Adrian Rawlins Movies

Young wizard-in-training Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts for his fifth year of studies, only to find that the magical community seems to be in a curious state of denial about his recent encounter with the sinister Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in the fifth installment of the popular fantasy film series based on the best-selling books by author J.K. Rowling. Rumor has it that the dreaded Lord Voldemort has returned, but Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy) isn't so sure what to make of all the hearsay currently floating around the campus of Hogwarts. Suspecting that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) may be fueling the rumors regarding Voldemort's return in order to undermine his authority and lay claim to his job, Fudge entrusts newly arrived Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) with the task of tracking Dumbledore and keeping a protective watch over the nervous student body. The young wizards of Hogwarts will need something much more effective than Umbridge's Ministry-approved course in defensive magic if they are to truly succeed in the extraordinary battle that lies ahead, however, and when the administration fails to provide the students with the tools that they will need to defend Hogwarts against the fearsome powers of the Dark Arts, Hermione (Emma Watson), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Harry take it upon themselves to recruit a small group of students to form "Dumbledore's Army" in preparation for the ultimate supernatural showdown. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

After directing the first two movies in the Harry Potter franchise, Chris Columbus opted to serve as producer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and passed the baton to Y Tu Mamá También director Alfonso Cuarón. Though "immensely popular" is an understatement when it comes to Harry Potter, Azkaban is somewhat of a departure from its predecessors, and particularly beloved among fans for its surprise ending. Prisoner of Azkaban also marks the introduction of Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who has escaped from the title prison after 12 years of incarceration. Believed to have been the right-hand-man of the dark wizard Voldemort, whom Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) mysteriously rendered powerless during his infancy, some of those closest to Harry suspect Black has returned to exact revenge on the boy who defeated his master. Upon his return to school, however, Harry is relatively unconcerned with Black. Run by Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) -- who is widely regarded as the most powerful wizard of the age -- Hogwarts is renowned for its safety. Harry's nonchalance eventually turns to blind rage after accidentally learning the first of Black's many secrets during a field trip to a neighboring village. Of course, a loose serial killer is only one of the problems plaguing the bespectacled wizard's third year back at school -- the soul-sucking guards of Azkaban prison have been employed at Hogwarts to protect the students, but their mere presence sends Harry into crippling fainting spells. With the help of his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), and Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), Harry struggles to thwart the Dementors, find Sirius Black, and uncover the mysteries of the night that left him orphaned. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

A girl finds that both love and tragedy are a short walk from her house in this intimate drama. Jessica (Jenna Harrison) is a teenaged girl from a wealthy family living in a small community in the British countryside. Jessica enjoys exploring in the woods and sometimes rescues wounded animals; another youngster who spends a lot of time in the woods is Tom (Ben Whishlaw), a troubled soul who is obviously attracted to Jessica. Jack (Adrian Rawlins), a teacher at Jessica's school, lives in her neighborhood, and one night he rapes her; emotionally shattered, Jessica retreats to the woods, where she meets up with Tom. Unable to talk with anyone about the incident, Jessica finds herself bonding with Tom, and a tentative romance begins to grow between them. One day, Jessica stops by Tom's house to find him being molested by his father (Jonathan Hackett), who has hated his son ever since his wife died while giving birth to him. Tom avoids Jessica after he realizes she knows his secret, but when she's finally able to speak with him, she tells Tom about Jack's attack upon her, hoping to share their common shame and humiliation; to her surprise, Tom reacts with a startling and unexpected vehemence. My Brother Tom was shot on digital video equipment by cinematographer Robby Muller, well known for his camerawork for Wim Wenders and his ground-breaking work on DV with Lars Von Trier. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

With Breaking The Waves, director Lars von Trier fashions an often disturbing tale of the singular power of love. Bess (the Oscar-nominated Emily Watson) is a naïve, borderline simple young woman who lives in a Scottish coastal town ruled by the religious doctrine of its council of elders. Recovering from a mental breakdown caused by the death of her brother, Bess marries a rough yet compassionate and attentive oil rig worker named Jan (Stellan Skarsgård). For a brief time, the couple enjoys peaceful wedded bliss, with the worldly Jan introducing Bess to the mysteries of sex. Jan must soon return to his job on the rig, however, where he is paralyzed from the neck down in a freak accident. Bess' emotional trauma over Jan's injury turns into obsession as she prays to God for his recovery and offers to do anything to have her husband back whole. Jan, constantly medicated and profoundly depressed, asks Bess to have sex with other men and tell him about it, thinking this will allow her to return to a normal life. Bess, on the other hand, sees it as an expression of her devotion to Jan that even God won't be able to ignore. Bess' resultant downward spiral leads to a finale of both tragedy and spirituality. Breaking the Waves is widely regarded as one of the most distinctive European movies of the 1990s, marking von Trier's movement toward his influential Dogma 95 school of filmmaking, which emphasizes realistic situations of contemporary life, filmed without background music and with a hand-held, restlessly moving camera. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Woman in Black was originally made for British TV. It's a melodrama, as the title should make abundantly clear. Adrian Rawlins stars as a vacationing barrister. He becomes involved in bizarre activities at a seaside resort, predicated by an elusive mystery woman. Woman in Black was picked up for American exposure by the A&E cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A trio living in a seedy waterfront dive struggle to survive poverty and alienation in this low-budget drama. Gail (Sally McKenzie) works in a shoe factory and lives with Sid (Paul Chubb), a petty thief with a penchant for stolen electrical goods. Their neighbor Wallace (Kim Gyngell) is a cab driver who revels in making apple cider. He later tapes the conversations of his passengers, entertaining himself at home with the playbacks. Wallace is moved by the story of a passenger who tells her sad story of her childhood and being sold into prostitution by her father. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

In this thriller, set in Sydney Australia's Palm Beach (which is to Sydney what Malibu is to Los Angeles), the lives of four hard-pressed individuals briefly become interwoven. Paul Kite (Bryan Brown) has been out of work for some time. While at a sociable party, he quietly pockets a handgun he finds there. Later, he bungles the robbery of a supermarket, killing a policeman in the process, and goes into hiding in some caves. Leilani Adams (Amanda Berry) is a sexually adventurous girl who has run away from home. She is being sought by private detective Larry Kent (John Flaus), a relic of the 1950s. Finally, Joe Ryan (Ken Brown) is trying to pay off a debt and put together a drug deal, without a lot of success. In one fashion or another, they all meet in Palm Beach. Some may find the strong Australian regional speech patterns in this film difficult to understand. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide