comahan
01-28-2012, 01:42 PM
The Voters!
comahan, caddy, ncst8fan, APS, bantx, osugiants, deepthreat, SuperMcGee
The ten moviemakers will vote individually and PM their ballots to me.
Brodeur, njx9, TACKLE, sarf, fenikz(?), fisch(?), BoyWonder(?)
Each of these outsiders will vote individually and PM their ballots to me as well.
The Categories!
Best Screenplay - Simple enough. Which of the stories do you find most interesting? Which film's summary catches your eye? Whose story makes you want to go to a movie theater to watch it? Each moviemaking voter will rank those stories 1-7 (You cannot vote for your own film), which each outsider voter will rank them 1-8.
Best Role for an Actor - Which male role do you think works the best? This is a combination of the character the movie-maker has written, and who theyve cast for the part. YEach voter will rank the eight best male roles and PM me their ballot. You CAN vote for multiple roles from the same film if you wish. Rank them 1-8.
Best Role for an Actress - Which female role do you think works the best? This is a combination of the character the movie-maker has written, and who theyve cast for the part. Each voter will rank the eight best female roles and PM me their ballot. You CAN vote for multiple roles from the same film if you wish. Rank them 1-8.
Best Casting - Take the Best Role categories and apply it to the whole film. Which cast do you believe best fits with the written roles? The moviemakers will vote 1-7 (again, not listing your own film) while the outsiders will vote 1-8.
Best Film - It may seem the same as Best Screenplay in a competition like this, but I dont think so. I think theres been several times where someone has had a great story, but their casting was horrible, and it totally ruined the image of the film for me. This is a combination of the Best Screenplay and Best Casting categories. Which film do you think did both well? What is the best overall film in this competition? The moviemakers will vote 1-7 (again, not listing your own film) while the outsiders will vote 1-8.
Also, for clarity, when ranking, 1 is the best, 2 is 2nd best, and so on.
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The Movies!
"AN ALTERED STATE OF SEDUCTION"
"An Altered State of Seduction"
A Danny Boyle Film
SYNOPSIS
The film opens with the voice of a woman named Allison Harper (Anne Hathaway), who laments her condition as the camera travels through the murky streets of London. Born with the rare ability to function without needing rest, Allison is unable to sleep, and hasnt done so a single moment in her life. Longing to sleep, to dream, she recalls once hearing someone say that death is very much like going to sleep after a very, very long day. She's considered testing this theory, but could never bring herself to suicide. Today however, is a big day for her. A day she's been looking forward to her whole life. Today, she says, is the first step toward perhaps experiencing a dream for the very first time.
The camera continues to guide itself through the city of London until it finally settles on an expensive looking black car near London's Tower Bridge. In the back seat of this car sits David Persolo (Tom Wilkinson), the CEO of a multi billion dollar company called NepCorp. Persolo hopes to make an enormous purchase for his company in about an hour's time. It's made clear how much he wants this item that he is bidding on, and that his sole intention is to flip it to another buyer—a far less legitimate one—for a lot more money. Persolo's car arrives at a large building, a scientific facility of some type.
In that building, a brilliant scientific mind by the name of Dr. Elizabeth Crowder (Charlize Theron), has developed a so-called 'dream machine', allowing a person to dream about anything that they wish to dream about, without having to be asleep to experience it. Several high profile companies have placed bids to acquire this technology once testing is complete, though there has not been a sell as of yet thanks to Dr. Crowder's attitude and antics, which angers her boss greatly. In addition, she maintains a widely known drug problem, which is only overlooked due to her brilliance.
Dr. Crowder and her boss James Hewitt (Colin Firth) stand on one side of two way glass, looking into a room at Allison Harper, the sleepless woman. As Hewitt goes over Allison's condition, Crowder complains that she could be doing something better with her time right now. Mr. Hewitt asks her to do it for him as a personal favor, as he's gotten to know Allison over the last few days, and it would mean a lot to her. Crowder rolls her eyes and goes in, though not after Mr. Hewitt reminds her to not take too long, as they have a meeting with NepCorp in a half hour. Once in the room, Allison explains to Dr Crowder the hope that she has for this machine. She says that very few people know what its like to travel from country to country, lab to lab, with every 'expert' in the world wanting to study her to see how she ticks. She just wants to be normal, and a dream might be the closest she gets to that. After they set up a time and place to test the machine—two days from now—the meeting concludes with Dr. Crowder wishing Allison luck in a voice that plainly said she didnt care at all. At this, Allison leaves.
With ample time between now and the NepCorp meeting, Crowder decides to use some of that time to go to her office and take out her dream machine, which she has been using for herself on a consistent basis since getting it to work. She dreams of the woman she just met with, Allison Harper, and a sexual encounter that they have at her apartment. The dream is cut short when she is distracted by a knock on her door, and a voice claiming that she's ten minutes late to the NepCorp meeting. Arriving at the meeting far beyond the scheduled time, Dr. Crowder and Mr. Hewitt meet with NepCorp CEO David Persolo about purchasing the device. The meeting, which started off poorly due to the lateness, only gets worse. Crowder greatly dislikes Persolo from the start, and they spend the majority of the meeting trading verbal jabs as Crowder's boss Mr. Hewitt tries to diffuse the situation. Following the meeting, Mr Hewitt—furious with Crowder being late and turning off yet another potential buyer—threatens to demote her if she doesnt get herself under control. Rather than face demotion however, Crowder tells Hewitt to f*** off, and quits her job. She gathers her things, the small dream-machine and the file of Allison Harper included, and makes to leave the building. Before she can exit, she is cornered by NepCorp CEO David Persolo, who promises that his company WILL have her dream machine in the end.
Dr. Crowder arrives back at her apartment, and once again uses the dream machine, dreaming of Allison for the second time as her file lay open in front of her. After the dream, she passes out on her bed following the consumption of Oxycodone. The screen fades to black as Crowder does, and when the scene returns a moment later, several hours have apparently gone by. A knock on the door wakes her up. It's Mr. Hewitt, and he's demanding the machine back, claiming that it belongs to the facility, not to her. After an argument, Crowder escapes with the machine, and gets away from Hewitt.
The next scene takes place at the office of NepCorp CEO David Persolo. Across from him in a chair sits a silent, well dressed figure who Persolo seems intimidated by (Idris Elba). Persolo explains that he's hiring this man due to his reputation for getting the job done at any cost, and for never double crossing those who give him a job. He then lays a briefcase on the desk between himself and the man, opening it to reveal a stack of cash. He tells the man that if he can retrieve the dream machine from Dr Crowder, the money will belong to him. The silent, well dressed man on the other side of the desk calmly rises from the chair and leaves the room without saying a word.
James Hewitt is forced to go to Allison Harper's house and break the news to her that her hope of being able to dream for the first time has been dashed as a result of Dr. Crowder's flight with the machine. Allison is devastated as expected, though Hewitt promises that he'll try to find the machine. Meanwhile, as Crowder lay on a hotel bed using the machine, she once again dreams of Allison as her file lay open nearby.
The un-named hitman hired by Persolo arrives at Crowder's apartment. After some digging around, he discovers Crowder's cell phone, which in her hurry to escape Hewitt, she left on her bed. Using the phone, the hitman is able to learn the location of her car using the GPS tracking service. He follows that information to the hotel, where after learning which room she was in, he picks the lock of and casually walks in, immediately opening fire with a silenced pistol on a woman in the room. The woman turns out to be a member of staff however, and the hitman walks away just as casually as he walked in, leavind a body behind. Crowder, who was in the main lobby getting something to eat, discovers that it was her room which this happened in, and flees. It leads to a car chase scene, as the hitman is right on her tail. Crowder is only able to elude capture when a third car swipes the tail end of the hitman's. Realizing how he has tracked her, she ditches her vehicle as quickly as she can, taking only the dream machine and her purse with her, and hitches a ride to a nearby motel.
From the motel, she downs several tablets of Oxy before using the machine to once again to dream of Allison. She realizes at this point that she forgot Allison's file in her car, but is able to recall her phone number. She calls Allison in a drugged out state, vaguely explaining the situation, and her desire to sleep with her. Allison uses what info she got from the call to tell Mr. Hewitt, who rushes to the motel where Crowder called from. At the same time, the un-named hitman discovers Crowder's abandoned car, and the file of Allison inside of it. He decides to go to Allison's house.
Hewitt arrives at the motel to find that Crowder had consumed far too much Oxy, and had overdosed as a result, dying on the bed. Calling an ambulance, he takes the dream machine back for himself, leaving the scene. Returning to Allison's house, he finds Allison sitting in her living room across from the silent, well dressed man. The hitman turns his gun on Hewitt, murdering him on the spot as Allison covers her eyes, knowing it was about to happen. A few moments later, Allison opens her eyes again to see the man in front of her holding the machine out toward her. While waiting for Hewitt to return, she had explained her condition to him, and her desire to use the machine to experience a dream for the first time in her life. Now, the hitman is allowing her to do it.
She uses to machine to dream of a life without her condition, a life without being a lab rat. She dreams of a normal childhood, playing with her friends as though they were equals. She dreams of herself in high school, the same as everyone else, rather than being homeschooled by a worried and overprotective father. She imagines herself being walked down the aisle, rather than being accompanied to a new lab for testing. She imagines holding a small child in her hand after giving birth, rather than doing her best to avoid consumption for fear that she'd pass her condition along. She imagines growing old with her husband, lying next to him in bed as they fall asleep together, rather than how things were about to really end. She dreams of a normal life, something that so many are so quick to gloss over, and couldnt imagine anything better.
Once she finishes her dream, she hands the machine back to the hitman, tears in her eyes. She thanks him for allowing her to do this, to experience a dream for the first time. Now, she says, it's time for her to rest. Now, it's time to finally go to sleep after a very, very long day. She slowly closes her eyes, prepared for death. It comes, as the hitman shoots her. Leaving the bodies in place, the hitman leaves to give the machine to the man who hired him to retrieve it.
CAST
Charlize Theron (Dr. Elizabeth Crowder) - The brilliant mind behind the 'dream machine', her drug habit and overall behavior have forced her to relocate to England in order to find a company that will put up with her antics and fund the construction of her machine. After infuriating her boss on countless occasions after ruining several potential purchases of her machine, she quits her job, taking the machine with her. After her boss attempts to take it back for the company, she flees, only to be tracked by the hitman. After evading the hitman, she hitches a ride to a motel where she overdoeses on Oxycodone following a phone call to the woman she had been dreaming about, Allison Harper. She dies on the motel bed with her invention in her arms
Anne Hathaway (Allison Harper) - Born with the rare ability to function without rest, Allison has never slept a moment in her life. Longing to sleep, to rest, to dream, she goes through life as a lab rat, traveling from country to country as various experts study her to try and see how she ticks. When she hears about Dr Crowder's dream machine, she travels from her native America to London in an attempt to try the machine. After setting up a meeting to use it, her hopes are completely dashed when Crowder quits her job and takes the dream machine with her. Thinking that she'd now never be able to experience a dream, she is surprised when the hitman who is chasing the machine down allows her to use it before killing her. She dies, having finally been able to dream, and now able to finally rest after a lifetime of exhaustion.
Idris Elba (The Hitman with No Name) - Silent, well dressed, and intimidating, he will do any job you wish as long as you deliver on the money. Well known for being extremely good at his job, he has been hired by NepCorp CEO David Persolo to retrieve a machine that Persolo wishes to sell on the black market. The hitman pursues Dr Crowder through London until discovering Allison Harper's file in Crowder's abandoned car. Going to Harper's home, he waits until Hewitt arrives with the dream machine, murdering him and taking it. After allowing Harper her wish to dream for the very first time, he kills her as well, before leaving to give the machine to Persolo and collect his payment.
Tom Wilkinson (David Persolo) - A business mogul, Persolo is the CEO of the multi billion dollar company NepCorp. Looking to purchase Dr Crowder's dream machine so that he can flip it on the black market for a huge profit, he runs into a problem when he and Dr Crowder get into a verbal showdown, resulting in the deal falling through. Still desiring the machine, Persolo hires a hitman to retrieve it for him. Persolo eventually gets his machine, making a huge profit off of it.
Colin Firth (James Hewitt) - Boss of a London based Science Facility, he takes a risk when hiring the troubled Crowder and funding her unique project, knowing that it would bring him the success that he so dearly desired if she panned out. Upon meeting Allison Harper and learning of her situation, he sets up a meeting between she and Dr. Crowder to see if the machine will allow Allison to dream fir the first time. Constantly irritated by Crowder's behavior getting in the way of his success, he threatens her with demotion only to see her quit her job and take the machine with her. Seeing his investment go up in flames, he attempts to retrieve the machine to take it back for his company, but fails, and is forced to tell Allison Harper the crushing news that she likely wont be dreaming. When he finally chases down the machine, taking it from a dead Dr Crowder, he arrives at Allison's place to allow her to use it, only to be murdered by the waiting hitman.
