Matthew Ferguson Movies

A seemingly ordinary bank employee develops an obsession that could destroy his life and that of those around him in this drama. Dan Mahowny (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a quiet, unassuming employee of a bank in Toronto; he lives modestly, drives a used car, and is dating one of the bank's tellers, a sweet but mousy girl named Belinda (Minnie Driver). What no one knows is that Dan has a secret life -- Dan is a compulsive gambler, and after running up massive debts with his bookie Frank Perlin (Maury Chaykin), he begins making regular visits to Atlantic City in the United States, where he often bets (and loses) far beyond his means. Dan's expertise at the bank is rewarded with a promotion to assistant manager; his new responsibilities include approving loans, which gives him the authority to transfer funds in and out of the bank. Needing to cover his debts, Dan starts approving loans to non-existent clients and adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to other accounts, and Victor Fox) (John Hurt), manager of Dan's favorite Atlantic City casino, is more than happy to "help" Dan, comping him to luxury suites and all the attendant amenities and working with him to transfer bank funds into his casino account. As Dan's debts begin to grow into the seven figure range, his dealings become harder to hide, both from the authorities and from Belinda, who has become aware of Dan's addiction to gambling but doesn't know just how far it's grown. Based on a true story, Owning Mahowny was directed by Richard Kwietniowski, who previously worked with John Hurt in the acclaimed Love and Death on Long Island. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

As originally conceived, La Femme Nikita was to have ended its run with its season-four "Lady or the Tiger" finale. But when thousands of viewers wrote in to the USA network demanding that the series come to a more dramatically satisfying denouement, the series was renewed for a fifth and final season. This is the year in which heroine Nikita (Peta Wilson) finally learns why she was rescued from a life prison sentence and recruited by the covert anti-terrorist organization Section One. Also, the true identity of the mercurial Section One head man "Operations" is revealed -- and the news has a very special meaning to the astonished Nikita! In other developments relevant to the series' "closure," Operation's deceased second-in-command, Madeline (Alberta Watson), is resurrected in the form of a holographic clone; "canceled" computer wonk Birkoff is replaced by Kate Quinn (Cindy Dolenc); and the relationship between Nikita and her partner and lover, Michael (Roy Dupuis), takes an unexpected turn during Michael's efforts to save his son, Adam (Evan Caravella), from terrorists. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Reluctant spy Nikita (Peta Wilson) continues to perform acts of counterterrorism merely to save her own skin as La Femme Nikita launches its third season. The opening episode finds Nikita trying to ascertain the whereabouts of her partner and lover, Michael Samuelle (Roy Dupuis) -- even while her superior at the covert organization Section One, a man known as "Operations" (Eugene Robert Glazer), plots to "cancel" Nikita because he feels she has outlived her usefulness. Much to Nikita's surprise, she discovers that Michael has been married all along to a woman named Elena (Samia Shoaib) and has a son named Adam (Evan Caravella). However, he soon loses both wife and son -- and the will to live, giving Nikita a new "mission," that of saving Michael from himself. (By this time, both are back in the good graces of Section One...not that they trust Operations any farther than they can throw him!) And back at Section One headquarters, Nikita's co-workers Birkoff (Matthew Ferguson) and Walter (Don Francks) start gathering evidence to prove that Operations has been undermining the organization from the outset (it turns out, however, that Walter can't be trusted either). Meanwhile, Operations' second-in-command, Madeline (Alberta Watson), tries to break up the relationship between Nikita and Michael -- when she isn't trying to take over Section One herself, that is. The season's two-part finale finds Nikita and Michael trying out various subterfuges to see each other despite Madeline's efforts, Operations settling accounts with the duplicitous Walter, Birkoff putting his own life on the line to sabotage Walter's replacement -- and a sinister turn of events in which Nikita is "reprogrammed" as a potential force of evil! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Given a choice between serving a life sentence for a crime she didn't commit and working as a secret agent for the covert government anti-terrorist organization Section One, a young woman known only as Nikita (Peta Wilson) reluctantly accepts the latter option as La Femme Nikita begins its first season. Section One goes a further step to secure Nikita's loyalty: if she should ever disobey orders or betray the organization, she will be instantly "canceled" (as in "killed"). It is obvious from the outset that Nikita does not trust her superiors, nor do they trust her -- and for that matter, they are highly suspicious of one another! Season one spends much of its time developing the relationship between Nikita and her Section One mentor Michael Samuelle (Roy Dupuis), especially in those instances wherein one of the operatives is in terrible danger and the other must make the decision to save his/her partner or sacrifice that partner for the sake of the mission. By season's end it is clear that Nikita and Michael are in love -- so much so that, when Section One chief "Operations" (aka Paul L. Wolfe, played by Eugene Robert Glazer), knowingly sends Nikita on a mission that will end in her death, Michael offers his partner a means of escape...and a doorway to full freedom from the influence of Section One. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Nikita (Peta Wilson) poses as the long-lost daughter of Helen Wicke (Alberta Watson), a sociopath who runs a vicious arms-dealing operation with her husband, John (Wayne Best). It's all part of a scheme hatched by Operations (Eugene Robert Glazer) to retrieve a stolen nuclear trigger. Not surprisingly, the plan has its flaws, and before long both Helen and Nikita are eminently expendable. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This debut episode of the TV series La Femme Nikita adheres to the premise set up by the 1990 French theatrical feature (and its 1993 American remake) -- up to a point, that is. Falsely accused of murdering a cop and sentenced to life, sexy street punk Nikita (Peta Wilson) is offered a "second chance" by a clandestine counterterrorism organization known as Section One. Making it appear as though Nikita killed herself in prison, Section One recruits her as a special undercover operative: "You can learn to shoot. You can learn to fight. But there's no weapon as powerful as your femininity." But even if Nikita had qualms about her new assignment, she doesn't have much choice: She can either go along with the program, or be abruptly "canceled." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Nikita (Peta Wilson) poses as a recruit for Glass Curtain, a terrorist organization that picks its members from Internet chat rooms. Welcomed into the Glass Curtain fold, Nikita discovers that the group is holding former Section One operative Simone (Mung-Ling Tsui) captive. Complicating matters further is the fact that Simone happens to be the former wife of Nikita's Section One contact, Michael (Roy Dupuis). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Section One team is forced to abandon a wounded Michael (Roy Dupuis) after a botched operation in Eastern Europe. Nikita (Peta Wilson) is all for returning to rescue Michael, but is told that such an undertaking would be "too risky." (Hmmm...Why hasn't such a possibility ever bothered Nikita's superiors in the past?) Meanwhile, Michael must depend upon the kindness of Angie (Nancy Beatty), a nurse he has been forced to kidnap, if he hopes to elude the minions of Secret Police head Petrosian (Nigel Bennett). But nothing is entirely what it seems, with friends becoming enemies and vice versa in a dizzying kaleidoscope of plot twists. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Registry, a computer program listing all Section One members throughout the world, is stolen by a terrorist who intends to auction off the list to the highest bidder. Tracking the terrorist to Prague, Michael (Roy Dupuis) discovers that the list has been planted on a supposedly innocent bystander, an architect named Gray Wellman (Callum Keith Rennie). Assigned to retrieve the Registry by playing up to Wellman, Nikita (Peta Wilson) falls in love with the man -- thereby placing both their lives in danger. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

