Category: Drama

Cadillac Records

Cast: Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Eamonn Walker, Beyonce Knowles, Cedric the Entertainer, Gabrielle Union, Mos Def, and Norman Reedus

Written by: Darnell Martin

Directed by: Darnell Martin

Genre: Biography, Drama, Music

Running Time: 1 hour, 49 minutes

Released: November 24, 2008 (U.S.)

MPAA Rating: R

Adrien’s Role: Len Chess

Adrien plays a slightly sanitized version of Leonard Chess, founder of Chess Records, a pioneering blues and rock n’ roll label. Adrien’s version of Len Chess is mainly concerned with getting black artists heard. The real Chess was more concerned with making money, and not giving the artists much of it. Continue reading “Cadillac Records”

A Matador’s Mistress

Side Note

This movie is also known as Manolete, The Passion Within, or Blood and Passion.

manolete1
When Manolo met Lupe

Cast: Adrien Brody, Penelope Cruz, Santiago Segura, Josep Linuesa, Nacho Aldeguer

Written by: Menno Meyjes

Directed by: Menno Meyjes

Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance

Running Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes

Released: September 6, 2008 (Toronto Film Festival)

MPAA Rating: Not Rated (I would say PG-13, leaning toward R)

Background

Adrien trained with a dialect coach for this film, but ended up using his own voice/accent, with a few random words pronounced accurately. Sort of like an American newscaster (you know what I’m talking about).

I’m not sure why this happened, given the character he played was a real person born and raised in Spain. Perhaps trying the accent was distracting him too much from the emotional parts, so they scrapped it. Whatever the reason, it’s distracting to have the lead sound American, when everyone else sounds Spanish.

Continue reading “A Matador’s Mistress”

Hollywoodland

Cast: Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane, Robin Tunney, Bob Hoskins, Molly Parker, Zach Mills, Kathleen Robertson, Larry Cedar, Jeffrey DeMunn, Lois Smith…

Written by: Paul Bernbaum

Directed by: Allen Coulter

Genre: Crime, Drama

Running Time: 2 hours, 6 minutes

Released: August 31, 2006 (Italy); September 8 in the U.S.

MPAA Rating: R

Background

George Reeves, the man who played Superman on the original television series, passed away via suicide in June of 1959. Some people believed his death was suspicious. At the very least, the circumstances surrounding Reeves’ life and death were somewhat complicated. This film explores many scenarios for what could have happened that night, and it’s very interesting to watch those play out.

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The Jacket

Cast: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kris Kristopherson, Daniel Craig, McKenzie Phillips…

Written by: Massy Tadjedin, Marc Rocco, and Tom Bleeker

Directed by: John Maybury

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Running Time: 1 hour, 43 minutes

Released: January 23, 2005 (Sundance Film Festival)

MPAA Rating: R

In my top 10 Adrien Brody movies, The Jacket is number six. So, obviously, I enjoy it. There are just nitpicky things (or maybe valid) things that keep it from scoring higher.

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The Village

Noah and Ivy

Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Brendan Gleeson, Sigourney Weaver, Jayne Atkinson, Cherry Jones, Judy Greer, Fran Kranz, Michael Pitt, Jesse Eisenberg…

Written and Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Drama

Running Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes

Released: July 26, 2004 (U.S.)

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Synopsis

It’s difficult to tell you much about The Village without spoilers, so I will be vague, and put most of my focus on Adrien’s performance.

The safest synopsis I can give you is: People in an isolated community live their lives according to specific rules handed down by the elders. However, younger residents seek to challenge said rules for the good of others.

There, I think that’s a general enough summary.

Continue reading “The Village”

The Pianist

We’re here, guys! We’ve finally reached The Pianist!

Cast: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Emilia Fox, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Ed Stoppard, Jessica Kate Myer, Julia Rayner, Daniel Caltagirone, Andrzej Blumenfeld, Valentine Pelka, Ruth Platt, Ronan Vibert, Andrew Tiernan…

Written by: Wladyslaw Szpilman (memoir), Ronald Harwood (adapted screenplay)

Directed by: Roman Polanski

Genre: Drama, History, Biography

Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Release: May 24, 2002 (Cannes Film Festival); December 4, 2002 (U.S.)

MPAA Rating: R

 

 

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The Affair of the Necklace

Cast: Hilary Swank, Jonathan Pryce, Simon Baker, Adrien Brody, Brian Cox, Joely Richardson, Christopher Walken, and Hayden Panettiere.

Written by: John Sweet

Directed by: Charles Shyer

Genre: History, Drama (“Costume Drama”)

Running Time:1 hour, 58 minutes

Release: November 20, 2001 (U.S.A)

MPAA Rating: R

Continue reading “The Affair of the Necklace”

Love the Hard Way

hardway
Why does this publicity photo make this movie seem like it’s a romantic comedy, or something? 😉

Cast: Adrien Brody, Charlotte Ayanna, Jon Seda, August Diehl, Pam Grier, Liza Jessie Peterson, Elizabeth Regen, and Katherine Moennig

Written by: Wang Shuo (source material), Peter Sehr and Marie Noelle (screenplay)

Directed by: Peter Sehr

Genre: Drama, Crime, Romance

Running Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes

Release: August 8, 2001 (Locarno Film Festival)

MPAA Rating: R

Note

This movie was marketed as if it was made after The Pianist. It was not. The presence of the World Trade Center towers should be enough evidence of that. They just wanted to sell DVDs on the back of Adrien’s Oscar win. I can’t fault them, though… it’s a good strategy.

Continue reading “Love the Hard Way”

Bread And Roses

BREAD_AND_ROSES (183)

Cast: Pilar Padilla, Adrien Brody, Elpidia Carrillo, Jack McGee, Alonso Chavez, George Lopez… there are also several actor cameos in a party scene.

Written by: Paul Laverty

Directed by: Ken Loach

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Released: May 10, 2000 (Cannes Film Festival)

MPAA Rating: R
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Harrison’s Flowers

Cast: Andie MacDowell, David Strathairn, Adrien Brody, Brendan Gleeson, Elias Koteas…

Written by: Élie Chouraqui, Didier Le Pêcheur, Isabel Ellsen, Michael Katims

Directed by: Élie Chouraqui

Genre: Drama, War, Romance

Running Time: 2 hours, 1 minute

Released: September 23, 2000 (Spain); March 15, 2002 (U.S.)

MPAA Rating: R

Continue reading “Harrison’s Flowers”