Synopsis:
LE DIVORCE, based on the novel by Diane Johnson, is a contemporary Merchant/Ivory production that explores the fundamental differences between Americans and the French, especially in matters of the...
LE DIVORCE, based on the novel by Diane Johnson, is a contemporary Merchant/Ivory production that explores the fundamental differences between Americans and the French, especially in matters of the heart and manners. Isabel (Kate Hudson) is a brash, outspoken Californian who travels to Paris to help her pregnant expatriot sister Roxeanne (Naomi Watts). Once there she finds that Roxeanne's cheating husband (Melvil Poupaud) has abandoned her for his sexy mistress. Determined to help Roxeanne, Isabel settles in and quickly succumbs to the charms of Paris, including its men. She embarks on her own affair with Edgar (Thierry Lhermitte), the married brother of Suzanne de Persand (Leslie Caron), Roxeanne's bourgeois mother-in-law, and falls into the stereotypical life of a French mistress, receiving expensive Hermés gifts, and undergoing a chic cultural makeover. However, Suzanne quickly learns of the affair and is enraged, claiming that Americans don't know how to have proper, temporary affairs. Upon the arrival of Isabel and Roxeanne's typically American parents (Stockard Channing and Sam Waterson), the cultural divide becomes deeper as the two families battle it out over love, marriage, infidelity, fortune and ultimately: divorce.
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM: Like most everyone else in England, Jess Bahmra (Parminder Nagra) idolizes professional British football player David Beckham. But Jess is different from most fans; she's a talented player in her own right. Unfortunately, her traditional Indian parents (Anupam Kher and Shaheen Khan) have other plans for their youngest daughter. They expect Jess to follow in the footsteps of her sister, Pinky (Archie Panjabi), who is preparing to marry in a traditional Indian wedding. When Jess meets Jules (Keira Knightley), who plays for a local female football team, she pursues her own dream and begins to play, keeping her participation a secret from her parents and often leading to disastrous results. To complicate matters even more, both Jess and Jules are enamored with their coach, Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Ultimately, Jess has to decide whether to live life on her terms or act in accordance with her parents' wishes. This charming coming-of-age tale is also an intriguing look at Indian culture in England.
BANGER SISTERS: Suzette (Goldie Hawn) and Vinnie (Susan Sarandon) were groupies in their heyday, partying with the likes of Frank Zappa (who dubs them the Banger Sisters), Jim Morrison, and virtually every other rock star and roadie that passed through Los Angeles. Twenty years later, Suzette is a bartender who finds herself too old to stay in the Los Angeles rock scene. Distraught, she heads to Phoenix in search of her former best friend, picking up neurotic and quirky Harry (Geoffrey Rush) at a gas station along the way. But when Suzette arrives in Phoenix, she is surprised to find that her once wild friend may as well be a different person. Married to a lawyer with political aspirations and the mother of two teenage daughters, Vinnie is now LaVinia, a refined, cultured pillar of the community. With Suzette back in town, LaVinia is confronted with her past and finds that she must make peace with it to fully embrace her true self. Hawn and Sarandon are well cast, and Rush is a scene-stealer as a wounded man who finds new inspiration in Suzette. Writer Bob Dolman makes his directorial debut with THE BANGER SISTERS.
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