Road to Oscar's Favorite Films

50/50 8.2
Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease. 
Director: Jonathan Levine.
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Adam), Seth Rogen (Kyle), Anna Kendrick (Katherine), Bryce Dallas Howard (Rachael), Anjelica Huston (Diane).
Writing: Will Reiser (screenplay).
Original Music: Michael Giacchino. Cinematography: Terry Stacey. Film Editing: Zene Baker.

A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) 8.6
A married couple are faced with a difficult decision, to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimers. 
Director: Asghar Farhadi.
Cast: Leila Hatami (Simin), Peyman Moaadi (Nader).
Writing: Asghar Farhadi (screenplay).
Original Music: Sattar Oraki. Cinematography: Mahmoud Kalari. Film Editing: Hayedeh Safiyari.



The Adventures of Tintin 7.8

Tintin and Captain Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor. But someone else is in search of the ship. 

Director: Steven Spielberg.
Writing: Steven Moffat and Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish (screenplay). Hergé (comic book series "The Adventures of Tintin").
Original Music: John Williams.

Albert Nobbs 6.9
Glenn Close plays a woman passing as a man in order to work and survive in 19th century Ireland. Some thirty years after donning men's clothing, she finds herself trapped in a prison of her own making.  
Director: Rodrigo García. 
Cast: Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Mia Wasikowska (Helen Dawes), Aaron Johnson (Joe MacKen), Janet McTeer (Hubert), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Viscount Yarrell), Brendan Gleeson (Dr. Holloran), Brenda Fricker (Polly).
Writing: Glenn Close and John Banville (screenplay). George Moore and Gabriella Prekop (short story).
Original Music: Bryan Byrne. Cinematography: Michael McDonough. Costume Design: Pierre-Yves Gayraud.

Anonymous 6.8

A political thriller advancing the theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare's plays; set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her. 

Director: Roland Emmerich.
Cast: Rhys Ifans (Earl of Oxford), Vanessa Redgrave (Queen Elizabeth I).
Writing: John Orloff.
Original Music: Harald Kloser and Thomas Wander. Cinematography: Anna Foerster. Film Editing: Peter R. Adam. Costume Design: Lisy Christl.

Another Earth 7.0

On the night of the discovery of a duplicate planet in the solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident. 

Director: Mike Cahill.
Cast: Brit Marling (Rhoda Williams).
Writing: Mike Cahill and Brit Marling.
Original Music: Fall On Your Sword. Cinematography: Mike Cahill. Film Editing: Mike Cahill.

The Artist 8.4
Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.  
Director: Michel Hazanavicius. 
Cast: Jean Dujardin (George Valentin), Bérénice Bejo (Peppy Miller), John Goodman (Al Zimmer), James Cromwell (Clifton), Penelope Ann Miller (Doris).
Writing: Michel Hazanavicius (scenario and dialogue).
Original Music: Ludovic Bource. Cinematography: Guilleaume Schiffmann. Film Editing: Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius. Costume Design: Mark Bridges.

Beginners 7.3

A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover. 

Director: Mike Mills.
Cast: Ewan McGregor (Oliver Fields), Christopher Plummer (Hal Fields), Mélanie Laurent (Anna).
Writing: Mike Mills.
Original Music: Roger Neill, Dave Palmer, and Brian Reitzell. Cinematography: Kasper Tuxen. Film Editing: Olivier Bugge Coutté. Costume Design: Jennifer Johnson.

Captain America: The First Avenger 7.0

After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals. 

Director: Joe Johnston.
Cast: Chris Evans (Captain America / Steve Rogers).

Carnage 7.9
Tells the story of two sets of parents who decide to have a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a schoolyard brawl.  
Director: Roman Polanski. 
Cast: Jodie Foster (Penelope Longstreet), Kate Winslet (Nancy Cowan), Christoph Waltz (Alan Cowan), John C. Reilly (Michael Longstreet). 
Writing: Roman Polanski and Jazmine Reza (screenplay). Jazmine Reza (play "God of Carnage).
Original Music: Alexandre Desplat. Cinematography: Pawel Edelman. Film Editing: Hervé de Luze. Costume Design: Milena Canonero.

