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Updated: 9 February 2006 
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JOHN'S MOVIE PICKS

ジョンのおすすめ映画
These movies have not been evaluated for ESL/EFL English learning purposes.
Our visitors and I believe that these are interesting and enjoyable movies.
We want your suggestions!!
Please tell us YOUR MOVIE PICKS on our
suggestion form.
 
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DRAMA
Year - Director
Actors
More Info
Radio 2003 Michael Tollin Ed Harris, Cuba Gooding Jr.
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Billy Elliott 2000 Stephen Daldry Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Gary Lewis
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The Castle 1997 Rob Sitch Michael Caton, Anne Tenney
Info
Whale Rider 2003 Niki Caro Vicky Haughton, Keisha Castle-Hughes
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Swimming Pool 2003 Francois Ozon Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier
Info
Good Will Hunting 1997 Gus Van Sant Robin Williams, Matt Damon
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Antwone (A.Q.) Fisher 2002 Denzel Washington Derek Luke, Joy Bryant, Denzel Washington
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Finding Forrester 2000 Gus Van Sant Rob Brown, Sean Connery
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Dirty Pretty Things 2003 Stephen Frears Audrey Tautou, Chiwetel Ejiofor
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Shine 1996 Scott Hicks Geoffrey Rush
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The Legend of 1900
1998 Giuseppe Tornatore Tim Roth
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Talk to Her 2002 Pedro Almodovar Dario Grandinetti, Javier Camara
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Finding Neverland

2004 Marc Forster Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet
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The Big Blue (Fr. 'Le Grand Bleu') 1988 Luc Besson Jean Reno, Jean-Marc Barr
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Rabbit-Proof Fence 2002 Phillip Noyce David Gulpilil, Ningali Lawford
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Quiz Show 1994 Robert Redford Ralph Fiennes, John Turturro
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Ed TV 1999 Ron Howard Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson
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American History X 1998 Tony Kaye Edward Norton
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Amelie 2001 Jean-Pierre Jeunet Audrey Tautou
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Two Brothers 2004 Jean-Jacques Annaud Guy Pearce, Jean-Claude Dreyfus
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The Straight Story 1999 David Lynch Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek
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The Shipping News 2001 Lasse Hallström Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore
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25th Hour 2002 Spike Lee Edward Norton
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The Postman (Ital. 'Il Postino') 1995 Michael Radford Massimo Troisi, Philippe Noiret
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Memento 2001 Christopher Nolan Guy Pearce
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Himalaya 2001 Eric Valli Thinlen Lhondup, Karma Wangiel
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POLITICAL DRAMA

Year - Director
Actors
More Info
Bulworth 1998 Warren Beatty Warren Beatty, Halle Berry
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Manchurian Candidate 2004 Tony Scott Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep
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Primary Colors 1998 Mike Nichols John Travolta, Emma Thompson
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THRILLER

Year - Director
Actors
More Info
A Simple Plan 1998 Sam Raimi Billy Bob Thornton, Bill Paxton
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Runaway Jury 2003 Gary Fleder John Cusack, Gene Hackman
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Primal Fear 1996 Gregory Hoblit Edward Norton, Richard Gere
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BIOGRAPHY

Year - Director
Actors
More Info
The Aviator (Howard Hughes story) 2004 Martin Scorsese Leonardo DiCaprio
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Malcolm X 1992 Spike Lee Denzel Washington
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JFK 1991 Oliver Stone Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones
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Nixon 1995 Oliver Stone Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen
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Kundun (life of the 14th Dalai Lama) 1997 Martin Scorsese Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong, Gyurme Tethong
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DOCUMENTARY - Social Issues
Year - Director
Comments
More Info
Super Size Me! 2004 Morgan Spurloch Effect of McDonald's food on your health
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The Fog of War 2003 Errol Morris Robert McNamara, U.S. Sec of Defense during Vietnam war
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Fahrenheit 911 2004 Michael Moore Bush family, American politics
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DOCUMENTARY - Music - Concert

Year - Director
Comments
More Info
The Last Waltz 1978 Martin Scorsese The final concert of THE BAND (Robbie Robertson)
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DOCUMENTARY - Other

Year - Director
Comments
More Info
March of the Penguins (penguins, Antarctica, original French title:
'Le Marche de l'Empereur')
2005 Luc Jacquet Beautiful documentary of the emperor penguins in Antarctica.  
Endless Summer (surfing) 1966 Bruce Brown Two surfers travel to Africa, Australia, N.Z., Tahiti
Info
Atlantis (nature, the ocean) 1991 Luc Besson Beautiful sounds and images from the seas.
info
     

