Patrick Bergin Movies

The greatest magician in the world isn't about to let a little thing like being over 1,500 years old stop him from saving England in this comic adventure. Miss Maxwell (Tia Carrere), an unscrupulous scientist from the United States, has arrived in England with a plan to use the manipulation of magnetic fields to bring evil sorcerer Mordred (Craig Sheffer) back from the dead and into the present day. Hoping to stop Maxwell's scheme before it's too late, the ancient magician Merlin (Rik Mayall) comes to the rescue; however, he's a bit too old to handle the job all by himself, and Merlin is forced to enlist the help of some friends from his salad days -- King Arthur (Patrick Bergin), Sir Lancelot (Adrian Paul), and Guinevere (Julie Hartley). Though set in rural England, Merlin: The Return was actually filmed in South Africa. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Director Bob Rafelson fulfilled a lifelong dream when he finally received backing to complete Mountains of the Moon. The film recreates the exploratory adventures of 19th century visionaries Sir Richard Burton (Patrick Bergin) and John Henning Speke (Iain Glen). The heart of the film is the effort by Burton and Speke to discover the true source of the Nile river. This occurs well into the film, after several torturous scenes involving the injuries sustained by the protagonists during other expeditions and their growing friendship (which, the film intimates, goes far beyond friendship). Rafaelson's fascination with this story, and his insistence upon painstaking historical accuracy, unfortunately compromises his ability to make an interesting film. There are so many starts and stops during the first half that we sincerely hope Burton and Speke will chuck it all and set up a pub in Bristol or something. What saves Mountains of the Moon is the rapport between its stars and the brilliant, epic-like cinematography of Roger Deakins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A little known chapter from the Mexican-American War is brought to the screen in this historical drama based on fact. In 1846, shortly before the United States turned its aggressions against Mexico into armed conflict, John Riley (Tom Berenger) and a group of U.S. soldiers crossed the border into Mexico to attend Mass. Riley and his fellow soldiers were Irish nationals who had come to the United States to escape the economic devastation of their homeland, brought on by the Potato Famine. Like many other Irish immigrants, Riley was promised citizenship in exchange for serving a tour of duty in the Army, but the Irish Catholics soon found themselves treated like second-class citizens in the largely Protestant American military. Riley and his men are severely punished for traveling into Mexico, and Riley decides he can no longer abide the United States Army and its treatment of his fellows. Riley engineers an escape from the stockade and the Irish troops travel into Mexico, a peaceful Catholic nation where they believe they will be welcomed. However, as Riley and his men march into the mountains of Mexico, they encounter guerilla leader Cortina (Joaquim de Almeida), who is naturally suspicious of soldiers in U.S. uniforms. The Irish soldiers are taken prisoner and Riley is wounded in the skirmish, but in time Cortina and Riley come to see each other as allies rather than enemies. Riley also falls in love with Marta (Daniela Romo), a Mexican patriot and Cortina's lover. In time, Riley and his men form The Saint Patrick's Battalion and become one of Mexico's most effective fighting units. Tom Berenger served as co-producer for One Man's Hero as well as playing Riley. The film was originally slated for release in the fall of 1998, but was shelved for a year after Orion, the studio which produced the film, was purchased by MGM, who eventually released it in Ireland in August, 1999, and the United States and Mexico later in the fall. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Initially conceived as a theatrical feature, but originally aired on television in the United States, Robin Hood puts slight, but effective, twists on the legendary tale. Starring Patrick Bergin in the title role, the film follows Robin and his group of bandits as they fight Prince John and save Maid Marion (Uma Thurman). This version is a little grittier than both Errol Flynn's classic movie or the contemporary extravaganza starring Kevin Costner, since Bergin is quite down-to-earth and Thurman makes Marion into a brat, not a helpless maiden. However, these qualities and the stately photography make the film quite entertaining, and it easily equals Costner's version, even if it can't match Flynn's timeless movie. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Silent Grace, the debut feature from director Maeve Murphy, is based on actual events. In the early 1980s, a new inmate (Cathleen Bradley) is thrown into prison with a group of female IRA insurgents led by Orla Brady). Although the newcomer has been put there to destabalize the group, they convert her and begin the "dirty" protests, which involves the inmates refusing to clean themselves. Silent Grace was screened at the Hamptons Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

