Celia Imrie Movies
- 1974
- Add Upstairs, Downstairs: Series 04 to QueueAdd Upstairs, Downstairs: Series 04 to top of Queue
The fourth season of the British drama series Upstairs, Downstairs takes place during the war years of 1914 through 1918, a time of great anxiety and upheaval for England in general and the Bellamy household at 165 Eaton Place in particular. The season begins as Hazel Bellamy (Meg Wynn Owen), wife of James Bellamy (Simon Williams), agrees to take in a family of Belgian refugees. Not so politely inclined towards foreigners is the surprisingly emotional head butler Hudson (Gordon Jackson), whose anti-German hysteria all but tears the Bellamy's servant staff apart in the episode "The Beastly Hun" (for which actor Jackson won an Emmy). Maid Daisy (Jacqueline Tong) weds footman Edward (Christopher Beeny) just before he marches off to war; he will return a shellshocked shadow of his former self. Georgina (Leslie Anne-Down), the ward of James Bellamy's father Richard (David Langton), takes nursing training, while scullery maid Ruby (Jenny Tomasin), heretofore dismissed as a dimwit, demonstrates her patriotism and resilience by going to work at a munitions factory. Also, head maid Rose (Jean Marsh) is unexpectedly reunited with her erstwhile Australian sweetheart Gregory (Keith Barron), who is ultimately killed in battle. While James is serving his country in France, Hazel begins a platonic friendship with young airman Jack Dyson (Andrew Ray), and later agonizes when James is reported missing in action. The war comes home in spectacular fashion when 165 Eaton is damaged by a German bomb. And in the episode "Another Year", Hannah Gordon is introduced in the role of Virginia Hamilton, the widow of a Naval officer. The season finale is a riveting combination of happiness and heartbreak: Though seriously injured in the war, James manages to return to the arms of his wife Hazel--who, unfortunately, has become one of the victims of the deadly international influenza epidemic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gordon Jackson, Jean Marsh, (more)
In this British exploitation film, an elderly husband and wife begin torturing young women whose behavior offends their puritan sensibilities. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Faye Dunaway stars in Michael Winner's labored re-make of the 1945 swashbuckler, which was co-scripted by Leslie Arliss, the original director of the 1945 film. Dunaway is Lady Barbara Skelton, a lady of the royal class, who becomes a highway robber, taking up with Captain Jerry Jackson (Alan Bates), a highwayman and her lover. Because of a notorious whiping scene in which Lady Barbara and Jackson's girlfriend (Marina Sirtis) take horsewhips to one another, tearing their clothing to strategically-placed ribbons, the film was held back from release because Winner refused to cut the salacious footage. After corralling author Kingsley Amis, and directors John Schlesinger, Karel Reisz, and Lindsay Anderson to attest to the redeeming social value of the scene, the scene stayed in the film. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates, (more)
- 1985
This weekly British sketch-comedy series represented the first major TV vehicle for that irrepressible comedienne, monologist, playwright, and singer-pianist Victoria Wood. Regular features included Shakespearean versions of popular British television programs, and the ongoing soap opera lampoon "Acorn Antiques." Also in the cast were several of Wood's favorite supporting players, including Julie Walters, Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie, and Susie Blake. Debuting January 11, 1985, Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV yielded 12 35-minute episodes and one 60-minute special before its final broadcast on December 18, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Duncan Preston
With the ultimate throw-down, "There can be only one," Highlander captured the imaginations of fantasy fans seeking a well-executed swordplay epic, becoming a cult classic in the process. Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) is one of a waning few survivors of a clan of immortals. The breed have been dueling each other for centuries in the quest to be the last one remaining, and hence achieve a supreme enlightenment that would be dangerous in the wrong hands. The immortals can only die by decapitation, so they hunt each other through time and across continents to meet for each decisive duel, which will bring one of them a step closer to ultimate power. In present-day America, the troubled hero MacLeod lives a brooding and lonely existence, having lost his true love centuries ago. The evil Kurgan (Clancy Brown), an immortal who plans to use his power toward unspeakable ends, has fought MacLeod before but is still trying to finish him off. After emerging victorious from a parking garage skirmish with the third-to-last immortal, MacLeod knows that only Kurgan is left, and the two are on a collision path toward the inevitable. In the film's numerous flashbacks to the past, Sean Connery plays Ramirez, the immortal who first tutors MacLeod after the hero survives a mortal battle wound, prompting his fearful village to banish him. Roxanne Hart plays MacLeod's modern-day love interest, who tries to help him while struggling to believe his incredible story. The director's cut runs four minutes shorter. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lambert, Roxanne Hart, (more)
