Richard Briers Movies
British leading man Richard Briers appeared in several TV adaptations of venerable stage plays in the 1960s. His interpretation of cross-dressing Lord Fancourt Babberly in Charley's Aunt managed to find a berth on American public television in 1968. The warm gust of applause greeting the actor's appearance indicated that he was already an audience favorite - as indeed he was, having appeared in such films as Girls at Sea (1962) and Fathom (1967). When American viewers next saw Briers, he was starring with Felicity Kendall on an agreeable BBC sitcom, Good Neighbors (Briers' second starring series). The series was a light, easy-going account of two city dwellers trying to make a go at country living; Richard Briers and his superb supporting cast made the slender material seem far funnier than it really was. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Director Kenneth Branagh tackles the works of William Shakespeare for the fifth time in his career as a filmmaker with this adaptation of one of The Bard's most accessible works. Rosalind is the daughter of a banished duke, and lives among a community of Westerners living in 19th century Japan. When her father, the duke, is suddenly banished, the frightened girl is forced to flee for the Forest of Arden lest she risk being executed by her malevolent uncle. Joining Rosalind on her flight to the forest is her sympathetic cousin Celia, who helps to pass her incognito kin off as a man in order to avoid detection. Later, Rosalind's clever ruse begins to serve a dual purpose when she determines to use the disguise to gauge the devotion of Orlando, yet another exile, while making her way to the Forest of Arden. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Blessed, Bryce Dallas Howard, (more)
Director P.J. Hogan (Muriel's Wedding, My Best Friend's Wedding) helms this live-action retelling of J.M. Barrie's classic children's play Peter Pan. Starring Jeremy Sumpter (Frailty) in the title role, the film follows the adventures of the Darling children, Wendy (Rachel Hurd-Wood), John (Harry Newell), and Michael (Freddie Popplewell), as they are visited by the boy who never grows up and whisked away to Neverland, where they encounter The Lost Boys, Tinker Bell (Ludivine Sagnier), and the evil Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs). ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Isaacs, Jeremy Sumpter, (more)
What's a middle-aged woman to do when her husband walks out on her and her favorite pop star is murdered by a serial killer? Writer/director P.J. Hogan explores this and many other pressing questions in Unconditional Love, a comic murder-mystery he devised with his wife and co-screenwriter, Jocelyn Moorhouse. Their heroine, Grace Beasly (Kathy Bates), finds her placid Midwestern life turned upside down after she loses both of the aforementioned men in her life: her husband (Dan Aykroyd) and the Tom Jones-like, Welsh singing star Victor Fox (Jonathan Pryce), whom she unabashedly worships. After Fox's death, Grace impetuously flies to England for his funeral. Paying an uninvited visit to his countryside estate, she discovers Dirk Simpson (Rupert Everett), Fox's longtime, secret live-in lover, who's also in a state of shock following the senseless murder. Together, the two team up, traveling back to the Windy City to find the infamous "Crossbow Killer" who took Fox's life. After receiving a fall 2002 release in the U.K., Unconditional Love had its U.S. premiere on the Starz network in August 2003. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathy Bates, Rupert Everett, (more)
Actor/director Kenneth Branagh sets his screen version of Shakespeare's play in the 1930s, adding such classic songs as "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "Let's Face the Music and Dance," and staging it in the manner of a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical. The King of Navarre (Allesandro Nivola) and three of his noblemen (Branagh, Matthew Lillard, and Adrien Lester) have decided that they're wasting their time chasing women. They swear a solemn oath to spend the next three years avoiding the pitfalls of romance and improving their minds. No sooner have they made this agreement than they meet a French princess (Alicia Silverstone) and her three handmaidens (Natascha McElhone, Carmen Ejogo, and Emily Mortimer). The pledge is forgotten and the chase is on. Love's Labour's Lost also features Nathan Lane, Timothy Spall, and Paul Whitehouse. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alessandro Nivola, Alicia Silverstone, (more)
Based on the classic novel of the same name, 1978's Watership Down is one of the most beloved animated films of all time and receives a sequel in this 1999 release featuring the voices of John Hurt and Richard Briers. Journey to Watership Down centers on a group of rabbits and their adventures as they search for a new place to call home. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1999
A British-Canadian coproduction (seen on ITV in Britain), Watership Down was a serialized TV cartoon version of Richard Adams' classic allegorical novel (previously filmed as an animated feature in 1978). The story concerned a group of rabbits who, after experiencing a vision of their warren's destruction, set out in search of a new home. Led by Hazel and Fever, the not-so-timid woodland creatures ended up in Watership Down, where a Hitler-like rabbit dictator named Gen. Woundwort held the populace in thrall. John Hurt, who provided the voice of Hazel in the 1978 feature, is heard as the villain in this TV version. Watership Down first aired in 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kate Ashfield, Richard Briers, (more)
Based on the best selling novel by author Richard Adams, Escape to Watership Down chronicles the adventures of a band of rebellious rabbits who have left their endangered dwelling in hopes of finding a new home across the English countryside. The composer for the 1978 feature film has returned in order to provide music for this animated series, as has the original voice talents of John Hurt and Richard Briers.