Coriolanus 7.4

A banished hero of Rome allies with a sworn enemy to take his revenge on the city.

Director: Ralph Fiennes.
Cast: Ralph Fiennes (Caius Martius Coriolanus), Gerard Butler (Tullus Aufidius), Vanessa Redgrave (Volumnia), Brian Cox (Menenius), Jessica Chastain (Virgilia).
Writing: John Logan (screenplay). William Shakespeare (play).
Original Music: Ilan Eshkeri. Cinematography: Barry Ackroyd. Film Editing: Nicolas Gaster. Costume Design: Bojana Nikitovic.


A Dangerous Method 7.2
A look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.  
Director: David Cronenberg. 
Cast: Keira Knightley (Sabina Spielrein), Viggo Mortensen (Sigmund Freud), Michael Fassbender (Carl Jung), Vicent Cassel (Otto Gross), Sarah Gadon (Emma Jung).
Writing: Christopher Hampton (screenplay).
John Kerr (book "A Most Dangerous Method). Christopher Hampton (play "The Talking Cure").
Original Music: Howard Shore. Cinematography: Peter Suschitzky. Film Editing: Ronald Sanders. Costume Design: Denise Cronenberg.

The Descendants 8.2
A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident. Director: Alexander Payne. 
Cast: George Clooney (Matt King), Shailene Woodley (Alexandra King), Amara Miller (Scottie King), Nick Krause (Sid), Patricia Hastie (Elizabeth King), Matthew Lillard (Brian Speer).
Writing: Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash (screenplay). Kaui Hart Hemmings (novel).
Cinematography: Phedon Papamichael. Film Editing: Kevin Tent. Costume Design: Wendy Chuck.

Drive 8.2

A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn.
Cast: Ryan Gosling
Cast: Ryan Grosling (Driver), Carey Mulligan (Irene), Bryan Cranston (Shannon), Christina Hendricks (Blanche), Ron Perlman (Nino), Oscar Isaac (Standard), Albert Brooks (Bernie Rose).
Writing: Hossein Amini (screenplay). James Sallis (book).
Original Music: Cliff Martinez. Cinematography: Newton Thomas Sigel. Film Editing: Matthew Newman. Costume Design: Erin Benach.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
A nine-year-old amateur inventor, jewelry designer, astrophysicist, tambourine player, and pacifist searches New York for the lock that matches a mysterious key left by his father when he was killed in the September 11 attacks.  
Director: Stephen Daldry. 
Cast: Tom Hanks (Thomas Schell, Jr.), Sandra Bullock (Oskar's Mother), Thomas Horn (Oskar Schell), Max von Sydow (Thomas Schell, Sr.).
Writing: Eric Roth (screenplay). Jonathan Safran Foer (novel).
Original Music: Alexander Desplat. Cinematography: Chris Menges. Film Editing: Claire Simpson. Costume Design: Ann Roth.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth Salander (Mara), a young computer hacker.  
Director: David Fincher. 
Cast: Daniel Craig (Mikael Blomkvist), Rooney Mara (Lisbeth Salander), Stellan Skarsgärd (Marin Vanger), Robin Wright (Erika Berger), Christopher Plummer (Henrik Vanger).
Writing: Steven Zaillian (screenplay). Stieg Larsson (novel "Män som hatar kvinnor").
Original Music: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Cinematography: Jeff Cronenweth. Film Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall. Costume Design: Trish Summerville.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 8.2

Harry, Ron and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord.

Director: David Yates.
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Alan Rickman (Professor Severus Snape).
Writing: Steve Kloves (screenplay). J.K. Rowling (novel "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows").
Original Music: Alexander Desplat. Cinematography: Eduardo Serra. Film Editing: Mark Day. Costume Design: Jany Temime. 