"BRIDGE"
BRIDGE
A film by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden
Cast
Ryan Gosling as Ben Winston, a music lover and sometimes performer in his young 30s. Works in a bar that was once his favorite concert venue, spending most of his time there or at shows in other venues, none of which he finds too appealing. Has few close friends, often only encountering them in those aforementioned settings, but slowly develops a relationship with Liz after several encounters. Used to be in a now-famous band with his brother, Greg, but it is implied that he left under acrimonious circumstances. Ultimately resolves to restore The Armory to its former status as a popular venue.
Michelle Williams as Liz Kurczewski, a girl who has just recently moved to the unnamed city in which the film is set. Takes a liking to Ben after a number of encounters and becomes a frequent patron at his place of business. Shares some similar musical tastes to those of Ben and a general appreciation for music, though she is one of the few characters to not perform in the film. Becomes a source of unconditional support for Ben and a rare outlet in his life unrelated to music.
Tom Waits as Frank Barrett, Ben’s boss and owner of The Armory. A kind, understanding man who discusses the older music scene with Ben and is generally encouraging to his goals and relationships. Popular for his own performances at the open mic events held at his bar.
Glen Hansard as Colm, a good friend of Ben’s and a frequent open mic performer. Seems a lot more satisfied with the limits of his musical career than Ben is and often chastises him, but does offer his friendly support.
Jesse Eisenberg as Andrew Skiba, a young show promoter that is seemingly ubiquitous around the local scene. Overly enthusiastic with few bad things to say about the scene. Considers Ben a good friend and offers his assistance with Ben’s undertaking.
Alex Shaffer as Mark, a teenaged hardcore kid who is often seen hanging around Andrew. Much more critical of bands and the scene despite his young age, often making fun of Ben’s sometimes softer taste in music despite being a self-proclaimed fan of numerous “terrible” bands.
Zooey Deschanel as Sarah, Greg’s longtime girlfriend. Has known both brothers for a long time and shares Ben’s nostalgiac view of the Armory, often attending the open mic. Acts as a sort of intermediary between Ben and Greg, usually eliciting a sour response from Ben. Despite initial protests from Ben, she becomes a key contributor in his restoration project.
Brian Fallon as Greg Winston, Ben’s brother and former bandmate. His band (seen in footage and background as Fallon’s real life band, The Gaslight Anthem) has become a famous national act since Ben’s departure. He shares an uneasy relationship with Ben from this. Does not speak to him too frequently and is on the road for the majority of the film. Many of his feelings are expressed through his girlfriend, Sarah, who tries to bring the brothers closer together. One year younger than Ben, he had a very similar upbringing and shares many similarities in musical taste, as well as an appreciation for The Armory. Appears towards the end of the film, offering assistance that he is unsure if Ben is willing to accept.
Henry Rollins as Henry Rollins
John Carroll Lynch as Mr. Blair, a skeptical licenser who is sure to remind Ben and Frank of why the venue shut down in the first place.
Synopsis
The film opens with Ben (Ryan Gosling) working at his job in The Armory, a bar and former concert venue that he frequently attended in his younger days, serving as both a bartender and mc for the bar’s primary remaining performance feature: their open mic night. Interactions with various patrons and coworkers, as well as the owner of the bar, Frank (Tom Waits), imply that this is where Ben spends most of his time, whether he is working or not, though his own performances have become increasingly rare. As host, we see Ben introduce Frank to enthusiastic applause from the small crowd. Before Frank performs, Ben quietly tells him that he has to leave for a few hours, which Frank understandingly encourages. As Frank’s song plays on his way out, Ben has a brief, uneasy run-in with Sarah (Zooey Deschanel), which he is quick to end after the mention a phone call from his brother from the road.
We next see Ben meeting Andy (Jesse Eisenberg), a young local show promoter, and Mark (Alex Shaffer), a teenaged hardcore kid, at a reunion show for one of Ben’s longtime favorite bands, fronted by a fictionalized version of Henry Rollins. It is here that Ben first encounters Liz (Michelle Williams). While attracted to her, he does nothing to pursue her. After the show, the three guys commentate on the concert, venue, and crowd, finding many of their criticisms to be shared by Rollins, who incites memories of more intimate shows from previous decades, even mentioning The Armory amongst more favorable memories of the city.
With their conversation with Rollins still stewing in his head, and with his own accomplishments having failed to be put into positive perspective by his friend Colm (Glen Hansard), Ben begins to consider the idea of restoring The Armory while discussing its former days with Frank. This conversation is cut off before any real suggestion is made by Liz, who makes light conversation with Ben through a prolonged drink order, eventually garnering Ben’s attention to a mutual attraction. Between hosting the open mic and heckling Colm, Ben gets to know Liz as affection between the two slowly develops.
Frank first learns of Ben’s ideas for The Armory through Mark, who explains that he “just wanted to see what the floor would look like” while being kicked out of the bar by Frank. Ben finds Frank to be surprisingly open to returning the building to what it used to be, believing Ben to have the heart and ability to see it all the way through to success, with his only stipulation playfully being that “nobody upstages [his] sets.”
The next few months feature the advancement of Liz and Ben’s relationship as well as the beginning of the restoration of the performance area, fueled by unexpected waves of support for Ben’s venture. Working alongside Frank and receiving advice and assistance from Liz, Colm, Andrew, and others has Ben feeling very good about the project. A subtle suggestion from Colm to resume performing regularly also lifts Ben, as we later encounter him practicing a new project in the empty bar (Gosling’s real-life band Dead Man’s Bones). Insistent support from Sarah, who was often alongside Ben and Greg at shows in their youth, and dealings with city personnel and licensers provide some complication to Ben’s mission, though he eventually relents to Sarah’s involvement.
Following a stern meeting with a skeptical licenser (John Carroll Lynch) and a sobering conversation with Frank, the stress finally starts to hit Ben, taking its toll on his relationship with Liz, who has begun spending less and less time at The Armory while Ben is consumed by the building more than ever. The situation reaches a tipping point when Greg (Brian Fallon) arrives back in town, his offers for assistance flatly refused by Ben. Though his friends insist that some more financial backing and high-profile support will be crucial to accomplishing what he set out to do, Ben’s pride refuses to allow it and he storms out of the bar, making a scene in the middle of Sarah’s song.
Secluded in a parking lot, Ben begins to lament how foolish his entire endeavor has been, even echoing previous statements from Mark about how much his new band sucks. A brief moment of silence is interrupted by his phone’s ringing, an incoming call from Liz. Ben does not answer at first, but as the ringtone persists, Ben begins to have serious thoughts about what she means to him and answers the phone. Unaware of his blowup at the bar, she sounds glad to hear him. He tells her that he wants to see her immediately and heads to her apartment, where he apologizes for making her the victim of his work and stress when she is really the only thing he has that can take him completely away from that. The next day, Ben sets out to make amends with his friends, Sarah, and ultimately his brother. Though uneasy, the two are able to reach an understanding, with Ben emotionally making known his desires for real relationships with the people in his life.
The film ends a couple months later on the day of the inaugural show at the renovated Armory, with all main characters present and Greg’s band scheduled to perform. To much appreciation, Ben mirthfully plays a short set to open the show, and is able to watch the next set from the floor with Liz, Greg, and Sarah.
Music featured by Cast
Original songs by Tom Waits, Glen Hansard, Ryan Gosling, Henry Rollins, Zooey Deschanel, Brian Fallon
- All performances are performed in as few takes as possible
"THE CIGARRETTE MAN"
"The Cigarette Man"
Directed by Tony Gilroy
A voice (Liam Neeson) starts off by saying, “It all started with the cigarette ban. Things were getting worse in the good ole US of A. And then the government, led by corrupt politicians at every level, took away our cigarettes. No explanation, no logic, no nothing. The people were outraged, but they did nothing. They whispered, but they didn’t talk. They dreamed of rebellion, but they didn’t act. Except for one man. The cigarette man.”
An obviously experienced politician (Michael Douglas) is seen attending a dinner. He’s drinking expensive cognacs and eating expensive foods. He enters a limo, obviously intoxicated, and heads home. He makes a call to a luxury escort service to have a girl meet him at his house. When he arrives at his lavish estate, he fiddles with his keys and opens the door. He enters the room and flips up the light switch to his light. Immediately upon turning on the light, a man, Danny Choam (Christian Bale), wearing an expensive suit blasts a pump shotgun at him causing instant death. Danny shoots the politician again just to be sure. Danny then stands there calmly, sets down the shotgun and pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. He lights the cigarette and stands there calmly smoking before stomping out the cigarette, picking up the shotgun and walking out the back door.
We see Danny arrive home and be greeted by his wife, Susanne (Kate Beckinsale). He asks Susanne about the baby and rubs her stomach, which is not yet showing anything. The news is on the TV, and we see President Dickinson (Morgan Freeman) talking in a press conference about the repeal of term limits and the reinstitution of the original electoral congress in which only a limited number of people vote. Danny doesn’t say anything, but he is obviously disgusted. He mentions wanting a cigarette, but his wife reminds him that cigarettes are illegal.
The next morning, Danny goes to work at a successful business. He is apparently high up within the company, and everyone seems to respect him. Danny hears some men bickering about the cigarette ban, and he sternly rebukes them, reminding them that the government has their best interest at heart.
The FBI is gathered around the crime scene, and Ken Marsh (Neeson) is in charge of the investigation. He mentions that this is the third politician killed in the past month. Marsh notices the cigarette on the floor and picks it up. He asks if they had found cigarettes at the other scenes. Someone answers yes, but those were both in alleys. Marsh says it can’t be a coincidence. These were done by the same guy. Marsh orders DNA tests.
The screen jumps to nighttime when Danny is sitting on a rough with night-vision binoculars. He is looking through the windows of a mansion, and he has the blueprints of the house in front of him. He notices that the windows are bullet-proof, and he calls an associate requesting an assault rifle.
Anthony Fay (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is gathering news on the assassinations. He appears to be young and driven, desperate for the story. He gets a phone call and learns about the cigarette connection. He starts writing his story with the title, “The Cigarette Man: Public Enemy Number One”.
A politician named Robert Winkler (Christopher Lee) is sitting in his office, reading over a letter offering a bribe. He is drinking scotch and smoking a cigar, obviously excited by the potential money. Danny suddenly enters, and the two men obviously know each other from the corporate world. Winkler seems happy to see Danny, but Danny immediately puts him to a stop, saying that he is not happy with the political climate. The Freedom of Information act was a croc, says Danny, and the Protect the Children Act even worse. Winkler says it’s the Dickinson, no one is willing to say no to him after his success, and after all, are these acts so bad? Danny says he’s sad to hear that and pulls out a silence pistol, shooting him twice in the head. Danny takes a cigarette from the man’s jacket and smokes it.
The FBI is at Capitol Hill. Marsh pops some pills before entering the office. Marsh got no DNA results from previous offenders, but they are searching the newer databases. The bribe is seen on the politician’s desk, and Marsh begins to suspect these murders are not random, and orders a check on the previous congressmen’s backgrounds.
The murders continue, and Fay’s stories are gaining momentum. He received a tip about the congressman’s bribe and has come out in support of the Cigarette Man. A secretary enters the office with a letter. It’s from the Cigarette Man, and it includes a list of demands. They are the reinstitution of term limits, the public once again electing officials and the repeal of the Freedom of Information and Protect the Children acts. Danny apparently continues to contact Fay, as direct quotes from Danny are often seen in Fay’s articles.
Danny comes home from killing a politician with blood on his pants. Susanne notices and smells cigarette smoke. She confronts him, and Danny does not deny the accusation. Susanne becomes passionate, screaming that he has a child on the way. Danny says that his child is why he has to fight for the world. The two make passionate love.
We see Marsh drinking at a bar. He looks isolated, depressed and disturbed. Danny enters and sits next to Marsh. Dickinson is holding a press conference and is speaking about a new act that will institute a curfew on citizens. The two men discuss the state of the government, and Marsh vaguely mentions the current regime has screwed him over in some way.
We see Danny preparing to launch an attack on a Senate committee hearing. He has it diagrammed in front of him at his work desk. He is debating between two grenades and goes to Wikipedia on his computer. The site has been removed by the Freedom of Information Act.
