Mat Damon is the informant!
Genre: Drama, Thriller and a Crime story, with a touch of Comedy

Studio: Groundswell Productions, Participant Media, Section Eight

Release date: September 18, 2009

Director: Steven Soderbergh (Academy Award Winner, for his movie Traffic) is highly critically acclaimed director from America. He is a multi talented artist, and has been working as an actor, writer, editor, cinematographer and director, in the past. Steven Soderberg’s most famous movies are: Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve; Ocean’s Thirteen, The Good German, and most recent movie Che (about Cuban leader Che Guevara).

Writer: Kurt Eichenwald is an American investigative reporter and a writer of the book The Informant, which inspired Soderberg to make this movie. New York Times announced that this is one of the best nonfiction books in the last decade, and the book became an international bestseller!

Writer, producer and director Scott Z. Burns, made an adaptation of the book, and wrote a movie script for The Informant. This BAFTA Nominee worked closely with the book author and the director himself, and stated that the outcome (script) is absolutely satisfying and authentic.

Cast: Matt Damon is a Boston born actor, known for his famous roles of good guys and undercover agents. He is an Academy Award winner, and is equally known as a talented and creative writer. Damon has worked with many famous directors in the past and he was (as director stated) Soderbergh’s first pick for the role of Mark Whitacre. His biggest roles so far were in these movies: The Bourne Trilogy, Che and Ocean’s Trilogy (where he worked with Soderbergh), Dogma, Good Will hunting, Talented Mr. Ripley etc.

Melanie Lynskey is playing a role of Ginger Whitacre. This actress is well known from Up in the Air, Away We Go and TV series Two and a Half Men.

Scott Bacula – Golden Globe winner is excellent in a role of FBI special agent Brian Shepard. His most popular TV series are: Enterprise, Quantum Leap, Murphy Brown, Mr & Mrs Smith

Plot summary: The informant follows the main character Marc Whitacre. He is working as an employee in a lysine company called ADM, and has been working hard, for years, finally managing to find his way into the higher company management. But, he is not at all aware what is going to happen to him – not only his career will escalate – he will have to start working for the FBI as an undercover spy.

Whitacre is pressured into becoming a spy and his task is to find out everything he can, about the illegal price fixing his company is connected to. Although his tasks are perfectly clear, he starts tripping that he is a real FBI agent, and as he starts living this fixation, everything around him starts falling apart.

He becomes very dangerous for his company, his family starts suffering, and his life is in danger, because he forgets his true identity and embraces the imaginary one, 100% fictional.

Recommendation: No one can tell a story about people’s character better than Steven Soderbergh, and at the same time, no one can portray a confused “small” man better than Matt Damon. These two have created a must see movie, so be sure to watch it, once it comes to your nearest cinema!

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…
Genre: Hilarious Comedy, with a hint of Action
Studio: Legendary Pictures
Release date: June 5, 2009

Tagline: Some guys just can’t handle Vegas!

Director: Brooklyn born artist Todd Phillips is equally successful as a director, writer, producer and (rarely) an actor. He is currently working on a movie Due Date, and his most famous achievements so far are films: frat House, Road trip, Starsky & Hutch, School for Scoundrels. He is very famous for directing hilarious, often dark, comedies.

Writer: The screenplay for The Hangover was made by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The two have already worked on various very successful movies like: Four Christmases, Full of it, Rebound and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

Ed Helms is playing the role of nerdy Stu Price, the man who just doesn’t have any luck, and whose life is about to change in Vegas. This brilliant actor has been working on: The Night at the Museum, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Monsters vs. Aliens, The Office and Family Guy; so you probably know him from these movies or TV shows.

Zach Galifianakis is also an excellent addition to the cast – witty, funny and charming, he is portraying Alan garner, troublemaker. Galifianakis has also been very active in the past few years, playing in American dad, Into the Wild, Wonder Showzen etc.

