Category Archives: true stories

“Ferrari” Love, Loss, and Legacy Behind the Wheel

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It is the summer of 1957. Behind the spectacle of Formula 1, ex-racer Enzo Ferrari is in crisis. Bankruptcy threatens the factory he and his wife, Laura, built from nothing ten years earlier.

Chemistry, Conflict, and Character Depth

Cruz and Driver play the husband and wife drama brilliantly. Showing how volatile their marriage suffered because of the loss of their son, Dino, a year earlier. Ferrari struggles to acknowledge his son, Piero, with Lina Lardi.

Meanwhile, his drivers’ passion to win pushes them to the edge as they launch into the treacherous 1,000-mile Mille Miglia race across Italy.

The True Story Behind Ferrari’s 1957 Crisis

Based on Brock Yates’ 1991 book Enzo Ferrari: The Man, The Car, The Races, The Machine, with a screenplay by Troy Kennedy Martin, Michael Mann directed Ferrari as a character study unlike anything else the director has done on the big screen.

Michael Mann’s Vision: Precision Meets Emotion

Discovering what the director of the movie helps understand the carmaker’s life, “… Enzo Ferrari, one of the most famous yet inscrutable and complex men of the 20th century. For Mann, that was a perfect hook. “There is no equilibrium in his life, and that’s the whole point of Enzo Ferrari,” says Mann. “That fascinated me because that’s more like the way life actually is,” Mann continues. “Life is asymmetrical. Life is messy. Life is filled with chaos. Ferrari was precise and logical, rational in everything to do with his factory and race team. In the rest of his life, he was impulsive, defensive, libidinous and chaotic. This asymmetry and wonderful contradiction are what made him and the other characters in this unique story so human to me.”

“Arthur the King” A True Story of Loyalty and Survival

adventure, true stories, , , ,

Simon Cellan Jones directed Arthur the King based on an incredible true story.

The Unbreakable Bond Between Man and Dog

Over ten days and 435 miles, an unbreakable bond is forged between pro adventure racer Michael Light, played by Mark Wahlberg, and a scrappy street dog, Arthur.

Simu Liu as Leo and Mark Wahlberg as Michael in Arthur The King.
Photo Credit: Carlos Rodriguez

Racing Through the Wilds of the Dominican Republic

The film follows Light, desperate for one last chance to win, as he convinces a sponsor to back him and a team of athletes, played by Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ali Suliman, for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic.

Mark Wahlberg as Michael in Arthur The King. Photo Credit: Carlos Rodriguez

As the team is pushed to the limits of endurance in the race, Arthur redefines what victory, loyalty, and friendship truly mean.

“Napoleon” Trailers and Poster

adventure, biography, true stories,

Ridley Scott directs Napoleon with Jacquin Phoenix in the starring role and Vanessa Kirby as Josephine.

It’s a spectacle-filled action film detailing the checkered rise and fall of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

Along with a stunning backdrop orchestrated by Scott, the story captures Napoleon’s relentless journey to power through the kaleidoscope of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine.

“The Boys in the Boat” Directed by Clooney

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My daughter read Daniel James Brown’s The Boys in the Boat because her swim coach recommended it. She talked incessantly about how good it was, describing it as an underdog story.

Bruce Herbelin-Earle stars as Shorty Hunt, Callum Turner as Joe Rantz, and Wil Coban as Jim McMillan. Photo credit: Laurie Sparham © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

George Clooney directs the film based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel.
The story is about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression. The situation thrusts them into the spotlight and takes on elite rivals from around the world.

Chris Diamantopoulos stars as Royal Brougham, James Wolk as Coach Bolles, and Joel Edgerton as Al Ulbrickson. Photo credit: Laurie Sparham © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The impressive cast includes Joel Edgerton, Chris Diamantopoulos, Callum Turner, Jack Mulhern, Sam Strike, Luke Slattery, Thomas Elms, Tom Varey, Bruce Herbelin-Earle, Wil Coban, James Wolk, Hadley Robinson, and Courtney Henggeler.

Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones in “The Burial” Trailer, Poster, Clips and Images

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The Burial took inspiration from actual events and was co-written by Doug Wright and Maggie Betts. Betts also directs the story about a handshake deal that goes sour.

Mamoudou Athie as Hal Dockins, Dorian Missick as Reggie Douglas, and Tommy Lee Jones as Jeremiah O’Keefe in The Burial Photo: Skip Bolen © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

Funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe, played by Tommy Lee Jones, enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary, played by Jamie Foxx, to save his family business.

Jurnee Smollett as Mame Downes and Jamie Foxx as Willie Gary in The Burial Photo: Skip Bolen © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

Tempers flare, and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond, exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.

Tommy Lee Jones as Jeremiah O’Keefe and Pamela Reed as Annette O’Keefe in The Burial Photo: Skip Bolen © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, Bill Camp, and Alan Ruck also star in the comedy-drama.

Waitit Helmed “Next Goal Wins”

comedy, true stories,

Directed by Academy Award Winner Taika Waititi and based on a true story, Next Goal Wins follows the American Samoa soccer team, infamous for their brutal 31-0 FIFA loss in 2001.

“Next Goal Wins” stars Elizabeth Moss.

With the World Cup Qualifiers approaching, the team hires down-on-his-luck, maverick coach Thomas Rongen, played by Michael Fassbender, hoping he will turn the world’s worst soccer team around in this heartfelt underdog comedy.

Kaimana and Michael Fassbender in NEXT GOAL WINS. Photo by Hilary Bronwyn Gayle. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.© 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Uli Latukefu, Semu Filipo, and Lehi Falepapalangi, with Will Arnett and Elisabeth Moss also star in this outrageous comedy.

“A Million Miles Away” Trailer, Poster and Images

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Based on actual events about an engineer, Jose Hernandez and directed by Alejandra Marquez Abella, A Million Miles Away follows the first migrant farmworker, played by Michael Pena, to travel to space.

It’s a tale of perseverance, sacrifice, and community to accomplish an impossible dream.

Ashley Ciarra and Bobby Soto also star in the movie that lands on Prime Video.

“Sitting in Bars With Cake” Trailer, Clips, and Images

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Trish Sie directed Sitting in Bars With Cake, inspired by true events. The film follows best friends Jane, played by Yara Shahidi, and Corinne, played by Odessa A’zion.

Navigating life in Los Angeles in their twenties, the ultimate extrovert, Corinne convinces her shy but extremely talented home baker best friend Jane to commit to a year of baking cakes. Then they bring them to bars to meet people and develop confidence called “cakebarring.”

During their year of “cakebarring,” Corinne receives a life-altering diagnosis, and the pair face a challenge unlike anything they’ve experienced before. Sitting in Bars with Cake isn’t only a madcap joyride through some of L.A.’s most colorful watering holes. It’s a moving celebration of female friendship, forging identity, and finding joy in unexpected places.

Ron Livingston, Bette Midler, and Martha Kelly also star in the film.

“Dreamin’ Wild” Trailer, Poster and Images

drama, true stories,

Dreamin’ Wild is a true story of love and redemption. It’s about Donnie Emerson, played by Casey Affleck, and his family. His album was rediscovered after thirty years and was praised by music critics.

Rediscovering the album brings up buried emotions for Donnie, Nancy, Joe, and Don Sr. as they face their past and newfound fame.

Directed by Bill Pohlad, other cast members are Noah Jupe, Jack Dylan Grazer, Beau Bridges, Walton Goggins and Chris Messina.

“Bob Marley: One Love” Trailers, Posters and Interviews

drama, music, true stories, ,

Reinaldo Marcus Green directed Bob Marley: One Love, which honors Bob Marley’s life and celebrates the iconic reggae musician, portrayed by Kingsley Ben-Adir. The story follows his rise to fame and his courage to support human rights.

Michael Gandolfini, Lashana Lynch and Anthony Welsh also star.