To retrieve "The Book," a file crucial to Section One security, Michael (Roy Dupuis) goes after David Fanning (Douglas O'Keeffe), the terrorist who has stolen The Book, and intends to turn it over to the enemy. As part of his strategy, Michael becomes close to Lisa Fanning (Yvonne Scio), David's abused wife. The plan may be compromised when Nikita (Peta Wilson) worries that the already unstable Lisa may be pushed over the edge by Michael and David's high-stakes game playing. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Nikita (Peta Wilson) is ordered by her manipulative superior Madeline (Alberta Watson) to evaluate the performance of Section One recruit Karyn (Felicity Waterman). If Karyn passes inspection, she will be welcomed into the organization; if she isn't quite ready, however, Karyn will be "canceled" -- and Nikita will have to make this difficult decision. Further complicating matters are some serious unresolved issues between Karyn and her mentor Brian (Markus Parilo). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

While on an undercover mission, Nikita (Peta Wilson) is attacked by a serial rapist/killer. Having long been in pursuit of the perpetrator, Detective Marco O'Brien (Stephen Shellen) demands that Nikita testify in court. But if she talks, her cover will be blown and Section One's mission to neutralize a Yugoslav terrorist will be aborted. Thus, Nikita is now expendable -- and so is O'Brien. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Nikita (Peta Wilson) discovers that one of the three thieves who have stolen a valuable computer chip is Steven Wolfe (Christopher Kennedy). Under any other circumstances, Wolfe would be dead meat -- except that he happens to be the long-estranged son of Nikita's superior Operations (Eugene Robert Glazer). Ordered to keep Steven alive at all costs, Nikita agrees -- but only if she is promised her own freedom from Section One. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi