Actress Natascha McElhone (1969)

The Crown (2016–2023), a historical drama series following Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, was created and principally written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Netflix. Critics have praised its acting, directing, writing, cinematography, and production values, while some have noted its historical inaccuracies. The show has achieved multiple awards, including a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series and two Golden Globes for Best Television Series – Drama. It chronicles Queen Elizabeth II’s life from the 1940s to the present day, starting with her ascension ...

The Company (2007) is a three-part serial based on the best-selling 2002 novel by Robert Littell, following the activities of the CIA during the Cold War. Ken Nolan penned the teleplay adaptation and received a Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Long Form – Adapted. The story begins in 1950 as Jack McAuliffe, Leo Kritzky, and Yevgeny Tsipin graduate from Yale and venture down different paths. While Jack and Leo join the CIA under Frank ‘The Wizard’ Wisner’s guidance, Yevgeny returns to Moscow where he is recruited by KGB spymaster Starik and ...

Laurel Canyon (2002), an American drama film written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, follows the story of newly engaged couple Sam and Alex as they embark on a move to Los Angeles in pursuit of career opportunities. Sam, a recently graduated medical student, is starting his residency in psychiatry, while Alex is nearing completion of her Ph.D. dissertation on genomics. The plan was for the couple to stay at Sam’s mother Jane’s vacant home in the eccentric Laurel Canyon area of the city. However, their plans are thrown off when they arrive to find Jane still there, caught up in a passionate love affair with ...

Solaris (2002) is an American science fiction drama film written and directed by Steven Soderbergh and produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau. Clinical psychologist Dr. Chris Kelvin receives a message from his scientist friend Dr. Gibarian, through emissaries for DBA, the corporation running a space station orbiting the planet Solaris. Gibarian asks for Kelvin’s help in understanding an unusual phenomenon, but refuses to disclose further information. DBA is faced with uncertainty about what steps to take next, as ...

The Truman Show (1998) is an American comedy drama film written by Andrew Niccol and directed by Peter Weir. The film focuses on the life of a man named Truman Burbank who was selected at birth and adopted by a television studio after an unwanted pregnancy. Unbeknownst to him, he is the main star of a reality TV show called The Truman Show. This program is broadcasted globally via approximately five thousand hidden cameras that capture every moment of Truman’s life. The creator and executive producer, Christof, aims to showcase Truman’s genuine emotions as a ...

Ronin (1998) is a American action thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer. At a bistro in Montmartre, IRA operative Deirdre meets with two Americans, Sam and Larry, a Frenchman named Vincent, an Englishman called Spence, and a German named Gregor. The group is comprised of ex-government agents or former military members now working as mercenaries. Deirdre assigns them with the mission to steal a mysterious metallic briefcase from a heavily guarded convoy. Before carrying out the main mission, they must first acquire weapons, but this proves to be a trap. Despite surviving the setup and obtaining the weapons, Sam ...

The Devil’s Own (1997), directed by Alan J. Pakula, tells the story of Frankie McGuire and his involvement in the IRA. As a child, Frankie witnessed his father’s murder because of their republican beliefs. Twenty years later in Belfast, he and three other IRA members face an ambush by British forces. Despite losing two comrades, Frankie and Sean Phelan manage to escape with a British Army helicopter hot on their trail. In order to combat the British Army, Martin MacDuff decides that Stinger missiles are necessary for the IRA. Adopting the identity of ‘Rory Devaney’, Frankie heads to New York City ...