~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Hurt, Richard Briers, (more)
Bob Spiers (director of TV's Absolutely Fabulous) directed this feature-film debut of the five Spice Girls -- Posh Spice, Sporty Spice, Scary Spice, Ginger Spice, and Baby Spice -- as the quintet challenges the London pop scene during five days before their first live performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Photojournalists follow as they travel from press conferences to practice sessions to photo ops, passing London landmarks in the comfort of their cavernous Spicebus and emerging in a musical cascade of color, trendy clothes, and blinding flashbulbs. Shot in 43 days, the film features cameos by everyone from Elton John and Elvis Costello, to Stephen Fry and Bob Hoskins. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spice Girls, Melanie Brown, (more)
A sheltered prince learns valuable lessons of love while attending Cambridge University. Fortunately, his wise bodyguard is there to help him study. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rupert Penry-Jones, Judy Cornwell, (more)
At least the 22nd time William Shakespeare's most famous tragedy has been brought to the screen, Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of Hamlet was the first to preserve Shakespeare's entire text, uncut and unabridged. Moving the action into the 19th century, Branagh cast himself in the title role and, as in his adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, assembled an eclectic group of actors that mixed veteran Shakespearean performers (including John Mills, Judi Dench, John Gielgud, and Derek Jacobi) with Hollywood stars not known for interpreting the Bard's work (among them Robin Williams, Charlton Heston, Billy Crystal, and Jack Lemmon). However, unlike most interpretations, it's the women who really carry the show, with the two best performances delivered by Kate Winslet as Ophelia and Julie Christie as Gertrude. As usual, Hamlet finds himself torn over what to do after the death of his father and his mother's hasty remarriage. Branagh's version of Hamlet was also notable on a technical level, as it was filmed in the 70-mm format for increased visual clarity and detail. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Attenborough, Kenneth Branagh, (more)
- 1996
A followup to the 1995 animated special Mole's Christmas, The Adventures of Mole is one of a series of hour-long, British-made cartoons based on Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. In this one, the shy, bookish Mole develops a thirst for excitement. Accompanied by his new friend Rat, excitement is just what he finds, with stopovers at the homes of his compatriots Toad and Badger. Reportedly first telecast on Britain's Channel 4, The Adventures of Mole was given its official US debut over cable's Disney Channel on May 7, 1996, and was nominated for a Cable Ace Award. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Briers, Peter Davison, (more)
- 1995
- R
When his professional career hits a lull, an actor attempts to revitalize his career by staging a production of Hamlet, directed by and starring himself. Director and star Kenneth Branagh would in fact release his own film version of Shakespeare's classic play a year later, but this comedy provides his fictional counterpart with far less in terms of production value. Lacking money and time, he recruits a rather motley group of drunks, incompetents, and oddballs, including a middle-aged female impersonator in the crucial role of Queen Gertrude. Given only three weeks of rehearsal, and an abandoned church in a remote town in the English countryside, this unlikely group nevertheless struggles valiantly to make theatrical magic. The film attempts to pay loving tribute to the madness that surrounds the staging of a play, with all of the backstage dramas, inevitable disasters, and unexpected triumphs, but the end result is often less amusing than it ought to be. The film was released in the United States under the title A Midwinter's Tale. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Maloney, Richard Briers, (more)
Director Kenneth Branagh's interpretation of Mary Shelley's classic horror novel stars Robert DeNiro as a terrifying monster created in an obsessive attempt to defeat death and stretch the limits of medicine in the early 19th century. With the use of flashback, a dying Dr. Viktor Frankenstein (Kenneth Branagh) divulges a tale of gruesome terror to a sea captain (Aidan Quinn): As a medical student, the rebellious Frankenstein elaborates on the work of a brilliant scientist (John Cleese), successfully bringing to life a "man" assembled from the body parts of corpses. Upon realizing the destructive consequences of his experiment, Dr. Frankenstein abandons the creature and attempts to return to a normal life with his medical partner, Henry (Tom Hulce), and his fiancée (and adopted sister), Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter). In the meantime, the nameless creature struggles with loneliness and rejection from society until he sets out to track down his creator in search of one of two things: a bride to keep him company or revenge. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) was produced by Francis Ford Coppola, who previously directed and produced monster-drama Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). ~ Lisa Kropiewnicki, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh, (more)
