Onan

Author: Steve
Location: Lafayette, IN

"Onan"

Directed by Paul Haggis
Written by Mike White & Todd Solondz
Music by Thomas Newman
Director of Photography: Bruno Delbonnel

Principal Cast:

Mike: Jake Gyllenhaal
Magdalena: Catalina Sandino Moreno
Missy: Scarlett Johansson
Dr. Mortensen: Kevin Pollack
Monica: Taraji P. Henson
Matthew: Daniel Dae Kim

Tagline: You don’t think you know who you are? You know who you are. Yeah, you sure do know. Yeah ... yeah, baby, oooooh, yeahhhhhhh.

Synopsis: Gyllenhaal and Moreno play Mike and Magdalena, two Angelenos who are perfect for one another, but never connect. Eventually, Mike and Magdalena turn their search for love to self-love. Meanwhile, Dr. Mortensen’s self-help group splinters under intense pressure. With so many fractured souls seeking connection, but not finding any in the City of Angels, they take their frustrations, passions - and much, much more - in hand for a stunning climax.

With the probing direction of Haggis (Crash), a pounding script by White (Chuck & Buck and Solondz (Happiness, Welcome to the Dollhouse), the playful, pulsating score by Newman (American Beauty, Finding Nemo) and the tasteful cinematography by Delbonnel (Amelie, A Very Long Engagement), Onan can change the world ... one viewer at a time.

What the press would say:

Jake Gyllenhaal and Catalina Sandino Moreno lead a talented, young, hip and urban multicultural cast in Paul Haggis’ follow-up to the Oscar-winning Crash. Henson and Johansson provide ample support, while Kim and Pollak will break hearts as a loving heterosexual-identified male couple kept apart by a rickety old truck and a calendar overbooked with fishing trips.

Lions Focus Gate Films and George Clooney Intl. Ltd. are campaigning for the following honors:

Best Picture
Best Director: Paul Haggis
Best Screenplay: Mike White, Todd Solondz
Best Score: Thomas Newman
Best Song: "I Wanna Be Loved By Me, By Me and Nobody Else But Me," Dolly Parton
Best Cinematography: Bruno Delbonnel
Best Actor: Jake Gyllenhaal
Best Actress: Catalina Sandino Moreno
Best Supp. Actor: Kevin Pollack, Daniel Dae Kim
Best Supp. Actress: Taraji P. Henson, Scarlett Johansson

The Great Gatsby (Minghella)

Author: Todd
Location: New Jersey

"The Great Gatsby"

Director: Anthony Minghella
Writer: Paul Haggis
Score: Thomas Newman
Featuring the Song “American Dream” by Annie Lennox

Principal Cast:

Gatsby: Jude Law
Daisy: Julia Roberts
Nick: Matt Damon
Jordan: Reese Witherspoon
Wolfsheim: Al Pacino
Tom Buchanan: John C. Reilly

Tagline: We’re all searching for our own American Dream. Find yours
this November.

Synopsis: Oscar winner Anthony Minghella brings an epic feel to Paul Haggis’dialogue heavy adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Two time Oscar nominee Jude Law stars as the suave but emotionally unstable Jay Gatsby, who reinvents his image to win the affection of his long lost love, Daisy,played by Oscar winner Julia Roberts, who has married the overbearing and racistTom, played by Oscar nominee John C. Reilly. Examining the culture of high society America in the 1920s we meet the morally flexible Jordan (Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon) and the corrupt gambler Wolfsheim (Oscar Winner Al Pacino).

What the press would say:

Anthony Minghella’s best film since his award winning The English Patient is this powerful recreation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American classic, The Great Gatsby. Paul Haggis shows the same incredible talent that got him Oscar nominations for Million Dollar Baby and Crash with incredible drama and superb dialogue. Re-teaming with Minghella are Jude Law,who plays the title character, the womanizing, wealthy Gatsby, and Matt Damon as the narrator of this incredible story. Law is superb, as is the object of hisdesire, the always winning Julia Roberts. Equally impressive is the always delightful Reese Witherspoon as Nick’s love interest, Jordan. John C. Reilly is memorable as Daisy’s racist husband, and Al Pacino is a scene stealer asWolfsheim, one of Gatsby’s shady associates.

For Your Consideration:

Best Picture
Best Director: Anthony Minghella
Best Actor: Jude Law
Best Actress: Julia Roberts
Best Supporting Actor: John C. Reilly
Best Supporting Actor: Al Pacino
Best Supporting Actress: Reese Witherspoon
Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Haggis
Best Score: Thomas Newman
Best Song: Annie Lennox- American Dream
And All Other Categories

Carter

Author: Jordan
Location: New York

"Carter"

Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Produced by: Martin Scorsese and Michael Man
Written by: Stephen Gaghan and John Logan
Music by: Hans Zimmer

Principal Cast:

Thomas Hayden Church as Jimmy Carter
Annette Bening as Rosalyn Carter
Judi Dench as Lillian Carter
Daniel Day Lewis as James Earl Carter, Sr
Alan Alda as Walter Mondale
James Gandolfini as Gerald R. Ford
Tommy Lee Jones as Ronald Reagan
Jeff Daniels as James R. Schlessinger
Geoffrey Rush as Harold Brown
Morgan Freeman as Anwar al-Sadat
Shelley Berman as Menachim Begin
Gary Oldman as George H.W. Bush

