Serena
Dolphin Tale 2
Dolphin Tale 2 (2014)
Released : 12 September 2014
Genre : Drama | Family
Summary:
Following the events of the original film, Sawyer gets a chance at a scholarship to attend an elite SEA Semester program which involves three months at sea to do marine mammal research. Sawyer wants to go but is concerned about leaving Winter, another CMA dolphin he helped save three years earlier, who has lost her tail. Winter needs attention and shows signs of stress and loneliness, especially after the death of her older dolphin friend, Panama. A USDA inspector requires that, for health reasons, Winter must be matched with a new female companion within 30 days or be transferred elsewhere. However, Winter's behavior has become unpredictable, even dangerous: when Sawyer tries to get her out of the tank to prepare to make her a new prosthetic tail, she becomes aggressive and knocks him into the water before someone jumps into the pool and rescues him. Dr. Clay at CMA orders Sawyer not to swim with Winter for a while.
Soon after, CMA rescues a serverly sunburned and beached dolphin, Mandy, to which Sawyer, Clay and his daughter, Hazel hope to be Winter's compainion. CMA begins to rehabilitate Mandy, planing on releasing her soon. Clay discovers a pod of dolphins headed for beach and plan to release Mandy by tomorrow. Mandy receives a goodbye "cerymony" while she swims out to sea.
Hazel and Sawyer break the rule and swim with Winter, who seems improved and is no longer aggressive. Dr. Clay catches them and scolds them, but then states that it does not matter, because Winter is to be transferred to a marine park in Texas since CMA has no companion for her.
Meanwhile, Sawyer wins the coveted scholarship to attend SEA Semester so his mother throws him a party, but he still can't decide whether to go because he is too upset. Dr. McCarthy shows him an old watch which must be tapped to keep ticking. Using this as an example, he encourages Sawyer to "shake it up now and then" and try new things in life.
During the party, Dr. Clay receives word that another female dolphin has been rescued. This one is so young that she has not yet learned how to hunt, so she cannot be returned to the wild. Thus she represents another hope of companionship for Winter. They name her "Hope." Also, in a side plot, Sawyer and Hazel rescue a sea turtle from some fishing line and name her Mavis. Rufus, on the other hand, develops a crush on Mavis, even watching her during a CT Scan. As Sawyer and Hazel release Mavis, Rufus, flies out to sea following her.
Dr. Clay gets an extension to keep Winter from being transferred, and CMA tries to introduce Hope as her new companion. But Hope panics and circles the pool at high speed, causing Winter to go into a dangerous panic as well. The staff quickly separates the two dolphins.
To see what went wrong, the CMA staff analyzes the video recording. They realize that Hope did not know what to make of Winter because Hope's echolocation sensed Winter had no tail and moved differently from other dolphins. Sawyer wants to try a new prosthetic tail, but some think it could make Hope panic even more. After debate, everyone finally agrees to try it.
In her second meeting with Hope, Winter wears the new prosthetic tail, designed by Dr. McCarthy. Again things get a bit rough, but eventually the two dolphins accept each other. Everyone rejoices that Winter can stay at CMA now that she has a companion. With Winter's improvement, Sawyer decides to go to the the SEA Semester program. Hazel says goodbye to him by releasing helium balloons as Rufus returns to the aquarium.
Real-life footage shown at the end includes Mandy's release, Hope's rescue, a sea turtle's release, Winter wearing the new prosthetic tail, and amputees interacting with Winter.
Budget: $36 million
Box office: $52.4 million
When the Game Stands Tall
When the Game Stands Tall (2014)
Released : 22 August 2014
Genre : Drama | Sport
Summary:
Bob Ladouceur, the coach of the De La Salle Spartans, watches his team win the championship of their undefeated 2004 season. Following tradition, the seniors share their stories about what the team means to them. The juniors, including Ladouceur's son Danny, celebrate with team captain Chris Ryan who has a chance of breaking the California state record for the highest career number of touchdowns. During an argument about whether to accept a coaching offer at the college level, Ladouceur's wife Beverly tells him that he does not spend enough time with his family. A division meeting between coaches arranges to have De La Salle play against Long Beach Polytechnic High School, a team with a similar reputation.
Ladouceur engages the team members in a passage from the Gospel of Luke which states that all good deeds will be rewarded. This provokes a mixed reaction from players who come from disadvantaged households. Reminded of team alumnus Cameron Colvin, Ladouceur pays him a visit in Richmond, California and discovers that his mother is dying. Upon returning home, Ladouceur suffers a heart attack, impacting his ability to coach in the 2004-2005 season. Colvin is approached by his best friend Terrance Kelly who urges him to enrol at the University of Oregon so that they can play together. Not wanting to involve friends in the downward spiral he has found himself in, Colvin protests but eventually agrees. Days later, Kelly is gunned down while trying to pick up a friend and the Spartan team attends his funeral.
De La Salle's 151-game winning streak comes to an end when they lose a game against Bellevue, Washington without Ladouceur. After the game, Mickey Ryan hits his son and threatens further abuse if he does not break the touchdown record. When Ladouceur returns to coach, he takes the team to a veteran's rehabilitation center, to deconstruct their respective ideas of brotherhood. To prepare for the game against Long Beach, the teammates watch videos of previous games and see that all of the Poly players are faster and more physically imposing. The gruelling game becomes a victory for De La Salle after Danny knocks down a pass by Poly into the endzone to help the Spartans hold Poly on all 4 attempts on goal. The Spartans enter the final 2005 game with a renewed sense of confidence and hope that Ryan can make three touchdowns to break the record.
A number of touchdowns during the game, including two by Chris, place De La Salle in a comfortable lead. Mickey cheers that there is enough time left for him to break the record. When setting up their final play, Ryan gathers his teammates and tells them that it would be wrong for him to end his time with the team by chasing a personal victory. He instead gives up the ball and raises his helmet to Ladouceur. As the audience members do the same, the game ends with a tribute to the coach that brought them there.
Cast:
Jim Caviezel as Coach Bob Ladouceur
Laura Dern as Bev Ladouceur
Michael Chiklis as assistant coach Terry Eidson
Alexander Ludwig as running back Chris Ryan
Gavin Casalegno as Michael Ladouceur
Clancy Brown as Mickey Ryan
Ser'Darius Blain as Cam Colvin
Stephan James as Terrance G. "T.K." Kelly
Matthew Daddario as Danny Ladouceur
Joe Massingill as Joe Beaser
Jessie Usher as Tayshon Lanear
Matthew Frias as Arturo Garcia
LaJessie Smith as Jamal
Richard Kohnke as Rick Salinas
Chase Boltin as Manny Gonzales
Adella Gautier as T-Gram
Terence Rosemore as Landri
Deneen Tyler as Veronica
Anna Margaret as Laurie
James DuMont as Gordy Wilock
David DeSantos as Mike Blasquez
Ricky Wayne as Marty
The Boxtrolls
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The Boxtrolls (2014)
Released : 26 September 2014
Genre : Animation | Adventure | Comedy
Summary:
In 1805 in the fictional town of Cheesebridge, rumors abound that subterranean trolls known as Boxtrolls kidnap and kill young children. Pest exterminator Archibald Snatcher strikes a deal with the city's mayor Lord Portley-Rind, offering to exterminate every Boxtroll in exchange for membership in the city's cheese-loving council, the White Hats (disregarding his severe allergy toward cheese that causes swelling).
In actuality, the Boxtrolls are peaceful creatures, wearing cardboard boxes, who emerge from underground at night to scavenge through the trash for items they can use to make useful inventions. A baby boy named Eggs lives among them, cared for by a Boxtroll named Fish. As Eggs grows up over a period of ten years, he becomes dismayed over the disappearing Boxtrolls as Snatcher captures them.