Fay has written a new article, “The Cigarette Man: Terrorist or Freedom Fighter” and is facing criticism. He, however, is convinced of his position that Danny is on the right side of the war. Readers of Fay’s articles have begun to protest, and complete rebellion is near. Marsh visits Fay, and the two men enter a hearted debate in which Marsh is obviously conflicted. We see him take some pills before leaving.
Danny attacks the committee with the assault rifle. This time, he is not wearing a suit, but body armor and a black ski mask. He throws a smoke grenade before unloading his gun on the entire hearing. A woman behind him screams, and Danny turns, firing. Too late, Danny notices the woman is not a politician, but a simple secretary. There are still a few congressmen alive in the room, but Danny runs out the back.
Danny arrives at his safe house, puking. He is sick about killing the woman and unable to face himself. He loads his pistol and is contemplating killing himself before setting it down and leaving.
Danny arrives home to a distraught Susanne, who has seen the report of the shooting. She is terrified at the man Danny has become, and though he tries, he is unable to calm her down.
Dickinson meets with his inner circle. He says that anyone who has expressed any sort of support for the Cigarette Man must die. Anthony Fay is top on the list.
Fay is at work late, writing an article about the latest killings. He walks to his car, gets in the front seat and there is a long pause before he turns the key. Nothing happens when he does so. Fay then begins backing up, but as soon as he is out of his parking space, a pickup truck rams into him, killing him on impact.
Marsh and Danny are once again at the bar, drinking. Marsh further expresses his detest for the politicians in the country and remarks that he feels guilty hunting down the Cigarette Man. Danny had no idea Marsh even worked for the FBI, and his shock is immediately obvious. Danny leaves, terrified.
A politician is killed in a car bomb. Danny arrives home to his wife crying. She says it’s over, the government has agreed to the conditions. Danny doesn’t believe it. Susanne tries to convince him, but Danny yells that it will never be over. Not until Dickinson is dead. It’s clear that Danny has gone over the edge.
At FBI headquarters, an aid runs up to Marsh that they found a DNA match on the cigarettes. It was on a list of the Dickonson’s original campaign contributors, and it is Danny. Marsh is at first shocked, but he then accepts it as true. He leaves to confront Danny.
Meanwhile, Danny is planning an all-out assault on Dickinson’s motorcade. From a rooftop, Danny shoots the two police cars with an RPG before running down with an assault rifle. He kills several guards, but takes a round to the shoulder. Eventually, only Dickinson is left, and Danny kills him simply, with a bullet to the head.
Danny is walking away from his safe house, limping and battered. Marsh arrives. Danny realizes that Marsh knows the truth and tries to sway him. Danny mentions that Marsh too hates this government, and he knows that they killed Marsh’s wife, a Supreme Court justice, when she wouldn’t comply. Marsh is obviously conflicted, and the gun in his hand is shaking. There’s a moment of silence, and Marsh lifts the gun, shooting Danny in the head. Marsh drops the gun and walks away.
Marsh says (as images show statues toppling, the White House burning, the Capital Building crumbling, and other signs of chaos) “I would like to say I never worked for the FBI again after that, but I did. I sought criminals, I pursued justice and I fought for the people. But I never did anything to stop the revolution Danny had started. Danny’s actions and Fay’s words set off a group of people intent on reclaiming their government. There was an overthrow, a bloody civil war. I didn’t fight in the war, but I did my best to avoid putting out the fire. A fire started by a few cigarettes.
CAST
Danny Choam (Christian Bale) – A successful businessman by day and a political assassin by night. Danny is intent on ridding the American government of corruption. His wife is pregnant, and he fears the world his child will enter. The cigarette ban imposed throughout the country was the last straw for Danny, and he smokes a cigarette at every crime scene. As time goes on, he becomes bolder and begins to lose touch with reality. Danny refuses to admit that the government is actually going to cave to his demands and launches a last-ditch effort to kill the president. Though he succeeds in assassinating the president, he is killed by Ken Marsh.
Ken Marsh (Liam Neeson) – A worn FBI detective addicted to alcohol and narcotics. Marsh obviously has a troubled past but still works hard. He disapproves of the current government regime and wishes for change. At the end, we learn Marsh’s wife, a Supreme Court justice, was killed by the government for not conforming to the new policies. Marsh struggles with himself over whether he should shoot Danny, who Marsh knows has killed many politicians, including the president, but eventually pulls the trigger. Marsh’s narration wraps up the story and provides depth to his character.
Anthony Fay (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – A young, hungry reporter focused on the assassinations. Coined the nickname “The Cigarette Man”. Fay apparently has contacts within the government and learns that Danny is killing only corrupt politicians. Fay eventually receives a letter from Danny and begins to write in support of The Cigarette Man, calling him a freedom fighter. Fay’s words ignite the people, and they begin to protest in the streets. Eventually, President Dickinson orders the deaths of everyone in support of Danny, and Fay is the first to go. Fay is remembered as one of the two men who started the revolution.
Samuel Dickinson (Morgan Freeman) – The President of the United States. Dickinson is old and power-hungry. His regime has consisted of curtailed American rights and increased political power. He is shown to be ruthless and cold-blooded in his attempts to retain power. Dickinson makes the order that leads to Anthony Fay’s death. Danny Choam is revealed to have been an early supporter of Dickinson’s.
Susanne Choam (Kate Beckinsale) – Danny’s pregnant wife. Susanne is not featured much, but it is obvious that she and Danny love each other greatly. Danny’s actions terrify Susanne, and she is desperate for him to stop. Eventually, Susanne tries to convince Danny that the government is giving in to his demands, but he refuses to listen.
Robert Winkler (Christopher Lee) – A corrupt politician whom Danny attempts to reason with before killing. Winkler and Danny knew each other from the business world. Winkler is British, further emphasizing the ridiculous state of the American government.
Unnamed Politician (Michael Douglas) – Danny kills him at the beginning of the movie. The politician is sleazy and probably corrupt. It is immediately obvious that Danny isn’t killing a model citizen.
"COOLABAH"
Coolabah
Coolabah tells the story of Clifford Marks (Casey Affleck), a 30-something farmer from the mid-west. Times are proving extremely difficult for Marks, as he struggles to keep his livestock farm thriving. Marks has kept the information that his business is on the verge of bankruptcy from wife Anne (Rachel McAdams) and daughter Kelly (Abigail Breslin) who remain oblivious to the problem. Marks father John (Christoph Waltz) fails to make the situation any easier, constantly pressuring his son to be a success.
On the verge of financial self-destruction, Marks begins to breakdown mentally. An apparent mid-life crisis leads to a trip of self-discovery for Marks, who catches a plane to Sydney, Australia before embarking on a walkabout (a legendary Aboriginal journey). Just under a week later, Marks arrives in the western town of Broken Hill, well into the Australian desert. Staying for the night, Marks enters the local pub where he meets a fellow farmer, Jacob Daley (Michael Fassbender). Daley befriends Marks, entering into a strangely accelerated friendship. Seemingly kindred spirits, Marks appears to be on the verge of regaining his mental state, but unfortunately for Marks, Daley is not what he seems. Daley is a cold-hearted sociopath, hell-bent on forcing the misery of the Australian deserts onto unsuspecting tourists. Daley drugs Marks and abandons him in the desert – absent any food, water or clothing.
Left for dead by the drugged farmer, Marks is desperate to survive – to see his family again. Stumbling upon a dam sustaining a coolabah tree, is able to survive eating only leeches, grasshoppers, and frogs. Days, weeks and months pass. Just a skin and bones skeleton, Marks is on the verge of death. Three months into his ‘walkabout’ into the perilous Australian outback, Marks is finally discovered alive by a wandering kangaroo farmer – Freddy Phillips who could described Marks as ‘skeletal’ (Guy Pearce). Willpower, desire to be re-united with his family and a little bit of luck tell the story of Clifford Marks – survivalist.
CAST
Christopher Nolan as The Director.
Casey Affleck as Clifford Marks – A 30-something farmer from the Midwest struggling with an unprofitable farm, a pressuring family and his own internal demons.
Michael Fassbender as Jacob Daley – A troubled sociopath incredibly deft at disguising his true self – a sadistic killer.
Rachel McAdams as Anne Marks – Wife of Clifford. Seems at times to be a little pre occupied with her own endeavours, failing to fully realise the precarious situation her family is in. When Marks goes missing she never gives up hope.
Christoph Waltz as John Marks – Father of Clifford Marks. Has been an over-bearing, imposing father figure Cliffords whole life. The only member of the family actually aware of the problems Clifford and Anne are faced with. Despite the knowledge he largely ignores it.
Guy Pearce as Freddy Phillips – A kangaroo hunter who stumbles upon Marks withering body.
Abigail Breslin as Kelly Marks – Daughter of Clifford and Anne.
"DIOLTAS"
Dioltas
Summer, 1957. Windy. Hot. Perfect weather to take the family out on Lake Michigan. Aislin Murray (Natalie Dormer) is the love of James' life. Radiant, a natural beauty with stunning blue eyes. James Murray (Colin Farrell) and his associate Braden Pearse (James Purefoy) are the drug kings of northern Chicago. It was the way of the Irish of Chicago for the past 40 years. James grew up watching his father work with the top mafioso of his day. Things were as smooth as the life of a drug dealer could be.
Paul Duttolo (Joe Manganiello) is, by all accounts, a very successful man. He has a beautiful wife, Elisabeth (Violante Placido), two children, and a thriving business. A funeral home business, but a business none-the-less. Paul has secrets. Secrets only a few people know. Frankie Baglio (Stephen Graham) is one of those people. Paul's right hand man, Frankie handles the darker side of their funeral home business. Coffins hide the import of drugs into the city. The crematory doubles as a great way to get rid of troublemakers and rivals.
Paul has his eyes set on the riches of northern Chicago. It is well known that the Irish control this part of the city and have for the better part of 60 years. To do this, James must be taken care of. Paul enlists Joseph Edwards (Jude Law) to devise and carry out a plan. Joseph comes to Paul with an idea that Paul is eager to set in motion.
August 14th, 8:34 PM. James returns home find no one there. An eerie silence has befallen the Murray household. As James moves through the house, gun in hand, he enters the kitchen. Turning towards the fridge, he notices a note. The contents of this note both enrage and frighten James.
"She was so pretty. I just had to take her. Expect a package."
Frantically, James calls Braden, Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), and Ciaran (Kevin McKidd). Declan, the last to arrive at James' house, notices a box on the front step. It reads, "For James." As James opens the box, he looks in horror as his wife's eye stares back at him. James knows exactly who has set these events in motion.
Together with his business associates, James devises a way to get his wife back. The journey will take them all to a place they never expected to go. A low they never thought possible. Acts they never dreamed of committing. How far would you go to seek your dioltas?
Cast
James Murray (Colin Farrell) - Somewhat insulated from the everyday business of the Cartel, James mostly deals with the suppliers from out of the country. Normally does not get involved with the physical side of the business, James is forced into action by the Dattolo Cartel's actions against him, his family, and his territory.
Aislin Murray (Natalie Dormer) - Aislin knew about James' business when they were dating. She understands the nature of the business having grown up in it herself. Her father worked alongside James' father for many years. A natural Irish beauty, Aislin has piercing blue eyes that become an object of obsession for Paul and Joseph.
Braden Pearse (James Purefoy) - Braden runs the street level operation of the Murray Cartel. Declan and Ciaran report directly to him. He has no qualms about killing someone that doesn't further their advancement.
Declan Fitzgerald (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) - Declan is Braden's brains on the street. Declan oversees the disbursement of the Cartel's product. He is looked at to get people out of whatever troubles may come their way.
Ciaran Maguire (Kevin McKidd) - Mostly used in a grunt labor role, Ciaran is recognized by Braden for his cunning street smarts and ability to think on his feet when problems arise. As such, he is a very important cog in the Murray Cartel. While he gets no enjoyment from it, Ciaran justifies his job due to the
lifestyle it gives him and his family.
Paul Dattolo (Joe Manganiello) - Paul is a classic malignant narcissist. He is constantly paranoid that something is going to happen to him. His worries go from Elisabeth cheating on him, to the police on his trail, to someone in his cartel trying to kill him. He also has a strange, almost sexual gratification out of torturing and killing those he believe stand in his way.
Elisabeth Dattolo (Violante Placido) - Paul's love-blind wife, Elisabeth does not ask where the extra money comes from. She trust her husband wholly and takes his word without question. She is somewhat bothered by Paul's actions in the bedroom.
Frankie Baglio (Stephen Graham) - A close business associate of Paul, Frankie acts as Paul's conscience in their dealings. An astute businessman, Frankie runs the Dattolo funeral home enterprise into surprising prosperity.