- 1989
Having previously headlined a series of short TV skits and monologues, British comedienne-composer Victoria Wood graduated to the anthology format in this six-episode offering. Individual episode titles included "Mens Sana in Thingummy Doodah," "The Library," "Over to Pam," "We'd Quite Like to Apologize," "Val De Ree (Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha)," and "Staying In." All playlets were written by the star, as was the piano music heard between scenes. Appearing in support of Wood was an impressive coterie of British guest stars and comedy "regulars," including her old professional cronies Julie Walters, Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie, and Susie Blake. Victoria Wood originally aired from November 16 to December 21, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victoria Wood, Celia Imrie, (more)
- 1991
In this futuristic sci-fi political drama, the minerals of the moon are being exploited by both Russian and American mining companies. When a terrorist threatens an American mining company, a KGB agent teams up with a NASA investigator to stop them. The two agents are attracted to each other and this nearly derails their assignment. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In this film, Barbara, a middle-aged woman living in Edinburgh in the present, is overwhelmed by memories of Greta, her long-dead mother from the 1930s to the 1950s. Flashbacks show the girl with her poetess mother in Edinburgh and the Orkney Isles. Her mother was fascinated by the sea which would later claim her life. In the present, one of her long-time friends is a well-known artist, and Barbara begins to rekindle strong ties with him when they meet at a gallery showing. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Shepherd, Celia Imrie, (more)
- 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)
- 1994
- PG
Unlike the barren and forbidding moors elsewhere in England, Return of the Native's Egdon Heath attires itself in vibrant wildflowers, mossy hillsides, winding streams, arching footbridges, and undulant meadows. An enchantress would be at home in this place, but not Eustacia Vye, portrayed by Zeta-Jones. Though coveted by every man in Egdon Heath -- and every boy old enough to stare -- the beautiful Eustacia longs for the smoking chimneys and broad stone buildings of Paris. When a native of Egdon Heath, Clym Yeobright Ray Stevenson, returns from his job in Paris as a jeweler, Vye stuns him with her beauty and marries him in hopes of persuading him to take her to Paris. But, alas, Clym is a clod at heart. He vows to remain in Egdon Heath to teach and edify. After his eyesight deteriorates, Eustacia turns her attentions to rakish Damon Wildeve Clive Owen, and the plot begins to churn and curdle. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Zeta-Jones, Clive Owen, (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)
- 1995
At a posh public-relations awards show, Edina (Jennifer Saunders) guzzles champagne with Patsy (Joanna Lumley), bosses Bubble (Jane Horrocks) around, chats up supermodel Naomi Campbell, and prepares to take home a prize. She's beaten to the punch, however, by Claudia (Celia Imrie), her pretentious, politically correct professional arch nemesis. Commiserating later at home with Saffy (Julia Sawalha), Mother (June Whitfield), and Pats, Eddy reveals that she had rigged the awards in her own favor, thus rendering her defeat even more ignominious. Terrified that she'll lose her tenuous hold on her career, Edina creeps into Claudia's celebrity liposuction-a-thon in hopes of bagging Campbell for one of her own celebrity events. Later, at an industry luncheon, she loses her prepared remarks but gives a drunken speech anyway, slagging off the PR industry's parasitical piggy-backing on noble causes such as environmentalism. Eddy's rallying cry against doom-and-gloom marketing -- "Cheer up, because it might not bloody happen!" -- becomes a sensation, and soon she's bagging new clients right and left. Meanwhile, Saffy gets hot and heavy -- for her, anyway -- with Gerard (Simon Stokes), her college psychology lecturer. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on April 27, 1995, Absolutely Fabulous: Jealous marked series three, episode four of this popular Brit-com. Campbell guest-stars as herself in a send-up of the inane schemes to which hangers-on constantly subject the supermodel elite. Although she doesn't appear on camera, real-life singer Lulu, who is supposedly Edina's biggest client, can be heard announcing one of the PR awards. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 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)
- 1996
Previously adapted for German television as Operation Schmetterling, the four-part British miniseries The Writing on the Wall starred Bill Paterson in the central role of Bull. A government agent working on behalf of NATO, Bull found himself up to his neck in conspiracies and double-crosses as he tried to solve a political kidnapping. American actor Dennis Haysbert, best known for his recurring appearances as the imperiled presidential candidate in the Fox Network series 24, was seen as Sullivan. The Writing on the Wall made its first British TV appearance in 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Paterson, Celia Imrie, (more)
