300: Atlanteans versus Lemurians

300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, itself partly inspired by another film, The 300 Spartans,[1] and is a fictional[2] account of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. The film is directed by Zack Snyder with Frank Miller attached as an executive producer and consultant, and was shot mostly with bluescreen to duplicate the imagery of the original comic book.

Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fight to the last man against Persian King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his army of over one million soldiers, while in Sparta, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) attempts to rally support for her husband. The story is framed by a voice-over narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios (David Wenham). Through this narrative technique, all manner of fantastical creatures are introduced, placing 300 within the genre of historical fantasy.
300 was released in both conventional and IMAX theaters in America on March 9, 2007. The film broke box office records, although critics were divided over its look and style. Some acclaimed it as an original achievement, while others accused it of favoring visuals over characterization. Controversy arose over its depiction of the ancient world. A group of Persian messengers arrive at Sparta, demanding Sparta's submission to King Xerxes. Outraged and offended at their behavior, King Leonidas and his guards throw the messengers into a pit, resolving to face the Persians. Leonidas then visits the Oracle, explaining his plan of war with the Persians and offers a customary payment in gold. The priests of the Oracle, having already been bribed by Xerxes, interpret her message to mean that Sparta should not go to war, so as to not interrupt the sacred Carneian festival.
Despite the warning, Leonidas gathers 300 of his best soldiers to fight the Persians, selecting only those who have already sired male children. As they march North, they are joined by a group of Arcadians and other Greeks. Arriving at the narrow cliffs of Thermopylae (referred to as the "Hot Gates"), in sight of the Persian army, they build a wall to halt the Persians' advance. Ephialtes, a hunchbacked Spartan whose parents had fled to save him from customary infanticide, approaches Leonidas, requesting to redeem his father's name in battle, and warning him about a secret goat path that the Persians could use to surround them. Leonidas turns him away as his inability to properly hold the shield would create a weak spot in the phalanx.
Before the battle starts, the Persians ask that the 300 drop their arms. Leonidas responds; "Persians! Come and take them!" The Spartans use the phalanx formation and hand to hand combat to fight off numerous waves of attackers including Xerxes's elite guard, the Immortals. The 300 defend their position while suffering relatively few losses. Xerxes, impressed, personally approaches Leonidas and promises him wealth and power in exchange for his surrender. The Spartan king declines, saying that he will instead make the "God King" bleed. Shortly thereafter, an embittered Ephialtes reveals the location of the goat path to Xerxes, having been promised a lucrative and powerful position in the Persian Empire.
Back in Sparta, Queen Gorgo, upon the advice of a councilman, attempts to enlist the influential Theron to help her persuade the Spartan council to send reinforcements to Leonidas. Theron agrees to help, but demands that Gorgo submit sexually to him; Gorgo reluctantly assents. Meanwhile, the Greeks realize that Ephialtes has betrayed them, and the Arcadians decide to retreat in the face of certain death. The Spartans refuse to follow, obedient to their law. Leonidas orders only one man, Dilios, to retreat and use his rhetorical skills to tell the story of the 300 to the Spartan people, ensuring that they be remembered. Dilios reluctantly leaves with the Arcadians. At Sparta, Queen Gorgo appears in front of the council, but is not supported by Theron, who furthermore accuses her of adultery. The Queen, enraged at this betrayal, snatches a sword from a nearby soldier and kills Theron. Persian coins fall from his purse, the Council denounces him as a traitor, and unites against Persia.
At Thermopylae, the Persians have surrounded the 300 on all sides. Xerxes's spokesman demands their surrender, saying that Leonidas may keep his title as King of Sparta and become warlord of all Greece, answerable only to Xerxes. In defiance, Leonidas throws his spear at Xerxes, cutting his cheek, delivering on his promise to "make the 'God King' bleed." Shaken at the reminder of his own mortality, Xerxes orders his archers to fire. The remaining Spartans are killed in the hail of arrows, with Leonidas dying last. Dilios eventually returns to Sparta and inspires the council with the bravery of the 300.
Dilios finishes his tale of the 300 on a new battlefield surrounded by raptly listening soldiers. He concludes that the Persian army, who defeated a mere 300 Spartans a year earlier with great difficulty, must now be terrified to face 10,000 Spartans and 30,000 Greeks from the other city-states. The roused Greek host heads off to fight the Persian army, beginning the Battle of Plataea.

Edward Abramovitz, The Alquimist

"Mesmerizing; the Illusionist casts an exquisitely bewitching spell with its dreamy atmosphere and persuasive sense of suspense. Neil Burger has fashioned a beautifully shot mystery, with precise and elegant attention to period detail, which heightens the sense of intrigue in this romantic thriller. The well crafted tale is bolstered by the powerful performance of Edward Norton. Just as strong are Paul Giamatti and Rufus Sewell. This suspenseful and stylish film has a welcome sense of originality. The story is rendered fluidly, with gorgeous production design, and the haunting score by Philip Glass adds to the spellbinding quality. It is a pleasure to see Edward Norton deliver yet another remarkable performance."

