leaves while Jesse ...

Babel (2006), a psychological drama, was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga. This multi-narrative film features an ensemble cast and interweaves stories set in Morocco, Japan, Mexico, and the United States. It is an international co-production between companies from the US, Mexico, and France, completing Arriaga and Iñárritu’s Death Trilogy that also includes Amores perros (2000) and 21 Grams (2003). The ...

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) is an American action comedy film directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg, following the story of John and Jane Smith. The couple, who have been married for five or six years, attend marriage counseling to address their troubled relationship. Despite their initial claims of meeting in Bogotá, Colombia and falling in love, it is revealed that they are actually highly skilled field operatives working for separate contract-killing firms. They have successfully kept their true professions hidden from each other. The Smiths live in a ...

Troy (2004) is an epic historical war film directed by Wolfgang Petersen and written by David Benioff. Set in 1250 BC, the film tells the story of King Agamemnon’s quest to unite the Greek kingdoms. The heroic warrior Achilles fights for Agamemnon, despite his disdain for the king’s tyrannical ways. Meanwhile, Prince Hector of Troy and his brother Paris are negotiating a peace treaty with Menelaus, King of Sparta. However, Paris begins an affair with Menelaus’ wife, Queen Helen, and smuggles her aboard his ship as they return home. Hector reluctantly ...

Ocean’s Twelve (2004) is a heist comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by George Nolfi. Terry Benedict tracks down all eleven members of Danny Ocean’s crew, demanding the return of the $160 million they stole from his casinos plus an additional $38 million in interest. The deadline for repayment is two weeks. With only half of the money on hand, the group devises a plan to pull off a heist in Amsterdam to avoid trouble with authorities in the United States. A man named Matsui tips them off about the whereabouts of the first ever issued stock ...

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) is an American animated adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. The story follows Sinbad and his pirate crew as they attempt to steal the enchanted ‘Book of Peace’ and hold it for ransom in what they believe will be their final mission before retiring to Fiji. However, Sinbad’s plans are interrupted when he realizes that the book is being guarded by Prince Proteus of Syracuse, his childhood best friend. Despite Proteus’ pleas for mercy based on their past friendship, Sinbad still tries to take the book but is thwarted by the arrival of Cetus, a large sea ...

The Mexican (2001), an American dark comedy adventure crime film by Gore Verbinski, takes place in Los Angeles. You hear a car accident off-screen as a traffic light turns red. Five years pass and Jerry Welbach has been paying off his debt to Arnold Margolese, a mob boss now behind bars. But when Jerry messes up his last task, Bernie Nayman, Margolese’s right-hand man, assigns him a new final mission: retrieve an antique pistol named ‘the Mexican’ from a man called Beck in Mexico. This job pushes Jerry’s girlfriend Sam over the edge and she leaves for Las Vegas. Upon arriving in Mexico, Jerry ...

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Ocean’s Eleven (2001) is a heist comedy film featuring professional thief Danny Ocean. After serving four years in a New Jersey prison, Ocean heads to Los Angeles to reunite with his colleague Rusty Ryan. The two then travel to Las Vegas to seek the financial support of their wealthy friend Reuben Tishkoff. Their goal is to pull off a daring multi-million dollar heist, targeting three of Tishkoff’s rival Terry Benedict’s casinos: the Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand. Knowing that the casinos are required to have enough cash to cover all bets placed by patrons, ...

The film Spy Game (2001), directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt, follows the United States and China as they negotiate a major trade deal. As the President prepares to visit China to finalize the agreement, the CIA becomes aware of their operative, Tom Bishop’s, arrest in Suzhou. With only 24 hours until his execution, Bishop’s actions could jeopardize the deal. To avoid getting involved, a group of CIA executives turn to Nathan Muir, Bishop’s mentor and a retiring veteran agent. ...

Snatch (2000), a film by Guy Ritchie, follows a group of robbers donning the guise of Orthodox Jews in the London underworld. In Antwerp, they successfully swipe an 86-carat diamond and smaller gems. To sell the loot on behalf of Cousin Avi, a New York jeweler with mob connections, gang leader Franky Four-Fingers heads to see diamond dealer Doug The Head in London. During his escape, one of his comrades advises him to obtain a weapon from arms dealer and former KGB agent Boris The Blade. Franky then calls Boris, who happens to be his brother, and instructs him to steal the diamond before he can deliver it to ...

