Movie: "The Nanny Diaries" (2007)

Movie: "The Nanny Diaries" (2007)
- Directed by: Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
- Writing: Emma McLaughlin(novel) & Nicola Kraus(novel); Shari Springer Berman(screenplay) & Robert Pulcini(screenplay).
- Original Music by: Mark Suozzo
- Genres: Comedy - Drama - Romance
- Country: USA
- Language: English
- Release Date: 24 August 2007 (USA)
- Runtime: 106 min


- Cast:

Scarlett Johansson as Annie 'Nanny' Braddock
Chris Evans as Hayden "Harvard Hottie"
Laura Linney as Mrs. Alexandra X
Paul Giamatti as Mr. Stan X
Nicholas Art as Grayer Addison X
Donna Murphy as Judy Braddock
Alicia Keys as Lynette
Nina Garbiras as Miss Chicago
Brande Roderick as Tanya
Heather Simms as Murnel
Julie White as Jane Gould
Judith Roberts as Milicent


- Plot:

21-year-old Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson) has just graduated from Montclair State University. Annie has no idea what or who she wants to be. While sitting in the park, Annie sees a young boy in a uniform almost getting run over. Annie saves him and then the boy's mother, Mrs. Alexandra X (Laura Linney), mistakes Annie for a nanny. She gives her a card. Annie lies to her mother about taking a job at a bank and, in reality, moves in with the X's to be the nanny for Grayer, the boy she saved. Life with the incredibly privileged X's isn't all she thought it would be, and her life is complicated further when she falls for "Harvard Hottie" (Chris Evans), who lives in the building.

Movie: "Awake" (2007)

"Awake" (2007)
Director: Joby Harold
Writer: Joby Harold
Country: USA
Release Date: 30 November 2007 (USA)
Also Known As: Bajo anestesia
Runtime: 84 min


- Cast:

Hayden Christensen ... Clay Beresford
Jessica Alba ... Sam Lockwood
Terrence Howard ... Dr. Jack Harper
Lena Olin ... Lilith Beresford
Christopher McDonald ... Dr. Larry Lupin
Sam Robards ... Clayton Beresford Sr.
Arliss Howard ... Dr. Jonathan Neyer
Fisher Stevens ... Dr. Puttnam
Georgina Chapman ... Penny Carver
Denis O'Hare ... Financial News Analyst
Charlie Hewson ... Brian the Orderly
Court Young ... Officer Doherty
Joseph Costa ... Dr. Elbogen


- Plot:

A wealthy man named Clayton Beresford Jr. (Hayden Christensen) has a faulty heart and needs a heart transplant. Against his mother's wishes, he will be operated on by his surgeon friend, Jack (Terrence Howard), instead of a prestigious doctor. He is also dating his mother's secretary Sam (played by Alba), whom he marries on the eve of the surgery. However, when he finds that he is still awake during the operation (a phenomenon called anesthesia awareness), he finds out about a plot to kill him and get his money, and learns that Jack and Sam are in on it. Eventually, his mother catches on and sacrifices herself to let Clayton have her compatible heart. The film ends with hospital security arresting all the corrupt doctors except Jack, who has locked himself inside his office. His respite is short-lived however, as a locksmith is seen in the last scene, undoing the lock in the door. He also has evidence in his hands showing that Sam was in the room during surgery. Meanwhile, Sam attempts to escape by using one of the hospital's Emergency Exit doors but is apprehended by authorities.

Full Length Movie: "Two Women" (1960)

- Synopsis:

"Two Women" (Italian: "La ciociara", roughly translated as "The Woman from Ciociaria") is a 1960 Italian film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of a woman trying to protect her young daughter from the horrors of war. The film stars Sophia Loren, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Eleonora Brown, Carlo Ninchi and Andrea Checchi. The film was adapted by De Sica and Cesare Zavattini from the novel of the same name written by Alberto Moravia.

The story centers on Cesira (Loren), a widowed Roman shopkeeper, and Rosetta (Brown), her devoutly religious twelve-year-old daughter, during World War II. To escape the Allied bombing of Rome, Cesira and her daughter flee southern Lazio for her native Ciociaria, a rural, mountainous province of central Italy.

After they arrive at Ciociaria, Cesira attracts the attention of a young local intellectual with communist sympathies named Michele (Jean-Paul Belmondo). However, Michele is eventually taken prisoner by a company of German soldiers, who hope to use him as a guide to the mountainous terrain. Later, Cesira and Rosetta learn that he has been shot and killed by the same soldiers who took him hostage.

After the Italian liberation, mother and daughter decide to go back to Rome. After experiencing mild harassment and propositioning throughout their journey, they fall subject to an unexpected tragedy. As they rest in a bombed-out church, they are captured and gang raped by Goumiers (Moroccan allied soldiers) serving in the Free French forces under Alphonse Juin. Rosetta is particularly traumatized and has conflicting feelings for her mother. Eventually the two succeed in re-establishing the bond that linked them.