Lord Portley-Rind's neglected daughter Winnie notices Eggs rummaging through trash with two Boxtrolls. Snatcher chases the trio and captures Fish. Devastated, Eggs puts together a disguise and sneaks back up to the surface to find him. Eggs emerges in the midst of an annual fair to commemorate the disappearance of the "Trubshaw Baby" eleven years earlier – presumed kidnapped and killed by Boxtrolls. Disgusted by the town’s inaccurate portrayal of the creatures, he follows Winnie away from the fair. She recognizes him as the boy she saw the previous night and directs him to Snatcher’s headquarters, an abandoned factory.
Sneaking into the factory, Eggs finds Fish locked in a cage and frees him, but they are caught while trying to escape. Snatcher recognizes Eggs as the Trubshaw Baby and reveals that all the captured Boxtrolls are still alive and building a machine. Winnie overhears this exchange, having followed Eggs to the factory. They and Fish escape from Snatcher and take shelter in the Boxtrolls' underground cavern.
Winnie is surprised to learn the truth about the Boxtrolls and convinces Eggs that he is not one of them. Fish explains that Eggs' father had given him to them as a baby in order to keep him safe from Snatcher, and Winnie agrees to help Eggs tell Portley-Rind the truth. At a ball held to commemorate the purchase of a giant cheese wheel called the Briehemoth, Eggs tries to confront Portley-Rind, but inadvertently knocks the cheese down the stairs so that it rolls into a river. Eggs announces himself to the party as the Trubshaw Baby, but no one believes him and Lord Portley-Rind throws him out for losing the cheese.
Eggs returns to the cavern and tries to persuade the remaining Boxtrolls that they need to flee for their own safety. Snatcher digs into the cavern using his machine, captures the entire group, and takes them back to the factory. Eggs awakens to find his real father, Herbert Trubshaw, who was captured years ago by Snatcher and held prisoner ever since, hanging next to him. He sees the Boxtrolls stacked in a crusher and begs them to run, but the crusher activates and flattens all the boxes. Snatcher drives his machine to Lord Portley-Rind’s house, shows him the flattened boxes as proof of the Boxtrolls’ extinction and demands Portley-Rind’s white hat once he kills the very last one (actually Eggs disguised as a Boxtroll).
The Boxtrolls suddenly arrive with Herbert, having sneaked out of their boxes just before the crusher activated, and free Eggs. Snatcher, infuriated, tries to take Portley-Rind’s hat by force, but Eggs, Herbert and the Boxtrolls disable the machine. The two adversaries are thrown clear and land on the Briehemoth, freshly fished out of the river. Snatcher then swells into a horrifying giant and forces Lord Portley-Rind to give up his hat in exchange for Winnie's safety. He triumphantly enters the cheese tasting room, but explodes after taking one bite of cheese.
The townspeople no longer recognize the Boxtrolls as monsters and come to live in harmony with them. Winnie tells the tale of Snatcher's end to a crowd, while Eggs and Fish drive off in one of Herbert’s contraptions.
Cast:
Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Eggs, an orphaned human boy raised by the Boxtrolls.
Elle Fanning as Winnie Portley-Rind, Eggs's first human friend and the daughter of Lord Portley-Rind and Lady Portley-Rind.
Ben Kingsley as Archibald Snatcher, a ruthless and cunning pest exterminator
Toni Collette as Lady Portley-Rind, Winnie's mother.
Jared Harris as Lord Portley-Rind, Winnie's father and leader of the White Hats.
Nick Frost as Mr. Trout, Snatcher's corpulent, bumbling, yet intellectual henchman.
Richard Ayoade as Mr. Pickles, Snatcher's spindly, well-meaning but misguided henchman.
Tracy Morgan as Mr. Gristle, Snatcher's diminutive and maniacal henchman.
Simon Pegg as Herbert Trubshaw, a brilliant inventor and Eggs's father.
Dee Bradley Baker as Fish, Wheels, and Bucket, three Boxtrolls.
Steve Blum as Shoe and Sparky, two Boxtrolls.
Nika Futterman as Oil Can and Knickers, two Boxtrolls.
Pat Fraley as Fragile and Sweets, two Boxtrolls.
Fred Tatasciore as Clocks and Specs, two Boxtrolls.
Max Mitchell as Baby Eggs
Maurice LaMarche as Sir Langsdale
James Urbaniak as Sir Broderick, Male workman #1, Male workman #2
Brian George as Boulanger, Male aristocrat
Lori Tritel as Female aristocrat
Laraine Newman as Female townsfolk #1, Female townsfolk #2
Reckless Jack as Background boy
Box Office:
The Boxtrolls grossed over $50 million in North America, and $56,200,000 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $106,288,928.
As Above, So Below
As Above, So Below (2014)
Released : 29 August 2014
Genre : Horror | Thriller
Summary:
Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita Weeks), a young alchemy scholar, continues her dead father's (Roger Van Hool) work searching for the philosopher's stone, a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals such as lead into gold or silver and grant eternal life, discovered by Nicolas Flamel. After finding the Rose Key in a cave in Iran, she travels to Paris. She then enlists the help of George (Ben Feldman), her former lover whom she abandoned in Turkey while in pursuit of the stone. Along with Benji (Edwin Hodge) the cameraman, they translate Flamel's headstone, which contains a riddle that leads them to a point underneath the streets of Paris. She then enlists the help of a guide called Papillon (François Civil), his girlfriend Souxie (Marion Lambert), and friend Zed (Ali Marhyar) to search the Catacombs beneath Paris, France. George explicitly refuses to go, but is driven into the caves with the group when they are spotted by a policeman. After crawling through a narrow tunnel which collapses, they find themselves before a door that Papillion is reluctant to breach, as the only people who have gone through, including Pap's friend the Mole (Cosme Castro), have never been seen again.
Early on in the venture, they encounter some female Cultists who are singing and have possessed appearances. After proceeding deeper into the catacombs, they encounter the Mole, who agrees to guide them out, and informs them that the way out is down. They eventually find a tomb with a preserved Templar Knight, a mound of treasure, and the Flamel Stone. Removing the stone, Scarlett realizes too late that the treasure is a trap, and the room collapses. The Mole is lost under the rubble and is abandoned by the group.
With the Flamel Stone, Scarlett heals the group's injuries. They find a drawing of a door on the ceiling along with a Gnostic Star of David, symbolizing "As above, so below," meaning there is a door hidden in the floor. Going through the opening, they find a tunnel marked with the phrase "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" in Greek, identical to the entrance to Hell.
Passing through, they find a dark reflection of the room they just left, including the Mole, who attacks Souxie by smashing her head into the rock floor, killing her. They realize they must continue and go deeper. Along the way, Benji the cameraman is pushed down a hole to death by the lead female cultist demon lookalike (Olivia Csiky Trnka), who caught his eye in Paris as well as while singing in the upper levels of the catacombs. Later they encounter a burning car and occupant (who is the same young man who told Scarlett to find Papillon as a guide), an incident from Pap's past who pulls in Papillon and then sinks into the floor. They attempt to pull Pap out of the ground, but to no avail. As they continue, they see apparitions of terrifying spirits and demons. Statues in the wall come to life and one attacks George, biting open his throat. After trying to drag him further, George murmurs "Vitriol," another riddle from earlier, and Scarlett realizes the Flamel stone itself is yet another trap, and that only by returning it will she find the real stone. She punches the dwelling statues she encounters on the way in a fit of desperation and anger, she then gets pulled down into a river of blood but she escapes their grasp just in time. Zed sees what appears to be the Grim Reaper and Demons and drags a nearly dead George to a safe spot away.
