“The U.S. government decides to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president turned informant Mark Whitacre.”

• Director: Steven Soderbergh
• Release Date: 18 September 2009 (USA)
• Run Time: 108 min
• Country: USA
• Genre: Comedy , Crime , Drama , Thriller
• MPAA: Rated R for language.

Tagline: Based on a tattle-tale

“Desperate to repay his debt to his ex-wife, an ex-con plots a heist at his new employer’s country home, unaware that a second criminal has also targeted the property, and rigged it with a series of deadly traps.”

• Director: Marcus Dunstan
• Release Date: 31 July 2009 (USA)
• Run Time: 88 min
• Country: USA
• Genre: Crime , Horror , Thriller
• MPAA: Rated R for pervasive sadistic bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity.

Tagline: He always takes one

“While undergoing open heart surgery, a man’s failed anesthetic leaves him completely alert, but paralyzed and unable to tell his doctors Written by Anonymous”

• Director: Joby Harold
• Release Date: 30 November 2007 (USA)
• Run Time: 84 min
• Country: USA
• Genre: Crime , Thriller
• MPAA: Rated R for language, an intense disturbing situation, and brief drug use.

Tagline: Every year, one in 700 people wake up during surgery. When they planned her husband’s murder, they never thought he’d be the one.

Trivia: The tagline is a gross misrepresentation of statistics. The actual estimate of awareness during anesthesia is 1:14000 for high risk patients to as low as 1:42000.

Goofs: Factual errors: Multiple breaches in sterile procedure, including at the end when the doctors “clean up” over Hayden’s surgical area.

“Needing extra cash, two brothers conspire to pull off the perfect, victimless crime. No guns, no violence, no problem. But when an accomplice ignores the rules and crosses the line, his actions trigger a series of events in which no one is left unscathed. Written by Carol Green”

• Director: Sidney Lumet
• Release Date: 26 September 2007 (France)
• Run Time: 117 min | Canada:123 min (Toronto International Film Festival)
• Country: USA , UK
• Genre: Crime , Drama , Thriller
• MPAA: Rated R for a scene of strong graphic sexuality, nudity, violence, drug use and language.

Tagline: No one was supposed to get hurt.

Trivia: A Scrabble board appears on a table in one of the first scenes with the father. The word “Doubt” is prominently displayed on the board. The film Doubt (2008/I) also starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, was released a year after this film.

Goofs: Continuity: There is a repeat of the scene showing Andy answering Hank’s pay phone call after the robbery. In one, the receptionist says “…sounds like some kind of nut case” and Andy says “Yeah, I’ll take it”. In the repeat, the receptionist says “Sounds like a nut case” and Andy says “I got it.”

“Following the death of his employer and mentor, Bumpy Johnson, Frank Lucas establishes himself as the number one importer of heroin in the Harlem district of Manhattan. He does so by buying heroin directly from the source in South East Asia and he comes up with a unique way of importing the drugs into the United States. As a result, his product is superior to what is currently available on the street and his prices are lower. His alliance with the New York Mafia ensures his position. It is also the story of a dedicated and honest policeman, Richie Roberts, who heads up a joint narcotics task force with the Federal government. Based on a true story. Written by garykmcd”

• Director: Ridley Scott
• Release Date: 2 November 2007 (USA)
• Run Time: 157 min | USA:176 min (unrated version)
• Country: USA
• Genre: Crime , Drama
• MPAA: Rated R for violence, pervasive drug content and language, nudity and sexuality.

Tagline: There are two sides to the American dream.

Trivia: James Gandolfini was offered the role of Detective Trupo, but turned it down.

Goofs: Anachronisms: Street signs shown in the movie are green with white lettering. Street signs in the 70’s were actually yellow with black lettering.

“In the Victorian London, the barber Benjamin Barker is married to the gorgeous Lucy and they have a lovely child, Johanna. The beauty of Lucy attracts the attention of the corrupt Judge Turpin, who falsely accuses the barber of a crime that he did not commit and abuses Lucy later after gaining custody of her. After fifteen years in exile, Benjamin returns to London under the new identity of Sweeney Todd, seeking revenge against Turpin. He meets the widow Mrs. Lovett who is the owner of a meat pie shop who tells him that Lucy committed suicide with arsenic many years ago, and Turpin assigned himself tutor of Johanna. He opens a barber shop above her store, initiating a crime rampage against those who made him suffer and lose his beloved family. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil”

• Director: Tim Burton
• Release Date: 21 December 2007 (USA)
• Run Time: 116 min
• Country: USA , UK
• Genre: Crime , Drama , Musical , Thriller
• MPAA: Rated R for graphic bloody violence.

Tagline: Never Forget. Never Forgive.

Trivia: Sam Mendes was originally attached to direct with Russell Crowe in the title role.