Claudia Puig - USA TODAY

The film begins in medias res (in the middle of the story) as chief inspector Uhl (Giamatti) recounts the history of Eisenheim for Crown Prince Leopold, following Eisenheim's arrest during what appears to be necromancy passed off as a magic show. As a teenager, young Eisenheim (played by Aaron Johnson) is the son of a cabinetmaker. One day, he meets a traveling magician along a road. The magician performs several tricks for him and then, according to various accounts, both the magician and the tree he was sitting under vanish. Eisenheim becomes obsessed with magic tricks after this and also falls in love with Sophie von Teschen (Biel), a duchess well above his social standing, and the daughter of the parents that have hired Eisenheim's father as a cabinetmaker. Although the two are forbidden to see each other, they meet in a secret hideout in the woods, where Eisenheim tells of his plans to go to China to learn more magic and Sophie promises to go with him. On the day that they are going to leave, however, the police come looking for Sophie. The two hide in the secret room and Sophie begs Eisenheim to make them both disappear. He is unable to fulfill this request, however, and the two are separated. Eisenheim leaves his village to travel the world and perfect his magic after this. He returns a master illusionist. He meets Sophie at his performance when she volunteers as a participant in his trick. He soon learns that Sophie is expected to marry the ruthless Crown Prince Leopold (Sewell), who is well known for abusing his lady friends. After humiliating the crown prince during a private show, Eisenheim finds his hit performance shut out of Vienna. Eisenheim and Sophie, having recognized each other from his previous performance, meet privately and finally consummate their love. Their romance begun anew, they plan to elope; but first, Sophie points out, something must be done to stop Leopold, who, she reveals, is planning a coup d'etat to take control of Austria from his aging father, Emperor Franz Joseph, while using his engagement to her to win the support of Hungary. When Leopold finds out from Uhl, who was following the couple, he apparently kills Sophie in a drunken rage. Unfortunately, Leopold's aristocratic social standing makes any accusations against him unthinkable. As Eisenheim plunges into despair and the citizens of Vienna begin to suspect Leopold of murder, Uhl begins to observe Eisenheim's actions more closely.
Racked with grief, Eisenheim prepares a new kind of magic show, using mysterious equipment and Chinese stagehands. Eisenheim purchases a run-down theater and opens a new performance. During his show, Eisenheim apparently summons spirits, leading many to believe that he possesses supernatural powers. Uhl attempts to stop his show but is unsuccessful.
Leopold decides to attend one of Eisenheim's shows in disguise. During this show, Eisenheim summons the spirit of Sophie, who says someone in the theater murdered her, panicking Leopold. Uhl pleads with Eisenheim to stop, but Eisenheim refuses; he is bent on being with Sophie and ruining the crown prince and the ruling Habsburg house. Finally, Leopold orders Eisenheim's arrest, but when Uhl tries to arrest him during a live show, Eisenheim's body fades and disappears, implying that he did not perform the show as a corporeal human being that night but, rather, as a "spirit".
At this point, we return to the first scene of the movie. Uhl reveals to Leopold that he has found evidence which points to the crown prince as Sophie's murderer: a jewel from the prince's sword, and Sophie's locket that Eisenheim gave her when they were kids. After ordering, then begging Uhl to keep silent, Leopold discovers that Uhl has already informed the emperor's general staff not only of his findings but of Leopold's plans to usurp the Austrian throne. When the general staff arrives at his palace, Leopold shoots himself in despair after sadly reflecting on the state of Austria's corrupt government.

In the next scene, Uhl is shown leaving the imperial castle. After he takes a few steps, a boy runs up to hand him a folio labeled "Orange Tree" – the name of one of Eisenheim's illusions which had intrigued Uhl – and unlike before, it is filled with plans detailing a geared mechanism to make the tree "grow". Uhl demands to know where the child found the folio and is told that Eisenheim had given it to him. Uhl spots Eisenheim wearing a disguise and follows him to the train station. During his chase, Uhl begins to make mental connections, shown in the form of flashbacks. He realizes that Sophie's murder was in fact itself an illusion created by Eisenheim in order to escape with his love and bring down Leopold. After the flashbacks, Eisenheim is seen making his way to the country, where Sophie awaits him.

Family As A House

Life as a House is a 2001 film starring Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Hayden Christensen. Directed by Irwin Winkler and written by Mark Andrus, the film involves the metaphorical and emotional underpinnings of demolishing and reconstructing a house. The film is set in picturesque Rancho Palos Verdes, California and is notable for its dramatic use of the coast and of sunsets.Kevin Kline plays George Monroe, who is fired from his job as a designer of architectural models and is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He enlists the help of his reluctant and rebellious son Sam, played by Hayden Christensen, to demolish the shack that George inherited from his abusive father and build an elegant home in its place. During this experience, George reconnects with his son and his divorced wife Robin, played by Kristin Scott Thomas. The movie is a source of discovery both for George and Sam. Sam in particular changes from a rebellious drug taking teen into something more closely resembling his father. This is evident in the final sequence, in which Sam gives the house to a woman disabled by a car accident caused by George's father while driving under the influence.

"Life as a house seen from a distance, it's perfect."