Guy Henry Movies
- 2008
Viggo Mortensen and Jason Isaacs star in this period drama set in 1930s-era Germany, and detailing the ways in which an otherwise "good" man can be slowly seduced by dark forces. John Halder is a professor of literature. When he's not teaching, most of John's time is dedicated to looking after his neurotic wife, tending to the couple's two young children, and caring for his elderly mother, who suffers from senile dementia. Disheartened by his mother's downward spiral, John authors a novel supporting euthanasia for the terminally ill. Much to John's surprise, the Nazi party singles out his tome as the "way forward," and soon begins to heap flattery on the author in the form of glowing compliments and extravagant gifts. As a result, John finds himself making a variety of minor moral compromises that soon begin to snowball. As his moral compass becomes less and less reliable and music manifests in John's conscience at the most inopportune moments -- such as the time a Bavarian boy choir bursts in as he's attempting to seduce a young lover -- the author begins to question his own motivations while also taking pause to consult with his best friend, a Jewish psychoanalyst named Maurice (Jason Isaacs). Unfortunately for Maurice, the situation is quickly worsening for the Jews of Germany as John continues his ascent in the party ranks. While John does everything within his power to save Maurice, the risks involved in truly removing his old friend from harm's way may already be too great for the morally compromised author to consider. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Viggo Mortensen, Jason Isaacs, (more)
- 2008
When Amanda Price ($Jemima Rooper) discovers a secret passage in her bathroom, she enters the fictional world of her favorite novel, Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice in this comedy from director Dan Zeff. Soon her presence changes the story that she knows so well, and Amanda must correct everything before it's too late. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jemima Rooper, Alex Kingston, (more)
Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore, V for Vendetta takes place in an alternate vision of Britain in which a corrupt and abusive totalitarian government has risen to complete power. During a threatening run in with the secret police, an unassuming young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) is rescued by a vigilante named V (Hugo Weaving) -- a caped figure both articulate and skilled in combat. V embodies the principles of rebellion from an authoritarian state, donning a mask of vilified would-be terrorist of British history Guy Fawkes and leading a revolution sparked by assassination and destruction. Evey becomes his unlikely ally, newly aware of the cruelty of her own society and her role in it. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, (more)
- 2005
As the first season of Rome draws to a close, Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Pullo (Ray Stevenson) learn that they are heroes on the streets of the city, "symbols of brotherly love and redemption." On a trip to consecrate the land he and his wife have been given, Vorenus tells Niobe (Indira Varma) that Caesar (Ciarán Hinds) might exile him for disobeying his orders by helping Pullo. But Caesar later explains that it's politically unfeasible to punish the heroes, and if he does nothing, he'll appear weak, so, as part of a larger plan to incorporate (loyal) "plebs" and foreign citizens into the Senate, he makes Vorenus a senator. Of course, Caesar's ulterior motive is to have the "ferocious" Vorenus at his side so that no one will try to kill him. Pullo, near death, still manages to make his way from his sick bed, eager to reap the bounty of his newfound celebrity. Instead, he ends up collapsing at Vorenus' home, where Niobe assigns his care to Eirene (Chiara Mastalli), who contemplates murder. With Vorenus joined to Caesar on the Senate floor, the growing group of conspirators fears they will not have the opportunity to kill Caesar. While some would be content to poison him, or murder him in his bed, Brutus (Tobias Menzies) insists that the deed "must be done honorably." Then Servilia (Lindsay Duncan) realizes where she's heard Vorenus' name before, and sets a plot in motion to separate the hero from the dictator at the pivotal moment. While the plot is unfolding, Servilia invites Atia (Polly Walker) and Octavian (Max Pirkis) to her home, and tells them of her further plans for vengeance. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kerry Condon, James Purefoy, (more)
The low-budget indie feature EMR weaves several of the most notorious and oft-told urban myths into the narrative of a single thriller. It begins with Englishman Adam (Adam Leese) regaining full consciousness after a seizure - tens of thousands of miles from home - only to discover that someone has surgically extracted one of his kidneys. All roads lead to a shady drug company called Phenal, which Adam believes is plotting against him, systematically. As Adam's paranoia builds, he realizes that no one around him can be fully trusted. Gil Bellows, Guy Henry and Whitney Cummings co-star; newcomers James Erskine and Danny McCullough co-direct. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Leese
This made-for-TV British comedy begins at the turn of the century, as bumbling ironmonger Alfred Salteena (Jim Broadbent) meets a pretty girl named Ethel Monticue (Lyndsey Marshal) on a train and invites her to his London flat. Hoping to impress the girl, Alfred brags about all the "important" people he knows; swallowing the line whole, the covetous Ethel insists upon meeting Alfred's illustrious acquaintance. Enter Lord Bernard Clark (Hugh Laurie), a seedy nobleman who offers to train Alfred to be a social lion so that he'll be more acceptable to Ethel; what Lord Bernard doesn't tell Alfred is that he intends to keep Ethel for himself. Much of the humor arises from Alfred's experiences at a high-society "boot camp" run by an indigent aristocrat, the Earl of Clincham (Bill Nighy). The Young Visiters was written in 1890 by Daisy Ashford -- who was all of nine years old at the time! The book remained on the shelf until it was published, misspellings and all, in 1919, with a preface by James M. Barrie (whom many reviewers suspected of being the novel's true author). First telecast in the U.K. on December 26, 2003, the film won a BAFTA award for best original music. The Young Visiters premiered in the United States courtesy of the BBC America digital-cable service on November 2, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Broadbent, Hugh Laurie, (more)
