Actress Emma Thompson (1959)

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022) is a comedy-drama film helmed by Sophie Hyde and penned by Katy Brand. In a hotel room, Nancy Stokes greets Leo Grande, a male sex worker. A nervous Nancy opens up about her struggles with achieving orgasm and her decision to no longer pretend after losing her husband two years ago. She also feels self-conscious about her body and age, feeling embarrassed for hiring Leo. However, he doesn’t harbor any shame towards his profession and shares that his mother believes him to be an oil rig worker.

Cruella (2021) is an American crime comedy-drama film from Walt Disney Pictures, Marc Platt Productions, and Gunn Films. The film follows the story of Estella Miller, a creative child with a knack for fashion but also a cruel side, earning her the nickname “Cruella” from her mother Catherine. Growing up ostracized due to her unique appearance and bold attitude, Estella’s rebellious behavior nearly gets her expelled from school. To avoid any tarnished reputation, Catherine withdraws Estella and plans to relocate them both to London. Along their journey, they stop at a lavish party where Estella sneaks in with her dog Buddy and discovers the world of ...

Stephen Gaghan directed the American fantasy adventure film, Dolittle (2020). The screenplay was co-written by Gaghan, Dan Gregor, and Doug Mand, based on a story by Thomas Shepherd. Set in Victorian era Britain, the film follows Dr. John Dolittle, a Welsh veterinarian with the unique ability to communicate with animals. After his wife Lily’s death at sea, Dolittle isolates himself from human society and focuses solely on ...

Men in Black: International (2019) is an American sci-fi action comedy film directed by F. Gary Gray and scripted by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. It belongs to the Men in Black franchise, but stands alone as a sequel within the same universe. Unlike previous films, it does not feature Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones as protagonists. In 1996 Brooklyn, Molly Wright witnesses her parents being neuralyzed by MIB agents after they encounter an alien at home. Molly helps the extraterrestrial escape and avoids being ...

Late Night (2019) is an American comedy-drama film directed by Nisha Ganatra from a screenplay produced by Mindy Kaling. Katherine Newbury, an acclaimed talk show host with extensive experience in comedy, faces declining ratings for her long-running program. Facing pressure from network president Caroline Morton to improve or risk being replaced, Katherine brings on Molly Patel to the writing team. As the only Indian-American woman among a group of white male writers, Molly initially struggles due to her lack of comedy experience. However, she proves her worth by ...

In the animated film Missing Link (2019), written and directed by Chris Butler, Sir Lionel Frost is a determined investigator of mythical creatures. He is determined to prove their existence and gain acceptance into the prestigious ‘Society of Great Men’, led by his rival Lord Piggot-Dunceby. After receiving a letter about a Sasquatch, Lionel strikes a deal with Piggot-Dunceby to join the society if he can provide evidence of the creature’s existence. He sets off to the Pacific Northwest, where he finally encounters the Sasquatch in a forest. Giving him the name ‘Mr. Link’, Lionel discovers ...

In 2018, director David Kerr brought us Johnny English Strikes Again (2018), a spy action comedy that sees the return of MI7’s older and retired agents due to a cyber attack. Among them is Johnny English, now working as a geography teacher who secretly trains his students in espionage. With the other inactive agents out of commission, English is left to embark on the mission himself. He enlists the help of his former sidekick and MI7 clerk, Angus Bough, and together they gather their equipment – which includes explosive jelly babies and a tracker cleverly disguised as a Sherbet Fountain. Leaving behind their ...

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 ...

The American biographical comedy-drama film, A Walk in the Woods (2015), directed by Ken Kwapis, follows author Bill Bryson’s return to the US after living in the UK for ten years. Now in his 60s and settled in New Hampshire, Bryson’s peaceful life is interrupted when a TV interview reports on his successful books and speculates about future writing plans. Despite this attention, Bryson has no intentions of writing more and instead focuses on attending a funeral with his wife Catherine. During their walk afterwards, he becomes inspired to hike the entire length of the nearby Appalachian Trail. While ...

Men, Women & Children (2014) is an American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and co-written with Erin Cressida Wilson. It is based on the novel of the same name by Chad Kultgen, and focuses on online addiction. The movie follows a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they navigate the ways in which the internet has affected their relationships, communication, self-image, and love lives. Social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and access to inappropriate content are explored. As each character’s ...

Director John Lee Hancock created the biographical drama film, Saving Mr. Banks (2013). The screenplay was written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. At this time, Diarmuid Russell, a agent in London, urges Pamela ‘P. L.’ Travers to travel to Los Angeles and meet with Walt Disney. For the last twenty years, Disney has been pursuing the film rights to her Mary Poppins stories after promising his daughters he would make a movie based on them. Despite her financial struggles and dwindling book royalties, Travers has ...

Men in Black 3 (2012) is a sci-fi action comedy film based on the popular Marvel Comics series. After escaping from a top-security prison on the Moon, alien criminal Boris the Animal sets out to seek revenge on Agent K for past incidents involving his capture and the removal of his left arm. Despite being warned by Boris that he is already ‘dead’, K refuses to reveal any further details about their encounter from over four decades ago. Meanwhile, J discovers evidence that implicates K not only in Boris’s capture but also in preventing a deadly invasion by deploying an interplanetary shield known as the ‘ArcNet’. In a desperate attempt to ...

Pixar Animation Studios produced Brave (2012), an American animated fantasy film distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. Set in Medieval Scotland, the story follows a young Princess Merida of clan Dunbroch on her birthday. As a gift, her father King Fergus gives her a bow and arrow, much to the dismay of Queen Elinor. While retrieving an arrow in the forest, Merida comes across a will-o’-the-wisp before being attacked by Mor’du, a massive demon bear. Escaping on horseback with Elinor, they leave Fergus and his men to defend against Mor’du, resulting in the loss of one of Fergus’s legs. A decade later, Merida learns she is to be betrothed to the ...

The fantasy film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), was directed by David Yates and written by Michael Goldenberg. It was based on the 2003 novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. While staying at the Dursleys’, Harry Potter is attacked by Dementors alongside his cousin, Dudley. With the use of a Patronus spell, Harry repels them successfully. However, this results in him being detected by the Ministry of Magic for underage magic use, leading to his temporary expulsion from Hogwarts. Luckily, he is ...

The fantasy film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), was directed by Alfonso Cuarón, with a screenplay by Steve Kloves. It is based on the 1999 novel of the same name written by J.K. Rowling. Once again, Harry Potter endures a disappointing summer with his relatives, the Dursleys. However, things take a turn for the worse on his thirteenth birthday when Vernon’s sister Marge insults Harry’s parents in a cruel manner. Enraged, Harry causes her to inflate and float away. Believing he will be punished ...

The romantic comedy film, Much Ado About Nothing (1993), is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play of the same name. After quashing an uprising led by his half-brother Don John, Don Pedro of Aragon and his comrades pay a visit to their friend Leonato in Messina. Accompanying Don Pedro is Benedick, a quick-witted man who has a history with Leonato’s clever niece, Beatrice. Claudio, a young count and friend of Benedick’s, also joins them. Despite his previous rebellion, Don John seems to have reconciled with his brother. Claudio has been enamored with Hero, Leonato’s daughter, since before he ...

Kenneth Branagh’s directorial debut, Henry V (1989), is a British historical drama film adapted from William Shakespeare’s famous play. The opening scene features Chorus, portrayed as a modern person, walking through an empty film studio and setting the stage for the main action to unfold. Throughout the film, Chorus makes multiple appearances to guide and enhance the storytelling. The act divisions in the film follow the structure of Shakespeare’s original play.