stuart's - Lesser Known Gems List
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Set in 1970's Santa Barbara, '20th Century Women' is the story of Dorothea (Annette Bening), a single mother, and her son Jamie, as he comes of age at a time brimming with cultural change and rebellion. As life challenges both of them in new ways, Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women in Jamie's upbringing; Abbie (Greta Gerwig), a free-spirited punk artist living as a lodger in their home, and Julie (Elle Fanning), a savvy and provocative teenage neighbour. - Director:
- Mike Mills
- Cast:
- Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig
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A love story about divorce. A marriage coming apart and a family coming together. 'Marriage Story' is a hilarious and harrowing, sharply observed and deeply compassionate film from the acclaimed writer-director Noah Baumbach. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson deliver tour-de-force performances as Charlie, a charismatic New York theater director wedded to his work, and Nicole, an actor, who is ready to change her own life. Their hopes for an amicable divorce fade as they are drawn into a system that pits them against each other and forces them to redefine their relationship and their family. Featuring bravura, finely drawn supporting turns from Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, and Laura Dern - who won an Academy Award for her performance here - as the trio of lawyers who preside over the legal battle, 'Marriage Story' (nominated for six Academy Awards including best picture) is a work of both intimacy and scope that ultimately invokes hope amid the ruins. - Director:
- Noah Baumbach
- Cast:
- Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Greer
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Wild Tales (2014)Relatos Salvajes
From director Damian Szifron and producer Pedro Almodovar comes six stories, each exploring a different facet of revenge and the various brilliant, mad, toe-curling and hilarious flavours in which it can be dished out. Whether it's taking out a belligerent crime lord, getting even with officious parking enforcement, retribution for infidelity, or good old fashioned road rage, 'Wild Tales' takes acts of vengeance for infuriating, often all too familiar situations and blows them out to a bitter and hysterical end in this outrageous, tense and ferociously funny dark comedy. - Director:
- Damián Szifrón
- Cast:
- Darío Grandinetti, María Marull, Mónica Villa
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Headhunters (2011)Hodejegerne
Roger Brown is successful, charismatic and always gets what he wants. By day he is an unrivalled corporate head-hunter and husband to his beautiful wife Diana, but by night is a prolific art thief with a keen eye for great antiquities. However, Roger's ambition soon gets the better of him as he is lured into a dangerous game of cat and mouse when he goes after the biggest heist of his life, only to discover his victim is also a skilled head-hunter in the most literal sense. - Director:
- Morten Tyldum
- Cast:
- Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
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19 year-old Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges) unexpectedly returns home to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve morning. Ben’s mother, Holly (Julia Roberts), is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son staying clean. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother's undying love for her son is tested as she does everything in her power to keep him safe. 'Ben is Back' also stars Courtney B. Vance (The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story) and Kathryn Newton (Lady Bird). - Director:
- Peter Hedges
- Cast:
- Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance
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Elizabeth Olsen stars as a rookie FBI agent tasked with solving the brutal murder of a young woman in a Native American reserve. Enlisting the help of a local hunter (Jeremy Renner) to help her navigate the freezing wilderness, the two set about trying to find a vicious killer hidden in plain sight. The closer they get to the truth the greater the danger becomes with a town full of explosive secrets ready to fight back. - Director:
- Taylor Sheridan
- Cast:
- Kelsey Chow, Jeremy Renner, Julia Jones
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