Peter Newman

The Squid and the Whale -- In his third feature, director Noah Baumbach scores a triumph with an autobiographical coming-of-age story about a teenager whose writer-parents are divorcing. The father (Jeff Daniels) and mother (Laura Linney) duke it out in half-civilized, half-savage fashion, while their two sons adapt in different ways, shifting allegiances between parents. The film is squirmy-funny and nakedly honest ab...

The Center of the World -- What should have been a simple cash-for-sex arrangement sends a young computer genius and a beautiful stripper on an emotionally shattering journey into their deepest erotic fantasies.

A humorous look at a woman's frantic struggle to balance career, marriage and motherhood. With its vividly realized characters, this indie film appeals to those seeking a refreshingly complex look at real-life issues.

Novelist Martin Frost (David Thewlis) escapes to the country hoping to find creative inspiration and finds much more: a mysterious muse named Claire (Irène Jacob). Love spurs Martin to write, but when Claire begins to slip away, Martin wonders if he's living in fiction. Is Claire a con artist, a creative counselor or a figment of Martin's imagination? Michael Imperioli ("The Sopranos") co-stars in writer-director Paul Auster's romantic drama.