One of the funniest roles in the movie is the one played by hilarious Ken Jeong. He is portraying Mr. Chow, and you will surely be laughing every time he hits the screen. Recently, Jeong has been spectacular in the TV hit series Community.
Finally let us introduce the lady in the movie – heather Graham, she is playing jade, and is really stunning, charming and beautiful as always. (Her biggest success so far is Austin Powers: The Spy who shagged me).
There is one special cameo in The Hangover; we have to mention – Mike Tyson. Former sport superstar and the boxing World Champion is credited as himself and you will love his character.
Plot summary: Doug and Tracy are getting married. Before the wedding, Dog hits Vegas with his best friends and her brother, in order to have fun and party before he gets married. His friends are immature, his wife’s brother is even worse, but they are all keen and eager to party.

Once they get to Vegas, trouble begins. After one wild night, guys wake up with the worst hangover, Doug is missing, and they have no clue what happened last night. Their suite is ruined, they are exhausted and barely alive, and the worst part is – they have just few hours to find Doug and clean up this mess because they have a wedding to attend.

Recommendation: This is a real funny comedy we have been waiting for. Go out with your friends, check out The Hangover and have fun, watching how our heroes solve some crazy problems and try to survive the craziest night of their lives!

11 TOUCHING STORIES ABOUT LOVE AND NEW YORK
Genre: Melodrama, Romance with a hint of Comedy

Studio: Vivendi Entertainment

Release date: October 16, 2009

Directors: New York I love you, is a movie consisting of eleven short features, directed by various artists, and approximately 10 minutes long. Each director is a very famous name, and in a way connected to NY (either born there, or currently residing in the city).

Here is the list of directors and their most famous movies:
Fatih Akin (Gegen Die Wand / Head On)
Yvan Attal (I got a woman, Happily ever after)
Allen Hughes (Dead Presidents, American Pimp)
Brett Ratner (Red Dragon, W-Man, Blue Blood)
Shunji Iwai (Suwaroteiru, Undo)
Wen Jiang (The Sun Also Rises)
Joshua Marston (Maria Full of Grace, Bitter Memories)
Mira Nair (Monsoon Rain, Amelia, Vanity Fair)
Natalie Portman (actress: V for Vendetta, Star Wars, and Garden State)
Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age)
And Randall Balsmeyer – who directed transmissions

Writer: Emmanuel Benbihy is the writer of the whole New York I Love You concept, and each director worked on further developing his own story. Benbihy also worked on a previous selection of films inspired by one legendary city – Paris je t’aime. (Movies inspired by Shanghai, Rio and Jerusalem are currently in development).

Cast: This movie (actually, these short movies) gathered spectacular cast: Hollywood stars, European icons, legendary actors, and brilliant newcomers. Here is the list of famous faces you will see in New York I Love You, and their most memorable roles so far:
Andy Garcia (Things to do in Denver when You’re dead, Desperate Measures, Twisted)
Bradley Cooper (Hangover, Nip/Tuck, Yes Man)
Shia LaBeouf (Transformers, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
Blake Lively (Gossip Girl)
Robin Wright Penn (What Just Happened, Beowolf, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, Forest Gump)
Hayden Christensen (Star Wars, The Virgin Suicides)
Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Troy, Haven)
Christina Ricci (Sleepy Hollow, Prozac Nation, The Ice Storm)
Rachel Bilson (The O.C, Unbroken, The Last Kiss)
Ethan Hawke (Reality Bites, Gattaca, Before Sunrise)
and many more

Plot summary: New York is the city that never sleeps, a big apple embracing millions of people from all over the world. Every moment of every day, love is in the air in NY. This movie shows us different stories and destinies of New Yorkers who are spontaneous, love seeking and often quite unhappy. They live, love, hurt and share their secrets with their town, which is totally personalized in this movie. From Tribecca to Brooklyn, through upper-eastside and over Manhattan, love is everywhere and it comes in various shapes and sizes, often charming and beautiful, but still hurtful and painful.

You will meet all kinds of people, different characters and faces, their love life and their wishes. Some of them will be charming, others you will feel sorry for, and there are ones that will remind you of the people you know and love. All in all, you will see how new Yorkers love and live, and all that through the eyes of 11 different marvellous directors.