Joseph Edwards (Jude Law) - Introduced to Paul by Frankie, Joseph is a career criminal. He is best suited at kidnapping without detection and covering tracks. A meticulous person by nature, it borders on OCD which tends to complicate things after the job is done. This causes some speculation on Paul's part.
"IN SEARCH OF SIMULATED INTIMACY"
SYNOPSIS
From acclaimed director Jason Reitman, who brought you Juno and Thank You For Smoking, comes a love story unlike any other. In Search of Simulated Intimacy follows Will Franklin (Franco), a moderately famous young writer living in Santa Barbara. Will has everything he thought he wanted; he's a rising force in the world of fiction, he has a gorgeous, professionally inclined girlfriend (Lawrence), and he's started to rebuild his fractured relationship with his father, renowned lawyer Bob Franklin (Murray). However, Will's world is undone when his girlfriend Tiffany leaves him for a career as a Public Relations consultant in New York. Will, as a means of working through the breakup, decides to film a documentary illustrating that true love doesn't exist. As examination of the "romantic fallacy", as he calls it, Will's movie features long interviews with friends, family, and strangers as he attempts to prove that love isn't real. Enlisting the help of his stoner best friend Tre (Glover) and attempting to work through his issues via phone conversations with his therapist (Lowe), Will's movie is almost complete when his sister announces her engagement to a budding writer like himself, Roy Wallace (Monaghan). Ultimately, Will decides to re-evaluate the stance he's taken on both love and family as he supports his sister through her decision to get married and ultimately decides to be happy as he rebuilds his relationship with his father. A starkly honest examination of not only love, but the ways in which it's produced, proliferated and popularized within society, In Search of Simulated Intimacy is a romantic comedy seen through the crooked eyes of director Jason Reitman.
James Franco as Will Franklin - The protagonist of the film, Will is a young man who, after getting his heart broken, sets out to film a documentary proving that love doesn't exist. At 26, Will believe he's found the perfect woman until she leaves him to pursue her own professional agenda. A writer, Will occasionally struggles maintaining a grasp on what is reality and what is fiction, and his growing substance abuse problems begin to worry some of his friends and family. His discontent with the cultural stereotypes surrounding romance manifests itself in his film, which he places himself at the center of as he interviews friends, family and strangers about the nature of their romantic involvements and how they perceive their own stories as "love stories". Will's cynicism begins to grow as he continues his movie, however his perception of both his situation and the situation of romance within his society changes drastically after his sister Maria becomes engaged to her fiancé. Will struggles to balance his own interpretations of love among those of others, and ultimately must decide whether to continue his examination of the romantic fallacy or support his beloved sister as she begins to plan her wedding.
Bill Murray as Bob Franklin - A renowned criminal lawyer, and Will's father. Never approved of his son's decision to pursue writing as a career, and the rift in their relationship has never been repaired. He and his son attempt to navigate the pitfalls of their relationship throughout the course of the movie with the help of family therapist Murray Edwards, however this proves more difficult once Will leaves to film his documentary. Much of Will's cynicism and sarcasm are traits inherited from Bob, as he is somewhat embittered by his own romantic failures, having been divorced several times. In his own way, he also has to come to terms with Maria's engagement and decides to play a larger role in his children's lives.
Rob Lowe as Dr. Murray Edwards - A starring role for Lowe, and one of the bigger roles in the film. Murray Edwards is the honest (bordering brutal) therapist of both Bob and Will. He continues advising Will via phone sessions after he leaves Santa Barbara to create his documentary. Murray continually steers Will in a direction that will allow him to process his breakup with Tiffany without fully undermining his ability to believe in an abstract concept like love. A central role in the film, Lowe would deliver a standout performance here similar to Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting.
Rachel Leigh Cook as Maria Franklin - Will's sister. She's a very spontaneous, instinctive girl who agrees to a very premature engagement with her fiancé, Roy. She's a very successful artist, reflecting Will's creativity. Her impending wedding acts as a catalyst for Will to re-examine the nature of what he's attempting to prove.
Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany Vesterling - Will's former girlfriend and the reason he decides to create a documentary on love. She breaks up with Will to pursue her own professional dreams, leaving Santa Barbara and moving to New York to work in a large, renowned public relations firm. Originally vilified, eventually Will comes to understand the reasons behind her decision and while they never reconnect, he comes to grudgingly accept what happened and why.
Donald Glover as Tre Anderson - Will's best friend and partner in creating his documentary. While Will originally decides to set out on his own to make his documentary, he soon realizes he needs a guiding force in creating his film. He enlists the help of former best friend and film school dropout Tre, whose own substance abuse problems have prevented him from moving forward in his life both professionally and romantically. A chronic pothead, Tre provides much of the comic relief stereotypical of a Reitman film, and a hilarious turn from Glover would be expected.
Domininc Monaghan as Roy Wallace - Maria's fiance. An aspiring writer like Will, he proposes to Maria after just several months of dating, leading both Will and Bob to react in a negative way. He eventually proves himself to both members of her family by helping Will resolve the ending to his documentary and providing a positive influence in the life of Maria.
"It's (500) Days of Summer meets Up In The Air...The most honest and mature take we've seen on love in a very, very long time."
"Reitman navigates such subjective material with a surprising amount of objectivity...While Will's bias shines through, the interviews with characters beg the audience to interject and examine their own relationships and how they fit within Will's 'romantic fallacy'."
"A stereotypically hilarious turn by Donald Glover in his first major starring role and a tour de force performance by Rob Lowe as the vicious but well-meaning therapist help to buoy the already stellar cast to new heights. It's amazing that (Lowe) can still surprise us after all this time in the limelight."
"JIM'S OUTING"
Jim’s Outing
A Judd Apatow Film
CAST
Jim Han (Ken Jeong) – A quiet guy that does not often socialize with many people, always kept close to his group of friends. He’s had a few girlfriends, but none of them never lasted too long. He finally gave up on the dating scene for a long time now. Until his best friends settled down and were tired of him being a 3rd with everything they do.
Ben McKinley (Bill Hader) – The less serious guy in the group often sets up Jim up with the worse date. He never really dated he married his high school crush and gives the worst advice to Jim.
Richard Beasley (Paul Rudd) – Just recently married Richard was the guy who dated the most out of the 3 and considers himself Jim’s mentor throughout he movie.
Nancy McKinley (Katherine Heigl) - Ben’s high school crush now wife is a very quiet person. Only speaks when she needs to and often it’s to tell Ben to be quiet. She hates the idea of Ben giving advice when he has no clue in what he’s talking about. Often hates the idea of them trying to set Peter up.
Katelyn Beasley (Isla Fisher) – Richard’s Wife, still in the newly wed phase she often reminisces about her engagement and wedding day. Reminding Jim how beautiful it is to be in a relationship and getting married.
Gary Neal (Neil Patrick Harris) – A very down to earth guy who is generally open to anything. He’s had a bad track history with his dating life and is willing to be open to anything with the experiences he’s had.
SYNOPSIS
Film starts out with Jim in a date that was set up by his 2 best friends Ben and Richard. Everything you’d expect to go wrong on a date happens. Jim is horrible speaking with women and just pushes the girl away with every word he says and then finally he leaves the table and her to go outside to talk to Ben and Richard who was coaching him through the whole date. They end up leaving and dropping Jim back off at his house leaving the girl at the restaurant.
Jim is the only single guy in his group of friends, they’re all married and just starting their family. Tired of Jim being the 3rd wheel for everything they do. Richard and Ben sets up dates for Jim to finally go out there and try to find him his significant other. None of his dates turn out the way they expect it to turn out, so Richard and Ben begin to think one night that what if Jim is *** and doesn’t know it yet? They bring this to Jim’s attention and he denies it from the start. They talk him into going to date with some guys they do know that are single. Throughout the move Jim begins to think he really is *** and goes on more and more dates with guys. Richard and Ben have no clue how to coach Jim on these dates so they bring their wives into the picture to help with the cause. Jim has been out on numbers of dates now and has convinced himself that he really is ***. Everything is going well and he’s been seeing this guy Gary for a while now and things begin to get serious between the two. Richard and Ben got to hang out with Gary and they start to really like the guy. They all start to hang out often becoming one of the guys in the group. Everything is going well for Jim and things are starting to look up.
A few dates later they end up back at Jim’s place and things get a little weird. Nothing felt right for Jim everything he thought he was not what he expected. Being a lone with a guy in his apartment cuddling and watching movies was not the feeling he was expecting the get. They end up kissing and Jim freaks out and begins explain his situation to Gary.
Jim is now alone in his house thinking about what just happened. He realized that he was never *** to begin with only to believe it from his friends convincing him to go out on dates with guys. He was only comfortable with the dates because they were having a guy’s conversation without the worry of impressing a girl.
Movie ends with all four of them in the living room having the most awkward conversation. Gary is now part of the group as the *** friend and the scene ends with the group agreeing not to mention this situation to anyone else.
"TEMPTATION"
"Temptation"
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
CAST
Emile Hirsch as Colt Brown (http://people-pictures.tk/wp-content/uploads/emile-hirsch_5520_1.jpg)- A young man(18 to start the movie, 20 at the end) who was a top Texas high school Quarterback, highly recruited. Addicted to the party life and drugs(alcohol & cocaine), but always let off the hook by his father, Sheriff Austin Brown(Olyphant), until he gets in a car accident while drunk driving leading to a year in prison and severe injuries(multiple fractures to his leg and shattered both his tibia and fibula, plus had arteries and nerves exposed in the crash, thus ruining his chance of ever playing football again). When he gets out he now must resist the temptation of falling back into the drug life that once consumed him and still consumes his brother Dallas Brown(Hemsworth) and girlfriend Aite Everette(Lively).
Blake Lively as Aite Everette (http://vuilblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/blake-lively-the-town.jpg)- A young girl(19 at the start, 21 at the end) and the girlfriend of Colt, addicted to cocaine and alcohol just like him. Constantly tempting Colt to get back into the drug life and failing to support his battle to get out. Named after the Greek Goddess of mischief, the name Aite or Ate translates to "Ruin, folly, delusion".
Timothy Olyphant as Sheriff Austin Brown (http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2011110//300.justified.ol.lc.021011.jpg)- (40 at start of film, 42 at end)Father of Colt and Dallas, Sheriff for the small town of Blue Berry Hill, Texas. Always supported Colt in his football career, but not much else. Always got Colt out of trouble hoping Colt could make it big so he could retire and live off of his son's money. After the accident, he had a lot of resentment towards his son, feeling that he wasted his talent. Ignores him heavily after the accident.
Marisa Tomei as Sarah Brown-Graham (http://content.internetvideoarchive.com/content/photos/5797/24351225_.jpg)- Wife of Austin(39 at start, 41 at end), mother of Colt and Dallas. Father was an abusive alcoholic. She is a broken down woman who just wants to see her children succeed. Is in denial about her sons drug use. After the car accident, she finally comes to grips with her sons addiction and tries to help Colt and Dallas get drug free.
Liam Hemsworth as Dallas Brown (http://www.popcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Liam-Hemsworth-Lo-Bosworth-Dating.jpg)- Little Brother of Colt(17 at the start of the film, 19 at the end) and son of Sheriff Austin Brown. Always overshadowed by his brother leading to him being depressed and looking for an outlet. He gets hooked on alcohol at the young age of 16 and is addicted to cocaine by 17. Ignored by his father due to his lack of athletic ability. When Colt comes back and tries to safe him he struggles to trust his brother who he has resented his whole life.
Anthony Mackie as DeMarcus McClain (http://img.poptower.com/pic-44890/anthony-mackie.jpg?d=600)- A young drug dealer(18 at start, 20 at end) and friend of the Brown brothers. Reason they had access to drugs.
Kyle Chandler as Coach Bill Jacoby (http://insidepulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/p1_chandler.jpg)- Colt Brown's coach and mentor(age 35 at start, 37 at end), supports Colt both on and off the field. Becomes Colt's sponsor after he gets out of jail and vows to help Colt become drug free.
SYNOPSIS
Colt Brown(Hirsch) is the son of Sheriff Austin Brown(Olyphant) and Sarah Brown-Graham(Tomei), and brother of Dallas Brown(Hemsworth). He is a former high school Quarterback and top prospect and is addicted to drugs. He ends up ruining his career in a bad car accident while drunk driving. He then spends a year in prison which changes him. He is now trying to get off drugs, save his brother and resist the temptation of falling back into the drug life that once consumed him and still consumes his brother and girlfriend Aite Everette(Lively). His mother and former high school coach Bill Jacoby(Chandler) are there to help him along the way with his battle against addiction, while his father ignores him and his former friend DeMarcus McClain(Mackie) and his girlfriend continue to tempt him to return to the drug life.
comahan, caddy, ncst8fan, APS, bantx, osugiants, deepthreat, SuperMcGee
The ten moviemakers will vote individually and PM their ballots to me.