- Cast:

Sophia Loren - Cesira
Jean-Paul Belmondo - Michele Di Libero, a young communist
Eleonora Brown - Rosetta
Carlo Ninchi - Filippo, Michele's father
Raf Vallone - Giovanni
Andrea Checchi - A fascist
Pupella Maggio - A peasant
Emma Baron - Maria
Bruna Cealti - A refugee
Antonella Della Porta - A crazy mother
Mario Frera
Franco Balducci - A German in the haystack


- Awards:

The film won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Sophia Loren. This was the first time an acting Oscar had been given for a non-English-speaking performance. Loren also won the award for Best Actress at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. Loren won 22 international awards for Two Women.


- More About The Movie:

La Ciociara was remade for television in 1988. It was adapted by Diana Gould, Lidia Ravera, Dino Risi and Bernardino Zapponi. It was directed by Risi and starred Loren, Robert Loggia, Leonardo Ferrantini, Dario Ghirardi and Sydney Penny.

True Story: "Fatal Rescue" (2009)

Cast:
Steve Guttenberg Jacob
Aislinn Sands
Dominic Rickhards
Melissa Holroyd
Nicolas Landman-Burghardt
Martin Höner
Anna Fin
Florian Kriener

Directed by: : Stephen Manuel

Producers: Rolant Hergert, Michael Souvignier



- Plot:

A catastrophe happens on the day before Emilie's and Jacob's divorce; their son Toby falls into a hidden well while playing in the woods - the wood of lost souls, as legend calls it. Firefighter Mike Emilie's childhood love tries to rescue Toby. But what seems simple at first turns out to be impossible. Toby is trapped in the deep well and after a fierce rainfall the water rises higher and higher, threatening to drown him. Time is mercilessly running out. In spite of this life-threatening situation, Jacob and Mike can't hide their contempt for each other and they clash repeatedly. After intensive research Jacob discovers an old tunnel system dating back more than 100 years, which seems to link up with the well. For the first time the two men must leave their mutual contempt behind and work together as a team to rescue the injured boy. Just when the rescue operation seems to be successful, a dark harrowing secret from the past is tragically unveiled.

A Christmas Without Snow (1980)

A Christmas Without Snow (1980)
Director: John Korty
Writers: John Korty (story) & John Korty (teleplay)
Runtime: 01:35:23


* Cast:

Michael Learned ... Zoe Jensen
John Houseman ... Ephraim Adams
Ramon Bieri ... Henry Quist
James Cromwell ... Reverend Lohman
Valerie Curtin ... Muriel
David Knell ... Terry
Calvin Levels ... Wendell
Ruth Nelson ... Inez
Beah Richards ... Wendell's Grandma
William Swetland... Hartley
Ed Bogas ... Seth
Daisietta Kim ... Maisie Kim
Joy Carlin ... Cora Newman
Anne Lawder ... Evangeline Burns
Barbara Tarbuck ... Carol Thorpe


* Plot:

A divorced woman moves to a new city with her child, trying to build her life again.

She joins the choir of a local church but has some personality conflicts with the choirmaster, a curmudgeonly old gentleman who will accept nothing but perfection from his group.

As Christmas approaches the choir practices for the big show and the director pushes them all to their emotional limits.

The Opium Connection (1966)

The Opium Connection (1966)
Director: Terence Young
Writers: Jo Eisinger, Ian Fleming (story)
Release Date: 16 October 1966 (USA)
Runtime: 01:40:00


* Plot:

In an attempt to stem the heroin trade from Iran, a group of narcotics agents working for the UN inject a radioactive compound into a seized shipment of opium, in the hopes that it will lead them to the main heroin distributor in Europe.

Along the way, they encounter a mysterious woman doing her own investigating of the smuggling operation.

Together, they follow the trail as it leads them through the back alleys and luxury resorts of Europe.


* Cast:


Senta Berger ... Maxine - nightclub wrestler
Stephen Boyd ... Benson
Yul Brynner ... Colonel Salem
Angie Dickinson ... Linda Benson
Georges Géret ... Superintendent Roche (as Georges Geret)
Hugh Griffith ... Salah Rahman Khan
Jack Hawkins ... General Bahar
Rita Hayworth ... Monique Marko
Trevor Howard ... Sam Lincoln
Trini López ... Himself (as Trini Lopez)
E.G. Marshall ... Coley John
Marcello Mastroianni ... Inspector Mosca
Amedeo Nazzari ... Captain Di Nonno

The Plotters (2001)

The Plotters (2001)
Director: Dominique Milano
Writers: Romain Lewinger, Dominique Milano
Release Date: 8 August 2001 (USA)


* Plot:

Chelsea Handler stars in a romantic drama. Pam is a devoted wife to her rich husband David but David does not share the same feelings.

When David meets Ann at his car dealership he suddenly falls in love with her.


* Cast:


Denise Bitidis ... Pam
Don Boland ... David
Brandon Credeur ... Car salesmen
Chelsea Handler ... Ann
Dominique Milano ... Car mechanic
Jennifer Moe ... Terri
Jamison Reeves ... Car salesmen