Tom Conti Movies
Although many thought his work in such features as Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and Reuben, Reuben might lead to a high-profile film career, Tom Conti never found the same success in his later work. Equally adept at comedy or drama, the longtime stage and screen actor gave lively, but finely tuned, performances regardless of the medium in which he appeared. Born to an Italian immigrant father and a Scottish mother in Paisley, Scotland, Conti was trained as a classical pianist at Glasgow's Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama before shifting his attention to the stage. He made his stage debut with the Citizen's Theater in the late '50s and flourished in the theater for nearly a decade before making his first film in the 1975 musical drama Flame. As his sensitive and multi-layered portraits of deeply troubled characters began to earn the actor nods from the theater community, Conti began appearing in a series of memorable British television productions (highlighted by The Glittering Prizes [1976] and The Norman Conquests [1977]). In 1979, he was awarded a Tony for his portrayal of a paralyzed sculptor in a stage production of Whose Life Is It Anyway? Thanks to increased international exposure, he began to get more film roles, as well; they were usually only supporting parts in such movies as Galileo (1975) and Eclipse (1976), however, and he had still not landed a role that would leave a lasting impression.All that changed (at least temporarily) with an impressive pair of films in 1983. Conti's unforgettable portrayal of the eponymous character in the war drama Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence almost stole the spotlight from marquee draw David Bowie. That same year, Conti gave an Oscar-nominated performance as a drunken Scottish lothario in Reuben, Reuben. It should have turned the actor into a box-office draw, but superstardom continued to elude him, despite leading roles in such later efforts as American Dreamer (1984), Heavenly Pursuits (1985), and Shirley Valentine (1989). His turn as a Holocaust survivor in Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story earned Conti a Golden Globe nomination, and he alternated between the stage and screen in subsequent years. He starred in the CBS series The Wright Verdicts in 1995, but it was canceled after only a three-month run. Later roles in such features as Someone Else's America (1995) and Something to Believe In (1998) offered memorable screen appearances sandwiched between Conti's frequent stage roles. He continued to make both film and TV appearances in the '90s, including small-screen roles in such series as Deadline and Friends (in which he played Ross' snooty father-in-law Stephen). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Alternating between the unique vantage points of the Jews, the Arabs, and the British, director Elie Chouraqui's historical drama recreates the landmark struggle surrounding the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. From the concrete jungle of New York City to the desert paradise of the Holy Land, two young Americans - one Jewish and the other Arab - are forced to make an incredible series of life altering sacrifices in order to fight for their dreams. As the struggle for control of Jerusalem gets underway, the Jews, Arabs, and Brits must all address such difficult issues as terrorism, politics, courage, and deprivation with a newfound since of honest and urgency. Drawing inspiration from authors Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre's bestselling novel of the same name, O Jerusalem offers a textured commentary on a conflict that continues to stir controversy in the 21st Century. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- JJ Feild, Saïd Taghmaoui, (more)
A clandestine love affair may claim a terrible price from two desperate people in this psychological thriller. Charles Schine (Clive Owen) is an advertising executive who is married to Deana (Melissa George) and has a young, diabetic daughter whose third kidney operation just failed. Charles's life turns a most unexpected corner when he meets Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston) on a commuter train. Lucinda, who is also married with a daughter, keeps bumping into Charles on the train, and they strike up a friendship that soon grows into something deeper. Eventually Charles and Lucinda meet for lunch, then dinner, then check into a posh hotel, but the consequences turn out to be greater than they imagined; the dangerous criminal Philippe Laroche (Vincent Cassel) breaks into the couple's hotel room, beats Charles nearly unconscious, and rapes Lucinda. The problem doesn't end there, however; Laroche soon unveils both his certainty that the couple avoided calling the police, and - more troublingly - his possession of Charles's personal information. When he makes the ill-advised attempt to blackmail the couple, Charles turns to a rough-cut friend from his workplace who offers to help out -- for a small commission.Derailed was the first American project for Swedish filmmaker Mikael Håfström. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, (more)