- 1994
This film offers a glimpse into the abuse of disabled people in residential homes while also offering a look into the human spirit. The Skallagrigg is said to be "the mythical protector of disabled people," and 16 year old Esther who suffers from cerebral palsy wants to find him. Esther had lived most of her life in a rehab center for the handicapped. When her widowed father John, finally comes to take her out, Esther is bitter until she convinces him to help her quest for the Skallagrigg. They are accompanied by Esther's friends Raj, a cynical young man in a wheelchair, and Tom who suffers from Down's syndrome. Esther and John become closer as they discover that the Skallagrigg is a really a palsied fellow named Arthur who has been horribly abused in a nursing home. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernard Hill, Kerry Noble, (more)
Actor Kenneth Branagh made his directorial debut with a rousing screen adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry V. Four years later, he returns to the bard's work with this lively version of one of Shakespeare's best comedies. Don Pedro (Denzel Washington), the Prince of Aragon, returns victorious from battle to the praises of the Governor of Messina, Leonato (Richard Briers). One of Don Pedro's bravest men, Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard), falls in love with Hero (Kate Beckinsale), Leonato's daughter, and they plan to marry. However, Don Pedro's devious half-brother Don John (Keanu Reeves) opposes the match, and he devises a plan to turn Hero against Claudio. Meanwhile, Benedict (Branagh), Don Pedro's second-in-command, detests Leonato's niece Beatrice (Emma Thompson), but Don Pedro cleverly brings them together by making each think that the other is secretly in love with them. Much Ado About Nothing also features Michael Keaton in a showy turn as Dogberry. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth Branagh, Michael Keaton, (more)
This comedy drama, a sort of British version of The Big Chill (1983), was directed by Kenneth Branagh. Ten years after they were members of a music and comedy troupe at Cambridge University, a diverse group of friends in their early 30s gather at the expansive estate of Peter Morton (Stephen Fry), who's invited them there for a reunion. Among the guests are Andrew (Branagh), who has married Carol (Rita Rudner), the star of the American situation comedy he writes; lonely Maggie (Emma Thompson), who thinks she may be in love with Peter; Roger (Hugh Laurie) and Mary (Imelda Staunton), a couple in advertising who have lost a child; and single Sarah (Alphonsia Emmanuel), who's always attracted to the wrong men, including her latest boyfriend, the married Brian (Tony Slattery). Also on hand is Vera (Phyllida Law, the real-life mother of Thompson), a housekeeper who has protectively watched over Peter since childhood. Over the course of the weekend, various jealousies and fears are revealed between joyous feasts, but a startling, tragic announcement from Peter puts everyone's petty dramas into proper perspective. American stand-up comedienne Rudner wrote the screenplay with her husband, (Martin Bergmann). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth Branagh, Alphonsia Emmanuel, (more)
- 1992
Fresh from the success of Henry V and Dead Again, British actor/director Kenneth Branagh recharged his creative batteries with a 23-minute short subject. Swan Song is a faithful adaptation of a one-act play by Anton Chekhov. John Gielgud stars as an aging actor who, while sitting alone in a darkened theatre, ruminates on his checkered past and his uncertain (and perhaps unlikely) future. Richard Briers costars as Gielgud's sounding board. Filmed on location at London's Criterion Theatre, Swan Song was nominated for a "best short subject" Academy Award. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Rowan Atkinson stars as the incredibly clueless, accident-prone title character in this first of 13 half-hour Mr. Bean specials. The action is divided into three segments: In "The Exam," Mr. Bean hasn't got the answers; in "The Beach," he tries to change his trunks without removing his trousers; and in "The Church," he just can't seem to stay awake. Mr. Bean was the winner of the 1990 Golden Rose of Montreaux award (one hopes that Bean didn't collect the prize!). The special first aired in Britain on January 1, 1990, and in the United States on April 2, 1992; it can be found on several video compilations, notably The Amazing Adventures of Mr. Bean and The Complete Mr. Bean, Vol. 1. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rowan Atkinson