The Help 8.1
An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960's decides to write a book detailing the African-American maid's point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.  
Director: Tate Taylor. 
Cast: Viola Davis (Aibileen Clark), Emma Stone (Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan), Bryce Dallas Howard (Holly Holbrook), Octavia Spencer (Minny Jackson).
Writing: Tate Taylor (screenplay). Kathryn Stockett (novel).
Original Music: Thomas Newman. Cinematography: Stephen Goldblatt. Film Editing: Hughes Winborne. Costume Design: Sharen Davis.

Hugo 8.6
Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. 
Director: Martin Scorsese.
Cast: Ben Kinsley (Georges Méliès), Sacha Baron Cohen (Station Inspector), Asa Butterfield (Hugo Cabret), Chloë Grace Moretz (Isabelle), Ray Winstone (Uncle Claude), Emily Mortimer (Lisette), Jude Law (Hugo's Father), Christopher Lee (Monsieur Labisse).
Writing: John Logan (screenplay). Brian Selznick (book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret").
Original Music: Howard Shore. Cinematography: Robert Richardson. Film Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker. Costume Design: Sandy Powell.

The Ides of March 7.5
An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.  
Director: George Clooney. 
Cast: Ryan Gosling (Stephen Meyers), George Clooney (Governor Mike Morris), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Paul Zara), Paul Giamatti (Tom Duffy), Marisa Tomei (Ida Horowicz), Jeffrey Wright (Senator Thompson), Evan Rachel Wood (Molly Stearns).
Writing: George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon (screenplay). Beau Willimon (play "Farragut North").
Original Music: Alexander Desplat. Cinematography: Phedon Papamichael. Film Editing: Stephen Mirrione. Costume Design: Louise Frogley.

The Iron Lady
A look at the life of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a focus on the price she paid for power. 
Director: Phyllida Lloyd. 
Cast: Meryl Streep (Margaret Thatcher), Jim Broadbent (Denis Thatcher), Iain Glen (Alfred Roberts).
Writing: Abi Morgan (screenplay).
Original Music: Clint Mansell and Thomas Newman. Cinematography: Elliot Davis. Film Editing: Justine Wright. Costume Design: Consolata Boyle.

J. Edgar 7.3
As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life. 
Director: Clint Eastwood. 
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar Hoover), Naomi Watts (Helen Gandy), Armie Hammer (Clyde Tolson), Josh Lucas (Charles Lindbergh), Judi Dench (Anna Marie Hoover), Dermot Mulroney (Colonel Schwarzkopf), Josh Hamilton (Robert Irwin), Geoff Pierson (Mitchell Palmer).
Writing: Dustin Lance Black (screenplay).
Original Music: Clint Eastwood. Cinematography: Tom Stern. Film Editing: Joel Cox and Gary Roach. Costume Design: Deborah Hooper.

Jane Eyre 7.4

A mousy governess who softens the heart of her employer soon discovers that he's hiding a terrible secret. 

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga.
Cast: Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre), Michael Fassbender (Rochester), Jamie Bell (St. John Rivers), Judi Dench (Mrs. Fairfax).
Writing: Moira Buffini (screenplay). Charlotte Brontë (novel).
Original Music: Dario Marianelli. Cinematography: Adriano Goldman. Film Editing: Melanie Ann Oliver. Costume Design: Michael O'Connor.


Kung Fu Panda 2 7.5

Po joins forces with a group of new kung-fu masters to take on an old enemy with a deadly new weapon. 

Director: Jennifer Yuh.
Writing: Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (screenplay).
Original Music: John Powell and Hans Zimmer.


The Skin I Live In (La Piel Que Habito) 7.8
A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.  
Director: Pedro Almodóvar.
Cast: Antonio Barderas (Robert Ledgard), Elena Anaya (Vera Cruz), Marisa Paredes (Marilia), Jan Cornet (Vicente), Roberto Álamo (Zeca).
Writing: Pedro Almodóvar (screenplay). Thierry Jonquet (novel "Tarantula"). 
Original Music: Alberto Iglesias.

Like Crazy  6.8
A British college student falls for an American student, only to be separated from him when she's banned from the U.S. after overstaying her visa.  
Director: Drake Doremus. 
Cast: Anton Yelchin (Jacob), Felicity Jones (Anna), Jennifer Lawrence (Sam).
Writing: Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones (screenplay). 

