"The GDR lives on - on 79 square metres!"
[1] GOODBYE, LENIN! (2003)
Director:
Wolfgang Becker
Cast: Daniel
Brühl (Alexander Kerner), Katrin Saß (Christiane Kerner), Maria Simon (Ariane
Kerner), Chulpan Khamatova (Lara), Florian Lukas (Denis), Alexander Beyer
(Rainer), Burghart Klaußner (Robert Kerner), Michael Gwisdek (Director
Klapprath)
Story: East
Germany, 1989. After the harrowing experience of watching her son being
brutally arrested for protesting against the regime, Christiane Kerner falls
into a deep coma. When she finally awakes eight months later, the German
Democratic Republic is no more. To avoid a relapse, her son tries to create the
illusion that nothing has happened. What starts as a simple lie gets more and
more complicated, including fake TV programmes, people impersonating government
officials and more. But can Daniel keep his mother from realizing that their
world is not what it used to be?
Music: Overture
to the opera 'William Tell' by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)
"Some things are not meant to be found"
[2] LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE (2003)
Director: Jan
De Bont
Cast: Angelina
Jolie (Lara Croft), Gerard Butler (Terry Sheridan), Ciaran Hinds (Jonathan
Reiss), Chris Barrie (Hillary), Noah Taylor (Bryce), Djimon Houmsou (Kosa), Til
Schweiger (Sean), Simon Yam (Chen Lo)
Story:
Archaeologist and intrepid explorer Lara Croft starts out on a search
for an underwater temple which will lead her to the legendary Pandora's Box. At
first she is thwarted by a Chinese crime organization led by Chen Lo who is in
league with ruthless criminal Jonathan Reiss who wants to release plague and
pestilence from the Box to put all mankind at his feet.
Music: Flower
Duet from the opera 'Lakme' by Leo Delibes (1836-1891)
"The time has come for those who are different to stand united"
Director: Bryan
Singer
Cast: Patrick
Stewart (Professor Charles Xavier), Hugh Jackman (Logan/Wolverine), Ian
McKellen (Erik Lensherr/Magneto), Halle Berry (Storm), Famke Janssen (Dr Jean
Grey), James Marsden (Scott Summers), Rebecca Rominj-Stamos (Mystique/Raven
Darkholme), Brian Cox (William Stryker), Alan Cumming (Kurt
Wagner/Nightcrawler)
Story: An
attempted murder of the President of the United States is the starting point of
a new war between humans and mutants. Now is the time for all mutants to close
ranks against a common enemy. He is General William Stryker who aims to
eradicate them all. His methods are relentless and include an attack on
Professor Xavier's school. Magneto forms an unlikely alliance with the
Professor to put an end to Stryker's plans.
Music: Romance
from Eine kleine Nachtmusik by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
"He Knows No Fear. He Knows No Danger. He Knows Nothing"
Director: Peter
Howitt
Cast: Rowan
Atkinson (Johnny English), John Malkovich (Pascal Sauvage), Natalie Imbruglia
(Lorna Campbell), Ben Miller (Bough), Douglas McFerran (Vendetta), Tim
Pigott-Smith (Pegasus)
Story: When the
English Crown Jewels are being stolen by dastardly French master criminal
Pascal Sauvage and there is also the threat of abducting the Queen's throne, it
is time for special agent Johnny English to step in. At his disposal is an
arsenal of technical gadgets to put James Bond himself to shame. After several
near tailspins all ends well and Johnny even wins the love of double agent
Lorna Campbell into the bargain.
Music: 'Zadok
the Priest' by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
"An ordinary high school day. Except that it's not"
Director: Gus
Van Sant
Cast: Alex
Frost (Alex), Eric Deulen (Eric), John Robinson (John McGarland), Elias
McConnell (Elias), Jordan Taylor (Jordan), Carrie Finklea (Carrie), Nicole
George (Nicole), Brittany Mountain (Brittany)
Story: The
stars here are actual high school students and we watch them go round their
everyday chores, class work and sports, falling in and out of love. It is a
myriad of small things uniquely well observed at a distance. This is very much
the time of life where everything can change from light to darkness in an
instant. All the while you have an uneasy feeling that something terrible will
happen. And one day it does.
Music: Adagio
(1st movement) from 'Moonlight Sonata' by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
"Trials are too important to be decided by juries"
Director: Gary Fleder
Cast: John
Cusack (Nicholas Easter), Gene Hackman (Rankin Fitch), Dustin Hoffman (Wendell
Rohr), Rachel Weisz (Marlee), Bruce Davison (Durwood Cable), Bruce McGill
(Judge Harkin), Jeremy Piven (Lawrence Green)
Story: A young
widow in New Orleans brings a multi-million-dollar civil suit against a big
company, which she finds responsible for her husband's death. But it is a trial
that can be won before it has started, simply by manipulating the choice of
jury. Rankin Fitch is the jury consultant who knows all about this and will
stop at nothing to get his way. He wages a battle, no holds barred with juror
Nicholas Easter and Wendell Rohr, an idealistic lawyer putting a passionate
case for the widow.