She races back to the crypt returns the stone and looks into a polished mirror on the wall where the stone was hidden, realizing that her quest for the stone and belief in the philosophy "As above, so below," (explained as simply willing acts of magic to happen makes it so) has granted her the magical abilities of the stone. She returns to George, kissing him as she holds his wounds, healing them. She then explains that where they are is about confronting their regrets, such as George's brother who drowned after he got lost looking for help and her father who committed suicide, as he had called her that night but she refused to pick up the phone. She says they must accept their guilt in order to absolve themselves and escape. Zed confesses he has a son who he never took responsibility for and denied as his own, explaining the visions of a little boy running around that have plagued him during their journey. With the hooded demons closing in, the three accept what they have done before a hole they have discovered. Together they jump down, even though they know there is no logical way for them to survive. As they land at the bottom, they look up, see the hole they came down is no longer there. They find a manhole, pushing it down, they pull themselves out onto the streets of Paris and to safety.
Cast:
Perdita Weeks as Scarlett Marlowe, an intelligent young scholar who has been focused on retrieving the Philosopher's Stone for many years after her father committed suicide trying to find the stone himself. She has 2 PhDs, can speak 4 languages along with 2 dead ones, and is a black belt in the martial art of Krav Maga.
Ben Feldman as George, Scarlet's old love interest. George and Scarlett had initially separated prior to the film because she was more focused on her work than on the relationship.
Edwin Hodge as Benji, Scarlett's friend and motivated cameraman.
François Civil as Papillon "Pap", the group's guide around the catacombs as he is familiar with the area's layout.
Marion Lambert as Souxie, Papillon's girlfriend.
Ali Marhyar as Zed, Papillon's friend
Cosme Castro as La Taupe, 'The Mole' in English, Papillon's friend who disappeared in the catacombs two years prior while hunting for the treasure rumored to be in the catacombs with the philosopher's stone.
Hamid Djavadan as Reza, Mr. Marlowe's friend.
Théo Cholbi as Gloomy Teenager
Emy Lévy as Tour Guide
Roger Van Hool as Mr. Marlowe, Scarlett's mentally unstable father who committed suicide by hanging after going insane looking for the legendary stone. He appears recurrently throughout the film as an apparition haunting Scarlett.
Olivia Csiky Trnka as Strange Young Woman, The leader of a group of female cultists who is seen throughout the film stalking the group.
Hellyette Bess as Strange Old Woman
Aryan Rahimian as Iranian Armed Guard
Samuel Aouizerate as Danny
Kaya Blocksage as Female Curator
BoX Office:
The film grossed $8.3 million its opening weekend, finishing in 3rd place. As of November 4, 2014, the film has grossed $21.2 million in America and $18.9 million in other territories, for a total gross of $40.1 million.
The Babadook
The Babadook (2014)
Released: 28 November 2014
Genre : Drama | Horror | Thriller
Summary:
Amelia, a widowed orderly, has raised her son Samuel alone following her husband's tragic death. Sam begins displaying erratic behavior: he rarely sleeps through the night, and is constantly preoccupied with an imaginary monster, which he has built weapons to fight. Amelia is forced to take her son out of school due to his ongoing behavioral problems. One night, Sam asks his mother to read from a mysterious pop-up storybook he found on his shelf. The story, titled "Mister Babadook", is about a supernatural creature; once someone is made aware of its existence, the monster torments that person indefinitely. Amelia is disturbed by the book's contents, while a traumatized Sam becomes convinced that the Babadook is stalking them in their home.
Strange events begin occurring throughout the house. Doors open and close on their own, Amelia finds glass in her food but not in Sam's, and strange sounds are heard with no apparent source. Amelia attributes them to Sam acting out, but Sam insists that the Babadook is responsible. Amelia eventually rips up the "Mister Babadook" book and disposes of it. At his cousin Ruby’s birthday party, Sam pushes Ruby out of a treehouse after she refuses to believe in the Babadook and teases Samuel for not having a father. Amelia’s sister Claire admits to her that she cannot stand to be around Sam, and suspects that Amelia feels the same way.
Sam has a seizure after experiencing a vision of the monster in their car. Amelia convinces a doctor to prescribe sedatives to help her son sleep, hoping that it will allow her some much needed sleep as well. One morning, Amelia hears knocking at the door and finds the "Mister Babadook" storybook, reassembled, on the front step. The book sadistically taunts her, claiming the more Amelia denies, the stronger the Babadook will get, and that it will grow inside Amelia. There are new popups of a possessed Amelia strangling her dog, killing Sam, then slitting her own throat. Terrified, Amelia burns the book on an outdoor grill. After receiving an eerie phone call, Amelia goes to the police to report a stalker, but is turned away when she is unable to produce the storybook. The police officer notices that Amelia's hands are black, which may have been the charcoal from burning the book but also may be from the black pastel used in the book, implying that she was perhaps the one who reassembled it. This is also supported when she states at the birthday party that she used to write children's books.
Amelia begins to see the Babadook wherever she goes, and spends several nights in a row without sleeping. With her mental health deteriorating, Amelia becomes hostile and shows signs that she intends to harm Sam. After Sam phones a neighbor for help, Amelia goes into a fit of rage, cutting the phone lines and killing the family dog, just as the book had depicted. During an altercation, Sam stabs Amelia in the leg with a kitchen knife and lures her into the cellar, which he has booby trapped in order to combat the Babadook. Sam manages to incapacitate his mother, and pleads with her to fight the monster inside her. After nearly choking Sam, Amelia momentarily comes to her senses and fights the Babadook until she vomits up a black substance and returns to normal. Although she initially believes her ordeal to be over, Sam reiterates that "you can't get rid of the Babadook" and then is dragged upstairs by an unseen force. The Babadook attempts to take Sam from Amelia, but she stands up to the creature, screaming that she will kill it if it harms her child. The Babadook collapses. Amelia approaches its body; upon her touching it, the creature retreats into the cellar.
Some time later, Amelia and Samuel's lives appear to have achieved some balance and normality again. After collecting a bowl of worms with Sam, Amelia takes it to the cellar, where the Babadook now resides. After offering the worms to the creature, Amelia returns to Sam and the two celebrate his birthday in their backyard.
Cast:
Essie Davis as Amelia
Noah Wiseman as Samuel
Daniel Henshall as Robbie
Hayley McElhinney Claire
Barbara West as Mrs. Roach
Benjamin Winspear as Oskar
Cathy Adamek as Prue
Craig Behenna as Warren
Adam Morgan as Sergeant
Peta Shannon as Mother #2
Hachi as Bugsy
Box Office:
The Babadook opened in North America in a limited release in 3 theaters and grossed $30,007, with an average of $10,002 per theater and ranking #42 at the box office. The film has so far grossed $608,103 in the United States and $3,917,000 internationally for a total of $4,525,103 worldwide, above its estimated $2 million production budget.
The Hundred-Foot Journey
The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
Released: 8 August 2014
Summary:
The Kadam family has run a restaurant in Mumbai for several years. The second-oldest son, Hassan (Manish Dayal), is being groomed to replace his mother (Juhi Chawla) as the restaurant's main cook. The family's dreams are disrupted when a mob attacks and firebombs the restaurant over an election dispute. Papa Kadam (Om Puri) and his family successfully evacuate the guests, but Mama is killed in the fire. Seeking asylum in Europe, the family first settles in London, where their residence proves ill-suited for a restaurant. They depart for mainland Europe.
Shortly after crossing the border between Switzerland and France, the brakes on Papa's van fail near the village Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val. Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), a sous chef at an upscale French restaurant named "Le Saule Pleureur" (literally "The Weeping Willow"), passes by and offers to help the Kadams to find an auto repair shop and a guest house. She also brings the Kadams to her apartment and treats them to cold food from the larder. Papa is amazed at the quality of the food in the village and its availability and discovers that Marguerite made them herself.
He learns of an abandoned restaurant building on the outskirts of town available for purchase. Madame Mallory makes her first personal encounter with the Kadams here, when she asks them to leave the lot because it was "private property". Seeing this as divine providence, Papa decides to buy it, even when the rest of his family is against it. He names the restaurant "Maison Mumbai".