Recommendation: Spectacular, inspiring and hearth warming! This is a must see, especially if you are a lady, a romantic soul or in love with New York.

Genre: War Drama full of Action and with elements of Dark Comedy.
Tarantino says: “Although this is a war movie, I think it is mainly a spaghetti western”.

Studio: A Band Apart and Zehnte Babelsberg

Release date: Premiered in Cannes
UK release date is August 19, 2009
US release date is August 21, 2009

Director and writer: Quentin Tarantino is a legendary figure of the American cinematography. He is known for breaking the rules and being loved and hated at the same time, for making his movies. Whenever he makes another movie, debates appear about his ideas, originality, and often – brutality he uses often and very much. This movie is a remake of an Italian classic with the same title, but done in a completely new manner, with more humour and improved action scenes. Although it has Tarantino’s typical style and signature, it is quite different than what he did so far.

Quentin Tarantino has signed many excellent movies and you have probably seen them all, his work includes: Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, Deathproof etc.

Cast: First of all, the most important part of the cast – Brad Pitt. This is his first collaboration with Tarantino, and he is playing (brilliantly) Lt. Aldo Raine. Just a reminder, brad Pitt Starred in: The Fight Club, 12 monkeys, Babel, troy, Spy Game and many more.

Melanie Laurent is absolutely fantastic in the role of Shosanna Dreyfus, mysterious girl who will play the main role in the movie’s finale. This young French rising star is just starting her Hollywood career and work with Tarantino. is certainly a great starting point for her!

Eli Roth is an American actor, who already collaborated with Tarantino and his friend Robert Rodriguez, on the movie Grindhouse, Deathproof. In Inglorious Basterds, Roth is playing the part of Sgt. Donny Donowitz.

Christoph waltz is the perfect choice for the main villain. He is portraying German – Hans Landa, and you will love to hate him during the whole movie.

Finally, let us mention one more famous face in this movie – Diane Kruger who is playing Bridget von Hammersmark. This German actress is already a household name in Hollywood and you probably remember her from Troy, Wicker Park, National Treasure and The Hunting Party.

Plot summary: In a Nazi occupied France, the whole family is killed in front of the eyes of young Shossana Dreyfus. The man behind this terrible slaughter is Colonel Hans Landa. Shossana escapes, but the horror and the trauma remain. Few years later, German hero of War Zoller falls in love with her and decides to force her to become part of his life and German high society. Although she is disgusted, she figures out that if she infiltrates in German high society, she can destroy them from the inside, and finally get some revenge.

Parallel story follows The Basterds, Jewish American guerrilla soldiers (led by Brad Pitt) who also have one goal – to kill Nazis, and one particularly – notorious Hand Landa.

Recommendation: This movie needs no recommendation, it speaks for itself. Strong, powerful, witty and fascinating – just like Tarantino loves them. If you admire his work, and love the way he’s moving boundaries – you will be fascinated by Inglorious Basterds!

KEEP YOUR HANDS OF THE HAIR
Genre: Documentary movie with a Comedy written all over
Studio: Roadside Attractions and Kinosmith

Tagline: Daddy, how come I don’t have a good hair?

Director: Jeff Stilson (winner of Primetime Emmys for The Osbournes and The Chris Rock Show).He was a writer, producer, director and even actor in critically acclaimed shows like: Da Ali G Show, MTV VMA’s, Academy Awards Show, and Late Show with David Letterman. Stilson is a true legend among writers and directors of live award shows, and especially reality TV programmes which he has been doing for over a decade. This documentary – Good Hair – gained excellent reviews and established Jeff Stilson as a remarkable documentary director.

Co-writers: Chris Rock is the main idea developer and the person who gathered the whole creative team on this documentary. Co-writers are Jeff Stilson (also a director of this film), Lance Crouther, Paul Marchand, and Chuck Sklar – they are all Rock’s friends and were working with him on Everybody Hates Chris (his super successful TV series).

Cast: This documentary is edited and presented as a series of interviews with famous African American people, who talk about their obsession with hair.

