Actor Michael Caine (1933)

Get Carter (2000) is an American action thriller film directed by Stephen Kay and written by David McKenna. Jack Carter, a mob enforcer living in Las Vegas, returns to Seattle upon hearing of his brother Ritchie’s death in a drunk driving accident. His colleague Con McCarty covers for him with their boss Fletcher – whose girlfriend Audrey is involved with Jack. At the funeral, Jack meets his niece Doreen and Ritchie’s friend and coworker Eddie. They both share that Ritchie rarely drank and wouldn’t have driven under the influence; Eddie also assures him ...

The film adaptation of John Irving’s 1985 novel, The Cider House Rules (1999), was directed by Lasse Hallström and follows the life of Homer Wells at St. Cloud’s orphanage in Maine. Under the guidance of Dr. Wilbur Larch, a kindly father figure, Homer grows up surrounded by love and respect. Despite being returned to St. Cloud’s twice by foster parents, who either found him too quiet or mistreated him, Homer finds solace in his extended family at the orphanage. With older children like Buster looking after the younger ones, including Fuzzy Stone who was ...

The made-for-television drama film, Mandela and de Klerk (1997), was written by Richard Wesley and directed by Joseph Sargent. In a highly publicized trial on June 12, 1964, Nelson Mandela and several other political detainees received life imprisonment sentences, making it the most famous treason case in South Africa’s history. Their imprisonment on Robben Island became a powerful symbol of the fight against apartheid and the quest for freedom for black South Africans. Nearly three decades later, on February 2, 1990, President F.W. De Klerk announced the ...

The Fourth Protocol (1987), a British spy film set during the Cold War, boasts a star-studded cast with Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan. John Mackenzie directed this adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s 1984 novel bearing the same title. In 1968, world powers establish an agreement to halt nuclear proliferation, which includes the Fourth Protocol that strictly prohibits unconventional delivery of nuclear weapons to targets. However, when MI5 officer John Preston discovers ...

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), an American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, follows three interconnected stories over the course of two eventful years. The backdrop for these tales is a series of Thanksgiving gatherings hosted by Hannah and her husband, Elliot, at The Langham. As the central figure in the narrative, Hannah’s presence ties together most events in the film. However, Elliot strays from their stable marriage when he becomes infatuated with Lee, one of Hannah’s sisters. His reasons for doing so are rooted in his dissatisfaction with his wife’s independence and ...

Victory (1981), a film directed by John Huston, follows a group of Allied POWs as they agree to participate in a football match against a German team. Led by English Captain John Colby, who played professionally for West Ham United before the war, the prisoners soon realize they are being used for German propaganda. As their captain and de facto manager, Colby handpicks his team members. However, Robert Hatch, an American serving with the Canadian Army, is initially left out but eventually convinces Colby to bring him on as the team’s trainer in order to facilitate his escape plans.

The American erotic psychological thriller film, Dressed to Kill (1980), follows the story of frustrated housewife Kate Miller. In therapy with New York City psychiatrist Dr. Robert Elliott, Kate’s plans to spend the day with her teenage son, Peter – an inventor on the cusp of a major breakthrough for a city science fair – are unexpectedly canceled. Instead, she ventures alone to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where she finds herself flirting with a mysterious stranger. The two engage in a cat-and-mouse game throughout the museum before eventually ending up at his apartment together. Several hours pass before Kate quietly decides to leave while her ...

Get Carter (1971), a British gangster film and the directorial debut of Mike Hodges, follows the story of Jack Carter, a London-based gangster originally from Newcastle. He works for the notorious crime bosses Gerald and Sid Fletcher, but has been carrying on an affair with Gerald’s girlfriend Anna. Jack is planning to escape with her to South America, but first he must attend his brother Frank’s funeral in Newcastle, who supposedly died in a drunk driving accident. Despite warnings from his bosses to avoid trouble due to the friendship between Gerald and the Newcastle mob, Jack decides to investigate ...

The British comedy caper film, The Italian Job (1969), was written by Troy Kennedy Martin and directed by Peter Collinson. As thief Roger Beckerman drove through the Alps, his car collided with a bulldozer parked in a tunnel by the Mafia, resulting in his untimely death. The Mafia then disposed of Beckerman’s car and body by pushing them over a cliff and into the river below. Meanwhile, Beckerman’s friend and fellow thief Charlie Croker was released from prison and reunited with his girlfriend Lorna to celebrate his newfound freedom. However, when Croker went ...

Billion Dollar Brain (1967), a British spy film helmed by Ken Russell, is based on Len Deighton’s novel of the same name published in 1966. The protagonist, Harry Palmer, has recently left MI5 to take up work as a private detective. He receives a call from an artificial voice instructing him to deliver a package to Helsinki. Inside are six virus-infected eggs which have been stolen from a top-secret research facility in Porton Down. In Helsinki, he is greeted by Anya who then introduces him to Leo Newbigen, an old friend of Harry’s and Anya’s handler. ...

Funeral in Berlin (1966), a British spy film directed by Guy Hamilton, is based on the novel of the same name by Len Deighton. It follows British secret agent Harry Palmer, who is sent to Berlin by his superior Colonel Ross to facilitate the defection of Colonel Stok, a prominent Soviet intelligence officer. To aid him in his mission, Palmer reconnects with an old friend and former criminal associate Johnny Vulkan, who now works for British intelligence in Berlin. Despite his initial skepticism, Palmer finds Stok to be eccentric and likeable when they meet in the Soviet ...

The Ipcress File (1965), a British spy film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Michael Caine, is based on Len Deighton’s novel of the same name (1962). It received a BAFTA award for Best British film. A scientist named Radcliffe is taken from a train as his security escort is killed. Harry Palmer, a former British Army sergeant with a rebellious history and criminal background, currently works for the Ministry of Defence. His superior Colonel Ross summons him and assigns him to Major Dalby’s department. ...