Tagline: Beneath the surface of the 39th President, there was a man…

Release Date
October 5, 2007

Synopsis: As former President Jimmy Carter prepares to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, he reflects on his life. He recalls his early youth and how he spent it on a peanut farm run by his Baptist parents. He recalls the changing times during World War II and Vietnam. He recalls his years as governor of Georgia before becoming President of the United States and urging for global peace and prosperity. Jimmy Carter, while only serving one term in office, challenges the boundaries of the presidency by ignoring the practices of congress. He looks to his wife, Rosalyn, for help in his darkest hours, and is forced to face the facts when he loses an unsuccessful re-election campaign in 1980. This is the story of a simple man’s life, from farm boy to president. This is the story of Jimmy Carter.

What the press would say:

“Carter” has been in development for nearly a decade now, yet buzz never seemed to fade away. Martin Scorsese, who took on the project after Oliver Stone dropped out, jumps ship from his typical gangster films, like he did with “The Age of Innocence” in 1993, and directs an excellent ensemble cast in a bold and daring political biography. Thomas Haden Church gives a breathtaking performance as Jimmy Carter, and while hidden under a few layers of prosthetics, he hits the 39th president just right. It’ll be Church who will walk away with the Oscar for Best Actor come Oscar night. Annette Bening also offers a career best as Carter’s passionate yet questioning wife, Rosalyn, who feels trapped with her life in the White House. Great supporting performances come from Alan Alda as obscure Vice President Walter Mondale, Judi Dench as Carter’s mother, and Tommy Lee Jones in a scene-stealing role as Ronald Reagan. The film is a lock for a Best Picture nomination, and it looks like Scorsese should be getting that Oscar he so rightfully deserves.

Nominations:

Best Picture- Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann
Best Actor- Thomas Hayden Church
Best Actress- Annette Bening
Best Supporting Actor- Alan Alda
Best Supporting Actress- Judi Dench
Best Director- Martin Scorsese
Best Adapted Screenplay- Stephen Galghan, John Logan
Best Score- Hans Zimmer
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design

Chain Reaction

Author: Brian Erickson
Location: Unknown

"Chain Reaction"

Directed by Ang Lee
Written by Akiva Goldsman
Score by Danny Elfman

Principal Cast:

Gene Hackman (The Current Ray Farson)
Amy Adams (Carrie Farson, Ray’s wife who is too nice and forgiving for her own good)
George Clooney (Harry Farson, Ray’s autistic brother who lives with him throughout life)
Tom Hanks (The Middle-Aged Ray Farson)
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Young Ray Farson)
Jennifer Connely (Carrie’s lifelong friend, Kate McClintock)
Morgan Freeman (Radio Personality Mike Henders)

Tagline: Love is more than a spark.

Synopsis: Ray Farson’s story begins at age 21, when he lights his first cigarette. Ray becomes more and more addicted to the nicotine, and goes through marriage, the caretaking of his autistic brother and American history from the years 1946-2005, all while burning tobacco. The film is told by the current Ray Farson, doing an interview on Henders’ Heroes, a show that interviews random people. Ray experiences the health risks of smoking and the risks we all take in everyday life.

What the press would say:

In one of the most innovative and original films of recent history, “Chain Reaction” features an all star cast, a darkly funny and dramatic script and one of the most mysterious characters in movie history. The part of Ray Farson is so complex and otherworldly, it takes three of today’s best actors to pull off the role. While Ray is doubtlessly the main character of the film, Amy Adams and George Clooney give leading performances as the family that stays by him through thick and thin. Akiva Goldsman (The DaVinci Code, Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind) writes, Oscar winner Ang Lee directs and 3-time Oscar nominee Danny Elfman provides a beautiful original score. The film is up for an amazing 15 Oscar nods, listed below.

Best Picture
Best Director (Ang Lee)
Best Actor (George Clooney)
Best Actress (Amy Adams)
Best Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman, Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio)
Best Original Screenplay (Avika Goldsman)
Best Original Score (Danny Elfman)
Best Original Song (“Spark” by Bruce Springsteen)
Best Film Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Sound Editing
Best Costume Design
Best Art Direction

The Piano Tuner

Author: Jeremy
Location: London, England

"The Piano Tuner"

Directed by: Roman Polanski
Written by: Daniel Mason (novel)
Paul Haggis (screenplay)
Music by: Thomas Newman

Principal Cast:

Adrien Brody (Edgar Drake)
Kate Winslet (Katherine Drake)
Liam Neeson (Anthony Caroll)
Zhang Ziyi (Khin Myo)
Colin Firth (Capt. Nash-Burnham)

Tagline: And then she too disappears...

Synopsis: On a misty London afternoon in 1886, piano tuner Edgar Drake receives a strange request from the War Office; he must leave his wife, and his quite life in London, to travel to the jungles of Burma to tune a rare Erard grand piano. The piano belongs to Surgeon-Major Anthony Caroll, and enigmatic British officer, whose sucess at making peace in the war-torn Shan States is legendary, but whose unorthodox methods have begun to attract suspicions.

