Actor Michael Gambon (1940)

Directed by James Marsh, King of Thieves (2018) is a British heist film that revolves around the infamous Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary of 2015. The main character, Brian Reader, is a retired thief who reunites with old criminal acquaintances at his wife’s funeral. During their brief conversation, they all express interest in carrying out one final heist – targeting the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit. With plans set in motion after the funeral, Brian and his cohorts, all in their 60s and 70s except for one young alarms expert named Basil, gather to meticulously plan their robbery. To minimize the risk of ...

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 comedy film, Paddington 2 (2017), directed and written by Paul King and Simon Farnaby respectively, is a live-action animated sequel to the 2014 movie Paddington. Produced by Heyday Films and StudioCanal UK, it is based on the beloved stories of Paddington Bear by Michael Bond. The lovable bear, now living with the Browns in Windsor Gardens, offers his support to his neighbors in various ways. In order to purchase a special pop-up book of London for his aunt Lucy’s milestone birthday from Samuel Gruber’s antique shop, Paddington takes on odd jobs ...

Paddington (2014), a live-action animated comedy film, was written and directed by Paul King. Based on Michael Bond’s beloved character Paddington Bear, the story was developed by King and Hamish McColl. In the depths of the Peruvian jungle, a British explorer comes across a group of bears with a love for marmalade. He dubs them Lucy and Pastuzo before bidding them farewell with an invitation to London. Forty years later, after their home is destroyed in an ...

In the fantasy film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011), directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves, our hero must seek help from the goblin Griphook after burying Dobby. With Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger by his side, Harry suspects a Horcrux is hidden in Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault at Gringotts bank. Griphook agrees to assist them, on the condition that he receives the Sword of Gryffindor in return. Ollivander informs Harry that two wands previously belonging to Bellatrix and Draco Malfoy were taken from Malfoy Manor; sensing a ...

The American post-apocalyptic neo-Western action film, The Book of Eli (2010), directed by the Hughes Brothers and written by Gary Whitta, follows Eli as he travels on foot through the wasteland of the former United States thirty years after a nuclear holocaust. Despite his rugged appearance and sunglasses, Eli possesses remarkable survival and fighting skills. When he stumbles upon a town ruled by warlord Carnegie, who is searching for a certain book to control the people, Eli makes a deal with a store owner to recharge his portable music player. While at the town bar, ...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) is a fantasy film directed by David Yates and written by Steve Kloves. Based on J. K. Rowling’s novel of the same name, it is the first of two cinematic installments. At Malfoy Manor, Severus Snape meets with Lord Voldemort and his followers to report that Harry Potter will be moved to a safe location by the Order of the Phoenix. Voldemort takes Lucius Malfoy’s wand since his own is powerless against Harry’s, as they both share a phoenix feather core. ...

Wes Anderson directed Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), an American stop-motion animated comedy film. While pilfering Berk’s Squab Farm, our cunning protagonist sets off a fox trap, inadvertently trapping himself and his wife Felicity. In the midst of their escape, she reveals her pregnancy and implores her husband to find a less hazardous job. He agrees and two human years (12 fox years) later, the Fox family, now including their son Ash, is residing in a cozy hole. Despite warnings from their lawyer Clive Badger about the dangers of being close to three farmers – Walt Boggis, Nate Bunce, and Frank Bean – Mr. ...

The fantasy film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), was directed by David Yates and written by Steve Kloves based on J. K. Rowling’s novel of the same name. Lord Voldemort continues to tighten his grip on both the wizarding and Muggle worlds in the film: his Death Eaters abduct Mr Ollivander and cause destruction to London’s Millennium Bridge. As Lucius Malfoy remains imprisoned in Azkaban, Voldemort assigns his son, Draco Malfoy, with a secret mission at Hogwarts. To ensure Draco’s safety, ...

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 Omen (2006) is an American supernatural horror film helmed by director John Moore and penned by David Seltzer. It tells the tale of Robert Thorn, an American diplomat stationed in Italy. Upon learning that his son was stillborn, Robert secretly adopts an orphaned infant on the advice of a Catholic priest, Father Spiletto. The child, named Damien, is raised by Robert and his wife Katherine. Over the next five years, Robert’s career flourishes as he is appointed Deputy Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s in the United Kingdom. He moves into a large estate ...

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 ...

Stories of Lost Souls (2005) is an anthology film featuring a star-studded cast, including Josh Hartnett, Hugh Jackman, Keira Knightley, Cate Blanchett, James Gandolfini, Paul Bettany, and Illeana Douglas. It was directed by eight different directors, such as Deborra-Lee Furness and ...

The fantasy film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), directed by Mike Newell from a screenplay by Steve Kloves, is based on the 2000 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling. In the film, Harry has a nightmare in which a Muggle caretaker is murdered for overhearing a plot involving Lord Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew, and an unidentified man. The next day, Harry joins the Weasleys, Hermione Granger, Cedric Diggory, and his father Amos at the Quidditch World Cup. However, their evening is disrupted when Death Eaters ...

The science fiction action-adventure film, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), marked Kerry Conran’s directorial debut. Set in a technologically advanced 1939, the zeppelin Hindenburg III docks atop the Empire State Building. On board is Dr. Jorge Vargas, who arranges for a package containing two vials to be delivered to another scientist, Dr. Walter Jennings. However, after delivering the package, Dr. Vargas disappears. Meanwhile, reporter Polly Perkins from The Chronicle is investigating the disappearances of not only Dr. Vargas but also five other renowned scientists. A mysterious message leads her to ...

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) is an American adventure comedy-drama directed by Wes Anderson and written by both Anderson and Noah Baumbach. While documenting his latest sea expedition, oceanographer Steve Zissou’s closest friend and lead diver, Esteban du Plantier, is consumed by a large, glowing spotted creature referred to as a ‘jaguar shark’ by Zissou. Determined to capture the shark’s demise for his next project, Zissou enlists the help of a diverse crew aboard his aging research ...

Layer Cake (2004), a British crime film, marked the directorial debut of Matthew Vaughn. The screenplay was adapted by J. J. Connolly from his novel of the same name. The story follows XXXX (an unidentified character), a London cocaine dealer known for his aversion to violence and business-like approach. His trusted colleagues include Morty, his enforcer and partner, and Gene, an Irish gangster who maintains a relationship with mob boss Jimmy Price. Despite his plans to retire from the criminal world, XXXX is summoned by Jimmy for a lunch meeting where he is given two ...

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 ...

Open Range (2003) is a film set in Montana during the late 1800s. It was directed and co-produced by Kevin Costner, with a screenplay by Craig Storper based on the novel The Open Range Men by Lauran Paine. The story follows ‘Boss’ Spearman and his hired hands, Charley Waite, Mose, and Button, as they drive a herd of cattle across the country. While Boss is an experienced rancher, Charley carries heavy guilt from his time as a soldier in the Civil War. When Boss sends Mose to nearby Harmonville for ...

The British drama film, Charlotte Gray (2001), directed by Gillian Armstrong, is based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Sebastian Faulks. In 1942, a young Scot, Charlotte Gray, travels to London to work in a surgery. During her train ride, she meets Richard Cannerley who is intrigued by her fluency in French and gives her his business card for a book launch party. At the party, Cannerley introduces Charlotte to his acquaintances and asks her to keep in touch. Later on, she enters into a brief romance with Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant Peter Gregory whom she met ...