Dominic Mafham Movies
A controversial case threatens to unhinge a single mother and criminal psychologist still recovering from the pain of her ex-husband's infidelity in veteran television director Christopher Menaul's psychological drama. Asked to determine if Julian Latimer (Andrew Lincoln) is guilty of murdering his wife despite the fact that the accused has no memory of the crime, criminal psychologist Grace Hazlett (Niamh Cusack) can't deny the parallels between the challenging case and her husband's stinging betrayal. Her objectivity waning as she dives ever deeper into the case, Grace soon finds that her decision may take more of a toll on her than she had previously anticipated. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Niamh Cusack
- 1999
Originally telecast by the BBC in 1999, Trial by Fire served as the unofficial pilot film for the Helen West mystery series, based on the novels by Frances Fyfield. Moving from London to the supposed tranquility of the suburbs, prosecutor Helen West (Juliet Stevenson) and her police-chief boyfriend, Geoffrey Bailey (Jim Carter), don't find very much peace and quiet. In fact, things are almost as bad as in the big city, what with spousal abuse, kleptomania, and murder running amok. Much against her will, Helen is drawn into the intrigues of her new murder -- and by extension, so is Geoffrey, who totally disagrees with Helen's deductions. Trial by Fire aired in the U.S. as an episode of the PBS Mystery! anthology on February 24, 2000; in the subsequent Helen West series, the roles of Helen and Geoffrey were respectively played by Amanda Burton and Conor Mullen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Juliet Stevenson, Jim Carter, (more)
- 1997
No, the British TV series Wing and a Prayer had nothing to do with WWII aviators. Instead, the series devoted itself to the exploits of a young and hungry law firm, populated by young, hungry, and very attractive lawyers. In the fine tradition of such American weeklies as L.A. Law and The Practice, the attorneys herein played as hard as they worked, with sexual intrigues and one-upsmanship abounding. Lasting 12 episodes, Wing and a Prayer debuted September 22, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kate Buffery, Maureen Beattie, (more)
Calling to mind the whimsical, swinging London comedies of the 1960s, such as the Blake Edwards Pink Panther films and the collaborations of The Beatles with director Richard Lester, this frantic romantic comedy is an airy, pop example of the British New Wave. Dylan Dan Futterman and Jez Stuart Townsend are friends from opposite sides of the Atlantic using their special skills -- Dylan is a slick-talking American, while Jez is a humble British computer expert -- to bilk England's wealthy. Both orphans, they plan to accumulate enough pounds to buy the luxurious mansion home they never had as children. Their scams include selling phony voice-recognition software and reinstalling the same insulation into various homes. Into their lives comes Georgie (Kate Beckinsale), a beautiful girl engaged to a rich jerk. Dylan and Jez hire Georgie as a secretary and both fall in love with her, though Jez's feelings are a bit more sincere. At first appalled by her employers' scams, Georgie believes their lie that they intend to give the money to the poor. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dan Futterman, Stuart Townsend, (more)
Anthony Minghella wrote and directed this award-winning adaptation of Michael Ondaatje's novel about a doomed and tragic romance set against the backdrop of World War II. In a field hospital in Italy, Hana (Juliette Binoche), a nurse from Canada, is caring for a pilot who was horribly burned in a plane wreck; he has no identification and cannot remember his name, so he's known simply as "the English Patient," thanks to his accent. When the hospital is forced to evacuate, Hana determines en route that the patient shouldn't be moved far due to his fragile condition, so the two are left in a monastery to be picked up later. In time, Hana begins to piece together the patient's story from the shards of his memories; he's actually Count Laszlo Almasy (Ralph Fiennes), of Hungarian nobility and an explorer working with a group mapping uncharted territory in North Africa. An Englishman, Geoffrey Clifton (Colin Firth), soon joins Almasy's team; travelling with him is his lovely and spirited wife, Katherine (Kristin Scott Thomas). Katherine and Laszlo soon fall in love, which leads Laszlo to betray his friend, his country and all that is dear to him. Meanwhile, Hana and the Patient are joined by Kip (Naveen Andrews), a Sikh with a gift for defusing mines, and Caravaggio (Willem Dafoe), an intelligence agent who knows some of Laszlo's most shameful secrets. The English Patient won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress (Juliette Binoche). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, (more)
