The House of the Spirits 1993 R, 145 min. Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Bille August Cast: Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Winona Ryder, Antonio Banderas, Vincent Gallo, Vanessa Redgrave, Maria Conchita Alonso, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sarita Choudhury, Jan Niklas, Teri Polo, Frank(2) Baker, Miriam Colon, Oscar A. Colon
Based on Isabel Allende's novel, this is the tale of 50 years in the lives of three generations of the prominent Trueba family of South America. The story begins in Chile during 1926 when Esteban Trueba (Jeremy Irons) falls in love with Rosa Del Valle (Teri Polo), but she dies. Twenty years later, Esteban meets Rosa's sister Clara (Meryl Streep), and they marry and have a daughter, Blanca. Later, Clara and Blanca (Winona Ryder) move out in order to get away from the violent Esteban. Esteban, who is now a senator, has his sister Ferula (Glenn Close) banned from his home. The country as well as Esteban's family are fighting, but Esteban finally renounces his power and oppression.
|  | |
Pelle the Conqueror 1988 N/R, 150 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Bille August Cast: Max von Sydow, Pelle Hvenegaard, Kristina Tornqvist, Erik Paaske, Bjorn Granath, Troels Asmussen, Astrid Villaume, Axel Stobye, Karen Wegener, Morten Jorgensen
Swedish widower Lasse (Max von Sydow) takes his son, Pelle (Pelle Hvenegaard), to Denmark in hopes of improving their lives. But, they find that life in Denmark is no better than in Sweden. An Oscar was received for Best Foreign Film. Max von Sydow received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
|  | |
Return to Sender 2004 R, 105 min. Genre: Thriller aka: Convicted
Director: Bille August Cast: Connie Nielsen, Aidan Quinn, Kelly Preston, Tim Daly, Mark Holton, Chris Freihofer, Darryl Cox, Mark Ryan, Brian Shoop, Randy Colton
While on death row awaiting execution, convict Charlotte Cory (Connie Nielsen) becomes a pen pal of corrupt lawyer Frank Nitzche (Aidan Quinn) who has corresponded with others on death row and then sold the letters after their executions. But, this time around is different; Frank falls in love with Charlotte and must race against the clock to clear her name.
|  | |
Smilla's Sense of Snow 1997 R, 121 min. Genre: Mystery
Director: Bille August Cast: Julia Ormond, Gabriel Byrne, Robert Loggia, Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent, Mario Adorf, Emma Croft, Bob Peck, Peter Capaldi
A Copenhagen boy falls from the roof of his building and dies in the snow. Smilla (Julia Ormond), daughter of a long-dead Inuit and American doctor (Robert Loggia), is suspicious of circumstances surrounding the death but has her work cut out for her in convincing others of the validity of her doubts.
|  | |
A Song for Martin 2001 PG-13, 118 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Bille August Cast: Sven Wollter, Viveka Seldahl, Reine Brynolfsson, Linda Kallgren, Lisa Werlinder, Peter Engman, Klas Dahlstedt, Lo Wahl, Kristina Tornqvist, Jonna Ekdahl
The perfect marriage of two musicians is tested when Martin (Sven Wollter) is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and the love of his wife, Barbara (Viveka Seldahl), is not enough to change the course of events.
|  | |
| 1. The Best Intentions (1992)
2. The House of the Spirits (1993)
3. Les Miserables (1998)
4. Pelle the Conqueror (1988)
5. Return to Sender (2004) aka: Convicted
6. Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997)
7. A Song for Martin (2001)
In The News
|