Simon Delaney Movies
John Carney, acclaimed director of the 2006 musical drama Once, reteams with his brother Kieran for this feature-length take on their 2003 comedy short concerning an escaped rehab patient who tricks the residents of a small town in to believing he's a visitor from another planet. Returning home one evening to find a strange man in a futuristic helmet and red vinyl suit passed out on their living room floor, the Cassidy family makes no attempts to question his claims that his name is Zonad (Simon Delaney) and that he hails from deep space. And though at first Zonad is reluctant to accept the hospitality of the Cassidies and the other, blissfully naïve families in the quaint community of Ballymoran, he is soon won over by their generous offers of beer, and the curiosity of the local females. Little does everyone realize that Zonad's actual name is Liam Murphy, and he is in fact a major alcoholic who has recently fled from a nearby treatment facility - and he's moer than happy to take full advantage of their unceasing generosity. But when Zonad takes things too far by accepting the advances of pretty Ballymoran teen Jenny (Janice Byrne), Jenny's jealous boyfriend Guy (Rory Keenan) starts to realize that they're all being taken for suckers, and vows to reveal Zonad for the fraud that he is. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Simon Delaney, David Pearse, (more)
One man's role in the long battle to outlaw slavery in the United Kingdom sets the stage for this historical drama from director Michael Apted. In 1784, 21-year-old William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd) was elected to the British House of Commons, and soon established himself as a politician with a conscience. Several years later, his close friend William Pitt (Benedict Cumberbatch) became prime minister, and together they made a bold plan to introduce a bill banning slavery before the English legislature. Wilberforce was aided by anti-slavery activists Olaudah Equiano (Youssou N'Dour) and Thomas Clarkson (Rufus Sewell); however, pro-slavery hard-liners Lord Tarleton (Ciarán Hinds) and the Duke of Clarence (Toby Jones) spearheaded a hard-fought opposition to the legislation, and despite Wilberforce's best efforts, his bill went down in defeat. In 1797, Wilberforce left politics due to poor health and a battered spirit; staying at the country home of his friends Henry and Marianne Thornton (Nicholas Farrell and Sylvestra Le Touzel), he became acquainted with Barbara Spooner (Romola Garai), a beautiful woman with progressive views. Spooner became deeply infatuated with Wilberforce, and she encouraged him not to give up on his noble goals; with her help, Wilberforce launched a second campaign to persuade England's lawmakers to end the slave trade. Amazing Grace made its North American premiere as the closing-night gala attraction at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ioan Gruffudd, Romola Garai, (more)
- 2003
- R
Conor McPherson's comedy The Actors stars Michael Caine as an aging never-was performer. Anthony O'Malley (Caine) convinces young colleague and castmate Tom (Dylan Moran) to hone his craft by pretending to be someone he isn't in real life. Tony suggests that they rip off gangster Barreller (Michael Gambon). All goes according to plan, until Barreller's daughter Dolores (Lena Headey) falls in love with Tom, who is disguised as his sister's boyfriend Clive (Ben Miller). Miranda Richardson rounds out the cast as a London crime boss. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Dylan Moran, (more)
- 2001
A luckless gambler finally finds the secret to picking winners at the track -- a head in a jar -- in this comedy. Brendan (Robbie Coltrane) is a janitor at a university who has a fondness for gambling, especially betting on horse races. However, he doesn't have much skill at it, and poorly considered bets have drained the bank account he'd set aside for his daughter's education. Brendan's wife (Brenda Blethyn) has made Brendan promise to give up gambling, but when their daughter announces she's just been accepted to Trinity College in Ireland, Brendan has to come up with the tuition money, and fast. While doing his sweeping at work, Brendan makes a remarkable discovery -- the preserved head of an aboriginal tribesman who, under proper conditions, can pick the winners in horse races. Despite his promise to his wife, Brendan takes his new discovery and puts it to work forecasting upcoming races, and while the head's predictions are as good as gold, Brendan soon finds not everyone is happy about his new run of good luck. His wife is angry that he's gambling again, mobsters want to know what his secret is, a scholar from Australia insists that the head be returned to the people of his tribe, and a dean at the college (Dan Aykroyd) has some questions for Brendan about his discovery. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robbie Coltrane, Brenda Blethyn, (more)
- 2000
Hot on the heels of the BBC's multipart 1999 adaptation of Charles Dickens' semiautobiographical novel David Copperfield came this American-financed version, prepared for the TNT cable network as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Child actor Max Dolbey and adult performer Hugh Dancy share the role of David Copperfield who, after enduring a tempestuous youth at the hands of his cruel stepfather Murdstone (Anthony Andrews), manages to survive into adulthood with the help and support of such sympathetic figures as Aunt Betsy Trotwood (Sally Field), the eternally-in-debt Mr. Micawber (Michael Richards), and loyal old Dan Peggoty (Nigel Davenport). Even so, David's later years are none too serene, thanks in great part to antagonists like the wheedling, "'umble" Uriah Heep (Frank MacCusker), and to his own star-crossed romantic misadventures. At the time of its first telecast on December 10, 2000, this two-part adaptation of David Copperfield was criticized for the "stunt" casting of former Seinfeld regular Michael Richards as Micawber, who is transformed into a Kramer-esque slapstick figure; however, one must remember that not everyone was enamored of W.C. Fields' now-classic interpretation of the same character in the 1935 film version. David Copperfield was lensed on location in Ireland. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
