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Margaret Wade Movies

1987  
R  
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A man struggling to escape the political unrest of Northern Ireland finds that his violent past still follows him in this drama. Martin Fallon (Mickey Rourke) is a terrorist with the Irish Republican Army who, while attempting to blow up a British military transport, accidentally bombs a bus full of schoolchildren. The incident haunts Fallon, who decides to quit the IRA and escape to London. Fallon wants to relocate to America, but he lacks a passport, and his criminal past would prevent him from getting one. Jack Meehan (Alan Bates), a British gangster who knows about Fallon's past, offers him a deal -- he can get Fallon the papers and the cash to go to America, but in return he must kill a man. A priest, Father De Costa (Bob Hoskins), witnesses Fallon committing the murder, and Fallon wants to find a way to keep De Costa quiet without putting more blood on his hands. The original director of A Prayer for the Dying, Franc Roddam, left the production midway through shooting due to disputes with the producers, and star Mickey Rourke later attempted to disassociate himself from the film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Mickey RourkeBob Hoskins, (more)
 
1984  
 
William Masters (Gabriel Byrne), an aloof and analytical young man studying the life of Sir Isaac Newton, takes up residence in a cottage on a family estate and then becomes involved with the family's own troubles. Masters is secretly enamored of the lady of the house who is burdened with an alcoholic husband, but he has an affair with her niece. This is a prescription for disaster, especially given the young man's tendency to strait-jacket his feelings. Director Kevin Billington has also used an aloof and analytical approach to the story, as a reflection of Masters' own perspective -- yet that treatment does not effectively bring out the psychological turmoil that underlies the restrained behavior of the protagonists -- and distances the audience as well. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

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Starring:
Gabriel ByrneDonal McCann, (more)
 
1984  
 
An excellent vehicle to showcase the talents of Tim Curry, this comedy by Colin Bucksey casts Curry as Larry Gormley, an actor who has never really had the break he so desperately wants -- though whether or not his talent is up to the task is another question. Larry drives a cab in-between auditions, which essentially makes him a cab driver with acting aspirations. When one shot at stardom falls through because his producer promptly drops dead, Larry has a bit of apparent good fortune drop into his lap. A fare of dubious business affiliation accidentally leaves a stash of cash in his suitcase in the back of Larry's hack. Recognizing the brass ring when he sees it, Larry grabs the ill-gotten dough and takes off, quickly and disastrously followed by the Mob and the IRA. Chased to Dublin, Larry passes himself off as a nun or worse, all in order to evade his murderous pursuers. Fast-paced and funny, viewers should also enjoy Curry's interpretations of Mick Jagger and Elvis. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

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Starring:
Tim CurryDebby Bishop, (more)
 
1982  
 
After the suicide of her friend and employer, who has been teaching her to be a detective, Cordelia Gray (Pippa Guard) takes over his business and begins an investigation of the apparent suicide of the son of a businessman. When the suicide turns out to be murder, what she discovers disrupts the entire family and puts Cordelia's life in danger. This off-beat British film is a moody, entertaining thriller, much in the tradition of film noir, but with an unusual and determined female detective. Nicely directed by Christopher Petit, and based on the wonderful novel of the same name by the acclaimed British mystery writer P. J. James, this film gives a fresh approach to the detective-film genre and introduces an intelligent and resourceful woman to a profession usually dominated by men. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

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Starring:
Pippa GuardBillie Whitelaw, (more)