Actor Dustin Hoffman (1937)

The Meyerowitz Stories (2017), a American comedy-drama film by Noah Baumbach, follows the story of Danny Meyerowitz. After splitting from his wife, Danny moves in with his father, Harold, a retired art professor and sculptor at Bard College. Alongside Harold is his fourth wife, Maureen, a pleasant but hazy hippie. Danny has a sister named Jean and a younger half-brother named Matthew. He is also very close to his daughter, Eliza, who is a freshman studying film at Bard. During one family gathering, Eliza shares one of her controversial films with them. Although shocked, the family manages to praise its energy and ...

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) is an animated martial arts comedy brought to life by the collaborative efforts of DreamWorks Animation, China Film Group Corporation, Oriental DreamWorks, and Zhong Ming You Ying Film. The film follows Grand Master Oogway as he battles General Kai, a formidable spirit warrior yak who has stolen the chi of all the other deceased kung fu masters. Despite warning Kai about his eventual defeat at the hands of another, Oogway falls victim to the chi-stealing technique and Kai returns to the Mortal Realm. Meanwhile, after announcing his retirement from teaching, Master Shifu appoints Po as his successor. However, Po’s initial attempts at ...

Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll (2016) is an animated short in the popular film series. Taking place before the third movie, it depicts Po’s father, Mr Ping, mistakenly giving away his toys of the Furious Five as bonus gifts to customers. As Po frantically searches for them, Oogway’s narration prompts a question about fate and coincidence. Set a decade prior to the original film, a young Tigress is training under Shifu but struggles to meet his strict expectations. When Master Oogway and Shifu order noodles from Mister Ping’s restaurant, Po (who is temporarily in charge) accidentally sneezes into Shifu’s bowl, resulting in him ...

Chef (2014) is an American comedy-drama film that centers around Miami-born Carl Casper, the head chef at Gauloises in Brentwood, Los Angeles. Despite being popular with his staff and hostess Molly, Carl clashes with the restaurant’s owner, Riva. She wants him to stick to traditional dishes instead of his innovative creations. Carl also has a troubled relationship with his ex-wife Inez and their tech-savvy son Percy. During a visit from food critic Ramsey Michel, Riva insists that Carl stick to old favorites rather than trying something new. These demands lead to a negative review from Ramsey, which prompts Carl to publicly insult him on Twitter and gain a large ...

The American film, The Cobbler (2014), directed and cowritten by Tom McCarthy with Paul Sado, tells the story of a New York City cobbler and his family. In the past, a group of Jewish men gathered in the shop to discuss a troublesome thug. The cobbler then showcases his special stitching machine to his son, emphasizing its significance. Presently, Max Simkin carries on the family business as the cobbler while his friend Jimmy runs the neighboring barber shop. Meanwhile, Carmen Herrera fights against realtors who want to destroy their neighborhood for development. ...

Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters (2011) is an animated short film from DreamWorks Animation. In the middle of the night, Master Po leads his fellow masters Tigress and Mantis on a secret mission to break into the new Masters’ Council exhibit in honor of Thundering Rhino, Ox, and Croc. Although Tigress and Mantis are initially frustrated with Po’s deception, he captures their attention with the intriguing tale of how these three masters first crossed paths. Long ago in Jinzhou, a city where Kung Fu was dominated by street fighting, Rhino, Ox and Croc were up-and-coming pit fighters who caught the eye of Grand Master Oogway. Recognizing their skill and ...

The animated martial arts comedy, Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), was produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The rulers of Gongmen City, known as the peacocks, first created fireworks for peaceful purposes. However, their son, Lord Shen, discovered that gunpowder used in firecrackers could also be used as a weapon. Concerned about Shen’s fixation on this destructive potential, his parents consulted a soothsayer who predicted that his actions would ultimately be thwarted by a ‘warrior of black and white’. Upon hearing this prophecy, Shen concluded that the warrior would be a panda and ordered his wolf army to eradicate all ...

Kung Fu Panda Holiday (2010) is a delightful animated Christmas special from DreamWorks Animation, directed by Tim Johnson. Po, the lovable panda and Dragon Warrior, is faced with a major challenge when Master Shifu tasks him with organizing the prestigious Winter Feast at the Jade Palace. Despite his enthusiasm for the event, Po longs to spend the holiday with his father Mr. Ping. In an effort to have him cater the feast, Po turns down top chefs from all over China. However, Mr. Ping believes Po is more concerned with his role as the Dragon Warrior and decides to stay at his restaurant to feed those without a place to ...

Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five (2008) is an American animated short produced by DreamWorks. The film follows Po the Dragon Warrior as he shares the stories of his comrades in arms, the Furious Five, through a mix of computer and 2D animation. At Master Shifu’s request, Po attempts to teach a group of energetic bunny children about Kung Fu beyond just combat, emphasizing its true purpose of personal growth and achievement. Through their individual backstories and key philosophical principles, Po shows how each member of the Furious Five became a skilled Kung Fu master. Mantis. In his youth, Mantis ...

The animated martial arts comedy film, Kung Fu Panda (2008), was created by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. In Ancient China’s Valley of Peace, Po Ping, a giant panda, helps his father at their noodle restaurant. His ultimate dream is to fight alongside the Furious Five – Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Viper, and Mantis – who reside at the Jade Palace and are trained by Master Shifu, a grumpy red panda. One day, Master Oogway (the wise tortoise who founded kung fu) predicts that Tai Lung (Shifu’s former protégé who is now imprisoned) will escape and attack the Valley in search of the Dragon Scroll – an artifact that ...

The period thriller, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), follows the life of notorious murderer Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. Directed by Tom Tykwer and written in collaboration with Andrew Birkin and Bernd Eichinger, the film is based on Patrick Süskind’s novel of the same name. Grenouille’s story is told through flashbacks, beginning with his sentencing for his crimes. Abandoned at birth in a French fish market ...

Finding Neverland (2004) is a biographical fantasy directed by Marc Forster and written by David Magee. The film is based on Allan Knee’s 1998 play, The Man Who Was Peter Pan. In the early 1900s, acclaimed playwright Sir James Matthew Barrie encounters Sylvia, a widowed mother of four (George, Jack, Peter and Michael), during a chance meeting in Kensington Gardens. As they grow closer, Barrie becomes not only a playmate but also a father figure to the boys. Their playful adventures become fodder for ...

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 ...

Hook (1991), a fantasy film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by James V. Hart and Malia Scotch Marmo, follows the story of American-raised British lawyer Peter Banning. Due to his workaholic nature, Peter’s relationships with his wife Moira and their children, Jack and Maggie, have become strained. When he fails to keep a promise to Jack, Peter decides to take his family to London to visit Moira’s grandmother, Wendy Darling. While attending a charity dinner in Wendy’s honor at the Great Ormond ...

Rain Man (1988) is an American road comedy-drama film, directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. Collectibles dealer Charlie Babbitt has imported four grey market Lamborghinis to Los Angeles for resale. The cars are being held at the port by the EPA due to failing emission tests, causing Charlie stress as he needs to deliver them to buyers who have already made down payments. He directs one of his employees to deceive the buyers while he deals with his creditor. Amidst this chaos, Charlie ...