Chris Rock is critically acclaimed actor and he has a wide range of fans among celebrities, so it comes as no surprise that more than 20 famous African Americans agreed to be a part of Good Hair.

Here is a list of those who talk about their “good hair” in this documentary:
Sandra Denton a.k.a Pepa (singer, from a band called Salt’N’Pepa)
Maya Angelou (actress – Down in the Delta, How to make an American Quilt)
Eve (famous rap, r’n’b musician)
Meagan Good (actress – The love Guru, Kevin Hill)
Ice-T (legendary rap musician, and actor – Law&Order: SVU)
KRS-One (famous r’n’b artist)
Raven Symone (actress – Cheetah Girls, Kim Possible, Tinker Bell: The Winter Story)
Kerry Washington (actress – Boston legal, I think I love My Wife, Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

Plot summary: What would you do if your 5-year old daughter would ask you this question: “Daddy, how come I don’t have a good hair?” Well, if you were Chris Rock, you’d make a movie about the “good hair” and investigate the $9 billion dollars industry revolving around black hair.

Rock found a perfect balance between a serious aspect of this topic and funny approach we are all used to, when it comes to this stand-up comedy king. Many famous artists talk about their hair “insecurity” and passion and discuss their experiences (some are hilarious, others are seriously shocking).

Recommendation: Good Hair received excellent critics and won a Special Jury Prize on Sundance Film festival. It is an excellent documentary about the world we live in, beauty and aesthetic norms we are exposed to, and eventually about our need to change our natural look, for no good reason, most of the times. Touchy and hilarious – a definite must see!

Thanks to the “Twilight Saga” and “True Blood”, vampires became the most popular TV/movie characters in the modern pop culture. “Cirque du Freak: Vampire’s Assistant” is riding that wave successfully presenting another side of the life of a vampire.

This movie required great deal of special effects and professional superb makeup and prosthetics done by Brian Sipe, Mark Garbarino and Steve Koch. Some actors stated that they had to wait for 5 hours every day, to get their costume and make up done.

The cast is excellent too. American director Paul Weitz gathered great actors for both leading and supporting roles. John C. Reilly (“9”, “Green Team”, “Step Brothers”) is in the leading role, charming, funny and persuasive as always. Chris Massoglia (practically a newcomer) is playing young Darren Shan, and some Hollywood A-list actors are here as well: Willem Dafoe, Salma Hayek and Academy Award Nominee, brilliant Ken Watanabe.

“Cirque du Freak: Vampire’s Assistant” is a fantastic adventure following a teenage boy who (without knowing) breaks a centuries long truce between two vampire fractions. Ones are calm, and peaceful, called The Vampire Clan, and they never kill their victims. Other group is different, called The Vampaneze and they are a vampire stereotype: they kill and suck blood.

Darren Shan becomes the link between two confronted groups, and is forced to become a part of this fantastic yet very dangerous world, he never thought existed except in his dreams and nightmares. He is a typical teenager; he hangs out with his sidekick and best friend Steve (played by Josh Hutcherson) all the time, and lives a normal, peaceful life. At the local freak show Steve sees that one of the performers is a vampire and reports it to the police who shut the show down.That’s when all the troubles begin, and series of unexpected and fantastic events unveils.

“Cirque du Freak: Vampire’s Assistant” is a great, entertaining and amusing movie, full of fabulous special effects, great concept art and ingenious costumes and masks. It received mixed reviews due to the fact that audience is bit overwhelmed with vampire stories these days. Also, “Cirque du Freak: Vampire’s Assistant” didn’t manage to earn as much as expected as it opened poorly earning only $6 million dollars at the box office.

One of strongest points of the movie “Cirque du Freak: Vampire’s Assistant” is certainly excellent music. Original score was composed by famous Stephen Trask who worked on this occasion with the Hollywood Studio Symphony, an 86 piece orchestra.

Overall this movie is promising great fun, excellent story and few hours well spent at the cinema. Once “Cirque du Freak: Vampire’s Assistant” comes to a cinema near you, don’t miss it!