- 2002
Based on the children's book by Philip Pullman, Laurie Lynd's I Was a Rat is a feature-length fable originally made as a three-part BBC miniseries. A reworking of a popular fairy tale, the story opens with a young abandoned pageboy (Calum Worthy) taken in by a childless couple: the aging cobbler Bob (Tom Conti) and domestic worker Joan (Brenda Fricker). Nicknamed Roger, the pageboy claims that he isn't human at all but a rat, which attracts the interest of the Daily Scourge newspaper, a mad scientist, and a carnival owner named Oliver Tapscrew (Don McKellar). The search for Roger's real home is accompanied by the story of Lady Aurelia (Katie Blake) and her prince (James Millard). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Calum Worthy, Tom Conti, (more)
In this tense action thriller, Mike Ashton (Luke Perry) is a scientist working in genetics whose father was also a scientist. However, the senior Ashton once made the mistake of using his talents to create a dangerous biochemical weapon, and now years later Mike finds himself the target of terrorists as a result of his father's work. After his father is abducted, Mike finds himself working with a beautiful but tough as nails police detective (Olivia D'Abo); he has two goals in mind -- to find his dad, and to create an antidote to his father's poison before it's too late. The Enemy also stars Roger Moore, Tom Conti, and Horst Buchholz. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luke Perry, Olivia D'Abo, (more)
- 2000
Hoping to revive the glory days of Lou Grant, NBC, in association with Law & Order creator Dick Wolf, came forth with the weekly, one-hour newspaper drama Deadline. Oliver Platt starred as Wallace Benton, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter whose dauntless dedication was matched by his short temper and gift for deception. Aided by Beth Khambu (Christina Chang) and Charles Foster (Damon Gupton), two students from the graduate journalism class that he taught in his spare time (what spare time?), Benton regularly riffed on the rich, powerful, and corrupt in his daily column "Nothing But the Truth." Because he ignored such journalistic niceties as press passes and off-the-record statements, Benton was the source of many a headache for his lawsuit-fearing publisher Si Beekman (Tom Conti) and his managing editor Nikki Masucci (Bebe Neuwirth). And because he cared more about "The Truth" than financial compensation, Benton was forever behind in alimony payments to his three ex-wives -- one of whom, Brooke Benton (Hope Davis, worked side-by-side with Benton on the same newspaper. Also featured was that singular actress Lily Taylor as Hildy Baker. Debuting October 2, 2000, Deadline was almost universally panned by real-life journalists, who complained that the sort of melodramatic pyrotechnics engaged in by Wallace Benton hadn't been used since the gonzo days of The Front Page -- and even worse, Benton was a poor and clumsy writer, whose stilted headlines and purple prose seemed calculated to drive readers to other sources of news. Undaunted, the series' producers described Deadline as "Columbo in a newspaper office," so the viewer knew exactly what to expect. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oliver Platt, Christina Chang, (more)
- 1999
Tom Conti narrates this documentary that explores various eerie phenomena within the British Isles. From the voices at Bircham Newton Aerodome to the sightings of the Loch Ness monster, as well as the paranormal wonders of Stonehenge and other stone monuments, this 76-minute tour through British oddities asks: "How well do you know Britain?" ~ Brooke Hodess, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Several American stars add marquee value to this British comedy about a single mom who's back in the dating game, whether she likes it or not. Jenny Seagrove plays Suzanne, a recently widowed woman in her 30's with two children, teenage son Ben (Ben Reynolds) and younger daughter Natalie (Ace Ryan). Suzanne is still dealing with her husband's passing and doesn't feel ready for a new man in her life. But her friends have other plans and they try fixing her up with Frank (Charles Dance), a dentist so eager to win her hand he hypnotizes her during an appointment in hopes she'll accept his offer of a dinner date. Frank soon has competition when Tony (Anthony Edwards), an American sports therapist, meets Suzanne at a concert; their paths cross again when he finds a wallet she's lost and stops by her home to return it. The first film production from noted stage producer Bill Kenwright, Don't Go Breaking My Heart also features cameos from Jane Leeves and Tom Conti. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Edwards, Jenny Seagrove, (more)
- 1998
