David Suchet Movies
Known mostly for portraying Agatha Christie's Belgian detective Hercule Poirot for more than a decade, the short and stocky character actor David Suchet has also enjoyed a lengthy career on stage, screen, and television. Born in London, he studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and eventually joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Throughout the 1970s, Suchet appeared in numerous stage productions and crime dramas on British television. His did his first film in 1980 with A Tale of Two Cities, but didn't play his first detective until the crime comedy Trenchcoat in 1983. For the rest of the '80s, the British actor played a Middle Eastern terrorist in The Little Drummer Girl, a Russian operative in The Falcon and the Snowman, and a French hunter in Harry and the Hendersons. He also occasionally portrayed real-life figures, including Sigmund Freud in the miniseries Freud, news reporter William L. Shirer in the HBO docudrama Murrow, and movie legend Louis B. Mayer in RKO 281. While the Poirot mysteries would dominate his career in the '90s, Suchet also played some other leading roles: double agent Verloc in miniseries The Secret Agent, based on the novel by Joseph Conrad; Aaron in the TNT television special Moses; and downsized New Yorker Oliver in the American independent film Sunday. Some standard Hollywood action thrillers followed with Executive Decision, Deadly Voyage, and A Perfect Murder being just a few. After 2000, he turned to costume dramas to play Napoleon in Sabotage!, Baron von Stockmar in Victoria & Albert, and upper-crust Augustus Melmotte in The Way We Live Now. He resumed the role of Poirot (after a short break from 1998-1999) just as he started up another detective character, DI John Borne of NCS: Manhunt and NCS 2. In 2003, he played gangster Leo Gillette in the action thriller Foolproof. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- 2011
Something of a hybrid between the two traditional forms of drama and documentary, this program relays the life story of Jesus Christ. Much of the footage features dramatic reenactments from Jesus's time on Earth, including his crucifixion and various milestones in his ministry; the director intercuts these sequences with interviews about Jesus featuring academicians from such universities as Yale, Cambridge and Oxford. The program also investigates recent archerlogical finds in Palestine and Israel. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Suchet
- 2010
Adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic Murder on the Orient Express. London-bound Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) investigates the death of an American businessman (Toby Jones) -- who'd asked him for protection -- on a train that's stuck in a snowdrift. He's aided in the investigation by an amateur sleuth (Samuel West) and the railway director (Serge Hazanavicius). ~ Jeff Gemmill, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Suchet
As a three-hour miniseries (adapted from Terry Pratchetts novel of the same name) that originally aired on Britain's Sky One television, Going Postal (2010) unfolds in the fictional land of Ankh-Morpork. Standing center stage is Moist von Lipwig (Richard Coyle), a master con artist who spends his days devising elaborate scams to fleece locals. The law finally catches up with Moist in the form of Lord Vetinari (Charles Dance), who offers the criminal an odd ultimatum: he can either take over the derelict post office, or die a long and painful death. Moist chooses the former, and is soon put in charge of thousands upon thousands of undelivered letters and packages. He must also contend with a nutty staff and the doings of Reacher Gilt (David Suchet), a crooked businessman hell-bent on destroying his competitors. Also present is Adora Dearheart (Claire Foy), an ice water-veined woman for whom Moist falls. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Coyle, David Suchet, (more)
- 2008
Documentary filmmaker Kevin P. Miller (We Become Silent: The Last Days of Health Freedom) takes an illuminating look at the increasingly prolific use of mood-altering drugs among youth in this incendiary film that ponders both the long-term effects on the individual, as well as the troubling implications it may have on our society as a whole. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Suchet
