Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal (1977)

In the action-packed film White House Down (2013), directed by Roland Emmerich and written by James Vanderbilt, U.S. President James Sawyer stirs up controversy with his proposal to sign a peace agreement that would remove military forces from the Middle East. John Cale, a divorced Capitol Police officer, strives to impress his daughter Emily by interviewing for the Secret Service and getting them tickets for a White House tour. However, his college acquaintance and interviewer Deputy Special Agent-in-Charge Carol Finnerty deems him unfit for the job. As chaos erupts in Washington, D.C. with a bomb detonating at the United States Capitol, Finnerty takes Speaker of the ...

Crazy Heart (2009), an American drama written and directed by Scott Cooper in his feature directorial debut, is based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Thomas Cobb. The story was inspired by country singer Hank Thompson. Otis ‘Bad’ Blake, a 57-year-old alcoholic songwriter and former country music star, now makes a modest living performing in small-town bars throughout the southwestern United States. He has had four failed marriages (although there is mention of a fifth he does not discuss) and no family aside from his 28-year-old son whom he hasn’t ...

The superhero film, The Dark Knight (2008), was directed by Christopher Nolan and co-written with his brother Jonathan. It serves as the sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and is the second installment in The Dark Knight Trilogy. In Gotham City, a group of masked criminals stages a robbery at a mafia-owned bank. Amid betrayals and killings, the mastermind behind the heist is revealed to be none other than the Joker, who escapes with the stolen money. To combat organized crime in Gotham, Batman teams up with district attorney Harvey Dent and police lieutenant ...

The American docudrama disaster film, World Trade Center (2006), was directed by Oliver Stone and written by Andrea Berloff. It portrays the harrowing experience of a team of New York City police officers during the September 11 attacks, when they became trapped in the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Center. Dispatched to Downtown Manhattan on that fateful day, members of the Port Authority Police received news en route that both towers had been hit by planes. Led by Sergeant John McLoughlin, a veteran of the 1993 bombing, a group of volunteers including officers ...

In the film Paris, I love you (2006), 20 different filmmakers each capture five-minute moments in the magical City of Love. These moments are linked together through transitional interstitial sequences and an introduction and epilogue. The transitions smoothly connect the previous film’s ending shot to the following film’s beginning shot, creating a continuous flow and building anticipation for what comes next. Through this technique, we witness the vibrant life of Paris through a recurring mysterious character and a common theme of love that ties all 20 segments together. 01. Tuileries (

Mona Lisa Smile (2003), an American drama directed by Mike Newell and written by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, follows the story of Katherine Ann Watson. Upon accepting a teaching position at Wellesley College in 1953, Katherine realizes her students have already mastered the textbook and syllabus. Determined to push boundaries, she introduces modern art and encourages open discussions on the definition of quality artwork. Despite facing opposition from traditionalist student Betty Warren, Katherine remains steadfast ...

The American biographical spy film, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), follows the fictional life of Chuck Barris, who aspired to be a famous television personality. Initially rejected by the women he desires, he moves from Manhattan to become an NBC page, but is ultimately let go. He then becomes Dick Clark’s personal assistant on American Bandstand in 1961, where he writes the hit song ‘Palisades Park’ and becomes involved with Penny Pacino. Eventually, Chuck pitches his idea for The Dating Game at ABC and receives $7,500 to create a pilot. However, ABC ultimately chooses to produce Hootenanny instead. After being ousted from a bar for ...

Stephen Gyllenhaal’s American dark comedy-drama thriller film, Homegrown (1998), follows the story of small-time marijuana harvesters Jack, Carter, and Harlan in Northern California. The trio witnesses their boss Malcolm being shot by his pilot during a visit to his successful marijuana plantation. After recovering from the shock, Jack takes charge and leads the group as they quickly dismantle their camp and gather enough crop to make up for their losses before leaving. While Carter and Harlan transport the harvested crop to Lucy’s for drying, Jack focuses on finding a potential buyer. However, with ...