William Gaminara Movies
- 1997
In this episode of This Life, nothing goes according to plan. Anna (Daniela Nardini) despises the self-help therapy-speak of Alcoholics Anonymous, leaving Miles (Jack Davenport) to worry that she'll stop going and Hooperman (Geoffrey Bateman) will fire her. At work, Miles impresses Graham (Cyril Nri) with his quick work on the big rape case; Miles sends all of his small cases Anna's way, but she chafes at her return to such unglamorous work. Kira (Luisa Bradshaw-White) gets on with her life post-Jo (Steve John Shepherd) by inviting Kelly (Sacha Craise) to go on holiday with her. However, the zaftig Kelly can't stick to the diet Kira demands she follow. Ferdy (Ramon Tikaram) freaks out about his growing intimacy with Lenny (Tony Curran); after accompanying Lenny to visit his sister and her newborn son, Ferdy totally bails on his might-be boyfriend and picks up a vixen at the local pub. The next morning, when Miles blabs about Ferdy's bisexuality to the woman, she hoofs it -- and Ferdy gives Miles the comeuppance he deserves. Meanwhile, Milly (Amita Dhiri) continues both her affair with O'Donnell (David Mallinson) and her visits to Warren's shrink. During the opening-night festivities at Egg's café, Nicki (Juliet Cowan) tells Milly that half the reason Egg (Andrew Lincoln) wants to open the business in the first place is to make Milly realize that he's not a total loser. Nevertheless, only three customers show up for the opening. Series two, Episode 18 of the cult-favorite British soap This Life: Diet Hard first aired on BBC 2 on July 17, 1997. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 1997
In this episode of This Life, Anna (Daniela Nardini) experiences an emotional meltdown after Graham (Cyril Nri) catches her snorting cocaine in the ladies' restroom at work, takes her off the big rape case she's been working on, and tries to have her fired. When Jo (Steve John Shepherd) tries to lend a sympathetic ear, she hits on him shamelessly. Despite the fact that Kira (Luisa Bradshaw-White) is still blowing him off, he refuses, and Anna makes a fool of herself hitting on random men at the pub. Meanwhile, Francesca returns from her business trip and spends a romantic evening with Miles (Jack Davenport). When Anna arrives home, bombed out of her head, he goes to comfort her. They end up confessing their true feelings for each other -- and having passionate sex on the living-room couch with Francesca still upstairs. Ferdy accidentally witnesses their lovemaking but keeps his mouth shut; unaware, Miles continues to be an absolute jerk to Ferdy. At work the next day, Miles helps convince Hooperman (Geoffrey Bateman) not to fire Anna; the boss asks Miles to take over Anna's work on the rape case. Hooperman reveals to Anna that he's a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, and he forces her to join if she wants to keep her job. Milly (Amita Dhiri), still engaging in her affair with O'Donnell (David Mallinson), makes an appointment to talk to Warren's old therapist; all she wants to discuss is her hatred of Rachel (Natasha Little), which reaches epic proportions when Rachel shows her up at work. Meanwhile, Egg (Andrew Lincoln) busily prepares for the opening of his café. Ferdy (Ramon Tikaram) continues to date Lenny (Tony Curran). And a postcard arrives from Warren. Series two, Episode 17 of the cult-favorite British soap This Life: The Secret of My Excess first aired on BBC 2 on July 10, 1997. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Often described as a more realistic alternative to Friends (or a less comprehensively gay Queer as Folk), this 1996-1997 British television hit tracked the sexual, personal, and professional misadventures of a quintet of young lawyers living together in a South London flat. Created by writer Amy Jenkins, who collaborated on the first three episodes with director Sam Miller, the show's high-drama, party-hard ethos brought the acid-house generation back into the TV fold and paved the way for a number of subsequent twentysomething soaps, from the aforementioned Queer as Folk to the Internet-themed Attachments. Although American audiences didn't get to see the show until it was broadcast in seemingly perpetual reruns on BBC America a few years later, only the program's Brit-pop- and trip-hop-heavy soundtrack seemed dated. The 11-episode first series, from 1996, chronicles the lives