Season five of Friends begins in London, a few moments after the wedding of Ross (David Schwimmer) and Emily (Helen Baxendale) -- and a few more moments after Ross nearly wrecked the ceremony by invoking Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) name. As Emily expresses her desire to escape her marriage vows, Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) come to terms with their own romantic passion. Everything comes to a head at Heathrow airport -- but what about pregnant Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow)? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Lew Grade is the executive producer of this British-German co-production, a romantic drama that gets underway in Las Vegas with several casino cameos (Robert Wagner, Roddy McDowall, Jill St. John, William Hootkins). Lymphoma leaves Vegas croupier Maggie (Maria Pitillo) only a few weeks to live, so she sets out to visit a weeping Madonna statue in Italy where she meets American pianist Mike (William McNamara) while hitchhiking to Trevino. Monsignore Calogero (Tom Conti) orders the church closed, and the statue is found to be a fake. As Mike and Maggie hope for a miracle, Mike departs to participate in a Naples piano competition. Watch for composer Lalo Schifrin conducting his own two piano concertos in the final scenes. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William McNamara, Maria Pitillo, (more)
Forbidden love between a beautiful orphan and an eligible upper-class bachelor sparks jealousy and deceit in the family that took her in as a child in this period drama from director Bobby Roth. As a child, Edith Adelon (Cari Shayne) was taken in by the wealthy Henry Hamilton (Tom Conti) so that she could live at the lavish Evanswood Estate and serve as a paid companion to Henry's lonesome daughter Amy (Brigitta Dau). Over the years, Amy and Edith grow to become the best of friends and most personal of confidantes, though everything changes when a trio of visitors arrive to attend the annual Greens Cup horse race and Beatrice Hamilton (Meredith Baxter) enlists Edith's help in choosing an marriageable suitor for cousin Ida Glenshaw (Brigid Brannagh). When both of the eligible bachelors show signs of affection for Edith instead of Ida, the rising tensions force the privileged orphan to consider her true status among the upper class. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Two civilians become the only hope for a nuclear submarine stranded beneath a polar ice cap. Stepehen Baldwin and Tom Conti star in this aquatic effort from prolific director Alan Smithee. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Baldwin, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
- 1995
- R
Immigrant friends living in a shabby corner of Brooklyn while they pursue the American Dream are the center of this comedy-drama from Serbian director Goran Paskaljevic. Tom Conti stars as Alonso, a Spaniard and owner of the Paradiso, a run-down bar where he lives with his blind mother and where his friend Bayo (Miki Manojlovic), an illegal immigrant from Yugoslavia, works as janitor in exchange for free room. The best of friends, Alonso and Bayo are united in believing that they'll succeed in the Land of Opportunity, despite much evidence to the contrary. Bayo's family then follows him to New York from Montenegro, but his beloved youngest son is drowned in the Rio Grande during the dangerous journey. Unable to cope with his grief, Bayo blames his eldest son, Luka (Sergej Trifunovic) for the tragedy. Luka, however, turns out to be the salvation of both his father and Alonso, transforming Paradiso into a trendy ethnic restaurant and marrying a Chinese-American girl in order to gain citizenship. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Conti, Miki Manojlovic, (more)
- 1992
This action packed tournament features the singles victories of Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1990
- R
That Summer of White Roses is a World War II drama about a lifeguard at a Yugoslavian summer resort who falls in love with a woman who fights against the country's Nazi occupation. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Conti, Susan George, (more)
- 1990
Like 1976's Sybil, Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase was a two-part TV movie based on the true story of a woman plagued with multiple personalities. Shelly Long stars as a woman whose abused childhood has resulted in the fragmentation of her psyche into 22 separate personalities. Before her therapy is finished, Long reveals that 70 more personalities are struggling within her to break free. The film was based on Truddi Chase's autobiography When the Rabbit Howls. That Voices Within was not the ratings grabber that Sybil turned out to be can be chalked up to its network competition during its initial 1990 telecast: The final episode of Newhart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Since its London and Broadway stage debut, playwright Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine has proven an excellent showcase for any number of talented actresses (Loretta Swit won the 1989 Sarah Siddons Award for her work in the Chicago production). In the film version of Shirley Valentine, Pauline Collins