COMEDY

Year - Director
Actors
More Info
Coming to America 1988 John Landis Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall
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Dr. Strangelove 1964 Stanley Kubrick Peter Sellers
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ROMANCE

Year - Director
Actors
More Info
     
     
ACTION / ADVENTURE
Year - Director
Actors
More Info
     
       
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Death to Smoochy

デス・トゥ・スムーチー 特別版
DEATH TO SMOOCHY
directed by Danny DeVito
(USA, 2002)

Robin Williams goes berserk as Rainbow Randolph, the disgraced host of a children's television show, in director Danny DeVito's fast-paced satire, DEATH TO SMOOCHY. Busted by the Feds for accepting a bribe to get a child on his show, Randolph gets booted from his network, Kidnet, and is replaced by the earnest do-gooder Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton), who plays Smoochy, a lovable pink rhino.

Finding Forrester

小説家を見つけたら
FINDING FORRESTER
directed by Gus Van Sant
(USA, 2000)

A moving story of a grizzled recluse and an inner-city teenager brought together by their shared passion for writing. Like Director Van Sant's Oscar-nominated GOOD WILL HUNTING, FINDING FORRESTER earnestly explores the struggles of a youthful genius whose position in society (underprivileged kid from the wrong side of the tracks) makes him seem destined for failure until he forms a relationship with a gifted but introverted mentor who helps him see the light.

Runaway Jury

ニューオーリンズ・トライアル
RUNAWAY JURY
directed by Gary Fleder
(USA, 2003)

Trials are too important to be decided by juries.
From master storyteller John Grisham ("The Firm," "The Pelican Brief") comes RUNAWAY JURY, a suspense-thriller about a high-priced and ruthless jury "consultant" (Gene Hackman) who will stop at nothing to secure a verdict on an explosive trial. With lives and millions of dollars at stake, the fixer wages a deadly battle with a jury member (John Cusack), a mysterious woman (Rachel Weisz) and an honest lawyer (Dustin Hoffman). The film marks the first pairing of screen legends Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman.

The Big Blue グラン・ブルー
THE BIG BLUE
Le Grand Bleu
(French title)
directed by Luc Besson
(France, 1988)
BIG BLUE, with its gorgeous underwater sequences, its exotic ocean-side settings in Greece and Sicily, and its transcendent 1980s electronic music score, is director Luc Besson's "baby." BIG BLUE combines romantic comedy with a deep spiritual quest. Long shots of the ocean define BIG BLUE, as Besson's camera skims speedily over its silver surface, or floats underwater in deep aqua surrounded by dolphins.

Antwone Fisher

アントワン・フィッシャー (A.Q.)
ANTWONE FISHER
directed by Denzel Washington
(USA, 2002)

This true story tracks a remarkable young man on the path to recovery from abuse.

Antwone Fisher (Derek Luke) is a young Navy sailor who is on verge of getting booted from the military because of his volatile temper when he is ordered to mandatory sessions with psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington). After a few strained sessions, Fisher navigates through difficult memories of his Cleveland childhood, mostly of life with a vicious foster mother.


The Straight Story
ストレイト・ストーリー
THE STRAIGHT STORY

directed by David Lynch
(USA, 1999)
Determination and the simple wisdom of an old man ...

Alvin Straight was 73 when he got the call about his brother's illness. Alvin couldn't see well enough to hold a driver's license. He walked only with the support of two canes. He didn't much care for anybody else helping him out. But when he got the call that his brother Lyle -- separated from him by hundreds of miles and a decade of proud silence -- had suffered a stroke, Alvin knew he had to reach him.

So, with little money but abundant determination, he climbed on his lawnmower and set out.


Rabbit-Proof Fence

裸足の1500マイル
RABBIT-PROOF FENCE

directed by Phillip Noyce
(Australia, 2002)

An amazing escape and journey home ... beautiful scenery from the Australian outback.

Based on the true story of Molly Craig, Philip Noyce's film of small gestures and few words follows the odyssey of three young girls who escaped from a government training facility for "half-caste" children. Using the country's long stretches of rabbit-proof fences as their guide, they young girls walked 1500 miles to get back home.


   

All of these movies are available for rental on DVD and VHS "video" in the Matsumoto area.