What the press would say:

Adrien Brody played the haunting character of Edgar Drake. There's a parallel between his performance in this film and in The Pianist. Brody loss weight gradually whilst filming because his character is infiltrating burma for several days without any proper food. Liam Neeson played the mysterious Anthony Caroll perfectly. His sly delivery of lines made the audience focus on him. Zhang Ziyi stole the show as the seductive and mysterious Khin Myo. Zhang took the audience in another dimension and made them felt that they are walking in the streets of Mandalay.

Best Picture
Best Director
Best adapted screenplay
Best actor: Adrien Brody
Best actor: Liam Neeson
Best supporting actress: Zhang Ziyi
Best supporting actor: Colin Firth
Best Cinematography
Best acheivement in art direction
best cinematography
best costume
best original score
best in sound editing
best achievement in sound

Leather

Author: Brett
Location: Wisconsin

"Leather"

Directed by Sam Mendes
Written by Alan Ball
Music by Mark Mothersbaugh

Principal Cast:

Jim Carrey as John Rapaport
Kristin Davis as Julie Rapaport
Famke Janssen as Madame Celeste
Catherine Keener as Madame Lucerne
Giovanni Ribisi as Lyle Wallace
Natalie Portman as Lacie Wallace
Scarlett Johannson as Luella Baker

Tagline: What's hidden in your closet?

Synopsis: John Rapaport (Carrey) is a middle aged vitamin salesman going through a rut in his marriage. His over exhausted wife Julie (Davis) is too preoccupied with her job to have a sexual appetite, leaving John starving for attention. Then, one day at a pharmaceutical convention, John meets the beautiful Celeste Hutton (Janssen). intrigued by her beauty, John starts a secretive affair with Celeste, only to discover she is a dominatrix by night. John continues his affair by frequently visiting Celeste at her place of work, Leather Inc., headed by the abrasive but sexy Madame Lucerne (a never better Catherine Keener). Following his sexual revelation, John introduces his new addiction of domination to his naive neighbor Lyle (Ribisi). However, when Julie and Lyle's wife Laci (Portman) discover their husbands endeavors, they engage in a sly and vindictive sexual retaliation with the help of a gorgeous call girl (Johannson). Soon, the battle of the sexes escalates into a full blown war of whips and chains.

What the press would say:

The Academy Award Winning team that brought you American Beauty delivers another intriguing Comedy starring the marvelously subdued Jim Carrey. Carrey's performance is not only complemented by the team of Mendes and Ball, but also that of the scene-stealing performances of the glorious Catherine Keener, the disarming Famke Janssen, and the
endearing Giovanni Ribisi. This sexy and hard-as-nails film takes you places cinema has never dared to go before! The early Oscar campaign is pushing for these nods:

Best Director: Sam Mendes
Best Original Screenplay: Alan Ball
Best Actor: Jim Carrey
Best Actress: Catherine Keener
Best Supporting Actor: Giovanni Ribisi
Best Supporting Actress: Famke Janssen
Best Costume Design: Colleen Atwood
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki

Casablanca

Author: Alex
Location: Seattle, WA

"Casablanca"

Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by Paul Haggis
Music by John Williams

Principal Cast:

George Clooney (Rick Blaine)
Rachel Weisz (Ilsa Lund)
Liev Schreiber (Victor Laszlo)
Morgan Freeman (Sam)
Anthony Hopkins (Captain Renault)
Ciarán Hinds (Major Stasser)
Bob Hoskins (Signor Ferrari)
Steve Buscemi (Signor Ugarte)

Tagline: "Play It, Sam…Play “As Time Goes By”." 11/1/07

Synopsis: The classic tale of love and adventure is now in the hands of seven-time Oscar nominee Martin Scorsese. Oscar-winning writer Paul Haggis is expected to revive this epic with the best screenplay in years. Oscar-winning actors such as George Clooney, Rachel Weisz, Morgan Freeman, and Anthony Hopkins, along with Liev Schreiber will star. John Williams will compose the score.

What the press would say:

Martin Scorsese is hoping to at last win his overdue Oscar with this classic tale of love and adventure. Filmed in black and white, this remake stars George Clooney, Rachel Weisz, Liev Schreiber, and many more in a film that Bogart, Bergman, and Henreid would be proud to see in theatres. A truly spectacular masterpiece, especially in the Supporting Actor category! As Oscar Season draws closer Warner Brothers is hoping to walk away with as many nominations as they can with "Casablanca":

Best Picture
Best Director: Martin Scorsese
Best Actor: George Clooney
Best Actress: Rachel Weisz
Best Supporting Actor: Liev Schreiber
Best Supporting Actor: Morgan Freeman
Best Supporting Actor: Anthony Hopkins
Best Supporting Actor: Ciarán Hinds
Best Supporting Actor: Bob Hoskins
Best Supporting Actor: Steve Buscemi
Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Haggis
Best Score: John Williams
As well as various technical categories…