Control
A profile of Ian Curtis (played by Sam Riley), the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional, and romantic troubles led him to commit suicide at the age of 23. This perceptive biopic has been made by two people who knew him very well. It is based on a memoir by his wife Deborah (Samantha Morton), a teenager when they married, and directed by the photographer Anton Corbijn, whose early photos helped establish Curtis' image as young, handsome and sorrowful. Superbly acted and stunningly shot in black, white and gray, of course, as we sense Curtis was a man who dreamed in shadows, not colors.

Directed by Anton Corbijn
2007, 122 minutes, Rated R
Movie starts at Dusk

Finding Neverland
Johnny Depp soulfully plays writer Sir J.M. Barrie in Marc Forster's beautiful, Oscar-nominated story of the inspiration for Peter Pan. Barrie becomes enamored with an ailing widow (Kate Winslet) and her four young boys, choosing to play make-believe without regard to rigid London social structures. He is a man who never wants to grow up that writes the story of a boy who never does. Masterful editing and strong performances by Dustin Hoffman, Julie Christie, and a young Freddie Highmore highlight this moving, luminous film.

Directed by Marc Forster
USA/UK, 2004, 101 minutes, Rated PG
Movie starts at Dusk

City of God
This is a vivid and violent tale of life in the notorious Rio de Janeiro slum which follows the intertwining paths of childhood friends over two decades. In the neighborhood's decay through the 70s and 80s, child armies, like the one led by trigger-happy gangster Li'l Ze, rise to control the streets. Rocket is the narrator whose talent with a camera may save him from this life of poverty, drugs, and crime. The visually astonishing portrait reminds us that the civilized society we take for granted is actually a luxury.

Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund
Brazil, 2002, 130 minutes, Rated R
Movie starts at Dusk

Girl on the Bridge
A beautiful waif (Vanessa Paradis) is prepared to leap to her death in the river Seine but is rescued from her grim fate by a raffish carnival knife thrower wonderfully played by Daniel Auteuil. After saving her life, he persuades her to risk it, and they set out to conquer the cabarets and casinos of Europe with their act. Lusciously shot in black and white, with more than a nod to Fellini, this lovely, quirky and erotic romance is a feast to the senses.

Directed by Patrice Leconte
France, 1999, 92 minutes, Rated R
Movie starts at Dusk

Malena
The director of Cinema Paradiso brings us the story of a boy's journey into manhood amid the chaos and intolerance of World War II, in this gorgeous and emotionally powerful film. The most beautiful woman in a sleepy Italian village (played by the stunning Monica Belucci), becomes the subject of increasingly malicious gossip among the lustful townsmen and their jealous wives. But only her most ardent admirer, young Renato (Giuseppe Sulfaro) will learn the heartbreaking truth of the mysterious and elusive Malena.

Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore
Italy, 2000, 109 minutes, Rated R
Movie starts at Dusk