Margin Call 7.2

A thriller that revolves around the key people at a investment bank over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the financial crisis. 

Director: J.C. Chandor.
Cast: Kevin Spacey (Sam Rogers), Paul Bettany (Will Emerson), Jeremy Irons (John Tuld), Zachary Quinto (Peter Sullivan), Penn Badgley (Seth Bregman), Simon Baker (Jared Cohen), Mary McDonnell (Mary Rogers), Demi Moore (Sarah Robertson), Stanley Tucci (Eric Dale).
Writing: J.C. Chandor.
Original Music: Nathan Larson. Cinematography: Frank G. DeMarco. Film Editing: Pete Beaudreau.

Martha Marcy May Marlene 7.7
Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.  
Director: Sean Durkin.
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen (Martha), John Hawkes (Patrick).
Writing: Sean Durkin (screenplay). 

Melancholia 7.5
Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide into the Earth.  
Director: Lars von Trier. 
Cast: Kirsten Dunst (Justine), Charlotte Gainsbourg (Claire), Alexander Skarsgärd (Michael), Kiefer Sutherland (John).
Writing: Lars von Trier.
Cinematography: Manuel Alberto Claro. Film Editing: Morten Hojbjerg (co-editor) and Molly M. Stensgaard. Costume Design: Manon Rasmussen.

Midnight in Paris 7.9
A romantic comedy about a family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better.  
Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Kathy Bates (Gertrude Stein), Adrien Brody (Salvador Dalí), Carla Bruni (Museum Guide), Marion Cotillard (Adriana), Rachel McAdams (Inez), Michael Sheen (Paul), Owen Wilson (Gil).
Writing: Woody Allen.
Original Music: Stephane Wrembel. Cinematography: Johanne Debas (co-cinematographer) and Darius Khondji. Film Editing: Alisa Lepselter. Costume Design: Sonia Grande.

Moneyball 8.1
The story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players. 
Director: Bennett Miller. 
Cast: Brad Pitt (Billy Beane), Jonah Hill (Peter Brand), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Art Howe), Robin Wright (Sharon).
Writing: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin (screenplay). Stan Chervin (story). Michael Lewis (book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game). 
Original Music: Mychael Danna. Cinematography: Wally Pfister. Film Editing: Christopher Tellefsen. Costume Design: Kasia Walicka-Maimone.

The Muppets 8.3

With the help of three fans, The Muppets must reunite to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon. 

Director: James Bobin.
Cast: John Segel (Gary), Amy Adams (Mary), Chris Cooper (Tex Richman).
Writing: Jim Henson (characters), John Segel, and Nicholas Stoller (screenplay).
Original Music: Christophe Beck. Cinematography: Don Burgess. Film Editing: James Thomas. Costume Design: Rahel Afiley.

My Week With Marilyn 7.5
Colin Clark, an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier's, documents the tense interaction between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe during production of The Prince and the Showgirl.  
Director: Simon Curtis. 
Cast: Michelle Williams (Marilyn Monroe), Kenneth Branagh (Sir Laurence Olivier), Eddie Redmayne (Colin Clark), Emma Watson (Lucy), Judi Dench (Dame Sybil Thorndike), Julia Ormond (Vivien Leigh).
Writing: Adrian Hodges (screenplay). Colin Clark (books "My Week with Marilyn" and "The Prince, the Showgirl and Me").
Original Music: Conrad Pope. Cinematography: Ben Smithard. Film Editing: Adam Recht. Costume Design: Jill Taylor.

Rango 7.4

Rango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff. 

Director: Gore Verbinski.
Writing: John Logan (screenplay). John Logan, Gore Verbinski, and James Ward Byrkit (story).
Original Music: Hans Zimmer.

Real Steel 7.6

Set in the near future, where robot boxing is a top sport, a struggling promoter feels he's found a champion in a discarded robot. During his hopeful rise to the top, he discovers he has an 11-year-old son who wants to know his father.

