Jacob Burns

“Kazan and Brando brought a rawness, urgency and emotional intensity to acting that in many ways has touched all American movie acting ever since.” (Roger Ebert)

The churning power of this drama about corruption in a longshoremen’s union remains undiminished more than 50 years after its release. It’s got a screenplay by Budd Schulberg, a score by Leonard Bernstein, and a cast including Eva Marie Saint, Rod Steiger, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb—and yes, Marlon Brando’s iconic “I coulda been a contender” performance. Eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay.

"The film belongs to Firth. Uncanny at showing the heart crumbling under George's elegant exterior, he gives the performance of his career." (Rolling Stone)

Famed fashion designer Tom Ford offers a stunning and stylish directorial debut with his elegant A Single Man. Colin Firth gives a mesmerizing performance (nominated for an Academy Award) as the college professor caught between sweet reverie and mournful reality, as he navigates a single day in 1962 Los Angeles. Julianne Moore is his best friend and Matthew Goode his former lover in this adaptation of the celebrated novel by Christopher Isherwood. With Ford's meticulous attention to detail and a luscious musical score, A Single Man is an exquisite aesthetic experience of deep emotional power.

 "Few American actors over the past 35 years have flickered and smoldered with such craft and resilience." (New York Times)

Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a hard-living, fading country star reduced to playing bowling alleys and hoping for complimentary drinks to get him through the night. Overshadowed by a former protégé (Colin Farrell), Blake eventually seeks redemption from a sympathetic and lovely young journalist (Maggie Gyllenhall).Crazy Heart features nuanced, understated performances by Farrell, Gyllenhall, and Robert Duvall—but the real story here is Jeff Bridges. In a career filled with “career performances,” Bridges manages to top himself. Oozing authenticity and gutter charm, Bridges sings and strums his way through a set of original songs and embodies this beat-up country sage with incredible ease. A remarkable turn, it’s no surprise Bridges has been nominated for the Academy Award (Best Actor), alongside fellow Academy Award nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal (Best Supporting Actress).