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Transcending its genre trappings, the first of Matti Kassila’s adaptations of Mika Waltari’s detective novels was voted the greatest Finnish film of all time in a 2012 critics’ poll. After a crime-themed party, a wealthy playboy is found dead in his pool—initially deemed a misadventure, until Inspector Palmu begins to suspect foul play. A stylish, suspenseful thriller marked by caustic humor and a memorable jazz-tinged score.
Based on true events and featuring actual news footage, this film tells the story of Placido Rizzotto, who, after a tumultuous childhood and adolescence, decides to stand up against the gangsters who have overrun his hometown. Placido organizes a union and tries to convince his fellow villagers to fight with him. But it’s not until Placido’s girlfriend, Lia, is ruthlessly brutalized by the Mafia that he realizes he has been playing with fire.
Fact-based story about a Bible-quoting woman who in 1990 murdered a camp counselor, whom she learned molested her 7 year old son. Seeking revenge, she turns to murder when she learns the man had previously been convicted of the same crime in 1983 and got off with probation.
This informative program looks at the conflicts that arise when a black man replaces a white chief warden in Uganda.
Setsuko is unhappily married to Mimura, an engineer with no job and a drinking habit. She’s always been in love with Hiroshi, but he left for France years ago without proposing. Now he is back and Mariko (Setsuko’s sister) tries to reunite them, although secretly she loves him too.
In this drama, a former Air Force hero becomes frustrated when he is pulled from active duty and is forced to train recruits at Edwards Air Force Base. He finds instructing the young fighter pilots terribly tedious. His frustration is compounded by his fear that one of his handsome bucks will steal his pretty girl friend. This causes him to become an angry, unfair teacher. Later, the reluctant instructor learns an invaluable lesson when he is forced to save one of his best students from certain death.
A married middle age man with two children who are in college, who also didn’t finish college decides to go and enroll at his kids’ college. He also decides to try out for football, and makes the team. He becomes a phenom. But all of this causes friction between him and his son, and also trouble between him and his wife, who wants him to quit the team. But he chooses to stay with it.
Four friends come up with an unusual idea to make some money and have fun doing it. For a small fee, they will impersonate and act out any character role for their customers. In the course of executing this novel service, they encounter a whole spectrum of people in society, finding ways to genuinely help them boost their morale and overcome their fears, while gaining unusual and new insights into the human condition.