Brodeur, njx9, TACKLE, sarf, fenikz(?), fisch(?), BoyWonder(?)
Each of these outsiders will vote individually and PM their ballots to me as well.
The Categories!
Best Screenplay - Simple enough. Which of the stories do you find most interesting? Which film's summary catches your eye? Whose story makes you want to go to a movie theater to watch it? Each moviemaking voter will rank those stories 1-7 (You cannot vote for your own film), which each outsider voter will rank them 1-8.
Best Role for an Actor - Which male role do you think works the best? This is a combination of the character the movie-maker has written, and who theyve cast for the part. YEach voter will rank the eight best male roles and PM me their ballot. You CAN vote for multiple roles from the same film if you wish. Rank them 1-8.
Best Role for an Actress - Which female role do you think works the best? This is a combination of the character the movie-maker has written, and who theyve cast for the part. Each voter will rank the eight best female roles and PM me their ballot. You CAN vote for multiple roles from the same film if you wish. Rank them 1-8.
Best Casting - Take the Best Role categories and apply it to the whole film. Which cast do you believe best fits with the written roles? The moviemakers will vote 1-7 (again, not listing your own film) while the outsiders will vote 1-8.
Best Film - It may seem the same as Best Screenplay in a competition like this, but I dont think so. I think theres been several times where someone has had a great story, but their casting was horrible, and it totally ruined the image of the film for me. This is a combination of the Best Screenplay and Best Casting categories. Which film do you think did both well? What is the best overall film in this competition? The moviemakers will vote 1-7 (again, not listing your own film) while the outsiders will vote 1-8.
Also, for clarity, when ranking, 1 is the best, 2 is 2nd best, and so on.
___________________________________
The Movies!
"AN ALTERED STATE OF SEDUCTION"
"An Altered State of Seduction"
A Danny Boyle Film
SYNOPSIS
The film opens with the voice of a woman named Allison Harper (Anne Hathaway), who laments her condition as the camera travels through the murky streets of London. Born with the rare ability to function without needing rest, Allison is unable to sleep, and hasnt done so a single moment in her life. Longing to sleep, to dream, she recalls once hearing someone say that death is very much like going to sleep after a very, very long day. She's considered testing this theory, but could never bring herself to suicide. Today however, is a big day for her. A day she's been looking forward to her whole life. Today, she says, is the first step toward perhaps experiencing a dream for the very first time.
The camera continues to guide itself through the city of London until it finally settles on an expensive looking black car near London's Tower Bridge. In the back seat of this car sits David Persolo (Tom Wilkinson), the CEO of a multi billion dollar company called NepCorp. Persolo hopes to make an enormous purchase for his company in about an hour's time. It's made clear how much he wants this item that he is bidding on, and that his sole intention is to flip it to another buyer—a far less legitimate one—for a lot more money. Persolo's car arrives at a large building, a scientific facility of some type.
In that building, a brilliant scientific mind by the name of Dr. Elizabeth Crowder (Charlize Theron), has developed a so-called 'dream machine', allowing a person to dream about anything that they wish to dream about, without having to be asleep to experience it. Several high profile companies have placed bids to acquire this technology once testing is complete, though there has not been a sell as of yet thanks to Dr. Crowder's attitude and antics, which angers her boss greatly. In addition, she maintains a widely known drug problem, which is only overlooked due to her brilliance.
Dr. Crowder and her boss James Hewitt (Colin Firth) stand on one side of two way glass, looking into a room at Allison Harper, the sleepless woman. As Hewitt goes over Allison's condition, Crowder complains that she could be doing something better with her time right now. Mr. Hewitt asks her to do it for him as a personal favor, as he's gotten to know Allison over the last few days, and it would mean a lot to her. Crowder rolls her eyes and goes in, though not after Mr. Hewitt reminds her to not take too long, as they have a meeting with NepCorp in a half hour. Once in the room, Allison explains to Dr Crowder the hope that she has for this machine. She says that very few people know what its like to travel from country to country, lab to lab, with every 'expert' in the world wanting to study her to see how she ticks. She just wants to be normal, and a dream might be the closest she gets to that. After they set up a time and place to test the machine—two days from now—the meeting concludes with Dr. Crowder wishing Allison luck in a voice that plainly said she didnt care at all. At this, Allison leaves.
With ample time between now and the NepCorp meeting, Crowder decides to use some of that time to go to her office and take out her dream machine, which she has been using for herself on a consistent basis since getting it to work. She dreams of the woman she just met with, Allison Harper, and a sexual encounter that they have at her apartment. The dream is cut short when she is distracted by a knock on her door, and a voice claiming that she's ten minutes late to the NepCorp meeting. Arriving at the meeting far beyond the scheduled time, Dr. Crowder and Mr. Hewitt meet with NepCorp CEO David Persolo about purchasing the device. The meeting, which started off poorly due to the lateness, only gets worse. Crowder greatly dislikes Persolo from the start, and they spend the majority of the meeting trading verbal jabs as Crowder's boss Mr. Hewitt tries to diffuse the situation. Following the meeting, Mr Hewitt—furious with Crowder being late and turning off yet another potential buyer—threatens to demote her if she doesnt get herself under control. Rather than face demotion however, Crowder tells Hewitt to f*** off, and quits her job. She gathers her things, the small dream-machine and the file of Allison Harper included, and makes to leave the building. Before she can exit, she is cornered by NepCorp CEO David Persolo, who promises that his company WILL have her dream machine in the end.
Dr. Crowder arrives back at her apartment, and once again uses the dream machine, dreaming of Allison for the second time as her file lay open in front of her. After the dream, she passes out on her bed following the consumption of Oxycodone. The screen fades to black as Crowder does, and when the scene returns a moment later, several hours have apparently gone by. A knock on the door wakes her up. It's Mr. Hewitt, and he's demanding the machine back, claiming that it belongs to the facility, not to her. After an argument, Crowder escapes with the machine, and gets away from Hewitt.
The next scene takes place at the office of NepCorp CEO David Persolo. Across from him in a chair sits a silent, well dressed figure who Persolo seems intimidated by (Idris Elba). Persolo explains that he's hiring this man due to his reputation for getting the job done at any cost, and for never double crossing those who give him a job. He then lays a briefcase on the desk between himself and the man, opening it to reveal a stack of cash. He tells the man that if he can retrieve the dream machine from Dr Crowder, the money will belong to him. The silent, well dressed man on the other side of the desk calmly rises from the chair and leaves the room without saying a word.
James Hewitt is forced to go to Allison Harper's house and break the news to her that her hope of being able to dream for the first time has been dashed as a result of Dr. Crowder's flight with the machine. Allison is devastated as expected, though Hewitt promises that he'll try to find the machine. Meanwhile, as Crowder lay on a hotel bed using the machine, she once again dreams of Allison as her file lay open nearby.
The un-named hitman hired by Persolo arrives at Crowder's apartment. After some digging around, he discovers Crowder's cell phone, which in her hurry to escape Hewitt, she left on her bed. Using the phone, the hitman is able to learn the location of her car using the GPS tracking service. He follows that information to the hotel, where after learning which room she was in, he picks the lock of and casually walks in, immediately opening fire with a silenced pistol on a woman in the room. The woman turns out to be a member of staff however, and the hitman walks away just as casually as he walked in, leavind a body behind. Crowder, who was in the main lobby getting something to eat, discovers that it was her room which this happened in, and flees. It leads to a car chase scene, as the hitman is right on her tail. Crowder is only able to elude capture when a third car swipes the tail end of the hitman's. Realizing how he has tracked her, she ditches her vehicle as quickly as she can, taking only the dream machine and her purse with her, and hitches a ride to a nearby motel.
From the motel, she downs several tablets of Oxy before using the machine to once again to dream of Allison. She realizes at this point that she forgot Allison's file in her car, but is able to recall her phone number. She calls Allison in a drugged out state, vaguely explaining the situation, and her desire to sleep with her. Allison uses what info she got from the call to tell Mr. Hewitt, who rushes to the motel where Crowder called from. At the same time, the un-named hitman discovers Crowder's abandoned car, and the file of Allison inside of it. He decides to go to Allison's house.
Hewitt arrives at the motel to find that Crowder had consumed far too much Oxy, and had overdosed as a result, dying on the bed. Calling an ambulance, he takes the dream machine back for himself, leaving the scene. Returning to Allison's house, he finds Allison sitting in her living room across from the silent, well dressed man. The hitman turns his gun on Hewitt, murdering him on the spot as Allison covers her eyes, knowing it was about to happen. A few moments later, Allison opens her eyes again to see the man in front of her holding the machine out toward her. While waiting for Hewitt to return, she had explained her condition to him, and her desire to use the machine to experience a dream for the first time in her life. Now, the hitman is allowing her to do it.
She uses to machine to dream of a life without her condition, a life without being a lab rat. She dreams of a normal childhood, playing with her friends as though they were equals. She dreams of herself in high school, the same as everyone else, rather than being homeschooled by a worried and overprotective father. She imagines herself being walked down the aisle, rather than being accompanied to a new lab for testing. She imagines holding a small child in her hand after giving birth, rather than doing her best to avoid consumption for fear that she'd pass her condition along. She imagines growing old with her husband, lying next to him in bed as they fall asleep together, rather than how things were about to really end. She dreams of a normal life, something that so many are so quick to gloss over, and couldnt imagine anything better.
Once she finishes her dream, she hands the machine back to the hitman, tears in her eyes. She thanks him for allowing her to do this, to experience a dream for the first time. Now, she says, it's time for her to rest. Now, it's time to finally go to sleep after a very, very long day. She slowly closes her eyes, prepared for death. It comes, as the hitman shoots her. Leaving the bodies in place, the hitman leaves to give the machine to the man who hired him to retrieve it.
CAST
Charlize Theron (Dr. Elizabeth Crowder) - The brilliant mind behind the 'dream machine', her drug habit and overall behavior have forced her to relocate to England in order to find a company that will put up with her antics and fund the construction of her machine. After infuriating her boss on countless occasions after ruining several potential purchases of her machine, she quits her job, taking the machine with her. After her boss attempts to take it back for the company, she flees, only to be tracked by the hitman. After evading the hitman, she hitches a ride to a motel where she overdoeses on Oxycodone following a phone call to the woman she had been dreaming about, Allison Harper. She dies on the motel bed with her invention in her arms
Anne Hathaway (Allison Harper) - Born with the rare ability to function without rest, Allison has never slept a moment in her life. Longing to sleep, to rest, to dream, she goes through life as a lab rat, traveling from country to country as various experts study her to try and see how she ticks. When she hears about Dr Crowder's dream machine, she travels from her native America to London in an attempt to try the machine. After setting up a meeting to use it, her hopes are completely dashed when Crowder quits her job and takes the dream machine with her. Thinking that she'd now never be able to experience a dream, she is surprised when the hitman who is chasing the machine down allows her to use it before killing her. She dies, having finally been able to dream, and now able to finally rest after a lifetime of exhaustion.
Idris Elba (The Hitman with No Name) - Silent, well dressed, and intimidating, he will do any job you wish as long as you deliver on the money. Well known for being extremely good at his job, he has been hired by NepCorp CEO David Persolo to retrieve a machine that Persolo wishes to sell on the black market. The hitman pursues Dr Crowder through London until discovering Allison Harper's file in Crowder's abandoned car. Going to Harper's home, he waits until Hewitt arrives with the dream machine, murdering him and taking it. After allowing Harper her wish to dream for the very first time, he kills her as well, before leaving to give the machine to Persolo and collect his payment.
Tom Wilkinson (David Persolo) - A business mogul, Persolo is the CEO of the multi billion dollar company NepCorp. Looking to purchase Dr Crowder's dream machine so that he can flip it on the black market for a huge profit, he runs into a problem when he and Dr Crowder get into a verbal showdown, resulting in the deal falling through. Still desiring the machine, Persolo hires a hitman to retrieve it for him. Persolo eventually gets his machine, making a huge profit off of it.
Colin Firth (James Hewitt) - Boss of a London based Science Facility, he takes a risk when hiring the troubled Crowder and funding her unique project, knowing that it would bring him the success that he so dearly desired if she panned out. Upon meeting Allison Harper and learning of her situation, he sets up a meeting between she and Dr. Crowder to see if the machine will allow Allison to dream fir the first time. Constantly irritated by Crowder's behavior getting in the way of his success, he threatens her with demotion only to see her quit her job and take the machine with her. Seeing his investment go up in flames, he attempts to retrieve the machine to take it back for his company, but fails, and is forced to tell Allison Harper the crushing news that she likely wont be dreaming. When he finally chases down the machine, taking it from a dead Dr Crowder, he arrives at Allison's place to allow her to use it, only to be murdered by the waiting hitman.