Goofs: Continuity: During “My Friends” the razor in Sweeney’s hand goes from fully open when he first opens it to half way when he stands up, and back to fully open when he turns around. Also, his grip on it changes from fingers on the blade in the close-up to fingers on the handle only when the camera cuts to a further view.

“Michael Clayton, a high-priced-law-firm’s fixer, leaves a late-night poker game, gets a call to drive to Westchester, and watches his car blow up as he’s taking an impromptu dawn walk through a field. Flash back four days. He owes a loan shark to cover his brother’s debts (Michael’s own gambling habits have left him virtually broke). His law firm is negotiating a high-stakes merger, and his firm’s six-year defense of a conglomerate’s pesticide use is at risk when one of the firm’s top litigators goes off his meds and puts the case in jeopardy. While Michael is trying to fix things, someone decides to kill him. Who? Meanwhile, his son summarizes the plot of a dark fantasy novel. Written by {jhailey@hotmail.com}”

• Director: Tony Gilroy
• Release Date: 12 October 2007 (USA)
• Run Time: 119 min
• Country: USA
• Genre: Crime , Drama , Mystery , Thriller
• MPAA: Rated R for language including some sexual dialogue.

Tagline: The Truth Can Be Adjusted

Trivia: The Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan that is blown up in this film was first used in filming of The Devil Wears Prada (2006). For the earlier film it was cut in two for use in process shots featuring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. It was then welded back together and repainted in order to be blown up in Michael Clayton (2007). The car’s preparation was featured on “Shooting Cars” (2006).

Goofs: Continuity: Michael complains of being unable to locate or contact his brother Timmy, but after his car blows up, and without a cell phone, he is able to get Timmy to come pick him up that morning.

“A clumsy clerk overhears the conversation of three coworkers in the toilet about a fix in a horse race, and bets a large amount. He loses the bet and owes the money to the dangerous and powerful mobster Fingers. A gangster has the ability of foreseeing the future and works for Fingers; he is assigned to collect money for the boss with his troublemaker nephew Tony and is beat up by a gang. The manager of the pop-star Trista loses her contract to Fingers without her agreement and she is threatened by the gangster. A doctor seeks a blood donor that might have a rare blood type to save the life of his passion. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil”

• Director: Jieho Lee
• Release Date: 13 December 2007 (Greece)
• Run Time: 95 min
• Country: Mexico , USA
• Genre: Crime , Drama , Romance , Thriller
• MPAA: Rated R for violence, language and some sexual content/nudity.

Tagline: Sometimes the things we can’t change…end up changing us.

Trivia: Mexican actress Claudia Sobern auditioned for a supporting role.

Goofs: Revealing mistakes: When Gina is in the hospital, we see the patient monitor in demonstration mode (”demo” is flashing). It also indicates the patient is an adult male.

“A secret service agent, Jennifer Marsh, gets caught in a very personal and deadly cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer who knows that people (being what they are -- both curious and drawn to the dark side of things) will log onto an “untraceable” website where he conducts violent and painful murders LIVE on the net. The more people who log on and enter the website, the quicker and more violently the victim dies. Written by McCormack”

• Director: Gregory Hoblit
• Release Date: 25 January 2008 (USA)
• Run Time: 101 min
• Country: USA
• Genre: Crime , Drama , Thriller
• MPAA: Rated R for grisly violence and torture, and some language.

Tagline: A cyber killer has finally found the perfect accomplice: You.

Trivia: The site used by the killer (www.killwithme.com) actually exists. It’s owned by the movie studio and it’s used to promote the movie. In it, users are taken to a replica of the FBI computer used by the character Jennifer Marsh. Her desktop gets hacked by the killer who provides the visitor with four test he/she must complete to deactivate his site.

Goofs: Factual errors: One of the victim’s lifespan is seen to have been June 14, 1955 to January 15, 2008. It is said that he is 55 years old, although in reality he would have been 52.

“Two London brothers are hard-up for cash, and both have girls to look out for, too. When rich Uncle Howard comes to town and agrees to help them out, he admits his finances are under investigation, and he asks them to do him a favor and “take care of” an old business relation to keep his trouble under wraps -- he says that they’re family, and since he always takes care of them, the least they could do is help him out this once, as they’re the only ones he can trust. The film follows their struggle with the immorality of this request and how each brother chooses to deal with it. Written by Anonymous”

• Director: Woody Allen
• Release Date: 26 October 2007 (Spain)
• Run Time: 108 min
• Country: USA , UK , France
• Genre: Crime , Drama , Romance , Thriller
• MPAA: Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some sexual material and brief violence.

Tagline: How far will you go to make your dreams come true?

Trivia: This is the first Woody Allen film to be released with a stereo soundtrack.

Goofs: Continuity: When Colin Farrell’s character faces his brother with his murder problems at his brother’s apartment, the bottle of whiskey comes out twice after changing camera shot angle.