Directed by David Fincher, Fight Club (1999) tells the story of an unnamed protagonist who struggles with insomnia and dissatisfaction with his job and lifestyle. In search of relief, he turns to support groups, where he realizes that expressing vulnerability helps him rest. However, his attempts are hindered when Marla Singer, also pretending to be someone else, joins the same groups. Unable to maintain his facade or ignore her presence, his insomnia returns. In an effort to regain control and get some sleep, the narrator arranges for them to attend separate sessions and even exchanges contact information with Marla in ...

The film Meet Joe Black (1998), directed and produced by Martin Brest, tells the story of media mogul Bill Parrish. He’s considering a merger while his daughter Allison plans his 65th birthday bash. The younger daughter, Susan, is a resident in internal medicine who is dating Drew, a member of Bill’s board. As Bill observes Susan’s relationship with Drew and realizes she may not be truly in love, he encourages her to wait for true love instead. During their helicopter ride, Bill hears a mysterious voice but tries to brush it off. Later at the office, he experiences chest pains and hears the voice again ...

Seven Years in Tibet (1997) is an American biographical war drama film, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. It is based on the 1952 memoir of Austrian mountaineer and Schutzstaffel (SS) sergeant Heinrich Harrer, detailing his experiences in Tibet from 1944 to 1951. In 1939, Harrer leaves behind his pregnant wife to join Peter Aufschnaiter in an expedition to summit Nanga Parbat in British-ruled India (now part of Pakistan). However, when World War II begins, the British authorities arrest them as ‘enemy aliens’ – citizens of a country at war with the British Empire. The duo is then imprisoned in a camp ...

The Devil’s Own (1997), directed by Alan J. Pakula, tells the story of Frankie McGuire and his involvement in the IRA. As a child, Frankie witnessed his father’s murder because of their republican beliefs. Twenty years later in Belfast, he and three other IRA members face an ambush by British forces. Despite losing two comrades, Frankie and Sean Phelan manage to escape with a British Army helicopter hot on their trail. In order to combat the British Army, Martin MacDuff decides that Stinger missiles are necessary for the IRA. Adopting the identity of ‘Rory Devaney’, Frankie heads to New York City ...

Sleepers (1996), an American crime drama film, was written, produced and directed by Barry Levinson. It is based on Lorenzo Carcaterra’s novel of the same name. Childhood friends Lorenzo ‘Shakes’ Carcaterra, Tommy Marcano, Michael Sullivan and John Reilly reside in Hell’s Kitchen during the 1960s. Their parish priest Father ‘Bobby’ Carillo, who has had a troubled past himself, attempts to guide them towards making good decisions. While still engaging in pranks and working for local gangster King Benny, the boys take things too far when ...

Directed by Terry Gilliam, 12 Monkeys (1995) is an American science fiction thriller film that depicts a world devastated by a deadly virus. The survivors are forced to live underground while rumors circulate about the Army of the Twelve Monkeys being responsible for the outbreak. In 2035, James Cole is chosen from among the prisoners living in an underground compound beneath Philadelphia to travel back in time and locate the original virus. He agrees to do so in exchange for a reduced sentence. However, he is troubled by recurring dreams involving a foot chase and shooting at an airport. When he finally arrives in ...

In David Fincher’s Seven (1995), a crime thriller set in an unnamed city consumed by violence and corruption, veteran detective William Somerset is approaching retirement. He is joined by his new partner, the passionate yet quick-tempered detective David Mills, who recently moved to the city with his wife Tracy. On Monday, they are summoned to investigate the death of an obese man who was forcibly overfed until his stomach burst, with the word ‘gluttony’ scrawled on the wall. Somerset finds it too extreme for his final case and requests a different assignment, but is denied. The next day brings another ...

Legends of the Fall (1994) is an epic Western drama directed by Edward Zwick. Frustrated with the US government’s repeated betrayals towards Native Americans, Colonel William Ludlow resigns from the Army and relocates to a remote part of Montana. Joining him are his Cree friend One Stab, who helps him build a ranch for his family. Along with them are hired hand Decker, a former outlaw, and his Cree wife Pet and daughter Isabel Two. The Ludlow family consists of three sons: Alfred, the oldest; Tristan, the middle child; and Samuel, the youngest. After his mother Isabel leaves for the East Coast due to her struggles ...