Actor John Wood (1930)

Chocolat (2000) tells the story of a young woman named Vianne and her daughter Anouk, as they travel through Europe, guided by the same north wind that led Vianne’s mother years before. In 1959, they settle in a tranquil French village where the strict mayor, Comte de Reynaud, is gearing up for Lent. Despite not being accepted by the villagers, Vianne opens a chocolate shop and slowly starts to win over some of the locals. However, Reynaud, who is still in denial about his wife leaving him, publicly denounces Vianne for tempting people during Lent. One of her early supporters is her elderly landlady Armande, whose daughter Caroline refuses to let her see her ...

The British film An Ideal Husband (1999), based on the 1895 play by Oscar Wilde, follows a group of upper-class individuals before the turn of the 20th century. At a fashionable park outing, Lady Markby reconnects with Mrs. Laura Cheveley, an old school acquaintance. Laura is eager to meet Gertrude’s husband, Sir Robert Chiltern, and Lady Markby suggests bringing her to the evening’s ball. Although Gertrude initially hesitates, she ultimately cannot refuse without appearing rude. At the extravagant party at the Chiltern residence, Laura tries to manipulate Sir Robert into supporting a bill for a questionable ...

Metroland (1997), directed by Philip Saville, tells the story of Chris and Marion living a peaceful life with their child in Eastwood. They reside in the London suburbs known as Metroland, the area at the end of the Metropolitan Line on the London Underground. However, their routine is disrupted when Chris’s childhood friend Toni calls early one morning. After years of traveling through Africa, Europe, and the United States as a bohemian poet, Toni has returned to England. Chris reflects on their past adventures in Paris during the late 1960s when they both dreamed of escaping suburban life for avant-garde ...

Richard III (1995), a British Technicolor film based on William Shakespeare’s play of the same name, depicts King Edward IV’s ascension to the throne with the aid of his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Following Edward’s coronation in the Great Hall, where his siblings George and Richard bear witness, he departs alongside his wife and children. Meanwhile, Richard gazes upon the throne with contemplation before turning towards the audience and delivering a speech detailing his physical deformities – a hunched back and withered arm. He confesses to harboring envy towards his brother’s ...

Citizen X (1995) is an American television film based on the true story of Soviet serial killer Andrei Chikatilo. The film follows detectives in the 1980s as they work to capture an unknown serial killer responsible for the murder of women and children. Despite bureaucratic obstacles, forensic specialist Viktor Burakov leads an eight-year hunt for the perpetrator after a body is discovered on a collective farm in 1982. As they continue their search, seven more bodies are found in nearby woods, all showing signs of mutilation and murder. In total, 53 lives were taken, with 52 victims under the age of 35. Burakov’s rise to ...

The American fantasy romantic comedy film, The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), was written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in 1935 during the Great Depression, Cecilia, a waitress from New Jersey, faces challenges in her job and marriage to her unfaithful husband Monk. Despite her struggle to leave him, she finds solace by watching the same movie repeatedly at the theater. Her focus shifts towards Tom Baxter, an archaeologist character in the film who falls for a Copacabana singer. As Baxter notices Cecilia’s gaze on him, he becomes smitten with her and breaks out of the screen to be with her. This unexpected turn ...