Lizzy McInnerny
- 2007
Two strangers find their chance meeting in a South London train station suddenly bringing together two entirely separate groups of friends, colleagues, lovers, and acquaintances in director Roger Goldby's tale of intersecting lives. Anna (Anne-Marie Duff) and Stephen (Rolf Little) were sitting in a deserted train platform when kindly senior citizen Roger (Frank Finlay) engaged them in conversation while eagerly awaiting the arrival of his beloved wife. As they listen to Roger fondly reminiscing about all of the things that he and his wife did when they were younger, Anna and Stephen realize that they have made a real connection and, if only for a moment, allow their individual lives to slip out of focus. Having recently separated from Toby (Adrian Bower), single mother Anna is now faced with the task of bringing up her young daughter Charlie all by herself. Anna's neighbors are married young parents Jem (Zoe Telford) and George (Rupert Graves). While Jem and Anna are close friends who share all of their secrets, the one thing that Anna hasn't let out is the fact that she has entered into a troublesome affair with George. Stephen, on the other hand, has recently moved in with Fiona (Christine Bottomly), who is so eager to start a family that even her parents are pressuring she and Stephen to get pregnant. But the more intense the pressure gets, the less certain Stephen becomes that he is prepared for such a commitment. It seems like the only peace Stephen can find these days is in his work at a local old folk's home and his friendship with understanding resident Helen (Phyllida Law). Later, after Stephen and Anna go their separate ways, their lives both move into a pivotal period as they find themselves wondering just what would happen should they ever meet again. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne-Marie Duff, Ralf Little, (more)
- 1993
- PG13
Five fables, each set in a different historical era, make up this quirky comedy from director Bill Forsyth. Each tale features Robin Williams as a basically decent but troubled average man named Hector. Beginning with the Bronze Age, where Hector struggles for survival against barbarians, the film proceeds through Roman times, the Middle Ages, and the 16th century, concluding in the present day, where Hector is a divorced father attempting to reconcile with his children. The film clearly intends to draw parallels between these stories in order to illustrate the universal nature of human experience, though the segments themselves vary widely in tone, from broadly comic to philosophically reflective. Additionally, some may find the film's attempts at creating a fantasy atmosphere rather cloying, while others may be charmed by the project's determined oddness and whimsicality. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, John Turturro, (more)
The events that led Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley to write her horror masterpiece Frankenstein provide the basis of this haunting, romantic drama. The story opens aboard a beat up schooner as it carefully makes its way through a massive broken ice pack near the North Pole. There Shelley writes her fantastic tale and reminisces about the events of the previous summer when she was courted by the poetic Percy Byshe Shelley. They elope and go to Switzerland where they become friends with dashing Lord Byron and his companion Dr. Polidori. Shelley's sister Claire accompanies them and gets romantically entangled with Byron. The group subsequently spends some idyllic almost hedonistic weeks at Byron's villa. Over the next few years, strange, tragic and troubling events occur and whenever they do, Shelley sees her monster lurking in the shadows. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Grant, Lizzy McInnerny, (more)
- 1987
In his psychological drama, two couples on a boating holiday get in over their heads when a stranger decides to put them through a terrorizing adventure cloaked in psychotherapeutic language. At first they think his strange methods may be legitimate, but eventually they realize they are battling a madman for their lives -- and losing. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barrie Rutter, Marion Bailey, (more)
- 1985
Based on a true story, the three-part British miniseries Operation Julie detailed a massive drug "sting" conducted by British authorities in the mid-'70s. Colin Blakely and David Swift headed the enormous cast as, respectively, Detective Inspector Richard Lee and Detective Superintendent Gosling. The target for the authorities was a covert operation specializing in the manufacturer and worldwide distribution of LSD. As a faithful retelling of the largest undercover drug investigation of its kind in the United Kingdom, the series garnered a huge audience in both England and Europe. After its initial British TV run from November 4 to 6, 1985 (courtesy of Tyne Tees Television), Operation Julie was re-edited and reissued as a 100-minute feature film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