Kenneth Branagh makes his feature film directorial debut with this adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry V. After the Chorus (Derek Jacobi) introduces the play, young king of England Henry V (Kenneth Branagh) begins an angry dialogue with King Charles of France (Paul Scofield). The king's son, Dauphin (Michael Maloney), insults Henry and the argument escalates into war. In flashback, Henry is seen as a young man drinking in a tavern with Falstaff (Robbie Coltrane), Bardolph (Richard Briers), Nym (Geoffery Hutchings), Pistol (Robert Stephens), and Mistress Quickly (Judi Dench). Meanwhile, Henry and his captain, Fluellen (Ian Holm), assemble an army and invade France. The French greatly outnumber the British troops, yet Henry leads them to victory in the Battle of Agincourt after delivering his famous St. Crispin's Day Speech. Throughout this struggle, Henry also courts Katherine (Emma Thompson) and eventually wins her over. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, (more)
- 1988
- PG
Alan Ayckbourn's riotously funny play about a small-time acting troupe in the sticks is brought to the screen by director Michael Winner. Jeremy Irons plays Guy Jones, a mild-mannered flunky for an electronics firm who finds himself transferred to the British seaside town of Scarsborough. Bereft after the death of his wife and seeking a diversion, he tries out for a local amateur opera company's production of The Beggar's Opera. This local company is lorded over by the scabrous and slightly insane Welshman Dafydd Ap Llewellyn (Anthony Hopkins). Dafydd is in a constant rage because of his resentment at having to deal with these rank amateurs who merely try out for his production to pass the time. But his ranting and raving dwindles the number of his cast members with the result that Guy's part in the play is forced to grow larger and more important. But as Dafydd snorts and fumes, he is oblivious to the fact that Guy's increased stature in the production has made him a local lothario. Not only does Guy find himself in the passionate embraces of Fay (Jenny Seagrove), who plays a prostitute in the production, but he also falls into the arms of Dafydd's frumpy and frustrated wife Hannah (Prunella Scales). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Irons, Anthony Hopkins, (more)
- 1987
In the conclusion of the four-part story "Paradise Towers," the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Mel (Bonnie Langford) remain at the mercy of the Great Architect Kroagnon, the literal "brains" behind all the crime and carnage at the once-magnificent Paradise Towers apartment complex. Unfortunately, there seems to be no escape from Kroagnon's murderous henchman, the Chief Caretaker (Richard Briers). The Doctor's only hope is to unite the complex's various warring factions -- the Rezzies, the Kangs -- against the villains. Written by Stephen Wyatt, "Paradise Towers, Episode 4" first aired on October 26, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford, (more)
- 1987
In the third episode of the four-part story "Paradise Towers," the residents of the titular apartment complex continue to be held in thrall by a malevolent -- and murderous -- superbrain known as the Great Architect Kroagnon, who, appalled at the untidiness of his customers, has dispatched the villainous Chief Caretaker (Richard Briers) on a killing rampage. Caught in the middle between the complex's helpless residents and the various and sundry threats to their safety, the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Mel (Bonnie Langford) must figure out a way of staying alive -- or at the very least, of avoiding the bureaucratic red tape which has tied the other characters in knots. Written by Stephen Wyatt, "Paradise Towers, Episode 3" first aired on October 19, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford, (more)
- 1987
In the second episode of the four-part story "Paradise Towers," the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Mel (Bonnie Langford) have discovered that a once-prestigious apartment complex is now in control of several disreputable factions, among them the Kangs and the Caretakers. Hoping to protect the sublimely indifferent "Rezzies" (or permanent residents) of the Complex, the Doctor must also contend with the alarming mortality rate of the Kangs, not to mention the crossbows of the well-armed Kangs. Written by Stephen Wyatt, "Paradise Towers, Episode 2" first aired on October 12, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford, (more)
- 1987
The Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Melanie (Bonnie Langford) decide to use the swimming pool at the Paradise Towers luxury-apartment complex. Unfortunately, the formerly award-winning complex has degenerated into a breeding ground for crime and vice -- and the current residents seem to be totally unaware of the danger surrounding them. Comic actor Richard Briers does an about-face as the villainous Chief Caretaker. Written by Stephen Wyatt, Episode 1 of the four-part adventure "Paradise Towers" first aired on October 5, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford, (more)