The building is directly across the street, a hundred feet from "Le Saule Pleureur" (hence the name "The Hundred Foot Journey"). Its widowed owner, Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), comes over to Maison Mumbai to ask for a menu, then tries to sabotage the Kadams by purchasing all the locally available ingredients needed to cook their dishes on opening night. A cold war erupts between Papa and Madame Mallory. The war peaks on Bastille Day, when one of Madame Mallory's chefs, Jean-Pierre, and two others vandalize the Kadams' restaurant by spray-painting the outer wall and firebombing the interior (Mallory has nothing to do with it). Hassan catches the would-be arsonists in the act and scares them off, but his hands and legs are burned in the process.
That evening, after the Kadams calm down from the incident, Madame Mallory convenes a meeting of her chefs and asks if they know the words to "La Marseillaise". After citing lines from the national anthem, focusing on defending the country from invaders, she claims that there are other ways to being French—equality, justice and fraternity. Knowing it was Jean-Pierre who bombed Maison Mumbai, Mallory fires the chef, then voluntarily cleans up the graffiti on Maison Mumbai's outer wall. Hassan, having heard from Marguerite that Madame Mallory hires potential chefs by taste-testing an omelette they prepare for her and decides whether it's a "Oui ou non", asks if he may cook an omelette for her to his recipe. Due to his injured hands, he asks Madame Mallory to help him crack the eggs. After sampling Hassan's omelette, Madame Mallory concedes Hassan's potential to be a great chef and invites him to work for her. Papa is initially dead set against the move, but asks Mallory what she will pay Hassan. After throwing counter-offers to each other (Mallory and Papa) ranging from 200 to 600 Euros, Hassan stops the financial debate and grabs Madame Mallory's offer of "320 Euros, 350 after three months".
Hassan's cooking proves popular and unconventional enough to result in Madame Mallory's restaurant receiving its second Michelin Star, an elite honor bestowed on only a handful of restaurants in Europe. The award draws national attention to Hassan's cooking, and he is offered a job in Paris, which he accepts. Papa and Madame Mallory make amends and ultimately begin romancing each other.
Hassan's cooking quickly receives critical acclaim, fueling speculation of a third Michelin Star for the Paris restaurant, but his work is increasingly bogged down by thoughts of his family and Marguerite (with whom he has an ongoing romance), especially after tasting an Indian co-chef's packed dinner (an authentic meal made with spices sent from India). Hassan decides to return home and reunites with Marguerite. He invites Marguerite to join him in a business venture—buying a stake in Madame Mallory's restaurant, along with operational control. Hassan believes this will help Madame Mallory's restaurant earn its third Michelin Star. That evening, Hassan and Marguerite prepare dinner for Hassan's family at Madame Mallory's restaurant. As the two young chefs bring out the dishes for the meal across the road, everyone anticipates an evening of romance and fine dining in the courtyard of Maison Mumbai.
Cast:
Helen Mirren as Madame MalloryOm Puri as PapaManish Dayal as HassanCharlotte Le Bon as MargueriteAmit Shah as MansurFarzana Dua Elahe as MahiraDillon Mitra as MuktharAria Pandya as AishaMichel Blanc as MayorShuna Lemoine as Mayor's wifeClément Sibony as Jean-PierreJuhi Chawla as MamaRohan Chand as Young HassanVincent Elbaz as Paul, Manager of the Parisian molecular cuisine restaurant
Box Office:
The film grossed $10,979,290 in its opening weekend, finishing in 4th. As of December 6, 2014, the film has grossed $54.2 million in North America and $34.6 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $88.8 million.
In Secret
In Secret (2014)
Released: 3 april 2014
Summary:
Set in the lower echelons of 1860s Paris, Thérèse Raquin is a sexually repressed beautiful young woman trapped into a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin, Camille, and forced into it by her domineering aunt, Madame Raquin. Thérèse spends her days confined behind the counter of a small shop and her evenings watching Madame play dominoes with an eclectic group. After she meets her husband's alluring friend, Laurent LeClaire, she embarks on an illicit affair that leads to tragic consequences.
Cast:
Elizabeth Olsen as Thérèse Raquin, Camille's wife and first cousin.
Lily Laight as young Thérèse
Tom Felton as Camille Raquin[6]
Dimitrije Bogdanov as young Camille
Oscar Isaac as Laurent LeClaire, a childhood friend and co-worker of Camille who seduces his wife, Thérèse.
Jessica Lange as Madame Raquin, Camille's mother and Thérèse's aunt.
Matt Lucas as Olivier
Shirley Henderson as Suzanne
Mackenzie Crook as Grivet
John Kavanagh as Inspector Michaud
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Released: 1 August 2014
Summary:
In 1988, following his mother's death, a young Peter Quill is abducted from Earth by the Ravagers, a group of space pirates led by Yondu Udonta. Twenty-six years later on the planet Morag, Quill steals an orb, after which he is intercepted by Korath, a subordinate to the fanatical Kree, Ronan. Although Quill escapes with the orb, Yondu discovers his theft and issues a bounty for his capture, while Ronan sends the assassin Gamora after the orb.
When Quill attempts to sell the orb on the Nova Empire capital world, Xandar, Gamora ambushes him and steals it. A fight ensues, drawing in a pair of bounty hunters: the genetically engineered raccoon Rocket, and the tree-like humanoid Groot. The Nova Corps arrives and arrests all four, imprisoning them in the Kyln. While there, a powerful inmate, Drax, attempts to kill Gamora due to her association with Ronan, who killed his family. Quill convinces Drax that Gamora can bring Ronan to him. Gamora reveals that she has betrayed Ronan, unwilling to let him use the orb's power to destroy planets, starting with Xandar. Learning that Gamora has a buyer for the orb, she, Quill, Rocket, Groot, and Drax work together to escape from the Kyln.
Elsewhere, Ronan meets with Gamora's adoptive father, Thanos, to discuss her betrayal. Accompanied by Drax, Quill's group escapes the Kyln in his ship – the Milano – and flee to Knowhere, a remote criminal outpost in space built in the giant severed-head of a Celestial. A drunken Drax summons Ronan while the rest of the group meet Gamora's contact, the collector Taneleer Tivan. Tivan opens the orb, revealing an Infinity Stone, an item of immeasurable power that destroys all but the most powerful beings who wield it. Suddenly, Tivan's tormented assistant grabs the Stone, triggering an explosion that engulfs Tivan's archive.
Ronan arrives and easily defeats Drax, while the others flee by ship, pursued by Ronan's followers and Gamora's sister Nebula. Nebula destroys Gamora's ship, leaving her floating in space, and Ronan's forces capture the orb. Quill contacts Yondu before following Gamora into space, giving her his helmet to survive; Yondu arrives and retrieves the pair. Rocket, Drax, and Groot threaten to attack Yondu's ship to rescue them, but Quill negotiates a truce by convincing Yondu that they can recover the orb. Quill's group agrees that facing Ronan means certain death, but that they cannot let him use the Infinity Stone to destroy the galaxy. On Ronan's flagship, the Dark Aster, Ronan embeds the Stone in his warhammer, taking its power for himself. He contacts Thanos, threatening to kill him after the destruction of Xandar; hateful of her adopted father, Nebula allies with Ronan.
Near Xandar, the Dark Aster is confronted by the Ravagers, the Nova Corps, and Quill's group, which breaches the Dark Aster. Ronan uses his empowered warhammer to destroy the Nova Corps fleet. On the Dark Aster, after Gamora defeats Nebula (who escapes), she unlocks Ronan's chambers, but the group finds themselves outmatched by his power until Rocket crashes the Milano through the Dark Aster and into Ronan. The damaged Dark Aster crash-lands on Xandar, with Groot sacrificing himself to shield the group. Ronan emerges from the wreck and prepares to destroy Xandar, but Quill distracts him, allowing Drax and Rocket to destroy Ronan's warhammer. Quill grabs the freed Stone, and with Gamora, Drax, and Rocket sharing its burden, they use it to destroy Ronan.