Peter Hewitt (Tom and Huck) directed this $30-million family film, an adaptation of Mary Norton's classic children's novels about a miniature family of wee folk, four inches high, living beneath the floorboards of an English cottage. The Borrowers family, so labeled because they "borrow" from the house's kitchen, consist of Pod Clock (Jim Broadbent), mother Homily (Celia Imre), and children Arrietty (13-year-old Flora Newbigin) and Peagreen (Tom Felton). Their adventure begins when they're almost caught in the kitchen by the Lenders, the tenants of the house, so they run for cover. When lawyer-Realtor Ocious P. Potter (John Goodman) discovers the owner of the house has died, he makes plans to evict the Lenders and demolish the building -- a situation where one would want to "neither a Borrower nor a Lender be." Fortunately, young Pete Lender (Bradley Pierce) has become friends with Arrietty -- an alliance leading toward a method of thwarting Potter. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Jim Broadbent, (more)
- 1997
The British series Wokenwell had something in common with the whimsical small-town saga Ballykissangel, albeit with a more bizarre and supernatural edge. The series took place in the tiny rural community mentioned in the title, with dramatic emphasis on Wokenwall's three chief law enforcers: PC Brian Rainford (Jason Done), PC Rudy Whiteside (Nicholas Gleaves), and Sgt. Duncan Bonney (Ian McElhinney). The trio was perennially baffled and flustered by the weird goings-on in the community, but the cops weren't anywhere near as perplexed as their long-suffering wives, respectively Fran Rainford (Nicola Stephenson), Lucky Whiteside (Lesley Dunlop), and June Bonney (Celia Imrie). The first of the six hour-long Wokenwell episodes was seen on May 18, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Done, Tim Barker, (more)
Perhaps inspired by the success of biopics like Shine and Amadeus, this film based on a true story -- and a book (entitled A Genius in the Family) -- also focuses on the destructive forces of being a musical genius. Hilary and Jacqueline du Pré are gifted sisters who grow up in England in the 1950s and compete for musical accolades and love. Hilary (Rachel Griffiths) is a talented flutist, but it's her younger sister, Jackie (Breaking the Waves' Emily Watson), who is the musical "genius" cellist. The film follows their sibling rivalry in musical competition and romance. Though extremely close as children, it is younger sister Jackie who eventually becomes the international star, marrying top pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim. Hilary marries her true love, Kiffer Finzi (David Morrissey), and settles in a beautiful country home with her two children. But who is jealous of whom? Hilary receives an unexpected visit from Jackie, asking her sister for a chance to live a normal life and to sleep with Kiffer. Later, Jackie suffers from multiple sclerosis, and the sisters strive to repair the emotional damage of their long-standing rivalry. ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emily Watson, Rachel Griffiths, (more)
Patrick Stewart stars as Ebeneezer Scrooge in this made-for-TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic holiday fable. Scrooge is a skinflint businessman who loathes the Christmas season and begrudges having to give time off to his best employee, Bob Cratchit (Richard E. Grant). On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his late friend and partner, Jacob Marley (Bernard Lloyd), who in the afterlife has come to see the error of his ways. Marley arranges for Scrooge to be visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Joel Grey), Christmas Present (Desmond Barrit), and Christmas Yet to Come (Tim Potter) in hopes of teaching Scrooge of the importance of embracing the joy of the holiday season. A Christmas Carol was produced for the TNT cable television network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, (more)
After from escaping the clutches of his cruel master and making his way to a remote country railway station, a performing dog in Victorian England becomes a mascot for the local orphanage in this family friendly tale starring George Cole and Thomas Sangster. When the lonely but lovable pooch wanders on to a railway station on day, station porter Bob takes an immediate shine to the dog and names him Jim. Henry (Sangster) is a sad young boy from the local orphanage who longs for the train that will spirit him back to the long lost comforts of home. Though he never had anything to fight for in the past, Henry suddenly finds cause to stand up for himself and his fellow orphans when a malevolent businessman threatens to close the orphanage and steal their dog. To make matters worse, it seems that there's an assassin who's hatched a deadly plot to do away with the Queen. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Sangster, George Cole, (more)
The Groan family has led the people for years from their castle, Gormenghast. Although a new heir, Titus Groan, has just come into the world, a scheming kitchen boy, Steerpike, begins an elaborate attempt to take control. Surprisingly Steerpike faces his stiffest competition from the usually mild-mannered Titus, the Earl of Goran. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