Jason Statham and Saffron Burrows star in director Roger Donaldson's cinematic account of the true-life 1971 London bank robbery that baffled the authorities and fascinated the public. Terry Leather (Statham) was a small-time car dealer who was trying to leave his shady past behind and start a family. Though he'd never been involved in any major crimes, he wasn't exactly on the straight and narrow his whole life either. Martine Love (Burrows) is a beautiful model from Terry's old neighborhood who knows that her former neighbor is no angel. When Martine proposes a foolproof plan to rob a Baker Street bank, Terry recognizes the danger but realizes this may be the opportunity of a lifetime. As the operation gets underway, the resourceful band of thieves burrows its way into a safe-deposit vault at the Lloyds Bank in Marylebone, quickly hitting a literal treasure trove of cash and priceless gems. But while the crew did know that the safe-deposit boxes contained millions in riches, they didn't realize that they also contained secrets that implicated everyone from London's most notorious underworld gangsters to powerful government figures, and even the Royal Family. Though the crime would make headlines all across Britain for several days after the fact, a government gag order eventually brought all reporting on the case to an immediate halt. Could it be that the most notorious bank robbers in recent memory were actually the most innocent people involved in this scandalous crime? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, (more)
A previously pampered society mouse must fight his way back to the comforts of Kensington after he is sent spiraling into an underground world filled with scavenger rats and villainous toads in a fun-filled family adventure produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Features and featuring the voices of Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, and Jean Reno. Roddy (Jackman) was living the high life when he first met Sid the sewer rat (Shane Richie), but that's all about to change when Sid decides to send the hapless mouse down the pipes and stealthily take his place in the lap of luxury. Though the bustling sewer city of Ratropolis isn't without its fair share of kind citizens, it is certainly no place for a pampered mouse with a taste for life's finer things. Upon making the acquaintance of scavenger rat Rita (Winslet), Roddy is certain that the pair can navigate their way back to the surface in Rita's trusty boat, the Jammy Dodger, but Rita's help doesn't come cheap, and the nefarious Toad (McKellen) is determined to rid Ratropolis of all things rodent. When Toad's hapless hench-rats Spike (Andy Serkis) and Whitey (Bill Nighy) fail to achieve acceptable results, the green meanie is forced to call in the cavalry in the form of legendary French mercenary Le Frog (Reno) to get the job done. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, (more)
Discover the true story behind author A.A. Milne's beloved children's character in this tale of the remarkable friendship between a Canadian soldier, and the cub that stood as a symbol of friendship and hope in a world plagued by war. It was during the early days of World War I that 34th Fort Garry Horse Division veterinarian Lieutenant Harry Colebourn (Michael Fassbinder) purchased a small bear cub and named her Winnie after his hometown of Winnipeg. Though Coleburn's fellow soldiers repeatedly warn the Lieutenant against taking Winnie with him to the gathering point in Valcartier, Quebec where Canadian soldiers are gathering to be shipped overseas, the presence of the young cub among the troops serves as a ray of hope to the soldiers faced with the prospect of war. After traveling with the soldiers to Salisbury Plain in England, Winnie is placed in the care of the London Zoo when Harry's regiment is shipped off to fight in France. As the specter of war looms heavy in the conscience of the citizens and children of London, Winnie becomes the star attraction at the zoo. When a man named A.A. Milne brings his young son to visit the zoo, the story of the bear and her friendship with a far away soldier inspires him to create one of the most beloved characters in the history of children's literature. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
David Suchet once again plays the part of Hercule Poirot in this adaptation of Death on the Nile. The detective must investigate the murder of Linnet Doyle, one of the wealthiest women in England. She is killed while on honeymoon with her new husband, who was once the fiancée of Doyle's best friend. The friend is just one of the many suspects who would gain from Doyle's untimely demise. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Suchet
A harmless game among friends escalates into a dangerous game of wits against a master criminal in writer/director William Phillips' taut sophomore thriller. For seven years, Kevin (Ryan Reynolds), Samantha (Kristin Booth), and Rob (Joris Jarsky) have mastered the homespun game Foolproof, in which they plan -- but never actually execute -- a series of elaborate, high-tech heists. When ruthless British gangster Leo arrives in town to case an upcoming diamond heist, his suspicions of the three harmless role-players soon lead him to believe he has some competition. Stealing their plans for the heist and pulling off the crime without a hitch, Leo subsequently threatens to implicate the trio with the crime lest they pull off an exceptionally tricky heist for him. As the three friends fall prey to the seasoned criminal and police soon begin to catch their scent, Kevin, Samantha, and Rob must use all of their resources to make it out of the daring heist alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Reynolds, David Suchet, (more)