In the aftermath, Quill tricks Yondu into taking a container supposedly containing the Stone, then gives the real Stone to the Nova Corps. As the Ravagers leave Xandar, Yondu remarks that it turned out well that they did not deliver Quill to his father per their contract. Quill's group, now known as the Guardians of the Galaxy, have their criminal records expunged, and Quill learns that he is only half-human, his father being part of an ancient, unknown species. Quill finally opens the last present he received from his mother: a cassette tape filled with her favorite songs. The Guardians leave in the rebuilt Milano along with a sapling cut from Groot.
In a post-credits scene, Tivan sits in his destroyed archive with two of his living exhibits: a canine cosmonaut and an anthropomorphic duck.
Cast:
Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord:
The half human, half alien leader of the Guardians who was abducted from Missouri as a child in 1988 and raised by a group of alien thieves and smugglers called the Ravagers. About the character, Pratt said, "He had a hard time as a kid, and now he goes around space, making out with hot alien girls and just being a rogue and a bit of a jerk, and through teaming up with these guys, finds a higher purpose for himself", he also added that the character is a mix of Han Solo and Marty McFly. Pratt, who was mostly known for playing supporting characters, notably the portly Andy Dwyer on the television series Parks and Recreation, initially turned down the role. Pratt had lost weight to portray fit characters in films such as Moneyball and Zero Dark Thirty, and had given up ambitions to play the lead role in action films after humbling auditions for Star Trek and Avatar. Casting director Sarah Finn suggested Pratt to Gunn, who dismissed the idea despite struggling to cast that role. Despite this, Finn arranged for a meeting between the two, at which point Gunn was immediately convinced that Pratt was perfect for the role. Pratt also won over Feige, despite having gained weight again for Delivery Man. Pratt signed a multi-film contract with Marvel, and was granted a temporary leave from his work on Parks and Recreation in order to accommodate his participation in the film. Prior to filming, Pratt underwent a strict diet and training regimen to lose 60 lb (27 kg) in six months. Wyatt Oleff portrays a young Quill.
Zoe Saldana as Gamora:
An orphan from an alien world who seeks redemption for her past crimes. She was trained by Thanos to be his personal assassin.Saldana said that she became Gamora through make-up rather than computer generated imagery (CGI) or performance capture. On taking the role, Saldana said, "I was just excited to be asked to join by James Gunn and to also play someone green. I've been blue before [in Avatar]." Saldana described Gamora as "...a warrior, she’s an assassin and she’s very lethal but what saves her is the same thing that can doom her. She has a sense of righteousness. She’s a very righteous individual."
Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer:
A warrior in search of vengeance against Ronan for killing his family. On relating to the character, Bautista said, "I can just relate to Drax so much it's not even funny. Just the simple things that we have in common. Simple things like the tattoos, the tragedy – because you know, I had a bit of tragedy in my life as well. So it's really easy for me to pull from that." Bautista also said that there was "a lot of comic relief to Drax", but the character was not aware of it. Bautista stated that he did not do much preparation for role, because "Luckily, for me, I'm a lifelong athlete and I adapted real quick." Bautista's makeup took approximately four hours to apply, though it could be removed in just 90 minutes. Drax has various scarring patterns on his body, which replace the simple tattoos from the comics, each having a specific story. Additionally, his skin tone was changed from the bright green in the comics to a muddier grey, to avoid visual similarities to the Hulk.
Vin Diesel as Groot:
A tree-like humanoid who is the accomplice of Rocket. Diesel stated that he provided the voice and motion capture for Groot, after originally being in talks to star in a new Phase Three Marvel film.Diesel also provided Groot's voice for several foreign-language releases of the film. Krystian Godlewski portrayed the character on set, though his acting was not used in the final character CGI. On the character, Gunn said, "All the Guardians start out the movie as bastards – except Groot. He's an innocent. He's a hundred percent deadly and a hundred percent sweet. He's caught up in Rocket's life, really." Gunn added that the design and movement of Groot took "the better part of a year" to create. Gunn added, "The ways in which Vin Diesel says, 'I am Groot,' I am astounded. All of the 'I am Groots' that were earlier voices didn't sound very good at all... Vin came in and in one day, laid down all these 'I am Groot' tracks, and he's a perfectionist. He made me explain to him with ever [sic] 'I am Groot,' exactly what he was saying... It was amazing when we first put that voice in there how much the character changed and how much he influenced the character." Diesel found an emotional note in his performance, invoking the death of his friend and Fast and Furious co-star Paul Walker, saying, "This was in December [2013], and the first time I came back to dealing with human beings after dealing with death, so playing a character who celebrates life in the way Groot does was very nice." Groot's form and size-changing abilities are seen, with Gunn stating that he has the ability to grow in the film.
Bradley Cooper as Rocket:
A genetically engineered raccoon who is a bounty hunter and mercenary, as well as a master of weapons and battle tactics. Gunn worked with live raccoons to get the correct feel for the character, and to make sure it was "not a cartoon character", saying, "It's not Bugs Bunny in the middle of the Avengers, it's a real, little, somewhat mangled beast that's alone. There's no one else in the universe quite like him, he's been created by these guys to be a mean-ass fighting machine." Describing Rocket in relation to the rest of the Guardians, Cooper said, "I think Rocket is dynamic. He's the sort of Joe Pesci in Goodfellas guy." Cooper voiced Rocket, while Sean Gunn (James' younger brother) stood-in for the character during filming. James Gunn said that for the role of Rocket, some physical movement from Cooper, including facial expressions and hand movements, was recorded as potential reference for the animators,though much of Sean Gunn's acting is used throughout the film. Before Cooper was cast, James Gunn said that it was a challenge finding a voice for Rocket, that he was looking for someone that could balance "the fast-talking speech patterns that Rocket has, but also can be funny, because he is really funny. But also has the heart that Rocket has. Because there are actually some pretty dramatic scenes with Rocket."
Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser:
A Kree radical who agrees to retrieve an artifact for Thanos in exchange for eradicating his mortal enemies, the Xandarians. Ronan and his Sakaaran army hunt down the Guardians when they interfere with his goals. Describing Ronan, Gunn said, "He is the primary villain, and he is a really twisted guy, he has a really religious bent in this film. He has a very sick and twisted view of what morality is; strength is virtue and weakness is sin and that is what he lives by, and I think he is very scary because of his beliefs, which are real to him." Pace, who originally auditioned for Peter Quill, described Ronan as a "psycho" and a "monster".
Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta:
A blue-skinned bandit who is the leader of the Ravagers and a paternal figure to Quill. Yondu helps Quill to steal the orb before Quill betrays him, leaving Yondu and the Ravagers to chase the Guardians. On the character, Rooker said, he has "some interesting issues–not a good guy, not a bad guy. There's hope and there's a heart inside Yondu." Gunn created the film's version of the character specifically with Rooker in mind, while borrowing the character's mohawk and use of a whistle-controlled arrow from the comics. Rooker fully committed to the role once he knew his role on the TV series The Walking Dead would be ending.
Karen Gillan as Nebula:
An adopted daughter of Thanos who was raised with Gamora as siblings and is a loyal lieutenant in the employ of Ronan and Thanos. About the character, Gillan said, "She is the female villain of the film ... She is very sadistic and evil, but I like to think for a very valid reason." She also added, "I think she's a really interesting character. What I like to play around with is how jealous she is. She's Gamora's sister, and there's a lot of sibling rivalry. That's the most interesting aspect to me, because jealously can consume you and turn you bitter, and ugly. And she's a total sadist, so that's fun too." Gillan researched the ancient Spartans, shaved off her hair, and trained for two months for the role. The character's makeup took approximately four and a half hours to be applied.