In this Canadian police drama, a lady detective goes undercover to try and trace a huge fortune in stolen church money back by breaking the thief responsible for the heist out of prison and then following him to his stash. Things don't go as planned when the gumshoe realizes that she has fallen in love with the crook. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Based on a true story, the made-for-TV Stolen Women, Captured Hearts takes place in Kansas in 1868. In retribution for the genocidal attacks of General George Armstrong Custer, a band of Lakota Sioux kidnap a pair of white women, Anna Brewster Morgan (Janine Turner) and Sarah White (Jean Louisa Kelly). At first terrified of her captors, Anna eventually falls in love with the noble, honorable Sioux warrior Tokalah (Michael Greyeyes). After a year's captivity, Sarah is returned to her own people--and now she must choose between her new life with Tokalah and her previous existence as the wife of farmer Daniel Morgan (Patrick Bergin), a man she hardly knows. Stolen Women, Captured Hearts made its CBS network bow on March 16, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Money and lust make a dangerous combination in this thriller. Jack Ramsey (Patrick Bergin) is a private detective hired by wealthy businessman Richard Whitmore (Daniel Pilon) to trail his wife Isabelle (Jayne Heitmeyer). Richard is convinced Isabelle is having an affair, and Jack is able to confirm those suspicions. When Isabelle's lover is found murdered, Jack thinks Richard is the most likely suspect, but Richard wants Jack to help refocus the investigation on another suspect, Vic Mulvey (Gary Busey), a radical who has been threatening blackmail against Richard and his firm. While Jack has misgivings about this, Richard has deep pockets and Jack is the owner of an empty wallet, so he goes along. The deeper Jack digs into the case, the more he runs into Isabelle, and soon the two are having an affair. However, when several of their friends and associates turn up dead, Jack has to start asking serious questions about the killer, and who the next victim will be. Director Alain Zaloum apparently worked with two of his favorite actors on Suspicious Minds; he previously cast Gary Busey in Canvas and Night Caller, while he worked with Patrick Bergin again on his subsequent film Taxman (1999). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A cunning and ruthless neo-Nazi politician rises to power in England by conducting a terror campaign against his own organization, making it seem the established government is attacking his followers. Dashing American agent Harry Latham (John Shea) lends assistance to the Brits in their investigation, but even he needs help, so he turns to his CIA analyst brother, Drew (Patrick Bergin). As it happens, Drew's girlfriend, Karin (Virginia Madsen), is related to the mastermind behind the scheme that's intended to bring down Europe and give rise to the Fourth Reich. Harry has been brainwashed by the villains, and unbeknownst to anyone, he's programmed to help the bad guys. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide

Mark (Padraig O'Loingsigh) investigates the death of his pal Danny (Andrew Connolly) in this shadowy crime drama. Danny's sister Colette (Cait O'Riorden) convinces Mark that something went wrong that led to her brother's death. Mark soon discovers a link between the drug dealer Val (Gabriel Byrne) and the local detective McGuigan (Ian Bannen). Elvis Costello provides the soundtrack music that includes songs from U2, Hothouse Flowers, and The Pogues. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Until not so very long ago, European-ruled islands in the Caribbean had a very distinct class structure, with European-born whites at the top, followed by the local variety, mulattos of every kind in the middle, and fully ethnic people of color at the bottom. Despite that, in this film set in 1946, one of the more liberal British-born whites has allowed his twelve-year-old son Alan to become friends with two kids from the bottom of the social ladder. This gains the boy some brickbats from his schoolmates but otherwise seems not to be a problem. Jailin is a girl whom Alan is almost in love with. Kaiser is her older brother, and Alan's relationship with him is considerably edgier but still friendly. However, on the island around him, nonwhites are being given the vote for the first time, and interracial tensions are growing more dangerous. Outside events may dictate an early end to Alan's unusual friendships. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

A young boy learns a grownup's lesson in survival in this dramatic adventure. Alex (Jordan Kiziuk) is an 11-year-old boy who is living with his father Stefan (Patrick Bergin) and Uncle Boruch (Jack Warden) in a Jewish ghetto in Poland during WWII. While Alex has been able to hold onto some shards of his childhood innocence, he's all too aware of the dangers all around him, and his father has gone so far as to teach him how to use a gun for his own protection once the inevitable tragedy occurs. When Nazi troops begin clearing the Poles from the ghetto, Stefan tells his son to hide, and leaves him with the words, "No matter what happens, I will come back for you." Alex follows his fathers instruction to the letter; he makes a hiding place for himself in the loft of an old building, which he's able to furnish and can access with a rope ladder, while keeping a pet mouse who not only keeps him company but helps him find precious caches of food. With his favorite book, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, as his guide, Alex tries to outrun and outmaneuver the Nazi soldiers as he patiently waits for his father to make good on his promise. The Island on Bird Street was a multiple award-winner in its screenings at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide