ajb's - Rented List

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When his son dies of a drug overdose, mild-mannered snow plough driver, Nils (Stellan Skarsgard), refuses to believe the results from the police report. On finding out who was responsible for his son's death, Nils sets out for revenge and justice.

In the process, he becomes embroiled in a drug war between the Serbian mafia and gangster boss, The Count. For an ordinary guy, he soon displays an extraordinary talent for revenge.

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Desperate to free herself from a loveless marriage, an Israeli woman named Viviane Amsalem files for divorce from her cruel and manipulative husband. But Israeli law and its Rabbinical court dictates that a divorce can only be granted under the husband's consent.

Determined to obtain her dignity and freedom Viviane finds herself fighting an epic and deeply dramatic psychological battle against a profoundly absurd legal system and her cold and calculating estranged husband.

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Famously described by the late Ingmar Bergman as "a work of genius", Peter Watkins' multi-faceted masterwork is more than just a biopic of the iconic Norwegian Expressionist painter, it is one of the best films made about the artistic process.

Focusing initially on Munch's formative years in late 19th century Kristiania (now Oslo), Watkins uses his trademark style to create a vivid picture of the emotional, political and social upheavals that would have such an effect on his art. The young artist (Geir Westby) has an affair with "Mrs. Heiberg" (Gro Fraas), a devastating experience that will haunt him for the rest of his life. His work is viciously attacked by critics and public alike and he is forced to leave his home country for Berlin, where, along with the notorious Swedish playwright August Strindberg, he becomes part of the cultural storm that is to sweep Europe.

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Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) sees bis free-wheeling life overturned when he's diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live.

Determined to survive, Woodroof decides to take matters in his own hands by tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal. After finding an unlikely ally in Rayon (Jared Leto), he establishes a hugely successful "buyers' club" and unites a band of outcasts in a struggle for dignity and acceptance that inspires in ways no one could have imagined.

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Martin Scorsese directs this true story of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). From the American dream to corporate greed, Belfort goes from penny stocks and righteousness to IPOs and a life of corruption in the late 80s - earning him the title "The Wolf of Wall Street". Money.

Power. Women. Drugs. Temptations were for the taking and the threat of authority was irrelevant. For Jordan and his wolf pack, more was never enough.

When the banks committed the greatest fraud in US history, four outsiders risked it alt to take them down. Based on the unbelievable true story and best-selling book from the author of 'The Blind Side' and 'Moneyball', critics are calling 'The Big Short' "slick and funny".

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From acclaimed director Pawel Pawlikowski comes "Ida", a poignant and powerfully told drama about 18-year-old Anna, a sheltered orphan raised in a convent, who is preparing to become a nun when she discovers that her real name is Ida and her Jewish parents were murdered during the Nazi occupation.

This revelation triggers a heart-wrenching journey into the countryside, to the family house and into the secrets of the repressed past, evoking the haunting legacy of the Holocaust and the realities of postwar Communism. Powerfully written and eloquently shot, "Ida" is a masterly evocation of a time, a dilemma, and a defining historical moment.

First season honors for The West Wing include the prestigious Peabody Award for excellence in television, plus an unprecedented 9 Emmy Awards that established this powerful drama as the all-time leader in single-season Emmy wins for a debut series.

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Set in Singapore during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, 'Ilo Ilo' chronicles the day-to-day drama of the Lim family - troublesome grade-schooler Jiale and his over-stressed parents, Heck and Leng.

Comfortably middle-class and with another baby on the way, they hire Teresa, a Filipino immigrant, as a live-in maid and nanny. An outsider in both the family and Singapore itself, Teresa initially struggles to manage Jiale's antics and to find her footing in her new community. However, the two eventually form a unique bond, but just as Teresa becomes an unspoken part of the family, unforeseen circumstances in an uncertain economy will challenge the new normal yet again. Touching and beautiful, the film takes the viewer on a life affirming journey through strife, love and loss.

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Inspired by four shocking (and true) events in modern-day capitalist China, 'A Touch of Sin' focuses on four people, living in four different provinces, who are driven to violent ends. An angry miner, enraged by the corruption of his village, decides to take justice into his own hands.

A rootless migrant discovers the infinite possibilities of owning a firearm; a receptionist working at a local sauna is pushed to the limit by a wealthy client; and a young factory worker goes from one discouraging job to the next, only to face increasingly degrading circumstances.

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Julianne Moore gives a unique, moving and Oscar winning performance as successful linguistics professor Alice Howland who, in the midst of her settled life, discovers she has early onset Alzheimer's disease.

As Alice regresses, feeling her memories and personality fading away, she tries to salvage what she can from the remaining moments with her family. Exploring the profound effect that such a devastating revelation can bring, 'Still Alice' is a sincere, sobering and inspiring story about human identity and love.

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Based on the best-selling novel by Lilian Lee, "Farewell My Concubine" is an epic exploration of art, friendship and betrayal.

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of more than fifty years of Chinese history, the film charts the relationship between Cheng (Leslie Cheung) and Duan (Zhang Fengyi), two stars in the Peking Opera troupe, and the woman who comes between them. Chen Kaige's sumptuous and moving epic holds an important place in the history of Chinese-language cinema.

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Once-great actor Serge Tanneur (Fabrice Luchini) spends his days alone, painting second-rate portraits and cycling through the windblown landscape of France's Ile de Re.

One day his old friend Gauthier (Lambert Wilson), a famous TV star, arrives unexpectedly to coax him into a return to the stage, promising him a role in Moliere's classic play, 'The Misanthrope'. At first Serge dismisses the idea but slowly, as the pair's relationship begins to echo the play itself, he finds himself being inextricably drawn in...

A young wide-eyed Christopher (Matt Smith) escapes repressive English society and arrives in Berlin at a time when the cabaret scene is in full swing. Launched into the thriving gay subculture, Christopher embarks on a seminal journey of self-discovery.

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From director Tim Burton, Big Eyes tells the outrageous true story of one of the most epic frauds in history.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, painter Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) had reached success beyond belief, revolutionising the commercialisation of popular art with his enigmatic paintings of waifs with big eyes. The bizarre and shocking truth would eventually be discovered though: Walter's works were actually not created by him at all, but by his wife Margaret (Amy Adams). Big Eyes centres on Margaret's awakening as an artist, the phenomenal success of her paintings, and her tumultuous relationship with her husband, who was catapulted to international fame while taking credit for her work.