re-creates the role that had previously brought her theatrical fame and a Tony Award. Spending the bulk of the film speaking directly to the audience, the titular Shirley (Collins), a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, reveals her innermost thoughts and fears in a manner that is both insouciant and poignant. Once an incorrigible anti-establishment rebel, Shirley now chafes under the plodding insensitivity of her husband Joe (Bernard Hill). Her life enters a new and exciting phase when, after her best friend Jane (Alison Steadman) wins an all-expenses-paid vacation to Greece, Shirley is given the opportunity to travel to faraway places without her husband. Shirley Valentine represents the second felicitous collaboration between playwright Willy Russell and director Lewis Gilbert; the first was Educating Rita (1983). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pauline Collins, Tom Conti, (more)
- 1988
A Massachusetts nurse (Patty Duke) is accused of exercising Fatal Judgment in this made-for-TV movie. While tending a seriously ill cancer patient, the nurse administered a generous dose of morphine. The patient died, which is why the woman is now on trial for murder. Joe Regalbuto and Tom Conti co-star as, respectively, the nurse's loving husband and a two-fisted defense attorney. Based on a true story, Fatal Judgment first aired October 18, 1988--precisely one half hour after the debut of Roseanne}, which proved not to be a case of fatal judgment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Based on the one-act play by Harold Pinter, Robert Altman's The Dumb Waiter is a short made-for-TV movie originally shown on ABC. This absurdist crime story doesn't follow a traditional plot, but it follows the work of two hitmen: Ben (John Travolta) and Gus (Tom Conti). They hang out in the basement of a deserted rooming house to await their next instructions on who to kill. Thinking the house has been abandoned, things get complicated when they receive information from sources coming from other floors. They bicker between themselves as their anxiety grows about the unknown victim. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Based on a novel by Louis L'Amour, this made-for-HBO western stars Sam Elliott, an enigmatic gunslinger who comes to the aid of a family traveling through the wilderness. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Elliott, Tom Conti, (more)
- 1987
All the charm and joie de vivre of the 1953 Gregory Peck/Audrey Hepburn Roman Holiday is purged from this hollow TV remake. The stunning but lifeless Catherine Oxenberg assumes the Hepburn role of a young princess who escapes the protocol of court life for a romantic fling in Rome. Tom Conti stands in for Gregory Peck as the American journalist who falls in love with the Princess. Ed Begley Jr. takes over Eddie Albert's part of the eccentric photojournalist who acts as comic relief to the leads. Heading the list of mistakes committed in this remake is the fact that Oxenberg behaves more like a bored Danielle Steele character than the impressionable, virginal heroine of the original. Rome may be eternal, but the 1987 Roman Holiday is terminal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Conti, Catherine Oxenberg, (more)
- 1986
- PG
This is an Italian comedy about a runaway, incognito Pope who makes his way to a village for a temporary stay and tries to bring a few good works to fruition while there. After Pope Leo XIV gets locked out of the Vatican garden one day, he opts for taking off on a small escape from official and bureaucratic burdens. Since he is not in his robes, who's to know? He heads for a remote village in the south of Italy that has no priest. He finds shelter with a former hooker and her mute daughter and then sets to work overcoming the local thugs and repairing a broken aqueduct. Meanwhile, back at the Vatican, the Cardinals are wringing their hands, trying to hide the fact that His Holiness has taken a powder. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Conti, Fernando Rey, (more)
- 1986
Even allowing for her in-and-out Austrian accent, Farrah Fawcett delivers one of her best ever TV-movie performances in Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story. This fact-based film begins in 1960, when Beate's last name is still Kunzel. A sheltered young miss, Beate has no concept of what went on in the wartime concentration camps--until she meets and falls in love with Holocaust survivor Serge Karsfeld (Tom Conti). Given a crash course in sociopolitical awareness by her husband, Beate herself becomes a tireless hunter of fugitive Nazis. At great personal risk to herself, she travels from Europe to South America to bring to justice Klaus Barbie (Claude Vernier), the "Butcher of Lyon." Filmed in Paris and Nice, Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story was first telecast in November of 1986, at which time the real Beate Karsfeld was endeavoring to expose UN secretary general Kurt Waldheim as a war criminal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