Music: Habanera
from the opera 'Carmen' by Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
"Prepare to be blown out of the water"
[7] PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
(2003)
Director: Gore
Verbinsky
Cast: Johnny
Depp (Jack Sparrow), Geoffrey Rush (Barbossa), Orlando Bloom (Will Turner),
Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann), Jack Davenport (Norrington), Jonathan Pryce
(Governor Weatherby Swann), Lee Arenberg (Pintel)
Story: This is
a swashbuckler movie much in the same vein as those Errol Flynn used to star
in. The era is the time when villainous pirates ruled the Caribbean seas,
waters where merchant ships sailed at their own peril. The story is one of the
rivalry between two pirate captains, with Jack Sparrow on the trail of the
flamboyant Captain Barbossa, trying to recover his ship, The Black Pearl from
him. To his aid comes young blacksmith Will Turner who hopes to win the hand of
fair Elizabeth Swann over the worthy but dull officer her father has in mind
for her.
Music:
Larghetto (3rd movement) from Concerto Grosso Op.6, No.12 by George
Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
"Feel the love"
[8] ANGER MANAGEMENT (2003)
Director: Peter
Segal
Cast: Adam
Sandler (Dave Buznik), Jack Nicholson (Dr Buddy Rydell), Marisa Tomei (Linda),
John Turturro (Chuck), Luis Guzman (Lou), Jonathan Loughran (Nate), Kurt Fuller
(Frank Head), Krista Allen (Stacy)
Story: After a
silly misunderstanding over a headset aboard an airplane when everything
careers completely out of control, diffident businessman Dave Buznik is ordered
by a court to undergo anger management therapy by specialist Dr Bobby Rydell,
whom he had in fact met on the airplane where it all started. Dr Rydell's
highly radical methods include moving in with Buznik who must finally decide to
speak up for himself or go back to square one.
Music: 'I Feel
Pretty' from the musical 'West Side Story' by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
"This ship is our home. This ship is England"
[9] MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (2003)
Director: Peter
Weir
Cast: Russell
Crowe (Capt. Jack Aubrey), Paul Bettany (Dr Stephen Maturin), James D'Arcy (1st
Lt Tom Pullings), Edward Woodall (2nd Lt William Mowett), Chris Larkin (Capt.
Howard, Royal Marines), Max Benitz (Midshipman Calamy)
Story: During
the Napoleonic Wars a British frigate and a French man-of-war pursue each other
off the coast of South America. Master of HMS Surprise is Captain Jack Aubrey,
'Lucky Jim' as he is called by his crew who are behind him to a man. There seems
to be an element of personal vengeance in his ruthless pursuit of the the
French ship. Classical music has a more natural place in this movie than usual,
as Captain Aubrey and the ship surgeon Dr Stephen Maturin relax from battles by
playing music for violin and cello. Also featured are parts from the Mozart Violin Concerto No.3, the Prelude from the first Cello Suite by J.S. Bach and the
Corelli Concerti Grosso Op.6 No.8.
Music: Fantasia
on a Theme of Thomas Tallis (excerpt) by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
"It was the perfect honeymoon ... Until it began"
Director: Shawn
Levy
Cast: Ashton
Kutcher (Tom), Brittany Murphy (Sarah), Christian Kane (Peter Prentiss), David
Moscow (Kyle), Monet Mazur (Lauren), David Rasche (Mr McNerney), Thad
Luckinbill (Willie McNerney), David Agranov (Paul McNerney)
Story: That
there is truth in the saying "For better or for worse" is amply demonstrated to
Sarah and Tom as they start out on their European honeymoon. Not only do they
have to contend with giant cockroaches and eccentric locals, Sarah's
disapproving parents send along her ex-boyfriend, Christian, to make sure that
the honeymoon is a disaster and break up the marriage.
Music: Bridal
Chorus from the opera 'Lohengrin' by Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
"The ultimate catch has met his match"
[11] DOWN WITH LOVE (2003)
Director:
Peyton Reed
Cast: Renee
Zellweger (Barbara Novak), Ewan McGregor (Catcher Block), Sarah Paulsen (Vikki
Hiller), David Hyde Pierce (Peter MacManus), Rachel Dratch (Gladys), Tony
Randall (Theodore Banner), Jack Plotnick (Maurice)
Story: Feminist
writer Barbara Novak is recently down from Maine to New York with a book called
Down With Love to her name. In it she denounces romance and instructs women to
have sex like men and not fall in love. When the book hits the best-seller
lists, journalist Catcher Block is assigned to do an expose on the author but
in the end Love blossoms.
Music: '1812'
Overture by Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Notes by Lars Johansson