The life of one of Great Britain's most influential and feared monarchs is dramatized in this lavish production, originally produced for British television. King Henry VIII (Ray Winstone) is a shrewd but ruthless ruler who is determined to sire a male heir who will succeed him on the throne. However, his wife, Catherine of Aragon (Assumpta Serna), after numerous attempts, is only able to bear him a daughter, so the king takes a mistress, Anne Boleyn (Helena Bonham Carter), in hopes she will give him a son. Anne Boleyn cleverly insists that she must wed the king if they are to have a child, and when the Catholic Church forbids Henry's request for a divorce, the king responds by forming his own denomination, the Church of England, which he will oversee himself. One of the king's most trusted advisers, Cardinal Wolsey (David Suchet) attempts to convince Henry that this is folly; Henry sentences him to death, and sends him to the Tower of London to await his sentence. Despite these machinations, Anne Boleyn is unable to give Henry the son he wants, and the king decides she will pay with her life for this failing. As Henry becomes increasingly ruthless in his dealings with those close to him -- as well as other nations -- he leaves a bloody wake as he uses beheading as his favored means of dealing with troublesome wives and untrustworthy allies. The cast also includes Sean Bean, Charles Dance, Emilia Fox, and Emily Blunt; Henry VIII first aired in the United States as part of PBS's award-winning anthology series Masterpiece Theatre. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ray Winstone
Lots of people have misgiving about their in-laws, but in this offbeat comedy, a man discovers that his new son-in-law's father is significantly stranger than he's able to deal with. Jerry Peyser (Albert Brooks) is a well-meaning but slightly anal-retentive podiatrist who doesn't much care for surprises in his life. When his daughter Melissa (Lindsay Sloane) announces she's going to marry her boyfriend, Mark Tobias (Ryan Reynolds), Jerry figures that helping his wife plan the wedding and getting through the ceremony is as much excitement as he needs or wants. However, when Jerry and his wife, Katherine (Maria Ricossa), meet Mark's father for the first time, Steve Tobias (Michael Douglas) ends up taking Jerry on the ride of his life. Both Mark and Steve's ex-wife, Judy (Candice Bergen), seem to have a decidedly ambivalent attitude about Steve, and Jerry finds out why -- Steve is actually an undercover agent for the CIA. In the guise of doing Steve a favor, Jerry gets dragged into a strange and dangerous episode involving international arms dealers, French super-villains, heavily armed men's room attendants, and a stolen private jet belonging to Barbra Streisand, as well as several less-than-pleasant encounters with Angela (Robin Tunney), Steve's colleague in espionage who doesn't trust Jerry. The In-Laws was adapted from the memorable 1979 comedy of the same name, in which Alan Arkin and Peter Falk played the mismatched fathers. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Albert Brooks, (more)
Academy Award-winner Roberto Benigni adapts the classic children's tale by Carlo Collodi for the big-budget family-oriented comedy Pinocchio. In his usual fashion, Benigni directs and stars, this time as the little puppet boy made out of wood. The familiar story begins as a log of pinewood falls out of a cart and lands in front of woodcarver, Geppetto (Carlo Giuffré), who carves the puppet out of longing for a son. When the puppet begins to come alive and cause trouble, Geppetto is arrested and Pinocchio is left to his own naïve worldview. After getting a stern warning from the Blue Fairy (Benigni's wife and producer Nicoletta Braschi), Pinocchio sets out to reunite with his father, become a real boy, and succumb to some desire for adventure. Along the way, he meets a number of characters played by mostly Italian stage actors, including Franco Javarone, Peppe Barra, and Kim Rossi Stuart. The popular Italian comedy team Fichi d'India plays the roles of the Cat and Fox. Released by Miramax in the U.S., the film received an English-dubbed soundtrack with the voice talents of Glenn Close, David Suchet, and Breckin Meyer as Pinocchio. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, (more)
