Browse Movies : Focus Features : 2006

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1 – 7 of 7 movies

On a Clear Day

Frank is a 55-year-old hard-working man, established and respected in his community, who suddenly finds himself without a job. Several other colleagues suffer the same fate and, whilst a shock to everyone, it is above all a crushing blow to Frank's pride. For the first time in his life, Frank is without direction. Agonised by the memory of his young son's drowning, Frank's dreams are haunted with images of water, yet it is only when he swims that he feels truly in control of his destiny. When his friend Danny jokes that on a clear day he could swim to France, a seed of hope is planted in his mind. Frank determines to salvage his self-esteem and to tackle his demons by attempting the ultimate test of endurance--to swim the English Channel--the 22-mile stretch of water dividing England and France. Initially concealing his master plan from his loving wife Joan and estranged son Rob, Frank and his friends unite to support his audacious plan. In the process this motley band of brothers restore their lost hope and confidence in the future.

Something New

If love is an adventure, it's one yet to be embarked upon by Kenya Denise McQueen. A beautiful L.A. career woman, Kenya works as senior manager at a prestigious accounting firm, and is on the verge of making partner. But she has yet to find her own partner and a fulfilling personal life. It's not that she's stopped looking; her (mental) checklist is at the ready. After another Valentine's Day spent working late, Kenya agrees to a blind date with Brian Kelly, a sexy and free-spirited landscape architect who turns out to be not exactly what she'd pictured for herself. Then again, she does need the yard of her new house fixed up. Her girlfriends Cheryl, Suzzette, and Nedra are there for her with advice, while Cheryl's new beau Walter shares a male perspective with Brian. Kenya's socially prominent parents Joyce and Edmond and womanizing younger brother Nelsen also voice their own opinions. But it's when her perfect match, Mark, enters the picture that Kenya is truly thrown into confusion. Ultimately, Kenya has to decide for herself and follow her heart--no matter where it takes her.

Brick

"Brick" is a detective story set in a strange sort of high school world. Its primary inspiration are the novels of Dashiell Hammet. Its main character (Brendan Frye) is a loner at his high school, someone who knows all the angles but has chosen to stay on the outside. When the girl he loves turns up dead, he plunges into the school's social strata like a fist through a honeycomb to find the who and why, with the same single minded devotion to his self appointed task as Hammet's anti-heros.

Catch a Fire

In South Africa, Patrick Chamusso is a charming and loving husband to his wife Precious, and a caring father to his two young daughters. He works as a foreman at the centrally located Secunda oil refinery, which is a symbol of South Africa's self-sufficiency at a time when the world was protesting the country's oppressive apartheid system. In his spare time, Patrick coaches a local boys' soccer team. Carefully toeing the hard line imposed on blacks by apartheid, Patrick is completely apolitical. Nic Vos is a Colonel in the country's Police Security Branch. The shrewd and charismatic Vos strives to maintain order in volatile situations, which have become more and more frequent as the outlawed activist organization African National Congress (ANC) rallies blacks against apartheid. Vos is also concerned for the safety of his wife and two daughters. He and his family live a world away from the Chamusso family--until the innocent Patrick comes under suspicion and is arrested (in June 1980) for sabotage of the Secunda oil refinery. His alibi is compromised, and Patrick is desperate to shield Precious from a past indiscretion and keep his job. But he is ill-prepared to withstand brutal interrogations by Vos' men. As Vos further insinuates himself into the lives of the Chamussos, to Patrick's shock and shame, Precious herself is jailed and tortured. Although he and Precious are soon released from custody, Patrick is stunned into action and completely reorients his sense of self and purpose. He leaves his family to join up with the ANC. Becoming a rebel fighter and political operative, Patrick is radicalized on behalf of his people and his country. He ultimately envisions a formidable and dangerous follow-up strike against the Secunda refinery, risking his own life and future. Change must and will come, for Patrick and his family, and for South Africa itself.
Location: South Africa

Hollywoodland

A uniquely compelling exploration of fame and identity. The drama, inspired by one of Hollywood's most infamous real-life mysteries, follows a 1950s private detective (Academy Award winner Adrien Brody) who, investigating the mysterious death of "Superman" star George Reeves (Academy Award winner Ben Affleck), uncovers unexpected connections to his own life as the case turns ever more personal. The torrid affair Reeves had with the wife (Diane Lane) of a studio executive (Bob Hoskins) might hold the key to the truth.

Scoop

A student journalist, for a college paper, visiting friends in contemporary London happens upon the scoop of a lifetime. Along the investigative trail, she finds magic, murder, mystery - and perhaps love, with a British aristocrat.

The Ground Truth

Hailed as "powerful" and "quietly unflinching," Patricia Foulkrod's searing documentary feature includes exclusive footage that will stir audiences. The filmmaker's subjects are patriotic young Americans – ordinary men and women who heeded the call for military service in Iraq – as they experience recruitment and training, combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families and communities. The terrible conflict in Iraq, depicted with ferocious honesty in the film, is a prelude for the even more challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home – with personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent government. As these battles take shape, each soldier becomes a new kind of hero, bearing witness and giving support to other veterans, and learning to fearlessly wield the most powerful weapon of all – the truth.