Daragh O'Malley Movies

In this historical drama based on actual events, Sweden's Queen Christina (Liv Ullmann) decides in 1654 to give up her throne in order to embrace Catholicism. However, as she studies the faith, she falls in love with Cardinal Azzolino (Peter Finch), a cleric being considered for the papacy. Greta Garbo previously played the same abdicating monarch in the film Queen Christina. Michael Dunn, who plays the dwarf in The Abdication, died during production, and several of his scenes had to be shot with another actor doubling for him. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In the opening scenes of this politically-oriented drama, a killer enters the home of a policeman and in a shocking sequence murders him in cold blood -- an act that becomes the key to the rest of this film about the conflict between politics and life. Young Catholic, Cal (John Lynch) works in a slaughterhouse during the day and has participated in terrorist activities, but he wants out after he has been forced to drive a getaway car in the murder of the policeman. Meanwhile, he is slowly enchanted by Marcella, an older woman (Helen Mirren) who has just started working at the local library. Smitten but shy, Cal manages to ease himself into a job on her land, and when his father's home is burned to the ground by Protestants, Cal moves into a cottage on the woman's estate. Eventually, the two start a quiet liaison -- but Cal's inner turmoil disturbs the happiness he feels when he is with Marcella. Can he continue to hide his terrorist past from Marcella, who knows nothing about what he has done? While this question and others raised by the film are reasonable, director Pat O'Connor's treatment of the story may be too muted, and John Lynch's Cal too innocuous and frail (especially in contrast to Helen Mirren's Marcella) to win over all viewers. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

A seemingly harmless man comes to a small town with a deadly mission in mind in this British made-for-television movie. Jack Shepherd stars as Peplow, a reserved man who meets up with a disenchanted, crippled veteran (Peter Egan) on the day of their town's annual fair. Unbeknownst to the curmudgeon vet, Peplow has come to town for more than just the fair. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

In this action adventure, author Bernard Cornwell's fictional Major Sharpe is faced with the daunting task of teaching a ceremonial battalion to fight for real. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this action adventure, author Bernard Cornwell's fictional Major Sharpe goes undercover as a Spanish rebel and proves that, despite recent accusations to the contrary, he is indeed an honorable man. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this war adventure a brave British GI saves the beautiful wife of a colonel from a group of AWOL soldiers. The plot is based on a Bernard Cornwell novel. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Sean Bean returns as the stubbornly independent Captain Richard Sharpe in this historical adventure. Sharpe, an officer in the British Army, and his men are in Spain, fighting against Napoleon's forces, when he learns that Teresa (Assumpta Serna), his mistress, has given birth to his daughter. As Sharpe comes to terms with fatherhood, he loses control of the South Essex company, and learns he must now fight alongside Sgt. Obadiah Hakeswill (Pete Postlethwaite), his nemesis from his days fighting in India. As Sharpe battles Hakeswill with a vehemence that matches his contempt for the French forces, he looks for a way to regain control of the South Essex company. Sharpe's Company was based on the novel by Bernard Cornwell. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Sean Bean stars as Richard Sharpe in this made-for-TV adaptation of a historical novel by Bernard Cornwell. Brave British soldier Richard Sharpe is ordered by Wellington (Hugh Fraser) to accompany Colonel Brand (Mark Strong) for a risky mission in French territory. However, Sharpe soon learns that Brand is not as loyal as he had believed, and that his duplicity could put them both in grave danger. Meanwhile, Sharpe's wife has grown weary of having an absentee husband. Sharpe's Mission was the 11th of 15 Richard Sharpe adventures Sean Bean would star in for British television. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Based on novels by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe details the exploits of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier who fights Napoleon on the battlefield and his devious wife on the home front. Sean Bean plays Sharpe, while Abigail Cruttenden portrays Jane. In "Sharpe's Justice," Sharpe faces both professional and personal betrayal as he must face a conflict of interest at work while his wife lives with another man. Unlike the other episodes of this series, this story was not adapted from one of Cornwell's novels. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Based on novels by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe details the exploits of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier who fights Napoleon on the battlefield and his devious wife on the home front. Sean Bean plays Sharpe, while Abigail Cruttenden portrays Jane. In this episode, Sharpe's wife leaves him broke and his enemy leaves him under a cloud of suspicion. He sets off to clear his name, fighting in the battle of Toulouse. "Sharpe's Revenge" was the first episode of the last season of Sharpe. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

The epic saga of the Queen of Egypt gets yet another retelling in Cleopatra, a four-hour, two-part spectacular produced for television. Leonor Varela plays Cleopatra, the Egyptian monarch who uses her wisdom, charm, ruthlessness, and seductive powers to work her way into the heart (and bed) of Roman leader Julius Caesar (Timothy Dalton). But Cleopatra shifts her romantic alliances to Marc Anthony (Billy Zane) just in time for Caesar's death and Anthony's rise to the throne. When Rome goes to war, however, Cleopatra realizes that she can only remain in power for so long, eventually making a late date with an asp when things get especially grim. This is at least the 12th film based on Cleopatra's life (the best-known being the infamously expensive 1962 version starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton). Produced by Hallmark for NBC television, this version first aired as a two-part miniseries in May 1999. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Based on the best-selling novel by Irish comedian Spike Milligan, Puckoon is a political satire about a town cut in half by the partitioning of Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1924. The action takes place in a town known as Puckoon where an ordinary fellow named Dan Madigan wakes up one day to find barbed-wire fences running right through his neighbors' houses. All at once, Madigan's friends begin altering their personalities to suit the side of the fence they've found themselves on. So it's up to Madigan, the last sane man in town, to restore order. Originally written in 1963, Puckoon is considered the forerunner of anti-humor comedy which became the staple of shows like Monty Python and Saturday Night Live. ~ Connor McMadden, Rovi

The Arthurian legend is detailed in this chronicle of the adventures of the once and future king (Jamie Campbell Bower, the wizard Merlin (Joseph Fiennes), sorceress Morgan (Eva Green), and the Lady Guinevere (Tasmin Egerton). ~ Ray Stackhouse, Rovi