The first British TV version of Nancy Mitford's autobiographical novel Love in a Cold Climate was telecast in seven hour-long installments in 1980. This 2001 version attempted to crystallize Mitford's long and labyrinthine narrative into a mere 150 minutes, and for the most part it succeeded. Set during the period from 1929 to 1940, the story (which also incorporates elements of another Mitford novel, The Pursuit of Love) largely takes place in an English country estate presided over by Matthew Radlett (Alan Bates), for whom the word "eccentric" must have been coined. When she isn't being "hunted" by her zany uncle for sport, Matthew's niece Fanny (Rosamund Pike), who serves as narrator, looks on compassionately while her cousin Linda (Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh) and her friend Polly (Megan Dodds) desperately seek out worthwhile and decent husbands, only to be thwarted at every turn by deceitful, duplicitous, dissolute, disagreeable, and otherwise unsuitable young swains. First telecast by the BBC on February 4, 2001, Love in a Cold Climate was shown in America as a two-part installment of PBS's Masterpiece Theatre on February 11 and 18, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Bates, Rosamund Pike, (more)
- 2001
Edina (Jennifer Saunders) suffers a professional crisis while Patsy (Joanna Lumley) begins menopause in the final episode of Absolutely Fabulous series four. After Bubble (Jane Horrocks) accidentally emails Eddy's address book to rival PR impresario Claudia Bing (Celia Imrie), Eddy's client roster is reduced to Twiggy -- until even the waifish supermodel abandons ship. Soon even Edina's new TV partnership with Katy Grin (Jane Horrocks) is in question, and Eddy must think on her feet if she wants to retain any sort of career. Meanwhile, Patsy's brittle bones begin cracking like matchsticks, and it's up to Saffy (Julia Sawalha) to educate her about menopause and osteoporosis. Saffy organizes a Menopause Anonymous meeting to help Patsy and Eddy get in touch with their inner crones; Bo (Mo Gaffney) crashes, adding her distinctively New Age touch to the proceedings. Ultimately, hormone patches effect strange changes in Patsy's behavior, leaving Saffy with horrific visions of a lifetime spent caring for the old hag. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on October 5, 2001, Absolutely Fabulous: Menopause marked series four, episode six of this popular Britcom. Celia Imrie reprises her role as Claudia Bing from Absolutely Fabulous: Jealous. "AbFab" script editor Ruby Wax, a longtime collaborator of writer/star Jennifer Saunders, plays one of the menopausal masses; Wax previously guest-starred in Absolutely Fabulous: The End as one of the snooty New York fashion editors who snubs Patsy. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, (more)
In this made-for-TV period drama, Kevin Whately stars as David Bruce, who, in 1911, receives an important promotion at the gas company for which he works. Born and raised in a working-class family, David is proud to have risen to a more economically privileged status, and he and his wife move into a new home in Bedford Park, with David confirming their new status by hiring a maid for his wife. Jane (Emma Cunliffe), the family's new domestic, soon falls in love with David's son Harry (Jason Hughes), a medical student. Harry is equally attracted to Jane, but Jane insists they keep their romance a secret, as it could jeopardize her career with the Bruce family. After a gas explosion claims the life of a fellow employee, David soon finds himself out of favor at work, and the pressures to live up to his employer's expectations take a steep emotional toll on him. With his marriage falling apart, David becomes increasingly attracted to Jane, and in time he persuades her to have an affair with him, which she feels she is in no position to refuse. Racked with guilt over her betrayal of Harry, Jane is forced to break the news to David that she is with child; David responds with a plan to murder his sickly wife, while Harry is outraged to discover Jane isn't sure if the child was fathered by himself or his father. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Whately
Based on Helen Fielding's hugely popular novel, this romantic comedy follows Bridget (Renee Zellweger), a post-feminist, thirty-something British woman who has a penchant for alcoholic binges, smoking, and an inability to control her weight. While trying to keep these things in check and also deal with her job in publishing, she visits her parents for a Christmas party. They try to set her up with Mark (Colin Firth), the visiting son of one of their neighbors. Snubbed by Mark, she instead falls for her boss Daniel (Hugh Grant), a dashing lothario who begins to send her suggestive e-mails that soon lead to a dinner date proposition. Daniel reveals that he and Mark attended college together, during which time Mark had an affair with his fiancée. When Bridget finds Daniel cavorting with an American colleague, she decides to change her life with a new job as a TV presenter. At a dinner party, she bumps into Mark again, who expresses his affection for her; when Daniel claims he wants Bridget back, the two fight over who deserves her affections the most. Popular British performers Gemma Jones, Jim Broadbent, and Shirley Henderson appear in the supporting cast. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, (more)
