Actor Tom Wilkinson (1948)

Watership Down (2018) is a CGI-animated series directed by Noam Murro and based on the 1972 novel by Richard Adams, adapted by Tom Bidwell. The story takes place in the serene countryside of southern England and follows a group of rabbits on their escape from man’s intrusion and the imminent destruction of their home. Led by two brave brothers, they travel from Sandleford Warren through treacherous obstacles and foes, in pursuit of a promised land and a better society. One rabbit, Fiver, has a vision of impending ...

The Catcher Was a Spy (2018) is an American war film directed by Ben Lewin and written by Robert Rodat, based on the book of the same name by Nicholas Dawidoff. Moe Berg, an experienced 15-year baseball player, takes on a new role as a spy in the war effort to outdo Nazi Germany in developing the first atomic bomb. The Germans made a breakthrough by splitting the atom in 1938, and the race for the bomb was on. In charge of delivering this weapon was German Nobel prize winner Werner Heisenberg. To counter this threat, Moe ...

The Choice (2016), an American romantic drama film directed by Ross Katz and written by Bryan Sipe, follows the story of two neighbors who unexpectedly find love. Based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same name, the film begins seven years prior to the main events. At this time, Travis Shaw, a charming young man from the South who catches the eye of many women, is in a casual relationship with a woman named Monica. During one evening, Travis meets his new neighbor Gabby Holland while she complains about his loud ...

Oliver Stone’s biographical thriller Snowden (2016) follows the story of Edward Snowden, who in 2013 arranged a secret meeting in Hong Kong with documentarian Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald. During the meeting, they discussed releasing classified information regarding illegal mass surveillance conducted by the NSA. This meeting was later documented in Poitras’ film Citizenfour, which was also featured in the movie Snowden. Prior to this, in 2004, Snowden joined the U.S. Army with plans to join the Special Forces but was discharged due to a fractured tibia. He then applied for a position at the ...

The comedy-drama film, The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), is written and directed by Wes Anderson. A teenage girl pays a visit to the monument of the author who wrote ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and finds inspiration in his story. This author was inspired to write the book during his stay at the once-luxurious hotel located in the European mountainous country formerly known as Zubrowka. Despite its current dilapidated state in 1968, the hotel holds a special place in the heart of its owner, Mr. Zero Moustafa. He shares with the author how he came to acquire it and why he continues to keep it open despite not ...

The Lone Ranger (2013), an American Western action film directed by Gore Verbinski and written by Justin Haythe, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, follows the story of lawyer John Reid. In 1933 at a San Francisco funfair, young Will meets Comanche Tonto, who tells him about his encounters with the famous Lone Ranger. The film then flashes back to 1869, when Reid returns home to Colby, Texas on a train managed by railroad tycoon Latham Cole. Unbeknownst to Reid, the train also ...

Tony Gilroy wrote and directed Duplicity (2009), an American romantic crime comedy starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Five years prior to this, Ray Koval, an MI6 agent, crossed paths with CIA officer Claire Stenwick at a party in Dubai. Unaware of her identity, he tried to seduce her but ended up being drugged and robbed of classified documents. Their next encounter is three years later in Rome, where they spend several days together at a luxurious hotel. As they consider leaving their government jobs for the cut-throat ...

The American television miniseries John Adams (2008) follows the political journey of U.S. president John Adams and his pivotal role in the establishment of the United States. Directed by Tom Hooper and starring Paul Giamatti as Adams, the series was adapted from David McCullough’s 2001 book of the same name by Kirk Ellis. Over seven episodes, HBO brought to life both the biopic of Adams and the first 50 years of America’s history. Garnering widespread critical ...

Valkyrie (2008), a thriller directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander, features Tom Cruise. Set during World War II, the film follows Wehrmacht Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg in Tunisia as he becomes increasingly disillusioned with Hitler’s regime. After his battalion is attacked by P-40 fighter-bombers, Stauffenberg is gravely injured and returned to Germany for treatment. However, he ultimately loses his left eye, right hand, ...

RocknRolla (2008), a gangster crime comedy film by Guy Ritchie, follows the story of mob boss Lenny Cole as he dominates London’s real estate business with help from corrupt councillor and right-hand man Archy. When billionaire Russian businessman Uri Omovich plans a lucrative land deal, everyone in the city wants a piece of it — including Stella, Uri’s devious accountant, and a gang known as ‘The Wild Bunch’ led by small-time crook ‘One-Two’, his partner ‘Mumbles’, and their driver ‘Handsome Bob’. In exchange for €7,000,000 to bribe the Council, Uri lends ...