Director: Shawn Levy.
Cast: Hugh Jackman. 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes 7.8

During experiments to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a genetically-enhanced chimpanzee uses its greater intelligence to lead other apes to freedom. 

Director: Rupert Wyatt.
Cast: James Franco (Will Rodman).

Shame 7.9

In New York City, Brandon's carefully cultivated private life -- which allows him to indulge his sexual addiction -- is disrupted when his sister Cissy arrives unannounced for an indefinite stay.

Director: Steve McQueen. 
Cast: Michael Fassbender (Brandon Sullivan), Carey Mulligan (Sissy Sullivan).
Writing: Steve McQueen and Abi Morgan (screenplay).
Original Music: Harry Escott. Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt. Film Editing: Joe Walker. Costume Design: David C. Robinson.

Super 8 7.3

During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.

Director: J.J. Abrams.
Cast: Joel Courtney (Joe Lamb), Elle Fanning (Alice Dainard), Kylie Chandler (Jackson Lamb), Ron Eldard (Louis Dainard), Riley Griffiths (Charles), Ryan Lee (Cary), Gabriel Basso (Martin), Zach Mills (Preston).
Writing: J.J. Abrams (screenplay).
Original Music: Michael Giacchino. Cinematography: Larry Fong. Film Editing: Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey. Costume Design: Ha Hguyen.

Take Shelter 8.0

Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself. 

Director: Jeff Nichols.
Cast: Michael Shannon (Curtis), Jessica Chastain (Samantha).
Writing: Jeff Nichols (screenplay).
Original Music: David Wingo. Cinematography: Adam Stone. Film Editing: Parke Gregg.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 7.7
In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6's echelons.  
Director: Tomas Alfredson. 
Cast: Gary Oldman (George Smiley), Benedict Cumberbatch (Peter Guillam), Colin Firth (Bill Haydon), Tom Hardy (Ricki Tarr), John Hurt (Control), Toby Jones (Percy Alleline), Mark Strong (Jim Prideaux).
Writing: Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan (screenplay. John le Carré (novel).
Original Music: Alberto Iglesias. Cinematography: Hoyte Van Hoytema. Film Editing: Dino Jonsäter. Costume Design: Jacqueline Durran.

The Tree of Life 7.3
The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence.  
Director: Terrence Malick. 
Cast: Brad Pitt (Mr. O'Brien), Sean Penn (Jack), Jessica Chastain (Mrs. O'Brien), Joanna Going (Jack's Wife).
Writing: Terrence Malick.
Original Music: Alexander Desplat. Cinematography: Emmanuele Lubezki. Film Editing: Hank Corwin, Jay Rabinowitz, Daniel Rezende, Billy Weber, and Mark Yoshikawa. Costume Design: Jacqueline West.

War Horse 
Follows a young man named Albert and his horse, Joey, and how their bond is broken when Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent to the trenches of World War One. Despite being too young to enlist, Albert heads to France to save his friend.  
Director: Steven Spielberg. 
Cast: Jeremy Irvine (Albert), Emily Watson (Rose Nerracott), David Thewlis (Lyons), Peter Mullan (Ted Nerracott), Neils Arestrup (Grandfather).
Writing: Lee Hall and Richard Curtis (screenplay). Michael Morpurgo (novel). 
Original Music: John Williams. Cinematography: Janusz Kaminski. Film Editing: Michael Kahn. Costume Design: Joanna Johnston.

Warrior 8.3

The youngest son (Hardy) of an alcoholic former boxer (Nolte) returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament -- a path that puts the fighter on a collision corner with his older brother (Edgerton).

Director: Gavin O'Connor.
Cast: Tom Hardy (Tommy Conlon), Joel Edgerton (Brendan Conlon), Nick Nolte (Paddy Conlon), Jennifer Morrison (Tess Conlon).
Writing: Gavin O'Connor & Anthony Tambakis & Cliff Dorfman (screenplay). Gavin O'Connor & Cliff Dorfman (story).
Original Music: Mark Isham. Cinematography: Masanobu Takayanagi. Film Editing: Sean Albertson, Matt Chesse, John Gilroy, and Aaron Marshall. Costume Design: Abigail Murray.

