Wilton Library Movies Blog » Drama

The Woman in Black

mfriedman — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:49:26 +0000

Looking for a creepy thriller? Look no further than this hypnotic movie starting Daniel Radcliffe. In his first role since Harry Potter, Radcliffe plays Arthur Kipps, a lawyer on the brink of losing his job. Arthur must redeem himself to his firm by settling the estate of a deceased woman in a distant village. When Arthur arrives in the small town, he is unnerved by stories of mysterious deaths of local children and warned by the villagers to abandon his plans to stay at his haunted destination. Find out what goes bump in the night in this dark and atmospheric film. The Woman in Black will keep you riveted until the very end.

It’s never too late to begin something new

mfriedman — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:09:07 +0000

With a highly talented cast and quiet indie-move feel, Beginners is a movie that you will enjoy watching and remembering. Christopher Plummer stars as Hal and Ewan McGregor plays his son Oliver. After his wife of 38 years dies, Hal shocks Oliver by telling him that he is gay. He then begins his new life as an openly gay man at age 75. Oliver adjusts to this news, only to deal with Hal’s death after battling with cancer a few years later. Although it sounds all gloom and doom, the movie has many moments of levity, especially during Oliver’s budding romance with Anna, a French actress he meets at a costume party. There are three timelines in the story, woven together beautifully to create the overall impression that it’s never too late to start something new. Beginners comes out on DVD and Blu-ray on November 15.

The Lincoln Lawyer

mfriedman — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:31:05 +0000

The Lincoln Lawyer is not the kind of movie I usually watch. However, numerous people have told me that it is much more than a courtroom drama, so I watched it and am glad that I did. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Marissa Tomei, and William H. Macy, this is an absorbing movie full of great talent. McConaughey is Mick Haller, a lawyer who knows how to work the system. He is chauffeured around in his old Lincoln town car because his license was revoked after a DUI. Mick is hired to defend a wealthy young man accused of beating a woman. This young man already has access to his family lawyer, so why does he choose Mick to defend him? As the story progresses, Mick’s life unravels. He believes in the justice system, but does it provide justice for all? Watch this thrilling drama to find out. The Lincoln Lawyer comes out on DVD on Tuesday, July 12.

Fair Game

mfriedman — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:58:35 +0000

Hey, remember Scooter Libby? Remember when Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson became household names? If you are wondering about the events that led up to these people becoming daily headlines, watch Fair Game. Starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, this is the story based on true events that led to the invasion of Iraq and the public naming of a CIA agent.

The Fighter

mfriedman — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:30:10 +0000

Yes, it’s a boxing movie. Let’s just get that out of the way. There are several scenes in the boxing ring with two guys making each other bleed. However, it is also a movie about how one can overcome challenges like a very dysfunctional family and achieve hopes and dreams.

The Fighter is based on the true story of Micky Ward and Dickey Eklund, half-brothers and aspiring boxing champions from Lowell, Massachusetts. Christian Bale (who won an Oscar for this role) plays Dickey, a has-been boxer who spends most of his time smoking crack and disappointing his family. Mark Wahlberg plays Micky, the younger brother who still has time to achieve his dream of becoming a boxing champ. Melissa Leo (who also won an Oscar for her role) plays their sharp-tongued mother who is their boxing manager and the dominating force in the family. The future is not looking bright at the beginning of the film, where Dickey sometimes trains Micky when he comes out of his crack-induced haze. Micky meets sassy bartender Charlene (Amy Adams) who helps him get away from his damaging family and towards success in the ring.

Boxing movies may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but fine performances in this film by Christian Bale and Melissa Leo shouldn’t be missed. The Fighter comes out on DVD on March 15.

The Billion Dollar Idea

mfriedman — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:29:49 +0000

How does one socially inept college kid create the world’s largest and most popular social network? A complicated question to answer, but one that Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher explain with ease in the film The Social Network. According to Roger Ebert, “‘The Social Network’ is a great film not because of its dazzling style or visual cleverness, but because it is splendidly well-made.” and Peter Travers of Rolling Stone calls it, “[b]racingly smart, brutally funny and acted to perfection without exception, The Social Network lights up a dim movie sky with flares of startling brilliance.”

Nominated for six Golden Globe Awards and certainly an Oscar contender, The Social Network comes out on DVD on January 11.

Does money ever sleep?

mfriedman — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:29:41 +0000

In this era of financial meltdowns, a film about Wall Street is rather appropriate. Revisit the greed of the 1987 movie Wall Street with the new sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Reprising his role of Gordon Gekko, Michael Douglas stars with Carey Mulligan and Shia LaBeouf . Directed by Oliver Stone, the film follows a somewhat reformed Gordon Gekko as he becomes involved with helping Jake, a young man in the same industry, who happens to be engaged to Gekko’s estranged daughter. Will Gekko make amends with his daughter? Will Jake get revenge for the death of his mentor? Will greed win in the end? Find out when the DVD comes out on Tuesday, December 21.

Ready for More of Lisbeth Salander?

mfriedman — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 15:31:03 +0000

Get ready for the second installment of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy on DVD! If you enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo you will love the second exciting thriller in the series. Roomi Rapace stars as the intriguing Lisbeth Salander, an unusal hacker with a mysterious past. Landing as the prime suspect in a murder case, Mikael Blomkvist must unearth her past as well as find the real murderer before time runs out for Lisbeth. The Girl Who Played with Fire comes out on DVD on Tuesday, October 26.

You may have missed this one in the theater…

mfriedman — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:58:00 +0000

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, Winter’s Bone crept in under the radar of the mainstream movie media. Set in the Ozarks, this is the story of a Ree Dolly, who must be the parent to her younger siblings. Her mother is mentally absent and her father has jumped bail. When the family is on the verge of being turned out of their home, Ree embarks on a journey to find her father. Andrew O’Hehir of Salon.com says, “‘Winter’s Bone’ is a gripping, harrowing ride all the way through, as well as a ridiculously well-made and satisfying motion picture. Winter’s Bone will be released on DVD on Tuesday, October 26.

The Dragon Has Arrived.

mfriedman — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:46:28 +0000

The most popular book of the last year is now a movie! The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a Swedish film based on the international bestselling novel by Stieg Larsson. The film, set in Sweden in the bleak winter, is a thriller, a mystery, and includes some action. What people are drawn to most about this story is the intriguing main character, Lisbeth Salander. Lisbeth is a goth hacker, emotionally unavailable, and clearly affected by violent experiences in her past. She sticks out like a sore thumb among the conservative men in suits who populate the story. The film follows Lisbeth and Mikael, a disgraced journalist, as they are hired to solve a 40 year-old mystery. Hollywood is already planning an American remake of this intense film, which comes out on DVD on July 7.