Actor Matt Damon (1970)

The American Western film True Grit (2010) was directed, written, produced, and edited by the Coen brothers. While traveling to Fort Smith, Arkansas, fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross’s father is killed by hired hand Tom Chaney. Upon arriving in town to collect her father’s body, Mattie learns that Chaney has most likely escaped with “Lucky” Ned Pepper and his gang into Indian Territory, where the local sheriff has no jurisdiction. Wanting to bring Chaney to justice, Mattie seeks out a Deputy U.S. Marshal and receives three recommendations from the sheriff. Ultimately, she chooses Rooster Cogburn due ...

Hereafter (2010), directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, is an American drama with a screenplay by Peter Morgan. The film follows three individuals who share a common experience with death, all struggling to communicate with the deceased. Playing the role of George is Matt Damon, an American factory worker who has the ability to communicate with the dead professionally but chooses not to. Cécile de France portrays Marie, a French TV journalist who survives a near-death ...

Based on journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s non-fiction book Imperial Life in the Emerald City, Green Zone (2010) is an action thriller directed by Paul Greengrass and written by Brian Helgeland. On March 19, 2003, Iraqi Army General Mohammed Al-Rawi flees his residence during the bombing of Baghdad. Before leaving, he gives a notebook to his aide Seyyed with instructions for his officers to go into hiding and wait for his signal. Four weeks later, Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller and his team search a ...

The film Inside Job (2010), directed by Charles Ferguson, delves into the financial crisis of the late-2000s. It received high praise from critics for its well-paced storytelling, thorough research, and clear explanation of complex concepts. The documentary was even showcased at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in May 2010 and went on to win Best Documentary Feature at the 83rd Academy Awards on February 27, 2011. Through examining the effects of Iceland’s government deregulation in 2000, including privatizing its banks, the film sheds light on how the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers and collapse of AIG led to a ...

Invictus (2009), a biographical sports film directed by Clint Eastwood, features Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon as its lead actors. This is the third time Eastwood and Freeman have collaborated on a film, following their work on Unforgiven (1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004). Adapted from John Carlin’s book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and ...

The Informant! (2009) is an American biographical-crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Z. Burns. It follows the story of Mark Whitacre, a rising star at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in Decatur, Illinois during the early 1990s. Whitacre’s wife Ginger urges him to blow the whistle on the company’s illegal price-fixing practices. In November 1992, he confesses to FBI agent Brian Shepard that ADM executives (including himself) had been colluding with competitors to manipulate lysine prices. To gather evidence, Whitacre secretly ...

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 action-thriller film, The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), directed by Paul Greengrass, has an entirely different plot than the 1990 novel of the same name by Robert Ludlum. After being pursued by Kirill, Jason Bourne must evade Moscow police while wounded and confront more memories of his time in Operation Treadstone. Six weeks later, CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy reveals a taped confession from Ward Abbott, the former head of Treadstone, to Director Ezra Kramer. Meanwhile, journalist Simon Ross from The Guardian discovers information about Bourne and Operation Blackbriar ...

The American spy film, The Good Shepherd (2006), was both produced and directed by Robert De Niro. Following the disastrous end of the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, suspicions arise about a potential ‘mole’ within the CIA. Senior officer Edward Wilson returns home to find a photograph and audio tapes that have been tampered with, leaving some details unclear. Flashing back to his time at Yale University in 1939, Wilson is invited to join the Skull and Bones fraternity where he reveals that he discovered but never read his father’s suicide note. His father, an admiral who had been considered for ...

The American crime thriller film, The Departed (2006), was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, and also draws inspiration from the Boston Winter Hill Gang. In 1980s Boston, Irish Mob leader Frank Costello takes a liking to a young Colin Sullivan. After many years, Sullivan becomes a spy for the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) and joins their Special Investigation Unit (SIU). Meanwhile, another recruit at the police academy named Billy Costigan is asked by Captain Queenan and ...

As the title suggests, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005) is a captivating IMAX 3D documentary film that follows the monumental journey of twelve Apollo astronauts as they become the first humans to set foot on the moon. This project features talented filmmaker Mark Cowen at the helm, with assistance from co-writer and producer Tom Hanks. Through stunning visuals and quotes directly from those who experienced it, this film aims to transport viewers to the lunar surface and provide a romantic and inspiring glimpse into the astronauts’ awe-inspiring expedition.

The Brothers Grimm (2005) is a fantasy adventure film directed by Terry Gilliam. The two main characters, Will and Jake Grimm, are skilled con artists who use Jake’s extensive knowledge of folklore to swindle unsuspecting individuals. Along with their companions Hidlick and Bunst, they roam through French-occupied Germany in the early 19th century. In the town of Karlstadt, they successfully deceive the villagers by pretending to ‘defeat’ a witch’s ghost. However, their luck runs out when they are captured by Italian torturer Cavaldi and brought before the French General Delatombe. Delatombe ...

Syriana (2005), an American political thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, is loosely based on Robert Baer’s 2003 memoir See No Evil. The movie was filmed in over 200 locations across five continents, including the Middle East, Washington D.C., and Africa. In an interview with Charlie Rose, Gaghan revealed that the film draws from his personal experiences meeting and interviewing powerful figures such as oil owners, media moguls, lobbyists, ...

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 ...

The Bourne Supremacy (2004) is an action-thriller film featuring Robert Ludlum’s popular character, Jason Bourne. While the title is derived from the second novel in the series (1986), the film’s plot is completely unique. We find Bourne and his partner Marie Kreutz living peacefully in Goa, India where he continues to struggle with memory loss. To piece together his past as a CIA assassin, Bourne records flashbacks in a notebook. Across the globe in Berlin, CIA agent Pamela Landy authorizes $3 million to be paid to a Russian source for important documents known as the Neski files, detailing the theft of $20 ...

Stuck on You (2003), an American comedy written and directed by the Farrelly brothers, follows conjoined twins Bob and Walt Tenor as they navigate ordinary life. While Walt is outgoing and ambitious, dreaming of becoming a Hollywood actor, Bob is more reserved and prefers to stay in the background. Together, they run Quikee Burger in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, known for their guarantee of free meals if orders take longer than three minutes to complete. Their seamless teamwork and synchronicity are apparent in their business. Walt is comfortable around women, but Bob struggles with shyness and has a ...

Gerry (2002) is an American drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, with stars and co-writers Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. The characters embark on a hike at a marked location called ‘Wilderness Trail’. Along the way, they encounter other passing hikers. In order to avoid any interruptions, they choose to venture off the trail. After some walking, conversation and even an impromptu foot race, they decide to turn back. However, it doesn’t take long for them to realize that they are completely ...

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002), an American animated western film produced and distributed by DreamWorks Animation and DreamWorks Pictures, follows the story of a Kiger mustang colt named Spirit. As he grows into a stallion, Spirit becomes leader of his herd in the 19th-century American West. One night, he discovers tied-up horses and sleeping wranglers near his herd. Despite being captured by these men from a US cavalry fort, Spirit continues to resist their attempts at breaking him. In retaliation, the Colonel orders him to be tied to a post without food or water for three days. At the same time, a Lakota Native American named Little Creek is brought into ...

Directed by Doug Liman and written by Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron, The Bourne Identity (2002) is an action-thriller film based on Robert Ludlum’s 1980 novel of the same name. When Italian fishermen rescue a man with two gunshot wounds in the Mediterranean Sea, they discover that he has no memory of his identity but possesses advanced combat skills and fluency in multiple languages. Upon finding a laser projector embedded under his skin, displaying a safe ...

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, ...