Michael Clayton (2007) is an American legal thriller feature film that marks Tony Gilroy’s directorial debut. The movie revolves around the life of Michael Clayton, a ‘fixer’ for a prestigious law firm in New York City. He uses his extensive connections and knowledge of legal loopholes to benefit his clients. One evening, Michael interrupts a poker game to assist a client who had hit a pedestrian with his car in Westchester County. On his way back home, while passing by some barren trees atop a hill, he notices three horses and stops to take a closer look. Little did he know that behind him, an ...

Cassandra’s Dream (2007) is a crime thriller drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. Filmed in England, it is a collaboration between the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. Brothers Terry and Ian grew up in South London under the care of their parents – their father Brian, who owns a restaurant, and their mother Dorothy, who instilled in them admiration for their uncle Howard. Howard is a renowned plastic surgeon and entrepreneur with practices in Switzerland, the US, and China. The brothers purchase a sailboat named after Terry’s lucky greyhound for a bargain, despite its excellent ...

Based on Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley series, Ripley Under Ground (2005), a crime thriller, was directed by Roger Spottiswoode. The movie revolves around the death of Tom Ripley’s friend Philip Derwatt, an accomplished artist who perishes in a car accident. To honor his memory and make some quick cash, Ripley, along with Jeff Constant, Bernard Sayles, and Cynthia (Derwatt’s girlfriend), devise a plan for Bernard to forge more of Derwatt’s paintings. In order to keep their secret safe, they hide Derwatt’s body in a freezer. Adding ...

Directed by Christopher Nolan, Batman Begins (2005) is a superhero film co-written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. After an incident involving bats in his childhood, Bruce Wayne develops a fear of them. Years later, at the opera with his parents, he becomes unsettled by performers dressed as bats and asks to leave. Tragically, they are killed in front of him by Joe Chill, a mugger. Bruce is then taken in and cared for by Alfred Pennyworth, the family’s loyal butler. As an adult, when Chill is released from prison after ...

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), directed by Michel Gondry, follows Joel Barish as he discovers that his ex-girlfriend, Clementine Kruczynski, has had her memories of him deleted by the New York company Lacuna. In a heartbroken state, Joel decides to undergo the same procedure and records a tape recounting their tumultuous relationship. While he sleeps in his apartment, the Lacuna staff work on his brain to erase any trace of their time together. During this process, one employee named Patrick leaves to visit Clementine and uses their shared memories to try to win her over. Meanwhile, other employees Stan ...

If Only (2004) is a romantic fantasy drama film directed by Gil Junger and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Paaul Nicholls. Ian Wyndham is a British businessman living in London with his American musician girlfriend, Samantha Andrews. The movie follows them throughout a day filled with various mishaps – from Samantha getting burned on a kettle, to Ian’s watch breaking, to Coca-Cola staining Samantha’s clothes, and Ian struggling to focus during an important work meeting due to interruptions from Samantha. ...

The Patriot (2000) is an American epic movie portraying historical events. Directed by Roland Emmerich and written by Robert Rodat, the film centers around Benjamin Martin during the American Revolutionary War. A veteran of both the French and Indian War and a widower with seven children, Martin is summoned to Charlestown to vote on a levy that would support the Continental Army. Uncertain about war with Great Britain and not wanting to compel others to fight when he himself will not, Martin refrains from voting. However, the levy passes and his eldest son Gabriel enlists ...

The Governess (1998), a British period drama film by Sandra Goldbacher, takes place in the 1830s. It tells the story of Rosina da Silva, the cultured eldest daughter of a prosperous Jewish family in a small community of Sephardic London Jews. After her father is killed and leaves behind significant debts, Rosina rejects an arranged marriage to an older man and vows to support her family through any means necessary. Against the wishes of her family, she decides to work as a governess, masking her identity as a Jew by posing as Mary Blackchurch – a half-Italian Protestant. Through her education and skills, she ...

The romantic comedy film, Shakespeare in Love (1998), was directed by John Madden. Set in London during 1593, it follows the story of William Shakespeare as he struggles with writer’s block while working for Philip Henslowe, owner of The Rose Theatre and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. In an attempt to sell his new comedy, Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter, to rival theatre owner Richard Burbage, Shakespeare tries to seduce Rosaline, Burbage’s mistress. He also seeks advice from fellow playwright Christopher Marlowe. However, his plans are complicated when he discovers Rosaline is involved with ...

The romantic drama film, Oscar and Lucinda (1997), directed by Gillian Armstrong, follows the lives of two individuals – Lucinda Leplastrier and Oscar. As a child growing up in Australia, Lucinda is captivated by a Prince Rupert’s Drop, which sparks her lifelong passion for glass. Sadly, her parents pass away and she inherits great wealth when her guardians sell off their family farmland. With her newfound riches, Lucinda purchases a glass factory and becomes involved in gambling after being introduced to it by her accountant. Meanwhile, Oscar is raised by his father as a Plymouth Brother but eventually ...