As America geared itself for another possible armed conflict in Iraq, the HBO cable service offered a dramatization of events surrounding the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Originally telecast on December 8, 2002, Live From Baghdad recounted the efforts by the CNN network to be first on the scene when hostilities broke out in the Gulf in late 1990. Inaugurating round-the-clock coverage of the warfare with the invasion of Kuwait, dauntless CNN producers Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) and Ingrid Formanek (Helena Bonham Carter), aided and abetted by on-the-scene reporters Bernard Shaw (Robert Wisdom), Peter Arnett (Bruce McGill), and John Holliman (John Carroll Lynch), among many others, represented the only American news service on the scene during the first night of bombing on January 16, 1991. Not only does Live From Baghdad celebrate the heroism (and meticulous fairness) of the CNN crew, but it also vividly demonstrates how a tiny but tenacious basic cable channel managed to out-scoop the Big Three networks, thereby becoming one of the most powerful and influential journalistic forces in the world. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Helena Bonham Carter, (more)
Agatha Christie's Belgian detective solves another case in the A&E mystery Poirot: Murder in Mesopotamia. Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) takes a trip to the Middle East to visit his old friend, Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser). While he is vacationing, Poirot is asked to investigate when an archeologist is suspected of killing his wife. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Suchet
First filmed as a theatrical feature in 1982, Agatha Christie's 1940 mystery novel Evil Under the Sun was remade as a two-hour episode of the off-and-on British TV series Poirot. David Suchet is back as the infuriatingly brilliant and fussy Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who after suffering a fainting spell at a posh restaurant is whisked off to a fancy health resort along the Devon Coast. As he recuperates, Poirot is able to relax, secure in the belief that he can give his sleuthing a bit of a well-deserved result. Alas, this is not to be. Another guest at the resort, a world-famous actress, is murdered -- and virtually everyone else in the vicinity had both motive and opportunity to do the dirty deed. First telecast in the U.K. in 2001. Evil Under the Sun made its America bow on July 13, 2003, courtesy of the A&E cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, (more)
The six-part British miniseries The Way We Live Now was adapted from the satirical 1875 novel by Anthony Trollope. The central character was Augustus Melmotte (David Suchet), a mysterious international financier of questionable parentage. Invading the uppermost circles of Victorian society, Melmotte inveigled a considerable number of prominent Londoners in a spectacular get-rich-quick scheme. Among those involved were the Carburys, an aristocratic but cash-poor family anxious to recoup their fortunes by whatever means necessary. Details essential to the plot include the somewhat one-sided romance between Melmotte's rebellious daughter Marie (Shirley Henderson) and caddish Sir Felix Cadbury (Matthew MacFadyen), the exploits of an American adventuress (Miranda Otto) with a predilection for shooting her lovers, and a high-born author of trashy romance novels. Though written in the late 19th century, the story line had a queasily contemporary significance to those burned by such financial peccadillos as the Enron scandal in the early 21st century. Originally telecast by the BBC beginning November 11, 2001, The Way We Live Now was shown in America (as a four-parter) on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre starting April 1, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Suchet, Matthew MacFadyen, (more)
- 2000
French history gets turned upside down in this lavishly mounted comedy with an international cast. As Napoleon (David Suchet) prepares for the Battle of Waterloo, he's nearly killed by an assassin. The attempted murder is foiled by Corporal Armani (Dominique Pinon), and a grateful Napoleon promotes the soldier to Field Marshal, not realizing that the rescue was a happy accident rather than an act of heroism, or that Armani's ineptitude will cost him dearly later on. Meanwhile, Napoleon is looking for inside information on the Duke of Wellington (Stephen Fry); accordingly, he is happy to make the acquaintance of Lady Edwina (Alexandra Vandernoot), who claims to be a French spy with some major dirt on the British command. Napoleon is smitten with the comely intelligence agent and soon they're enjoying a fling, but what he doesn't know is that she's actually working with the British to uncover information on the diminutive French ruler. When Edwina beats a hasty retreat, Napoleon thinks foul play is afoot, and he decides to follow her, disguising himself as a peasant woman to avoid suspicion. Though set in France and directed by Spanish filmmakers, Sabotage! was shot in English with an eye toward the American market. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stephen Fry, David Suchet, (more)
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