"BRIDGE"
BRIDGE
A film by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden
Cast
Ryan Gosling as Ben Winston, a music lover and sometimes performer in his young 30s. Works in a bar that was once his favorite concert venue, spending most of his time there or at shows in other venues, none of which he finds too appealing. Has few close friends, often only encountering them in those aforementioned settings, but slowly develops a relationship with Liz after several encounters. Used to be in a now-famous band with his brother, Greg, but it is implied that he left under acrimonious circumstances. Ultimately resolves to restore The Armory to its former status as a popular venue.
Michelle Williams as Liz Kurczewski, a girl who has just recently moved to the unnamed city in which the film is set. Takes a liking to Ben after a number of encounters and becomes a frequent patron at his place of business. Shares some similar musical tastes to those of Ben and a general appreciation for music, though she is one of the few characters to not perform in the film. Becomes a source of unconditional support for Ben and a rare outlet in his life unrelated to music.
Tom Waits as Frank Barrett, Ben’s boss and owner of The Armory. A kind, understanding man who discusses the older music scene with Ben and is generally encouraging to his goals and relationships. Popular for his own performances at the open mic events held at his bar.
Glen Hansard as Colm, a good friend of Ben’s and a frequent open mic performer. Seems a lot more satisfied with the limits of his musical career than Ben is and often chastises him, but does offer his friendly support.
Jesse Eisenberg as Andrew Skiba, a young show promoter that is seemingly ubiquitous around the local scene. Overly enthusiastic with few bad things to say about the scene. Considers Ben a good friend and offers his assistance with Ben’s undertaking.
Alex Shaffer as Mark, a teenaged hardcore kid who is often seen hanging around Andrew. Much more critical of bands and the scene despite his young age, often making fun of Ben’s sometimes softer taste in music despite being a self-proclaimed fan of numerous “terrible” bands.
Zooey Deschanel as Sarah, Greg’s longtime girlfriend. Has known both brothers for a long time and shares Ben’s nostalgiac view of the Armory, often attending the open mic. Acts as a sort of intermediary between Ben and Greg, usually eliciting a sour response from Ben. Despite initial protests from Ben, she becomes a key contributor in his restoration project.
Brian Fallon as Greg Winston, Ben’s brother and former bandmate. His band (seen in footage and background as Fallon’s real life band, The Gaslight Anthem) has become a famous national act since Ben’s departure. He shares an uneasy relationship with Ben from this. Does not speak to him too frequently and is on the road for the majority of the film. Many of his feelings are expressed through his girlfriend, Sarah, who tries to bring the brothers closer together. One year younger than Ben, he had a very similar upbringing and shares many similarities in musical taste, as well as an appreciation for The Armory. Appears towards the end of the film, offering assistance that he is unsure if Ben is willing to accept.
Henry Rollins as Henry Rollins
John Carroll Lynch as Mr. Blair, a skeptical licenser who is sure to remind Ben and Frank of why the venue shut down in the first place.
Synopsis
The film opens with Ben (Ryan Gosling) working at his job in The Armory, a bar and former concert venue that he frequently attended in his younger days, serving as both a bartender and mc for the bar’s primary remaining performance feature: their open mic night. Interactions with various patrons and coworkers, as well as the owner of the bar, Frank (Tom Waits), imply that this is where Ben spends most of his time, whether he is working or not, though his own performances have become increasingly rare. As host, we see Ben introduce Frank to enthusiastic applause from the small crowd. Before Frank performs, Ben quietly tells him that he has to leave for a few hours, which Frank understandingly encourages. As Frank’s song plays on his way out, Ben has a brief, uneasy run-in with Sarah (Zooey Deschanel), which he is quick to end after the mention a phone call from his brother from the road.
We next see Ben meeting Andy (Jesse Eisenberg), a young local show promoter, and Mark (Alex Shaffer), a teenaged hardcore kid, at a reunion show for one of Ben’s longtime favorite bands, fronted by a fictionalized version of Henry Rollins. It is here that Ben first encounters Liz (Michelle Williams). While attracted to her, he does nothing to pursue her. After the show, the three guys commentate on the concert, venue, and crowd, finding many of their criticisms to be shared by Rollins, who incites memories of more intimate shows from previous decades, even mentioning The Armory amongst more favorable memories of the city.
With their conversation with Rollins still stewing in his head, and with his own accomplishments having failed to be put into positive perspective by his friend Colm (Glen Hansard), Ben begins to consider the idea of restoring The Armory while discussing its former days with Frank. This conversation is cut off before any real suggestion is made by Liz, who makes light conversation with Ben through a prolonged drink order, eventually garnering Ben’s attention to a mutual attraction. Between hosting the open mic and heckling Colm, Ben gets to know Liz as affection between the two slowly develops.
Frank first learns of Ben’s ideas for The Armory through Mark, who explains that he “just wanted to see what the floor would look like” while being kicked out of the bar by Frank. Ben finds Frank to be surprisingly open to returning the building to what it used to be, believing Ben to have the heart and ability to see it all the way through to success, with his only stipulation playfully being that “nobody upstages [his] sets.”
The next few months feature the advancement of Liz and Ben’s relationship as well as the beginning of the restoration of the performance area, fueled by unexpected waves of support for Ben’s venture. Working alongside Frank and receiving advice and assistance from Liz, Colm, Andrew, and others has Ben feeling very good about the project. A subtle suggestion from Colm to resume performing regularly also lifts Ben, as we later encounter him practicing a new project in the empty bar (Gosling’s real-life band Dead Man’s Bones). Insistent support from Sarah, who was often alongside Ben and Greg at shows in their youth, and dealings with city personnel and licensers provide some complication to Ben’s mission, though he eventually relents to Sarah’s involvement.
Following a stern meeting with a skeptical licenser (John Carroll Lynch) and a sobering conversation with Frank, the stress finally starts to hit Ben, taking its toll on his relationship with Liz, who has begun spending less and less time at The Armory while Ben is consumed by the building more than ever. The situation reaches a tipping point when Greg (Brian Fallon) arrives back in town, his offers for assistance flatly refused by Ben. Though his friends insist that some more financial backing and high-profile support will be crucial to accomplishing what he set out to do, Ben’s pride refuses to allow it and he storms out of the bar, making a scene in the middle of Sarah’s song.
Secluded in a parking lot, Ben begins to lament how foolish his entire endeavor has been, even echoing previous statements from Mark about how much his new band sucks. A brief moment of silence is interrupted by his phone’s ringing, an incoming call from Liz. Ben does not answer at first, but as the ringtone persists, Ben begins to have serious thoughts about what she means to him and answers the phone. Unaware of his blowup at the bar, she sounds glad to hear him. He tells her that he wants to see her immediately and heads to her apartment, where he apologizes for making her the victim of his work and stress when she is really the only thing he has that can take him completely away from that. The next day, Ben sets out to make amends with his friends, Sarah, and ultimately his brother. Though uneasy, the two are able to reach an understanding, with Ben emotionally making known his desires for real relationships with the people in his life.
The film ends a couple months later on the day of the inaugural show at the renovated Armory, with all main characters present and Greg’s band scheduled to perform. To much appreciation, Ben mirthfully plays a short set to open the show, and is able to watch the next set from the floor with Liz, Greg, and Sarah.
Music featured by Cast
Original songs by Tom Waits, Glen Hansard, Ryan Gosling, Henry Rollins, Zooey Deschanel, Brian Fallon
- All performances are performed in as few takes as possible
"THE CIGARRETTE MAN"
"The Cigarette Man"
Directed by Tony Gilroy
A voice (Liam Neeson) starts off by saying, “It all started with the cigarette ban. Things were getting worse in the good ole US of A. And then the government, led by corrupt politicians at every level, took away our cigarettes. No explanation, no logic, no nothing. The people were outraged, but they did nothing. They whispered, but they didn’t talk. They dreamed of rebellion, but they didn’t act. Except for one man. The cigarette man.”
An obviously experienced politician (Michael Douglas) is seen attending a dinner. He’s drinking expensive cognacs and eating expensive foods. He enters a limo, obviously intoxicated, and heads home. He makes a call to a luxury escort service to have a girl meet him at his house. When he arrives at his lavish estate, he fiddles with his keys and opens the door. He enters the room and flips up the light switch to his light. Immediately upon turning on the light, a man, Danny Choam (Christian Bale), wearing an expensive suit blasts a pump shotgun at him causing instant death. Danny shoots the politician again just to be sure. Danny then stands there calmly, sets down the shotgun and pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. He lights the cigarette and stands there calmly smoking before stomping out the cigarette, picking up the shotgun and walking out the back door.
We see Danny arrive home and be greeted by his wife, Susanne (Kate Beckinsale). He asks Susanne about the baby and rubs her stomach, which is not yet showing anything. The news is on the TV, and we see President Dickinson (Morgan Freeman) talking in a press conference about the repeal of term limits and the reinstitution of the original electoral congress in which only a limited number of people vote. Danny doesn’t say anything, but he is obviously disgusted. He mentions wanting a cigarette, but his wife reminds him that cigarettes are illegal.
The next morning, Danny goes to work at a successful business. He is apparently high up within the company, and everyone seems to respect him. Danny hears some men bickering about the cigarette ban, and he sternly rebukes them, reminding them that the government has their best interest at heart.
The FBI is gathered around the crime scene, and Ken Marsh (Neeson) is in charge of the investigation. He mentions that this is the third politician killed in the past month. Marsh notices the cigarette on the floor and picks it up. He asks if they had found cigarettes at the other scenes. Someone answers yes, but those were both in alleys. Marsh says it can’t be a coincidence. These were done by the same guy. Marsh orders DNA tests.
The screen jumps to nighttime when Danny is sitting on a rough with night-vision binoculars. He is looking through the windows of a mansion, and he has the blueprints of the house in front of him. He notices that the windows are bullet-proof, and he calls an associate requesting an assault rifle.
Anthony Fay (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is gathering news on the assassinations. He appears to be young and driven, desperate for the story. He gets a phone call and learns about the cigarette connection. He starts writing his story with the title, “The Cigarette Man: Public Enemy Number One”.
A politician named Robert Winkler (Christopher Lee) is sitting in his office, reading over a letter offering a bribe. He is drinking scotch and smoking a cigar, obviously excited by the potential money. Danny suddenly enters, and the two men obviously know each other from the corporate world. Winkler seems happy to see Danny, but Danny immediately puts him to a stop, saying that he is not happy with the political climate. The Freedom of Information act was a croc, says Danny, and the Protect the Children Act even worse. Winkler says it’s the Dickinson, no one is willing to say no to him after his success, and after all, are these acts so bad? Danny says he’s sad to hear that and pulls out a silence pistol, shooting him twice in the head. Danny takes a cigarette from the man’s jacket and smokes it.
The FBI is at Capitol Hill. Marsh pops some pills before entering the office. Marsh got no DNA results from previous offenders, but they are searching the newer databases. The bribe is seen on the politician’s desk, and Marsh begins to suspect these murders are not random, and orders a check on the previous congressmen’s backgrounds.
The murders continue, and Fay’s stories are gaining momentum. He received a tip about the congressman’s bribe and has come out in support of the Cigarette Man. A secretary enters the office with a letter. It’s from the Cigarette Man, and it includes a list of demands. They are the reinstitution of term limits, the public once again electing officials and the repeal of the Freedom of Information and Protect the Children acts. Danny apparently continues to contact Fay, as direct quotes from Danny are often seen in Fay’s articles.
Danny comes home from killing a politician with blood on his pants. Susanne notices and smells cigarette smoke. She confronts him, and Danny does not deny the accusation. Susanne becomes passionate, screaming that he has a child on the way. Danny says that his child is why he has to fight for the world. The two make passionate love.
We see Marsh drinking at a bar. He looks isolated, depressed and disturbed. Danny enters and sits next to Marsh. Dickinson is holding a press conference and is speaking about a new act that will institute a curfew on citizens. The two men discuss the state of the government, and Marsh vaguely mentions the current regime has screwed him over in some way.
We see Danny preparing to launch an attack on a Senate committee hearing. He has it diagrammed in front of him at his work desk. He is debating between two grenades and goes to Wikipedia on his computer. The site has been removed by the Freedom of Information Act.
Fay has written a new article, “The Cigarette Man: Terrorist or Freedom Fighter” and is facing criticism. He, however, is convinced of his position that Danny is on the right side of the war. Readers of Fay’s articles have begun to protest, and complete rebellion is near. Marsh visits Fay, and the two men enter a hearted debate in which Marsh is obviously conflicted. We see him take some pills before leaving.
Danny attacks the committee with the assault rifle. This time, he is not wearing a suit, but body armor and a black ski mask. He throws a smoke grenade before unloading his gun on the entire hearing. A woman behind him screams, and Danny turns, firing. Too late, Danny notices the woman is not a politician, but a simple secretary. There are still a few congressmen alive in the room, but Danny runs out the back.
Danny arrives at his safe house, puking. He is sick about killing the woman and unable to face himself. He loads his pistol and is contemplating killing himself before setting it down and leaving.
Danny arrives home to a distraught Susanne, who has seen the report of the shooting. She is terrified at the man Danny has become, and though he tries, he is unable to calm her down.
Dickinson meets with his inner circle. He says that anyone who has expressed any sort of support for the Cigarette Man must die. Anthony Fay is top on the list.
Fay is at work late, writing an article about the latest killings. He walks to his car, gets in the front seat and there is a long pause before he turns the key. Nothing happens when he does so. Fay then begins backing up, but as soon as he is out of his parking space, a pickup truck rams into him, killing him on impact.
Marsh and Danny are once again at the bar, drinking. Marsh further expresses his detest for the politicians in the country and remarks that he feels guilty hunting down the Cigarette Man. Danny had no idea Marsh even worked for the FBI, and his shock is immediately obvious. Danny leaves, terrified.
A politician is killed in a car bomb. Danny arrives home to his wife crying. She says it’s over, the government has agreed to the conditions. Danny doesn’t believe it. Susanne tries to convince him, but Danny yells that it will never be over. Not until Dickinson is dead. It’s clear that Danny has gone over the edge.
At FBI headquarters, an aid runs up to Marsh that they found a DNA match on the cigarettes. It was on a list of the Dickonson’s original campaign contributors, and it is Danny. Marsh is at first shocked, but he then accepts it as true. He leaves to confront Danny.
Meanwhile, Danny is planning an all-out assault on Dickinson’s motorcade. From a rooftop, Danny shoots the two police cars with an RPG before running down with an assault rifle. He kills several guards, but takes a round to the shoulder. Eventually, only Dickinson is left, and Danny kills him simply, with a bullet to the head.
Danny is walking away from his safe house, limping and battered. Marsh arrives. Danny realizes that Marsh knows the truth and tries to sway him. Danny mentions that Marsh too hates this government, and he knows that they killed Marsh’s wife, a Supreme Court justice, when she wouldn’t comply. Marsh is obviously conflicted, and the gun in his hand is shaking. There’s a moment of silence, and Marsh lifts the gun, shooting Danny in the head. Marsh drops the gun and walks away.
Marsh says (as images show statues toppling, the White House burning, the Capital Building crumbling, and other signs of chaos) “I would like to say I never worked for the FBI again after that, but I did. I sought criminals, I pursued justice and I fought for the people. But I never did anything to stop the revolution Danny had started. Danny’s actions and Fay’s words set off a group of people intent on reclaiming their government. There was an overthrow, a bloody civil war. I didn’t fight in the war, but I did my best to avoid putting out the fire. A fire started by a few cigarettes.
CAST
Danny Choam (Christian Bale) – A successful businessman by day and a political assassin by night. Danny is intent on ridding the American government of corruption. His wife is pregnant, and he fears the world his child will enter. The cigarette ban imposed throughout the country was the last straw for Danny, and he smokes a cigarette at every crime scene. As time goes on, he becomes bolder and begins to lose touch with reality. Danny refuses to admit that the government is actually going to cave to his demands and launches a last-ditch effort to kill the president. Though he succeeds in assassinating the president, he is killed by Ken Marsh.
Ken Marsh (Liam Neeson) – A worn FBI detective addicted to alcohol and narcotics. Marsh obviously has a troubled past but still works hard. He disapproves of the current government regime and wishes for change. At the end, we learn Marsh’s wife, a Supreme Court justice, was killed by the government for not conforming to the new policies. Marsh struggles with himself over whether he should shoot Danny, who Marsh knows has killed many politicians, including the president, but eventually pulls the trigger. Marsh’s narration wraps up the story and provides depth to his character.
Anthony Fay (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – A young, hungry reporter focused on the assassinations. Coined the nickname “The Cigarette Man”. Fay apparently has contacts within the government and learns that Danny is killing only corrupt politicians. Fay eventually receives a letter from Danny and begins to write in support of The Cigarette Man, calling him a freedom fighter. Fay’s words ignite the people, and they begin to protest in the streets. Eventually, President Dickinson orders the deaths of everyone in support of Danny, and Fay is the first to go. Fay is remembered as one of the two men who started the revolution.
Samuel Dickinson (Morgan Freeman) – The President of the United States. Dickinson is old and power-hungry. His regime has consisted of curtailed American rights and increased political power. He is shown to be ruthless and cold-blooded in his attempts to retain power. Dickinson makes the order that leads to Anthony Fay’s death. Danny Choam is revealed to have been an early supporter of Dickinson’s.
Susanne Choam (Kate Beckinsale) – Danny’s pregnant wife. Susanne is not featured much, but it is obvious that she and Danny love each other greatly. Danny’s actions terrify Susanne, and she is desperate for him to stop. Eventually, Susanne tries to convince Danny that the government is giving in to his demands, but he refuses to listen.
Robert Winkler (Christopher Lee) – A corrupt politician whom Danny attempts to reason with before killing. Winkler and Danny knew each other from the business world. Winkler is British, further emphasizing the ridiculous state of the American government.
Unnamed Politician (Michael Douglas) – Danny kills him at the beginning of the movie. The politician is sleazy and probably corrupt. It is immediately obvious that Danny isn’t killing a model citizen.
"COOLABAH"
Coolabah
Coolabah tells the story of Clifford Marks (Casey Affleck), a 30-something farmer from the mid-west. Times are proving extremely difficult for Marks, as he struggles to keep his livestock farm thriving. Marks has kept the information that his business is on the verge of bankruptcy from wife Anne (Rachel McAdams) and daughter Kelly (Abigail Breslin) who remain oblivious to the problem. Marks father John (Christoph Waltz) fails to make the situation any easier, constantly pressuring his son to be a success.
On the verge of financial self-destruction, Marks begins to breakdown mentally. An apparent mid-life crisis leads to a trip of self-discovery for Marks, who catches a plane to Sydney, Australia before embarking on a walkabout (a legendary Aboriginal journey). Just under a week later, Marks arrives in the western town of Broken Hill, well into the Australian desert. Staying for the night, Marks enters the local pub where he meets a fellow farmer, Jacob Daley (Michael Fassbender). Daley befriends Marks, entering into a strangely accelerated friendship. Seemingly kindred spirits, Marks appears to be on the verge of regaining his mental state, but unfortunately for Marks, Daley is not what he seems. Daley is a cold-hearted sociopath, hell-bent on forcing the misery of the Australian deserts onto unsuspecting tourists. Daley drugs Marks and abandons him in the desert – absent any food, water or clothing.
Left for dead by the drugged farmer, Marks is desperate to survive – to see his family again. Stumbling upon a dam sustaining a coolabah tree, is able to survive eating only leeches, grasshoppers, and frogs. Days, weeks and months pass. Just a skin and bones skeleton, Marks is on the verge of death. Three months into his ‘walkabout’ into the perilous Australian outback, Marks is finally discovered alive by a wandering kangaroo farmer – Freddy Phillips who could described Marks as ‘skeletal’ (Guy Pearce). Willpower, desire to be re-united with his family and a little bit of luck tell the story of Clifford Marks – survivalist.
CAST
Christopher Nolan as The Director.
Casey Affleck as Clifford Marks – A 30-something farmer from the Midwest struggling with an unprofitable farm, a pressuring family and his own internal demons.
Michael Fassbender as Jacob Daley – A troubled sociopath incredibly deft at disguising his true self – a sadistic killer.
Rachel McAdams as Anne Marks – Wife of Clifford. Seems at times to be a little pre occupied with her own endeavours, failing to fully realise the precarious situation her family is in. When Marks goes missing she never gives up hope.
Christoph Waltz as John Marks – Father of Clifford Marks. Has been an over-bearing, imposing father figure Cliffords whole life. The only member of the family actually aware of the problems Clifford and Anne are faced with. Despite the knowledge he largely ignores it.
Guy Pearce as Freddy Phillips – A kangaroo hunter who stumbles upon Marks withering body.
Abigail Breslin as Kelly Marks – Daughter of Clifford and Anne.
"DIOLTAS"
Dioltas
Summer, 1957. Windy. Hot. Perfect weather to take the family out on Lake Michigan. Aislin Murray (Natalie Dormer) is the love of James' life. Radiant, a natural beauty with stunning blue eyes. James Murray (Colin Farrell) and his associate Braden Pearse (James Purefoy) are the drug kings of northern Chicago. It was the way of the Irish of Chicago for the past 40 years. James grew up watching his father work with the top mafioso of his day. Things were as smooth as the life of a drug dealer could be.
Paul Duttolo (Joe Manganiello) is, by all accounts, a very successful man. He has a beautiful wife, Elisabeth (Violante Placido), two children, and a thriving business. A funeral home business, but a business none-the-less. Paul has secrets. Secrets only a few people know. Frankie Baglio (Stephen Graham) is one of those people. Paul's right hand man, Frankie handles the darker side of their funeral home business. Coffins hide the import of drugs into the city. The crematory doubles as a great way to get rid of troublemakers and rivals.
Paul has his eyes set on the riches of northern Chicago. It is well known that the Irish control this part of the city and have for the better part of 60 years. To do this, James must be taken care of. Paul enlists Joseph Edwards (Jude Law) to devise and carry out a plan. Joseph comes to Paul with an idea that Paul is eager to set in motion.
August 14th, 8:34 PM. James returns home find no one there. An eerie silence has befallen the Murray household. As James moves through the house, gun in hand, he enters the kitchen. Turning towards the fridge, he notices a note. The contents of this note both enrage and frighten James.
"She was so pretty. I just had to take her. Expect a package."
Frantically, James calls Braden, Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), and Ciaran (Kevin McKidd). Declan, the last to arrive at James' house, notices a box on the front step. It reads, "For James." As James opens the box, he looks in horror as his wife's eye stares back at him. James knows exactly who has set these events in motion.
Together with his business associates, James devises a way to get his wife back. The journey will take them all to a place they never expected to go. A low they never thought possible. Acts they never dreamed of committing. How far would you go to seek your dioltas?
Cast
James Murray (Colin Farrell) - Somewhat insulated from the everyday business of the Cartel, James mostly deals with the suppliers from out of the country. Normally does not get involved with the physical side of the business, James is forced into action by the Dattolo Cartel's actions against him, his family, and his territory.
Aislin Murray (Natalie Dormer) - Aislin knew about James' business when they were dating. She understands the nature of the business having grown up in it herself. Her father worked alongside James' father for many years. A natural Irish beauty, Aislin has piercing blue eyes that become an object of obsession for Paul and Joseph.
Braden Pearse (James Purefoy) - Braden runs the street level operation of the Murray Cartel. Declan and Ciaran report directly to him. He has no qualms about killing someone that doesn't further their advancement.
Declan Fitzgerald (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) - Declan is Braden's brains on the street. Declan oversees the disbursement of the Cartel's product. He is looked at to get people out of whatever troubles may come their way.
Ciaran Maguire (Kevin McKidd) - Mostly used in a grunt labor role, Ciaran is recognized by Braden for his cunning street smarts and ability to think on his feet when problems arise. As such, he is a very important cog in the Murray Cartel. While he gets no enjoyment from it, Ciaran justifies his job due to the
lifestyle it gives him and his family.
Paul Dattolo (Joe Manganiello) - Paul is a classic malignant narcissist. He is constantly paranoid that something is going to happen to him. His worries go from Elisabeth cheating on him, to the police on his trail, to someone in his cartel trying to kill him. He also has a strange, almost sexual gratification out of torturing and killing those he believe stand in his way.
Elisabeth Dattolo (Violante Placido) - Paul's love-blind wife, Elisabeth does not ask where the extra money comes from. She trust her husband wholly and takes his word without question. She is somewhat bothered by Paul's actions in the bedroom.
Frankie Baglio (Stephen Graham) - A close business associate of Paul, Frankie acts as Paul's conscience in their dealings. An astute businessman, Frankie runs the Dattolo funeral home enterprise into surprising prosperity.