of brash, boozy junior barrister Anna Forbes (Daniela Nardini); Miles Andrews (Jack Davenport), Anna's posh, public-school arch nemesis/soul mate; Andrew "Egg" Cook (Andrew Lincoln), Miles' boyish, football-loving best friend; Milly Nassim (Amita Dhiri), Egg's cool, conflicted, control-freak of a girlfriend; and their therapy-addicted, working-class, defiantly gay friend, Warren Jones (Jason Hughes). Although these five characters share the same alma mater, it isn't until they all end up working at a pair of London legal firms that they enter the domestic constellation that will drive the program's drama. Some American audiences may not grasp the class and professional intricacies that add nuance to the characters' lust, envy, love, and friendship; others will savor the irony that crisp Milly is a more experienced solicitor than her inexperienced boyfriend; that hardworking "pouf" Warren is initially such a threat to likably laddish Egg; and that rich Miles and by-the-bootstraps Anna both long for the same exalted position as successful barristers. Indeed, professional intrigue, as much as sex, drives This Life's plot lines; Egg ditches his job in hopes of finding himself, leading to domestic tension with Milly and ultimately a new career; Anna angles for better cases any way she can, including a cozy friendship with a lesbian barrister; Miles finds himself on the opposite side of the courtroom from his manipulative father and feels threatened by Anna's burgeoning success; Milly indulges in a flirtation with her '60s-survivor boss and nurses a deep hatred of a beautiful blonde co-worker; and Warren finds his brash sexuality in conflict with his profession -- and with his desire not to scandalize his family. By the end of its first series, cult-favorite This Life had grown into a bona fide hit; but after 1997's 21-episode second series -- which featured heavier contributions from the supporting cast of Ramon Tikaram, Luisa Bradshaw-White, Steve John Shepherd, and Natasha Little -- the BBC decided not to continue. Some fans still trace rumors of a forthcoming third series, while others express gratitude that their favorite program went out on top. None of the principal participants besides Davenport (The Talented Mr. Ripley) has found further high-profile success, although Nardini, Jenkins, and Miller re-teamed for the similarly themed British film Elephant Juice. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Based on author Ruth Rendell's novel of the same name, A Dark Adapted Eye follows the jealous and arguably insane path of the domineering Vera Hillyard (Celia Imrie), whose obsessive need to control her sons (the older is prone to demonstrating decidedly aggressive behavior, the younger may or may not be legitimate) and daughter plays a prominent role in her own undoing. Meanwhile, her manipulative sister, Eden (Sophie Ward), ultimately provokes Vera into what the community believes to be the deliberate murder of a child. Directed by Tim Fywell, the film also features Helena Bonham Carter, Jason Durr, Guy Witcher, and Robin Ellis. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helena Bonham Carter, Celia Imrie, (more)
- 1988
In this drama two friends become deadly foes after one refuses to share the winnings from a lottery ticket. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Set in the 1830s, this historical drama stars Robin Soans as George Loveless, a Methodist minister whose flock is a group of working families in Tolpuddle, a small town in the British Southwest. Most of the workers in the community are under the thumb of Frampton (Robert Stephens), a ruthless land owner, and his overseer Clerk (Murray Melvin); Frampton and Clerk demand long hours from their workers and pay meager wages. Convinced that the workers deserve a better shake, Loveless, encouraged by organizer Mr. Pitt (Michael Hordern), forms the Society of Friends, an early labor union, and organizes the men to negotiate with Frampton for better pay. When their salaries are instead cut, Loveless and his men go on strike, which could cripple Frampton financially. However, Frampton is well-connected, and soon both the government and private militias are sent in to break the strike and punish the rebellious laborers. The supporting cast includes James Fox, Freddie Jones, and Vanessa Redgrave. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Soans, William Gaminara, (more)