Djimon Hounsou as Korath:
A Kree ally of Ronan who is a feared intergalactic hunter. As to why he took the role Hounsou said, "I have a four-year old son who loves superheroes from Spider-Man to Iron Man to Batman. He's got all the costumes. One day he looks at me and says 'Dad, I want to be light-skinned so I could be Spider-Man. Spider-Man has light skin.' That was sort of a shock. This is why I am excited to be a part of the Marvel Universe, so I could hopefully provide that diversity in the role of the superhero."
John C. Reilly as Corpsman Rhomann Dey:
A corpsman in the Nova Corps, the Nova Empire's military and police force.
Glenn Close as Nova Prime Irani Rael:
The leader of the Nova Corps whose mission is to protect the citizens of the Nova Empire and keep peace.Close stated that she "had always wanted to be in a movie like [Guardians of the Galaxy], and that it would be "the most fun to play something like the Judi Dench [as M or] Samuel L. Jackson [as Nick Fury] role".She said that she took the role because she "love[s] to do stuff that's different" and wanted to show that she "[has] always been up for anything." She also stated that her contract has "several" films on it, and that she would be open to working on other Marvel Studios films in addition to returning for Guardians sequels.
Benicio del Toro as Taneleer Tivan / The Collector:
An obsessive keeper of the largest collection of interstellar fauna, relics, and species in the galaxy who operates out of a place in space named Knowhere. Describing del Toro's performance, Gunn said, "He's like an outer-space Liberace. That's what it says in the script, which he's kind of doing." On bringing the character to life, del Toro said, "What James [Gunn] wanted, that I found out little by little as I was doing it, is that he wanted me to explore and just keep pushing the character and keep creating [him] as I was in front of the camera."
Additionally, Josh Brolin appears, uncredited, as Thanos through voice acting and performance capture. Sean Gunn stood-in for Thanos during filming and portrays Kraglin, Yondu's first mate in the Ravagers.Alexis Denisof reprises his role as Thanos's vizier, "The Other", from The Avengers.Ophelia Lovibond plays Carina, the Collector's slave;Peter Serafinowicz plays Denarian Garthan Saal, a Nova Corps officer;Gregg Henry plays Quill's grandfather;Laura Haddock plays Quill's mother, Meredith;Melia Kreiling plays Bereet;Christopher Fairbank plays The Broker;Mikaela Hoover plays Nova Prime's assistant;Marama Corlett plays a pit boss at the bar, The Boot;Emmett J. Scanlan plays a Nova riot guard;Alexis Rodney plays Moloka Dar; and Spencer Wilding plays a prison guard who confiscates Quill's Walkman. Canine actor Fred appears as Cosmo. Stephen Blackehart had a supporting role. Naomi Ryan also had a supporting role in the film, though it was cut in the final version. Cameos in the film include: James Gunn as a Sakaaran; Stan Lee as a Xandarian Ladies’ Man; Lloyd Kaufman as an inmate; Nathan Fillion as the voice of an inmate; Rob Zombie as the voice of the Ravager Navigator; composer Tyler Bates as a Ravager pilot; and Seth Green as the voice of Howard the Duck.
Box Office:
As of December 4, 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy has earned $332.5 million in North America and $439.6 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $772.1 million. The film became the third highest-grossing film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, behind The Avengers and Iron Man 3. It was the second highest-grossing 2014 film and the highest-grossing superhero film of 2014. It had a worldwide opening weekend of $160.7 million.
Young Ones
Young Ones (2014)
Released: 17 October 2014
Summary:
In a post-drought apocalypse USA, people kill for water. Ernest Holm lives with his son Jerome and daughter Mary in their small town house and field. While everyone else has left, Ernest stays, believing that the land will grow once more if only there is irrigation. Ernest gets water for his family by trading supplies with the water people who extract water from deep wells. When his mule breaks its legs and he has to kill it, Ernest goes to the auction and buys a robotic carrier machine to replace it, beating the offers of Flem, a young man who has been seeing Mary without his consent. Ernest rejects Flems offer to rent the machine. One morning, Ernest finds his machine is missing, and he goes looking for it. When he gets to the water people, Ernest is accused of stealing. He wins a fight with the water people's leader Caleb and takes his knife.
Continuing on, he finds his machine and Flem with it, transporting the stolen supplies. Flem is taking it to sell it in the borderlands. Ernest takes Flem captive and ties him to the machine, aiming to take the supplies back to the water people. Eventually, they have to stop due to dehydration. Flem convinces Ernest to rehydrate with some of the liquor they are transporting. Wanting to continue his smuggling run, Flem then throws a stone at Ernest's head, killing him. Others eventually find and bury Ernest, though the machine has gone missing. Flem marries Mary after helping the family build an irrigation system thus saving their farm. However, the machine returns limping and mangled to a store in town. The store owner reaches Jerome in the Holm residence, informing him about the machine. After tricking his way into town over border patrol, Jerome gets to the store to find the store owner has repaired the machine.
Jerome becomes interested in the machine's laser sensor, which turns out to behave like a video recorder. Curious about the machine's adventure, Jerome plays the recording and finds the truth about Flem and Ernest. Arriving home before Flem, Jerome questions him as to how the machine found its way home. Flem's lies only infuriate Jerome more, but he doesn't take any action. One day Flem goes on a supply run with the machine, and accidentally falls into a pit, breaking his legs. As he cries for help, Jerome, who has been secretly following him, comes at the pits mouth. As Jerome only stands there, Flem realizes that Jerome already knows about what happened to Ernest. After Flem tries to elicit Jerome's mercy, Jerome shoots him in the head. Jerome ultimately decides to withhold these events and the circumstances of Ernest's death from Mary.
Cast:
Nicholas Hoult as Flem Lever
Elle Fanning as Mary Holm
Michael Shannon as Ernest Holm
Kodi Smit-McPhee as Jerome Holm
Alex McGregor as Sooz
Aimee Mullins as Katherine Holm
Robert Hobbs as Caleb
Linda O'Prey as Anna / Ears
Carel Nel as Bandit
John Wick
John Wick (2014)
Released: 24 Oct 2014
Summary:
John Wick, who just lost his wife Helen to an undisclosed illness, receives a gift from her posthumously in the form of a puppy named Daisy, along with a letter from her saying she arranged for him to have Daisy to help him cope with her demise. Initially indifferent to Daisy, he eventually connects to the puppy as they spend the day driving around in his vintage '69 Mustang. He encounters a trio of Russian gang members at a gas station and their leader Iosef insists on buying his car, but John refuses to sell and makes a snide remark at Iosef before leaving. The three follow John to his home, break in at night, and attack John, who watches defenselessly as they kill Daisy before stealing his car. The following day, Iosef attempts to have the car modified by Aurelio, the owner of a chop shop who refuses to take it and hits Iosef when realizing who it belonged to and what Iosef did to steal it. John subsequently visits Aurelio, who tells him Iosef is the son of Viggo Tarasov, head of the Russian crime syndicate in New York and John's former employer, before lending him another car. Aurelio, who works with Viggo, is forced to explain what happened to Viggo, who berates Iosef and explains who John Wick is: his best assassin, nicknamed Baba Yaga (or "the Boogeyman"), who retired after falling in love with a woman, had helped Viggo gain control of his syndicate by single-handedly eliminating all competition, a task he considered "impossible".
