Tortilla Flat on AllMovie Tortilla Flat (1942)

Like the John Steinbeck novel on which it is based, Tortilla Flat is not so much a movie as a series of warm-hearted anecdotes, all linked to a small California fishing village populated by poor but happy immigrants. The focus is upon Pilon (Spencer Tracy), a good-natured, charismatic freeloader, and Danny (John Garfield), a hot-headed fisherman who is dragged kicking and screaming into the world of personal responsibility when he inherits two small houses. As Pilon toys with the notion of stealing the nest egg saved up by an old man known as "the Pirate" (Frank Morgan), Danny tries to spark a romance with sexy cannery worker Dolores "Sweets" Ramirez (Hedy Lamarr). Abandoning the robbery plans when he learns that the Pirate intends to use his money to purchase a candlestick for St. Francis, Pilon turns his attentions to stealing Sweets away from Danny. But when Danny is injured in a drunken fight, the mercurial Pilon switches gears again, devoting his energies to bringing Danny and Sweets back together. Of the film's many highlights, standouts include the surprisingly effective "straight" performance by comic actor Frank Morgan (for which he received an Oscar nomination), and the seemingly improvised songfest between Spencer Tracy and John Garfield.

Delicacy on AllMovie Delicacy (2011)

The beautiful Nathalie (Audrey Tautou) throws herself into her work after her husband of just three years unexpectedly passes away. One day, she fixates on Markus (Francois Damiens), an unremarkable underling of hers at the office. The two begin a relationship that everyone who knows Nathalie firmly believes will not last, but it's not other people's perceptions as much as their own self-doubt that threatens to split apart this seemingly odd pairing.

Shut Up and Play the Hits on AllMovie Shut Up and Play the Hits (2011)

Filmmakers Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace document Grammy-nominated dance-music outfit LCD Soundsystem's 2011 farewell concert at Madison Square Garden as front-man James Murphy and author Chuck Klosterman reflect on the topics of fame and success.

Where Do We Go Now? on AllMovie Where Do We Go Now? (2011)

Women try to persuade their men to put a stop to war in this fusion of comedy and drama from director, screenwriter, and actress Nadine Labaki. Amale (Labaki) runs a café in a small Lebanese village where the local women, both Christian and Muslim, get together to talk, swap ideas, and share grief as the number who've lost sons or husbands in frequent skirmishes continues to grow. The fighting between religious and political factions has been going on for years, and one day Amale and her friends Afaf (Layla Hakim), Saydeh (Antoinette Noufaily), Takla (Claude Baz Moussawbaa), and Yvonne (Yvonne Maalouf) decide it's time to stop talking about the fighting and do something to bring it to a halt. The local women join forces to distract their men, convinced if they put their minds on other things they won't worry so much about killing. Their efforts range from serving hashish-laced baked goods at a community get-together to hiring Ukrainian dancers to show off their charms to the menfolk. After a young man is killed in a gun battle, the women realize they need to take a stronger stand if they intend to make their home safe again; meanwhile, Christian Amale unwittingly strikes a blow for religious unity when she falls for handsome Muslim Rabih (Julien Farhat). Et Maintenant On Va Ou? (aka Where Do We Go Now?) won the People's Choice Award at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry on AllMovie Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2011)

Filmmaker Alison Klayman presents an intimate portrait of outspoken Chinese artist/political activist Ai Weiwei, who was taken into police custody after criticizing the Chinese government over the deaths of 5000 students during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and who defied his country's censorship laws to help organize and inform his fellow citizens.

Being Flynn on AllMovie Being Flynn (2012)

Robert De Niro and Paul Dano headline writer/director Paul Weitz's adaptation of Nick Flynn's memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City. The story concerns a struggling writer named Nick (Dano), who is working at an inner-city homeless shelter when his estranged father Jonathan (De Niro) shows up looking for a place to rest his head. Dale Dickey, Lili Taylor, Olivia Thirlby, and Julianne Moore co-star in a film produced by Depth of Field in association with Tribeca Productions and Corduroy Films.

We Have a Pope on AllMovie We Have a Pope (2011)

A man about to be elevated into a position of great responsibility and power has a serious case of cold feet in this comedy-drama from director and actor Nanni Moretti. The College of Cardinals has assembled at the Vatican with the important task of electing a new Pope to lead the Catholic Church. After much debate and a number of ballots that reach no consensus, an obscure but respected man, Cardinal Melville (Michel Piccoli), is chosen by the College to become the new pontiff. However, Melville is a humble man, and when he's told he's been elected to the highest office in the church, he flies into a panic and says he doesn't want to be Pope. Unfortunately, the cardinals have already announced that they've chosen a new Pontiff, so they bring in a psychiatrist (Nanni Moretti) to talk to Melville in hopes of determining if he's just suffering from a case of the jitters or if he has a more serious problem. After some initial interviews, the analyst wants a second opinion and asks his ex-wife (Margherita Buy), also a psychiatrist, to talk to Melville, but after spending some time at her home, the cardinal runs away and begins exploring Rome incognito, talking to ordinary people and pondering his unusual circumstances. Habemus Papam (aka We Have a Pope) received its North American premiere at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.