Movies: 2833

The film The Descendants (2011), directed by Alexander Payne, is a comedy-drama based on Kaui Hart Hemmings’ novel of the same name. It follows Honolulu-based attorney and sole trustee of a family trust, Matthew ‘Matt’ King, who is responsible for 25,000 acres of valuable land on Kauai that also holds sentimental value to his family. While Matt has diligently managed his own finances like his father before him, most of his cousins have recklessly spent their inheritances. However, with the trust expiring in seven years due to legal limitations, the King ...

The film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s 1998 novel, The Rum Diary (2011), was directed by Bruce Robinson. Paul Kemp is a struggling author who takes a job at a newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is quickly introduced to the ins and outs of the newspaper world by Sala, a staff photographer who predicts the newspaper’s eventual downfall. After settling into a hotel, Kemp crosses paths with Chenault, an alluring woman he meets while lounging on a boat in the ocean. Despite getting off on the wrong foot with his editor, E.J Lotterman, due to a night of ...

The American biographical drama film, J. Edgar (2011), directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, tells the story of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover’s career. Through a non-linear narrative, the film delves into Hoover’s involvement in the creation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as well as his later efforts to protect it from perceived threats. In the present day, an aging Hoover shares these events with a group of agents he has tasked with writing a book about the Bureau’s early years. Following an assassination attempt on Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer by anarchists in 1919, Justice ...

Moneyball (2011) is an American biographical sports drama film directed by Bennett Miller. The script was written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, based on a story by Stan Chervin. The inspiration for the film comes from Michael Lewis’ nonfiction book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, published in 2003. The book recounts the Oakland Athletics baseball team’s 2002 season and their general ...

The American epic experimental coming-of-age drama film, The Tree of Life (2011), written and directed by Terrence Malick, follows the O’Brien family during two pivotal periods. In the 1960s, the family is thrown into turmoil upon learning of the death of their 19-year-old son, R.L. In contrast, in 2010, eldest son Jack struggles with his life as an architect in Dallas, Texas, feeling disillusioned and disappointed. Throughout the film, Mrs. O’Brien asks God why R.L. had to die while visuals show the creation of the universe and Earth’s beginnings. At one point, a compassionate dinosaur chooses not to ...

In the American film Little Birds (2011), written and directed by Elgin James, close friends Juno Temple and Kay Panabaker play the roles of Lily and Alison. Living in a financially struggling town near the Salton Sea in California, these two teenage girls have opposing personalities. Lily is rebellious and teetering on the edge of suicidal, residing with her single mother, Margaret. On the other hand, Alison is cautious and responsible, living with her alcoholic father. While Alison finds comfort in her uncle Hogan’s ...

Agnès Merlet directs the fantasy thriller film, Hideaways (2011), written by Nick Murphy. Starring Rachel Hurd-Wood and Harry Treadaway, it is a co-production between France, Ireland, and Sweden. James Furlong comes from a long line of family members with strange abilities. His grandfather, Charlie, would go temporarily blind at the thought of sex while his father, Philip, could shut off electrical devices when frightened. Despite a tumultuous birth resulting in the death of ...

Source Code (2011), the U.S. science fiction action thriller film directed by Duncan Jones and written by Ben Ripley, follows the story of U.S. Army pilot Captain Colter Stevens as he wakes up on a Metra commuter train headed to Chicago. Confused and disoriented, his last memory was of flying a mission in Afghanistan. However, to those around him, including his friend Christina Warren, he appears to be Sean Fentress, a school teacher. As he shares his confusion with Christina, the train suddenly explodes while passing another train, resulting in the death of all ...

The Adjustment Bureau (2011) is a captivating American sci-fi romantic thriller, marking George Nolfi’s directorial debut. In 2006, Brooklyn congressman David Norris misses out on a seat in the US Senate. As he rehearses his concession speech, he crosses paths with Elise Sellas and shares a passionate kiss. Unfortunately, they are separated before he can learn her name. Despite this, David finds himself inspired by their encounter and delivers an unusually honest speech, making him a top contender for the next election. A month later, Harry Mitchell receives an assignment from Richardson at Madison Square Park ...

The American fantasy comedy film Zookeeper (2011), directed by Frank Coraci, tells the story of Griffin Keyes, a dedicated head zookeeper at Franklin Park Zoo. Despite his love for the animals under his care, Griffin’s heart is broken when his girlfriend Stephanie turns down his proposal due to his job. Five years later, during an engagement party for his brother Dave, Griffin panics upon seeing Stephanie on the guest list. Dave suggests that Griffin leave the zoo and work with him at the car dealership to win back Stephanie. However, the animals hold a meeting and decide to help their beloved zookeeper find a way ...