British writer/actor Stephen Fry makes his feature-film debut with the witty, sophisticated comedy Bright Young Things, adapted from Evelyn Waugh's 1930 novel Vile Bodies. Set in London during the '30s, this stylish period film follows an ensemble cast of well-dressed and highly literate partygoers. Aspiring writer Adam Fenwick-Symes (stage actor Stephen Campbell Moore) loses the manuscript of his first novel when traveling through customs. He then sets out to raise enough money to marry his sweetheart, Nina Blount (Emily Mortimer), the daughter of a colonel (Peter O'Toole). All in the name of love, Adam seeks funding through a constant stream of parties, meetings, and conversations with eccentric acquaintances. Cameo appearances are made by the likes of Dan Aykroyd, Simon Callow, and Stockard Channing. Bright Young Things was shown at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emily Mortimer, Stephen Campbell Moore, (more)
- 1996
- R
A trio of women, off on a country holiday decide to enter an amateur talent show in this British comedy. Much of the fun comes from trying to watch them devise a suitable act. The rest comes from the show itself which is of course, perfectly dreadful. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This British biopic attempts to chronicle the life of 17th-century tunesmith Henry Purcell. The filmmakers have had to do much speculating about Britain's first great composer, as little is known about his life back then. It is known that Purcell had been a chorister as a child and then became the court composer for three kings: Charles, James and William. Before his death at age 37, Purcell penned over 1,000 songs and sired a few children, most of whom died at birth. While little is actually known of Purcell, the film successfully recreates the tumultuous era in which he lived. Also running parallel to Purcell's story is a set in the 1960s when English society and values seemed to be rapidly eroding, just as they were in the composer's time. The story concerns a playwright's attempts to research the life of Purcell for his next play. In the last part of the film, several lavish musical numbers from Purcell's vast repertoire are presented. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1985
All the main characters from the popular TV sitcom Family Ties were carried over into this made-for-TV feature. Michael J. Fox heads the cast as insufferable/lovable young conservative Alex Keaton, who this time around is attending Oxford on a summer scholarship. The Keaton family--ex-hippie parents Elyse (Meredith Baxter Birney) and Steven (Michael Gross), and sisters Mallory (Justine Bateman) and Jennifer (Tina Yothers)--decide to go along with Alex in order to enjoy a vacation in England. The script contrives to have the Keatons behave wildly out of character by getting involved in a hackneyed espionage plot. The film looks more like one of those Dell Comics "specials" or Ace Paperback TV show tie-ins rather than a logical extension of the original series. Family Ties Vacation was first telecast September 23, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Michael Gross, (more)
Lady Jane Grey, the 16-year-old girl who for nine days in the 16th century was Queen of England, is here portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter. Lady Jane Grey's sickly cousin, who becomes Edward VI upon the death of Henry VIII, is on the threshold of death himself. The Protestant powers-that-be, fearing that England will fall under Catholic rule, contrive to marry off Edward VI's most likely successor Lady Jane to the wastrelly Guilford Dudley (Cary Elwes), the future Duke of Suffolk. The dying Edward is coerced into naming Jane as his successor. Jane is forced to assume the throne, attempting to impose reforms on the corrupt Protestant government during her brief reign. A coup led by Jane's cousin Princess Mary (Jane Lapotaire) results in the ouster, and eventual execution, of Queen Jane and her consort. The story is told through anti-establishment themes; teen-agers Lady Jane and Guilford Dudley are seen as the only hope for a brighter future, making their deaths all the more tragic. An earlier version of the same story, Tudor Rose, was filmed in 1936. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helena Bonham Carter, Cary Elwes, (more)
A pair of British lads, one gay and one socialist, chafe at the restrictions of boarding school life in this period piece, which was adapted from Julian Mitchell's novel and play of the same name and loosely based on the Burgess-Maclean spy scandal of the 1950s. In the 1930s, upper-class scions Tommy Judd (Colin Firth) and Guy Bennett (Rupert Everett) are both nearing the end of their careers at an unnamed public school that bears a striking resemblance to Eton. Tommy, a Marxist intellectual, refuses to participate actively in the school's rigid social hierarchy. But Guy, when not mooning after pretty boys, angles for a position next term as one of the "gods," or master prefects, of his house. When a faculty member stumbles onto the homosexual fumblings of a pair of students, one boy commits suicide and a scandal erupts. The administration and senior students do their best to ensure nothing of this sort ever sullies their reputation again. Considering that homosexual experimentation is rampant and that Guy has slept with most of the prefects in his house, the strict new rules leave a bad taste in his mouth. They also put a damper on his Wildean lifestyle, especially after he falls hopelessly in love with James Harcourt (Cary Elwes), a dreamy boy from one of the other houses. Things come to a head when autocratic prefect Fowler (Tristan Oliver) intercepts a letter from Guy to James and sentences Guy to a savage beating. By film's end, Guy's complicity in the power games of the British class system has been challenged, and his friend Tommy's communist dogma has made a lasting impression; a framing device portrays Guy as an elderly former spy living in exile in Soviet Moscow. Another Country was shot at Cambridge, Oxford, and Althorp Hall (Princess Diana's childhood home) after the producers were denied permission to shoot at Eton. Everett and Firth both appeared in the original London theater production alongside Kenneth Branagh and Daniel Day-Lewis; on-stage, it was actually Firth who played Guy. For a more factual account of the Burgess-Maclean affair, see the TV movie An Englishman Abroad. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, (more)
- 1962
In this French melodrama, an insanely jealous alcoholic novelist writes pulp detective thrillers to maintain his wife's inappropriately luxurious lifestyle. Eventually, the spoiled wife tires of her husband and takes a lover, a wealthy art collector who is involved with the underworld. This involvement eventually gets him killed. A police inspector investigates and soon suspects that the murderer is the woman's husband. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