Viggo, wanting to protect his son, attempts to talk John out of seeking retribution, to which John abruptly disregards, prompting Viggo to send a hit squad to John's house to execute him, only for John to dispatch swiftly. Viggo then puts a $2 million bounty on John and first gives the offer to Marcus, a veteran assassin and John's mentor, who begrudgingly accepts. John subsequently seeks refuge at the Continental, a hotel that exclusively caters to assassins, with the rule that no business can be conducted on premises. When Viggo learns of this, he doubles the bounty. John learns from Winston, the owner of the Continental, that Viggo has Iosef protected at his night club the Red Circle. John goes to the club and kills Iosef's friend Victor before dispatching most of the security staff, but Iosef escapes after John is subdued by Viggo's henchman Kirill. John escapes back to the Continental to treat his wounds before being attacked by Ms. Perkins, an assassin and former acquaintance of John's who had taken the contract to kill him. John eventually subdues Perkins and forces her to reveal the location of Viggo's cash stash before leaving her with a neighbor and friend Harry to await her punishment for breaking the hotel rules. Perkins eventually breaks free and kills Harry.
John goes to a church, which is a front for the cash stash, eliminates all the guards, and burns Viggo's money, as well as various intelligence against the police and government officials that Viggo uses as leverage over the city. When Viggo arrives at the church, John ambushes them, eliminating more henchmen before being subdued by Kirill, who slams into John with an SUV. John is tied up and Viggo taunts him for causing trouble over a dog and thinking he could leave his old life behind. He leaves John to be tortured and killed by Kirill and another henchman, but Marcus, having chosen to protect John, kills the other henchman, allowing John to break free and kill Kirill. John then intercepts Viggo's car and forces him to reveal Iosef's location and pull the bounty, which Viggo begrudgingly does. John goes to the safe house where Iosef is hiding and kills all of the guards before killing a remorseless Iosef.
Perkins sees that John and Marcus have been in contact and tells Viggo, who has Marcus tortured and killed in his home over his betrayal. Viggo contacts John about Marcus's death, luring John to his home where Perkins is waiting to ambush him. Before she can, she gets called to a secret meeting with Winston, who revokes her membership to the Continental for breaking the rules and has her executed. Winston calls John to inform him of a helicopter coming to the harbor to transport Viggo away. John races to the harbor and executes Viggo's remaining henchmen before getting into a fistfight with Viggo on the dock. Viggo pulls out a knife on John and as they fight, stabs John in his already wounded abdomen. John is wounded, but is able to gain the upper hand by taking Viggo's knife and stabbing him in the side of the neck. Viggo, mortally wounded, slumps over and dies, and John, wounded, but still able-bodied, stops to re-watch a video of him and his wife on his phone. After gaining strength, John ends up at a veterinary hospital to treat his wound before taking a pit-bull out from one of the cages for a walk on the boardwalk, where he had his last date with Helen.
Cast:
Keanu Reeves as John Wick
An ex-hitman who returns to the underworld he fought so hard to leave behind. On accepting the role of Wick, Reeves explained, "Basil and Peter Lawson of Thunder Road brought the script to me with the idea that I would be a part of such a great collaboration. We all agreed on the potential of the project. I love the role, but you want the whole story, the whole ensemble to come to life."On the character of John Wick, Reeves stated, "When we first see him, he’s a guy grieving for his lost wife. But it turns out he has lived lives in two worlds: one in which he’s a happily married man and one in which he’s an assassin. He has tried to bury his past, but without his wife, he is lost." Reeves also compared Wick's story to " a kind of Old Testament revenge story" adding that, "When someone takes the things he cherishes, violence erupts and John can’t temper it." In the original script, the character of John Wick was written with "a man in his mid-sixties" to play the role, given the title character’s fabled reputation, ergo, the filmmakers had initially imagined an older actor. However, head of Thunder Road Pictures Basil Iwanyk decided against this, stating, "Instead, we decided to look for someone who is not literally older, but who has a seasoned history in the film world." Both Stahelski and Leitch were adamant that Reeves wouldn't learn any forms of martial arts to which he'd learnt before; for the role, Reeves spent four months learning Judo, Japanese ju-jitsu, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu from "some of the toughest guys" both Stahelski and Leitch have encountered, which included their "LA SWAT and Navy Seal friends". due to willingly wishing to undergo intense training regiments. Of Reeves' training, Stahelski spoke of developing a new style of close-quarter combat due to the need and wish of using and utilising practical grappling martial art forms with guns. The name John Wick is a name Kolstad had used as a reference to his grandfather, the founder of Wick Building Systems. Wick stated, "I was tickled by Derek using my name for a movie, and the hit man character was frosting on the cake." The character was written with Paul Newman in mind.
Michael Nyqvist as Viggo Tarasov
The head of the Tarasov family and and an enterprising businessman with questionable roots. On taking the role of Viggo, Nyqvist mentioned, "I found the relationship between John and Viggo to be interesting. Viggo has always liked John because he was brilliant at his job. They have the kind of love and respect you might see between a father and son, but it breaks down when John comes for Iosef." Stahelski stated that the role of Viggo had been decided after a great many meetings due to the importance and complexity of the character and that Nyqvist brought both odd and interesting qualities to the character, also adding that "[Nyqvist's] quirkiness is a good match for Keanu’s stoicism." The filmmakers were were most determined to attempt bypass the stereotypical Russian mobster characterisation. Iwanyk stated that Viggo needed to be played by someone who would be "believable as this ultra-bad guy, but was still very, very charming." adding that, " [Michael brought the character a kind of humanity." For the role of Viggo, Nyqvist was given a style of fighting based on the Russian martial art of Sambo to which he started training in Stockholm, Sweden at the request of Stahelski and Leitch, as he stated, "I did this Russian style of jiu-jitsu called Sambo a lot. I did Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing a lot. [...] to get closer to the character. [...] the guys I worked with, back home in Stockholm, were Russians, so [I] got closer to them. It was a little bit like [method acting]." Of Viggo's background, Kolstad revealed, "A street brawler raised in the slums of Kiev, Viggo has worked his way up the underworld food chain. Now, he is in the process of transitioning to respectability."Director Stahelski stated of Nyqvist, "[Michael], he is not your stereotypical Russian bad guy. He is a quirky guy, how he gives his reads." With David Leitch stating, "We had great performances and input from Michael Nyqvist who played it straight and he was excellent. He was a quirky villain. And we took time with the script and found those humorous moments and made sure we paced them correctly with the ultra-violence."
Alfie Allen as Iosef Tarasov
The arrogant, entitled and foolish son of Viggo Tarasov. Allen found it "invigorating" to play a Russian villain and shoot outside of Game of Thrones's Belfast set, and on accepting the role of Iosef, he was attracted by the idea of speaking with a different accent, i.e. the New York accent, as well as citing both Stahelski and Leitch's involvement as an incentive for drawing him to the piece. While in New York, Allen visited Russian public baths to develop and hone the Russian accent which he developed for the film. And speaking in terms of inspiriations drawn on for Iosef, Allen stated, "I guess, I found the relationship between [my character] and his father, and there was a backstory about the mother that I found quite interesting [...] And too added that the challenges he faces involved learning the Russian language to which he remarked, "learning the Russian was pretty tough". On the character of Iosef, Kolstad described him as, "a dinner-theater version of his father. Iosef is a rich kid who imagines himself a tough guy; but without his father’s muscle, he’s a punk. In his mind, he has the scars of battle. But the reality is he's one spoiled kid." Kolstad too spoke of Allen's admiration for his to-be colleagues, which charmed the writer, stating as follows, "When we had the first cast-and-crew dinner, I was talking with Alfie and suddenly he just froze. He just said, 'Oh my god! It's Willem Dafoe.' He's a great actor, but he's also a fan like everybody else." Allen spoke of his fellow actor Reeves with both respect and praise, stating, "He's amazing. He's such a great guy. He's a very giving, generous actor as well and just kind of relaxes you on set. If you're nervous, he just kind of chills you out. You know I didn't know that he was a director before I started this. He's made a documentary about encouraging people to make films. I think that's fantastic." Asked on what he hopes the audience take away from the film, Allen said, "It's kind of a crazy love story in there somewhere. It’s not like any other love story I've seen. I think the theme [...], is that, all men can change. And who is the bad guy in it, really?"
Adrianne Palicki as Ms. Perkins
A distinguished female contract killer in the world of assassins, and a former acquaintance of John. About the character of Ms. Perkins, Palicki said, "Ms. Perkins is what you think the quintessential assassin would be. She’s cold, heartless, conniving, badass and I think that she has fun with what she does. She enjoys it. I think that she’d clearly do it for a dollar. Ultimately in the film she’s doing it for four million, so it's a little different." Originally the character of Perkins was envisioned as a man in original scenario, but the decision was reversed during a brainstorming session and the desire to create "an authentic female action character". Leitch stated, "You believe this woman could come in and give John Wick a run for his money.", so Stahelski, Leitch and Iwanyk changed it and offered the role to Adrianne. Palicki spoke most highly of working with Reeves and the inclusion of stunt work on her part, to which he stated, "Chad wanted to make sure I would be willing to do my own stuff in the huge fight sequence that I have with Keanu—and I was all game." Palicki spent months of training learning Judo and Jujutsu. After the film's release Palicki revealed background information, "I also think we talked about a backstory. It's likely [Ms. Perkins and Wick] had a history as well, before his marriage. She may have a personal vendetta as well as the money. I think there's an enjoyment on multiple levels." On what she hopes for with regard to the fan response, "It's a lot of fun. They're going to want to see what happens next. Most importantly, I hope they’re rooting for John Wick the way that I did when I read the script."
Bridget Moynahan as Helen Wick
The beautiful wife of John Wick. On the character of Helen, Leitch stated, "Helen’s the crux of the movie, so to have an actress like Bridget come on board in such an important role was gratifying. She’s got an elegance that is captivating." Leitch spoke very highly of Bridget's acting talents. When cast in the role of John's wife, she decided not to read the screenplay, believing that the limited amount of information would serve the story well. Moynahan stated, "There was a large portion of the story that I didn’t want to be informed about. I didn’t want or need to know that side of John. Helen brought love and light and joy into his life. Knowing the other side of it would make it a different story for me." Iwanyk shared Moynahan's sentiments, adding, "Helen probably thought John had some skeletons in his closet, but it wasn’t important. All we know as an audience is that the moment he met her, he became a different person. Love changed him."
Dean Winters as Avi
Viggo's right hand, the second in command and has been Viggo's lawyer for many years. On the role of Avi, Stahelski stated, "As the part was written, he was just Viggo’s lawyer. But then Dean came in and made it funny and edgy. The scenes between him and Michael Nyqvist are some of my favorites." Winters spoke most highly of his colleagues on set, stating, "I got to work with Willem Dafoe and Keanu Reeves. We’ve got John Leguizamo, Michael Nyqvist and Bridget Moynahan. I mean, it's a really good cast and I got a front-row seat." Additionally Winters praised Stahelski and Leitch's usage practical sets of reality to action sequences sans the involvement of green screen and special effects, adding, "Their stunt and action experience paid off." Winters too stated, "It was like a front row seat to watching just incredible, incredible filmmaking," adding, "This was just straight up in your face, not computerized, old school stunts. I really felt like I was in the front row of like a master class."
Ian McShane as Winston
The enigmatic owner of the Continential Hotel. About the character of Winston, McShane said, "Winston is mysterious and enigmatic." He took the role due to his curiosity on the possibilities of the character, as well as his fondness for modern noir films. Writer Kolstad stated, "[Winston] doesn’t say a lot, but when he does, the earth moves. If John and Viggo are the gods of New York, Winston is the titan." On the film itself, McShane added, "The writing, the acting and the visuals all have a mythical quality. And every character has an important part to play in a puzzle that comes together gradually."
John Leguizamo as Aurelio
The proud business owner of Aurelio's Garage, a high-end chop shop. About the character Aurelio, Leguizamo stated, "When a Russian mobster’s son shows up with John Wick’s car, I know there's going to be trouble. I'm going to have a problem either with the Russian mobster or with John Wick, but I’m not going to win either way." Leguizamo believed that the costume design of the character created a big boost, and had a great impression on the actor, with him stating, "Mine is pretty slick, and that adds a lot of character. I’m walking through the set and all of a sudden I start feeling a little cocky, like I’m somebody. It all helps."
Willem Dafoe as Marcus
A member of the old guard of assassins who is battle hardened, reliable and amongst the elite. About the character of Marcus, Dafoe said, "Marcus is an assassin on a very high level. It's clear that he and [John] have a history and he's something of a mentor to him. They’re friends, but it's a friendship that was made in a very dark world." Of Marcus' psychology he too added that, "He seems pragmatic; he seems fatalistic, which you would have to be in that line of work. " Writer Kolstad stated, "Marcus is a father figure. But he’s a father in the sense that he’s the king of the pride. When a new lion takes over a pride, he slaughters all the cubs. Marcus is that guy." On taking the role, Dafoe was very impressed with "leanness" of Kolstad's original screenplay, to which he stated, "The story is expressed mostly in action. That seemed to work well with Chad and David’s history." He too praised the "enthusiasm, freshness and eagerness" displayed by both Stahelski and Leitch within the filmmaking process. Dafoe too added that the screenplay and overall project caters to his "particularity that makes them feel special" and the character-driven nature within the setting of New York City wasn't "something that I haven’t really experienced." and additionally the chance of working with Keanu on the piece. On the style of directors Stahelski and Leitch, Dafoe stated, "[...] style is reminiscent of John Woo's signature gun fu combat. The action is a real nice mix of martial arts and gunplay — you have the grace of martial arts, but then the bang of the gun." as well adding, "The choreography isn't the same old, same old, or built around set pieces or a gag. It's really integrated into the story. [Stahelski and Leitch], they aren't just stunt people, they're filmmakers."
David Patrick Kelly as Charlie, the “cleaner”; Randall Duk Kim, playing a doctor with a select clientele; Lance Reddick, Charon, a concierge at The Continental Hotel, who always seems to know what the client needs. Munro M. Bonnell as a Russian Orthodox priest who protects the vault where Viggo stores his valuables. Omer Barnea playing Gregori and Toby Leonard Moore playing Victor, Iosef's friends and bodyguards; Daniel Bernhardt as Kirill, Viggo's henchman; Bridget Regan as Addy; Keith Jardine as Kuzma; Tait Fletcher as Nicholai; Thomas Sadoski as Jimmy; Clarke Peters as Harry; Kevin Nash as Francis, a bouncer at the Red Circle night club; Gameela Wright as a delivery woman; Vladislav Koulikov as Pavel; Pat Squire as an elderly woman; Vladimir Troitsky as a Team Leader; and Scott Tixier as a Violinist.
Box Office:
World Wide:
John Wick earned $14,415,922 across 2,589 locations, which was the second highest opening of that weekend, at an average of $5,465 per theatre compared to the $7 million to $8 million opening most analysts projected the revenge thriller would make. As of December 10, 2014 the film had grossed $42,209,393 in North America and $23,998,207 outside North America for a worldwide total of $66,207,600.
North America:
The film had a wide release in the United States and Canada in selected theatres on October 24. The film earned $5.45 million on its opening day,[188] including an estimated $0.87 million from late night Thursday, which was the second highest opening of that weekend, at an average of $5,465 per theatre.The film grossed $2.5 million from 347 IMAX locations that weekend, which represented 17.7 percent of the film's overall gross for its opening weekend. The audience was 60% male and 77% were older than 25.
Other territories:
Outside North America, the film took $1,377,305 during its international opening weekend.The film's highest-grossing debuts were in France, Australia, Thailand, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates. On its second week, it added $6.7 million from 33 territories. The film went number one in France ($1.2M) from 300 screens, number three in Australia ($961,000) from 177 screens, and number ten in the Middle East ($1M) from a total of 80 screens. The next major market for John Wick is Brazil on November 27.