I know a fellow who got himself a mail-order bride. He wasn’t having any success with local ladies and really wanted to have someone with whom he could share his life. One day, he asked me to take some photos of him and was purposefully vague as to the reason. Some time later, he brought her around to introduce me to her and to explain what was going on. I imagine John (Ben Chaplin) knows what my chum’s life was like. Instead of the Philippines, he contacts a marriage broker for women from Russia. His new fiancée Nadia (Nicole Kidman) is a quiet and attractive woman but she doesn’t speak any English. She is affectionate and affable, John is smitten. The sudden arrival of Nadia’s two gregarious cousins, Alexei (Vincent Cassel) and Yuri (Mathieu Kassovitz) put a real crimp in his life and spins his life out of control.

Director:  Jez Butterworth; Piers Thompson Writer:  Tom Butterworth; Jez Butterworth Cast:
Nicole Kidman -  Nadia Ben Chaplin -  John Vincent Cassel -  Alexei Mathieu Kassovitz -  Yuri Kate Evans -  Claire Jo McInnes -  Waitress Ben Miller -  Concierge Sue Maund -  Woman With Lost Hat		Reece Shearsmith -  Porter Alan Stocks -  Passport official Steve Pemberton -  Duty Sergeant Jack Pierce -  Bank Collegue Sally Phillips -  Karen J.J. Toba -  Policeman 2 Katya Barton-Chapple -  Young Sophia Rebecca Clarke -  Bank Collegue

Practically everyone has another that they imbue with the traits they admire and hope to emulate. Not all of them live up to the standards and some pass before their admirer expects. How do you cope with such a change? Most go on with a pall hanging over them.

Frodo (Elijah Wood) and the others are forced to travel through the Mines of Moria. They are attacked by Orcs and a Troll, and run into a Balrog, an ancient demon of shadow and fire, while attempting to cross the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Gandalf (Ian McKellen) faces off against the Balrog on the bridge, letting the others escape, while he falls with the creature into the abyss below. What is Frodo to do?

Director:  Peter Jackson Writer:  J.R.R. Tolkien; Frances Walsh; Philippa Boyens; Peter Jackson Cast:
Elijah Wood -  Frodo Baggins Sean Astin -  Sam Gamgee Sean Bean -  Boromir Cate Blanchett -  Galadriel Orlando Bloom -  Legolas Greenleaf Ian Holm -  Bilbo Baggins Ian McKellen -  Gandalf Christopher Lee -  Saruman		Viggo Mortensen -  Aragorn Andy Serkis -  Gollum Billy Boyd -  Pippin Dominic Monaghan -  Merry John Rhys-Davies -  Gimli Liv Tyler -  Arwen Marton Csokas -  Celeborn Ian Mune -  Bounder

Do you ever wonder if some of these actors are as smart as they appear in the movies and on TV? Or are they as dumb as a bag of rocks? I’d imagine it is somewhere in between. However, when Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) is picking up a few bucks by tutoring some actors in the rules of poker, you hope that Barry Watson, Shane West, Holly Marie Combs, Topher Grace and Joshua Jackson are smarter than how they come across.

Director:  Steven Soderbergh Writer:  George Clayton Johnson; Jack Golden Russell; Harry Brown; Charles Lederer; Ted Griffin Cast:
George Clooney -  Danny Ocean Brad Pitt -  Rusty Ryan Bernie Mac -  Frank Catton Elliott Gould -  Reuben Tishkoff Casey Affleck -  Virgil Malloy Scott Caan -  Turk Malloy Eddie Jemison -  Livingston Dell Shaobo Qin -  Yen		Carl Reiner -  Saul Bloom Matt Damon -  Linus Caldwell Andy Garcia -  Terry Benedict Julia Roberts -  Tess Ocean Jerry Weintraub -  High Roller James Curatola -  Baccarat Dealer Henry Silva -  Himself Eydie Gorme -  Herself

The stress of marriage planning, the anticipation of life together, the expectations all build up until you’re ready to explode. Fran Donolly (Bridgette Wilson) snaps at her mom, Kitty (Joanna Gleason) during a horse ride through the park, Fran says to herself that she’ll never sleep with anyone else, she’s ready to go psycho.

Director:  Adam Shankman Writer:  Pamela Falk; Michael Ellis Cast:
Jennifer Lopez -  Maria Fiore Matthew McConaughey -  Steven James Edison, M.D. Bridgette Wilson-Sampras -  Francine Jane Donolly Justin Chambers -  Massimo Lenzetti Judy Greer -  Penny Nicholson Alex Rocco -  Salvatore Fiore Joanna Gleason -  Mrs. Kitty Donolly Charles Kimbrough -  Mr. John Robert Donolly		Kevin Pollak -  Dr. John Dojny Fred Willard -  Basil St. Mosely Lou Myers -  Burt Weinberg Frances Bay -  Dottie Kathy Najimy -  Geri Cortney Shounia -  Mary Fiore (Age 7) Philip Pavel -  Benton Natalie Jaroszyk -  Crying Bride

Siblings have a connection to one another that exceeds the usual. They seem to know when one is about to do something, to finish each other’s sentences, to sense what the others are feeling and to anticipate what is happening in their life. Jessica Garrett (Monika Schnarre) is in the kitchen chatting with her two remaining sisters when she experiences a flash of insight and begins seeing bits and pieces of her dead sister, Gabrielle’s (Carrie Stevens) life just days just before her murder. With the flashes of insight and the help of her other sisters, Katherine (Erika Eleniak) and Brenda (Brenda Epperson Doumani), she realizes she may be able to figure out where her sister spent her time and to track down her killer.

Director:  Lorenzo Doumani Writer:  Lorenzo Doumani; E.M. Toohey Cast:
Joe Don Baker -  Dylan Garrett Daniel Benzali -  Dr. Sigmund Stein Carlos Bernard -  Chico Escovedo Angelica Bridges -  Masseuse Erika Eleniak -  Katherine Garrett Brenda Epperson Doumani -  Brenda Garrett Joey House -  Michelle Deveroux Tony Plana -  Captain Martin		Steve Rossi -  Joe Russo Monika Schnarre -  Jessica Garrett Carrie Stevens -  Gabrielle Garrett John Taylor -  Byron Lord Michael A. Tessiero -  Bartender Mike Michael Tylo -  Gustav Paul Winfield -  Edgar Jones Angie Bridges -  Katherine Garrett