The American sports comedy-drama film Win Win (2011) was written and directed by Tom McCarthy. Mike Flaherty, a small-town attorney in New Providence, New Jersey, struggles to maintain his law practice while also coaching wrestling. He faces the challenge of keeping his financial problems hidden from his wife Jackie and their two young daughters, Abby and Stella. Mike sees an opportunity when he is assigned to represent Leo Poplar, a client with early dementia who has no known family. He convinces a judge to make him Leo’s guardian, resulting in a monthly stipend of $1,508. However, instead of taking care of Leo ...

Sucker Punch (2011), an American psychological fantasy action film, is the directorial debut of Zack Snyder and was co-written by him and Steve Shibuya. The story follows a young woman named Babydoll who accidentally shoots her sister while trying to defend herself from their abusive stepfather. After discovering that their mother left everything to her daughters in her will, the stepfather has Babydoll institutionalized under false pretenses and bribes orderly Blue Jones to have her undergo a lobotomy. In a state of delusion, Babydoll imagines the asylum as a brothel ...

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), an American science fiction action film, follows pharmaceutical chemist Will Rodman in San Francisco as he tests the virus-based drug ALZ-112 on chimpanzees at biotechnology company Gen-Sys. His goal is to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Their test subject, a chimp named Bright Eyes, shows remarkable intelligence after being given the drug. Her newfound intelligence leads her to escape her cage during Will’s presentation and ultimately be killed. Will’s boss, Steven Jacobs, ends the project and orders all chimps to be euthanized. However, Robert Franklin, Will’s assistant, reveals that Bright Eyes had ...

Directed by Frédéric Jardin, Sleepless Night (2011) is a thrilling French-language action film. Co-written by Jardin and Nicolas Saada, the movie stars Tomer Sisley, Adel Bencherif, Julien Boisselier, Serge Riaboukine, and Pom Klementieff. It premiered at the Toronto International ...

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) is an American science fiction action film inspired by Hasbro’s popular toy line. Decades earlier, a Cybertronian spaceship known as the Ark crashes on the dark side of the Moon and is discovered by NASA. In order to investigate, President John F. Kennedy approves a mission to land on the Moon, which takes place in 1969 with Apollo 11. Unbeknownst to the public, the astronauts also explore the crashed spaceship before returning to Earth. In present day, the Autobots work alongside humans to prevent major conflicts. During a mission to investigate possible alien technology at Chernobyl, they are attacked by Decepticon ...

Midnight in Paris (2011) is a fantasy comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. Disillusioned screenwriter Gil Pender and his fiancée Inez, along with her affluent parents, take a vacation in Paris in 2010. Gil, working on his debut novel about a man in a nostalgia shop, becomes enamored with the artistic history of the city, specifically the Lost Generation of the 1920s. He dreams of making a permanent move there, but Inez dismisses his desires. During their trip, they meet Inez’s friend Paul and his wife Carol. Paul confidently discusses French history, much to Gil’s annoyance but Inez’s ...

The tenth film, Varg Veum – At Night All Wolves Are Grey (2011), saw the return of director Alexander Eik. In order to prove Evans innocent, Varg Veum investigates the case in which his friend Evans, a highly decorated ex-army officer, was falsely accused of bombing an arsenal.

Director of Varg Veum – Consorts of Death (2011), Stephan Apelgren, who is well known for his work on the popular Swedish detective series Kurt Wallander, also directed the previous installment in the series. In this film the titular character is called upon by Chief of Police Hamre to investigate a hostage situation on a farm near Bergen. The main suspect is Jan Egil, a 16-year-old foster child of the murdered couple. The child solely confides in Veum, their long-time acquaintance. He vehemently denies being responsible for the death of his foster parents. However, a ...

Varg Veum – Black Sheep (2011) is the eighth installment in the Varg Veum series, written by Gunnar Staalesen. Directed by Stephan Apelgren, renowned for his work on numerous Swedish crime films featuring detective Kurt Wallander, this film centers around the girlfriend’s sister of Veum. She is involved in prostitution and implicated in various illegal activities such as drug trafficking and pimping.

This Must Be the Place (2011), an Italian-French-Irish drama directed and written by Paolo Sorrentino and Umberto Contarello respectively, tells the story of Cheyenne. The former wealthy rock star has been living a mundane and uninspired life in Dublin for the past two decades. His retirement was prompted by the tragic suicides of two of his teenage fans. Seeking some sort of redemption, he makes the journey to New York to make amends with his dying father, only to arrive too late. His justification for not being in contact for 30 years was due to his father’s rejection when he began experimenting with goth ...