We Need to Talk About Kevin 8.0 (In theaters January 27)

The mother of a teenage boy who went on a high-school killing spree tries to deal with her grief - and feelings of responsibility for her child's actions. 

Director: Lynne Ramsay.
Cast: Tilda Swinton (Eva), John C. Reilly (Franklin), Ezra Miller (Kevin).
Writing: Lynne Ramsay & Rory Kinnear (screenplay). Lionel Shriver (novel).
Original Music: Jonny Greenwood. Cinematography: Seamus McGarvey. Film Editing: Joe Bini.

Win Win 7.4

A struggling lawyer and volunteer wrestling coach's chicanery comes back to haunt him when the teenage grandson of the client he's double-crossed comes into his life. 

Director: Tom McCarthy.
Cast: Paul Giamatti (Mike Flaherty), Amy Ryan (Jackie Flaherty), Alex Shaffer (Kyle), Bobby Cannavale (Terry Delfino), Jeffrey Tambor (Stephen Vigman).
Writing: Tom McCarthy (screenplay). Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni (story).
Original Music: Lyle Workman. Cinematography: Oliver Bokelberg. Film Editing: Tom McArdle.


Winnie the Pooh 7.4

Eyeore has lost his tail, and Winnie the Pooh and his friends hold a contest to get him a new one. 

Director: Stephen Anderson and Don Hall.
Writing: Stephen Anderson, Clio Chiang, Don Dougherty, Don Hall, Kendelle Hoyer, Brian Kesinger, Nicole Mitchell, and Jeremy Spears (screenplay). A.A. Milne & Ernest Shepard ("Winnie the Pooh" works). Paul Briggs and Chris Ure (additional story material).
Original Music: Henry Jackman.


Wrinkles (Arrugas) 8.7

An animated look into the world of senior citizens suffering from Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia. 

Director: Ignacio Ferreras.
Writing: Ángel de la Cruz and Paco Roca.

X-Men: First Class 7.9

In 1962, the United States government enlists the help of Mutants with superhuman abilities to stop a malicious dictator who is determined to start world war III. 

Director: Matthew Vaughn.
Cast: James McAvoy (Charles Xavier), Michael Fassbender (Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto), Kevin Bacon (Sebastian Shaw), Jennifer Lawrence (Raven / Mystique), Rose Byrne (Moira MacTaggert), January Jones (Emma Frost).
Original Music: Henry Jackman. Costume Design: Sammy Sheldon.

Young Adult
Soon after her divorce, a fiction writer returns to her home in small-town Minnesota, looking to rekindle a romance with her ex-boyfriend, who is now married with kids.  
Director: Jason Reitman. 
Cast: Charlize Theron (Mavis Gary), Patrick Wilson (Buddy Slade).
Writing: Diablo Cody (screenplay).
Original Music: Rolfe Kent. Cinematography: Eric Steelberg. Film Editing: Dana E. Glauberman. Costume Design: David C. Robinson.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS PRE-SELECTION

A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) 8.6
A married couple are faced with a difficult decision, to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimers. Iran
Director: Asghar Farhadi.

A Simple Life (Tao jie) 8.2
Hong-Kong
Director: Ann Hui.

Breathing (Atmen) 7.5

A 19-year-old is coming out of prison and trying to build a new life but he can't deal with his guilt.

Austria

Director: Karl Markovics.


Bullhead (Rundskop) 7.7
The young Limburg cattle farmer Jacky Vanmarsenille is approached by an unscrupulous veterinarian to make a shady deal with a notorious West-Flemish beef trader. But the assassination of a federal policeman, and an unexpected confrontation with a mysterious secret from Jacky's past, set in motion a chain of events with farreaching consequences. BULLHEAD is an exciting tragedy about fate, lost innocence and friendship, about crime and punishment, but also about conflicting desires and the irreversibility of a man's destiny.
Belgium
Director: Michaël R. Roskam.