Joseph Edwards (Jude Law) - Introduced to Paul by Frankie, Joseph is a career criminal. He is best suited at kidnapping without detection and covering tracks. A meticulous person by nature, it borders on OCD which tends to complicate things after the job is done. This causes some speculation on Paul's part.
"IN SEARCH OF SIMULATED INTIMACY"
SYNOPSIS
From acclaimed director Jason Reitman, who brought you Juno and Thank You For Smoking, comes a love story unlike any other. In Search of Simulated Intimacy follows Will Franklin (Franco), a moderately famous young writer living in Santa Barbara. Will has everything he thought he wanted; he's a rising force in the world of fiction, he has a gorgeous, professionally inclined girlfriend (Lawrence), and he's started to rebuild his fractured relationship with his father, renowned lawyer Bob Franklin (Murray). However, Will's world is undone when his girlfriend Tiffany leaves him for a career as a Public Relations consultant in New York. Will, as a means of working through the breakup, decides to film a documentary illustrating that true love doesn't exist. As examination of the "romantic fallacy", as he calls it, Will's movie features long interviews with friends, family, and strangers as he attempts to prove that love isn't real. Enlisting the help of his stoner best friend Tre (Glover) and attempting to work through his issues via phone conversations with his therapist (Lowe), Will's movie is almost complete when his sister announces her engagement to a budding writer like himself, Roy Wallace (Monaghan). Ultimately, Will decides to re-evaluate the stance he's taken on both love and family as he supports his sister through her decision to get married and ultimately decides to be happy as he rebuilds his relationship with his father. A starkly honest examination of not only love, but the ways in which it's produced, proliferated and popularized within society, In Search of Simulated Intimacy is a romantic comedy seen through the crooked eyes of director Jason Reitman.
James Franco as Will Franklin - The protagonist of the film, Will is a young man who, after getting his heart broken, sets out to film a documentary proving that love doesn't exist. At 26, Will believe he's found the perfect woman until she leaves him to pursue her own professional agenda. A writer, Will occasionally struggles maintaining a grasp on what is reality and what is fiction, and his growing substance abuse problems begin to worry some of his friends and family. His discontent with the cultural stereotypes surrounding romance manifests itself in his film, which he places himself at the center of as he interviews friends, family and strangers about the nature of their romantic involvements and how they perceive their own stories as "love stories". Will's cynicism begins to grow as he continues his movie, however his perception of both his situation and the situation of romance within his society changes drastically after his sister Maria becomes engaged to her fiancé. Will struggles to balance his own interpretations of love among those of others, and ultimately must decide whether to continue his examination of the romantic fallacy or support his beloved sister as she begins to plan her wedding.
Bill Murray as Bob Franklin - A renowned criminal lawyer, and Will's father. Never approved of his son's decision to pursue writing as a career, and the rift in their relationship has never been repaired. He and his son attempt to navigate the pitfalls of their relationship throughout the course of the movie with the help of family therapist Murray Edwards, however this proves more difficult once Will leaves to film his documentary. Much of Will's cynicism and sarcasm are traits inherited from Bob, as he is somewhat embittered by his own romantic failures, having been divorced several times. In his own way, he also has to come to terms with Maria's engagement and decides to play a larger role in his children's lives.
Rob Lowe as Dr. Murray Edwards - A starring role for Lowe, and one of the bigger roles in the film. Murray Edwards is the honest (bordering brutal) therapist of both Bob and Will. He continues advising Will via phone sessions after he leaves Santa Barbara to create his documentary. Murray continually steers Will in a direction that will allow him to process his breakup with Tiffany without fully undermining his ability to believe in an abstract concept like love. A central role in the film, Lowe would deliver a standout performance here similar to Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting.
Rachel Leigh Cook as Maria Franklin - Will's sister. She's a very spontaneous, instinctive girl who agrees to a very premature engagement with her fiancé, Roy. She's a very successful artist, reflecting Will's creativity. Her impending wedding acts as a catalyst for Will to re-examine the nature of what he's attempting to prove.
Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany Vesterling - Will's former girlfriend and the reason he decides to create a documentary on love. She breaks up with Will to pursue her own professional dreams, leaving Santa Barbara and moving to New York to work in a large, renowned public relations firm. Originally vilified, eventually Will comes to understand the reasons behind her decision and while they never reconnect, he comes to grudgingly accept what happened and why.
Donald Glover as Tre Anderson - Will's best friend and partner in creating his documentary. While Will originally decides to set out on his own to make his documentary, he soon realizes he needs a guiding force in creating his film. He enlists the help of former best friend and film school dropout Tre, whose own substance abuse problems have prevented him from moving forward in his life both professionally and romantically. A chronic pothead, Tre provides much of the comic relief stereotypical of a Reitman film, and a hilarious turn from Glover would be expected.
Domininc Monaghan as Roy Wallace - Maria's fiance. An aspiring writer like Will, he proposes to Maria after just several months of dating, leading both Will and Bob to react in a negative way. He eventually proves himself to both members of her family by helping Will resolve the ending to his documentary and providing a positive influence in the life of Maria.
"It's (500) Days of Summer meets Up In The Air...The most honest and mature take we've seen on love in a very, very long time."
"Reitman navigates such subjective material with a surprising amount of objectivity...While Will's bias shines through, the interviews with characters beg the audience to interject and examine their own relationships and how they fit within Will's 'romantic fallacy'."
"A stereotypically hilarious turn by Donald Glover in his first major starring role and a tour de force performance by Rob Lowe as the vicious but well-meaning therapist help to buoy the already stellar cast to new heights. It's amazing that (Lowe) can still surprise us after all this time in the limelight."
"JIM'S OUTING"
Jim’s Outing
A Judd Apatow Film
CAST
Jim Han (Ken Jeong) – A quiet guy that does not often socialize with many people, always kept close to his group of friends. He’s had a few girlfriends, but none of them never lasted too long. He finally gave up on the dating scene for a long time now. Until his best friends settled down and were tired of him being a 3rd with everything they do.
Ben McKinley (Bill Hader) – The less serious guy in the group often sets up Jim up with the worse date. He never really dated he married his high school crush and gives the worst advice to Jim.
Richard Beasley (Paul Rudd) – Just recently married Richard was the guy who dated the most out of the 3 and considers himself Jim’s mentor throughout he movie.
Nancy McKinley (Katherine Heigl) - Ben’s high school crush now wife is a very quiet person. Only speaks when she needs to and often it’s to tell Ben to be quiet. She hates the idea of Ben giving advice when he has no clue in what he’s talking about. Often hates the idea of them trying to set Peter up.
Katelyn Beasley (Isla Fisher) – Richard’s Wife, still in the newly wed phase she often reminisces about her engagement and wedding day. Reminding Jim how beautiful it is to be in a relationship and getting married.
Gary Neal (Neil Patrick Harris) – A very down to earth guy who is generally open to anything. He’s had a bad track history with his dating life and is willing to be open to anything with the experiences he’s had.
SYNOPSIS
Film starts out with Jim in a date that was set up by his 2 best friends Ben and Richard. Everything you’d expect to go wrong on a date happens. Jim is horrible speaking with women and just pushes the girl away with every word he says and then finally he leaves the table and her to go outside to talk to Ben and Richard who was coaching him through the whole date. They end up leaving and dropping Jim back off at his house leaving the girl at the restaurant.
Jim is the only single guy in his group of friends, they’re all married and just starting their family. Tired of Jim being the 3rd wheel for everything they do. Richard and Ben sets up dates for Jim to finally go out there and try to find him his significant other. None of his dates turn out the way they expect it to turn out, so Richard and Ben begin to think one night that what if Jim is *** and doesn’t know it yet? They bring this to Jim’s attention and he denies it from the start. They talk him into going to date with some guys they do know that are single. Throughout the move Jim begins to think he really is *** and goes on more and more dates with guys. Richard and Ben have no clue how to coach Jim on these dates so they bring their wives into the picture to help with the cause. Jim has been out on numbers of dates now and has convinced himself that he really is ***. Everything is going well and he’s been seeing this guy Gary for a while now and things begin to get serious between the two. Richard and Ben got to hang out with Gary and they start to really like the guy. They all start to hang out often becoming one of the guys in the group. Everything is going well for Jim and things are starting to look up.
A few dates later they end up back at Jim’s place and things get a little weird. Nothing felt right for Jim everything he thought he was not what he expected. Being a lone with a guy in his apartment cuddling and watching movies was not the feeling he was expecting the get. They end up kissing and Jim freaks out and begins explain his situation to Gary.
Jim is now alone in his house thinking about what just happened. He realized that he was never *** to begin with only to believe it from his friends convincing him to go out on dates with guys. He was only comfortable with the dates because they were having a guy’s conversation without the worry of impressing a girl.
Movie ends with all four of them in the living room having the most awkward conversation. Gary is now part of the group as the *** friend and the scene ends with the group agreeing not to mention this situation to anyone else.
"TEMPTATION"
"Temptation"
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
CAST
Emile Hirsch as Colt Brown (http://people-pictures.tk/wp-content/uploads/emile-hirsch_5520_1.jpg)- A young man(18 to start the movie, 20 at the end) who was a top Texas high school Quarterback, highly recruited. Addicted to the party life and drugs(alcohol & cocaine), but always let off the hook by his father, Sheriff Austin Brown(Olyphant), until he gets in a car accident while drunk driving leading to a year in prison and severe injuries(multiple fractures to his leg and shattered both his tibia and fibula, plus had arteries and nerves exposed in the crash, thus ruining his chance of ever playing football again). When he gets out he now must resist the temptation of falling back into the drug life that once consumed him and still consumes his brother Dallas Brown(Hemsworth) and girlfriend Aite Everette(Lively).
Blake Lively as Aite Everette (http://vuilblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/blake-lively-the-town.jpg)- A young girl(19 at the start, 21 at the end) and the girlfriend of Colt, addicted to cocaine and alcohol just like him. Constantly tempting Colt to get back into the drug life and failing to support his battle to get out. Named after the Greek Goddess of mischief, the name Aite or Ate translates to "Ruin, folly, delusion".
Timothy Olyphant as Sheriff Austin Brown (http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2011110//300.justified.ol.lc.021011.jpg)- (40 at start of film, 42 at end)Father of Colt and Dallas, Sheriff for the small town of Blue Berry Hill, Texas. Always supported Colt in his football career, but not much else. Always got Colt out of trouble hoping Colt could make it big so he could retire and live off of his son's money. After the accident, he had a lot of resentment towards his son, feeling that he wasted his talent. Ignores him heavily after the accident.
Marisa Tomei as Sarah Brown-Graham (http://content.internetvideoarchive.com/content/photos/5797/24351225_.jpg)- Wife of Austin(39 at start, 41 at end), mother of Colt and Dallas. Father was an abusive alcoholic. She is a broken down woman who just wants to see her children succeed. Is in denial about her sons drug use. After the car accident, she finally comes to grips with her sons addiction and tries to help Colt and Dallas get drug free.
Liam Hemsworth as Dallas Brown (http://www.popcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Liam-Hemsworth-Lo-Bosworth-Dating.jpg)- Little Brother of Colt(17 at the start of the film, 19 at the end) and son of Sheriff Austin Brown. Always overshadowed by his brother leading to him being depressed and looking for an outlet. He gets hooked on alcohol at the young age of 16 and is addicted to cocaine by 17. Ignored by his father due to his lack of athletic ability. When Colt comes back and tries to safe him he struggles to trust his brother who he has resented his whole life.
Anthony Mackie as DeMarcus McClain (http://img.poptower.com/pic-44890/anthony-mackie.jpg?d=600)- A young drug dealer(18 at start, 20 at end) and friend of the Brown brothers. Reason they had access to drugs.
Kyle Chandler as Coach Bill Jacoby (http://insidepulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/p1_chandler.jpg)- Colt Brown's coach and mentor(age 35 at start, 37 at end), supports Colt both on and off the field. Becomes Colt's sponsor after he gets out of jail and vows to help Colt become drug free.
SYNOPSIS
Colt Brown(Hirsch) is the son of Sheriff Austin Brown(Olyphant) and Sarah Brown-Graham(Tomei), and brother of Dallas Brown(Hemsworth). He is a former high school Quarterback and top prospect and is addicted to drugs. He ends up ruining his career in a bad car accident while drunk driving. He then spends a year in prison which changes him. He is now trying to get off drugs, save his brother and resist the temptation of falling back into the drug life that once consumed him and still consumes his brother and girlfriend Aite Everette(Lively). His mother and former high school coach Bill Jacoby(Chandler) are there to help him along the way with his battle against addiction, while his father ignores him and his former friend DeMarcus McClain(Mackie) and his girlfriend continue to tempt him to return to the drug life.