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (Tropa de Elite 2 - O Inimigo Agora É Outro) 8.3
After a prison riot, Captain Nascimiento, now a high ranking security officer in Rio de Janeiro, is swept into a bloody political dispute that involves government officials and paramilitary groups. Brazil
Director: José Padilha.


Footnote (Hearat Shulayim) 7.5
Eliezer and Uriel Shkolnik are father and son as well as rival professors in Talmudic Studies. When both men learn that Eliezer will be lauded for his work, their complicated relationship reaches a new peak. 

Israel
Director: Joseph Cedar.

José & Pilar (José e Pilar) 8.8
"José and Pilar," a documentary by Miguel Gonçalves Mendes, is a deeply moving story about love, loss and literature. It follows the days of José Saramago, the Nobel-laureate Portuguese novelist, and his wife, Pilar del Rio. The film shows their whirlwind life of international travel, his passion for completing his masterpiece, "The Elephant's Journey" and how their love quietly sustains them throughout. "Jose and Pilar" reveals the hidden Saramago, unravels any preconceived notions about him, and proves that genius and simplicity are indeed compatible. It is a funny and touching portrait on the endurance of the artistic spirit. A glimpse into the life of one of the greatest creators of the 20th century, it shows us that, as Saramago says, "There is always another way to say everything." Portugal
Director: Miguel Gonçalves Mendes.


Le Havre 7.6

When an African boy arrives by cargo ship in the port city of Le Havre, an aging shoe shiner takes pity on the child and welcomes him into his home.

Finland
Director: Aki Kaurismäki.

Miss Bala 7.5
The story of a young woman clinging on to her dream to become a beauty contest queen in a Mexico dominated by organized crime. 

Mexico
Director: Gerardo Naranjo.

Monsieur Lazhar 7.8
An Algerian immigrant is hired to replace an elementary school teacher who died tragically. 

Canada
Director: Philippe Farardeau.


Montevideo: Taste of a Dream (Montevideo, bog te video: Prica prva) 7.9
A story about one team that decides to follow a dream that takes them on a journey to the First World Football Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930. A dream that allows them to become true stars and living legends.Serbia
Director: Dragan Bjelogrlic.


Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Bir Zamanlar Anadolu'da) 8.5
A group of men set out in search of a dead body in the Anatolian steppes. Turkey
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan.


Pina 7.7
A tribute to choreographer Pina Bausch. Germany
Director: Win Wenders.


Tilt 7.5
TILT is a love story set against the backdrop of the changing political and social environment in Europe in the late 80's and early 90's. Can this love survive the challenges of emigration, a violent homeland and immoral social atmosphere thanks to a gang of adventurous friends?. Bulgaria
Director: Viktor Chouchkov.


The Turin Horse (A Torinói ló) 8.3
1889. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche witnessed the whipping of a horse while traveling in Turin, Italy. He tossed his arms around the horse's neck to protect it then collapsed to the ground. In less than one month, Nietzsche would be diagnosed with a serious mental illness that would make him bed-ridden and speechless for the next eleven years until his death. But whatever did happen to the horse? This film, which is Tarr's last, follows up this question in a fictionalized story of what occurred. The man who whipped the horse is a rural farmer who makes his living taking on carting jobs into the city with his horse-drawn cart. The horse is old and in very poor health, but does its best to obey its master's commands. The farmer and his daughter must come to the understanding that it will be unable to go on sustaining their livelihoods. The dying of the horse is the foundation of this tragic tale.Hungary
Director: Béla Tarr.


Volcano (Eldfjall) 7.8
Hannes is an old man who has grown apart from his children. Recently retired when his wife gets ill he tries to reconcile with them and to atone for his cold demeanor in the past. 

Iceland
Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson.


Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (Sàidékè balái) 7.9
During the Japanese rule of Taiwan, the Seediq were forced to lose their own culture and give up their faith. Taiwan
Director: Te-Sheng Wei.


Where Do We Go Now? (Et maintenant, on va où?) 7.7

A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village.

Libanon
Director: Nadine Labaki.