Gilly Poole Movies

A bored couple takes a shot at swinging in order to spice up their bland sex life and save their failing marriage in this playful sex comedy starring Martin Freeman and Mandy Moore. Alvin (Freeman) and Ellie (Moore) were in college when they first met. Back then, they couldn't get enough of each other. A few years into their marriage, however, lust gives way to lethargy, and neither can muster enough passion for a satisfying round of earth-shaking sex. Meanwhile, Alvin and Ellie's friends Peter (Jonathan Silverman) and Janet (Melissa George) are having relationship problems of their own. And when an incident with Ellie and a cucumber goes hilariously awry, she suggests that sleeping with another couple may be the best way to reignite their passions for one another. Unfortunately, finding the perfect pair for some naughty fun proves a bit more complicated than Alvin and Ellie anticipated. Upon settling on a playful couple (Angus Deayton and Daisy Beaumont), who seem to have their heads screwed on straight, the clothes come off and the real fun begins. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

With The Walker, Paul Schrader unofficially updates themes and tropes first explored by his controversial erotic thriller American Gigolo (1980). Woody Harrelson stars as Carter Page III, an overtly gay Virginia senator's son, paid as an asexual escort of middle-aged women in the upper-crust circles of Washington, D.C. Carter's regular clients include three politicos' wives: Natalie Van Miter (Lauren Bacall), Abigail Delorean (Lily Tomlin), and Lynn Lockner (Kristin Scott Thomas), to whom Carter is closest -- so close that he squires her, regularly, to sexual rendezvous with her lover, the lobbyist Robbie Kononsberg (Steven Hartley). When an unknown perpetrator stabs Robbie to death, and Lynn discovers his murdered body at his condo, Carter attempts to protect Lynn and her husband, Larry (Willem Dafoe), from media intrusion by informing the police that he found the body himself, despite the fact that it makes him an immediate suspect. In time, Carter discovers from the women (during their gossip over a canasta game) that Robbie was involved with a shady insurance company, on the verge of being investigated -- and that the investigation would have uncovered dirt and scandal on each woman. To shield Lynn from trouble, and deliver himself from incrimination, Page ultimately decides to investigate the crime himself, with the close assistance of his lover, the German-Turkish photographer Emek (Moritz Bleibtreu). Schrader authored the original script. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Loosely based on the 1958 comedy The Reluctant Debutante starring Sandra Dee, the family-friendly comedy What a Girl Wants features popular Nickelodeon teen star Amanda Bynes in her first feature-starring performance after her debut in Big Fat Liar. She plays teenager Daphne Reynolds, who lives in New York City with her musician mother, Libby (Kelly Preston). After she turns 17, Daphne is undecided about her future, so she takes off by herself to London in search of her father. She immediately meets cute musician Ian (Oliver James) before sneaking in to her father's estate to surprise him. He turns out to be Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a fabulously wealthy aristocrat who doesn't even know that she exists. He had met her mother in Morocco and the two were married in a tribal ceremony. Upon their return to England, she left him and went back to the U.S. without ever revealing that she was pregnant. The uptight Henry is already flustered by his campaign for election, advised by doting aide Alistair Payne (Jonathan Pryce). His no-nonsense fiancée, Glynnis (Anna Chancellor), and her bratty daughter, Clarissa (Christina Cole), are threatened by Daphne's presence, thinking that she will hurt Henry's political aspirations by causing a scandal. However, the family matriarch (Eileen Atkins) takes a liking to her and she soon finds herself trying to liven things up at several stuffy aristocratic parties. Meanwhile, the evil Glynnis and Clarissa conspire against her by trying to sabotage her appearance, leading up to the conclusion at Daphne's very own coming-out party. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

This crowd-pleasing medieval adventure tale is very loosely inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales and mixes the anachronistic elements of modern-day rock music and colloquialisms with a period setting and characters. Heath Ledger stars as William Thatcher, a low-born 14th century squire who, in a fit of inspired spontaneity, replaces his deceased employer as the competitor at a jousting competition. Jousting is a pastime only permitted to knights, who are of noble birth, but Thatcher wins and decides to continue his new pursuits. With the help of his two fellow squire friends Wat and Roland (Alan Tudyk and Mark Addy) and none other than the gambling-addicted Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany), Thatcher has soon adopted a false identity and is winning one joust after another on his way to a championship in London. His victories inspire the affection of a female fan, Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon), and the ire of a competitor, Count Adehmar (Rufus Sewell), but Thatcher's ruse is threatened with exposure. A Knight's Tale is the sophomore directorial effort of acclaimed screenwriter Brian Helgeland, who won an Oscar for his work on L.A. Confidential (1997) and debuted behind the camera with the troubled production of Payback (1999). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of a young orphan who becomes involved with pirate Long John Silver is given the Muppet treatment in this vibrant children's musical. As in The Muppet Christmas Carol, the film stays loyal to the original storyline but casts the well-known puppets in many of the supporting roles. Young Jim Hawkins remains human, as does Long John Silver, played by an amusingly exaggerated Tim Curry. However, Captain Smollet is played by the evergreen Kermit the Frog; Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and Rizzo the Rat serve as roving narrators; and numerous other Muppets assume smaller roles. The familiar adventure plot is enlivened by the Muppets' good-natured, winking sense of humor, and a number of anarchic musical numbers are reminiscent of the original Muppet Show. Long-time followers of the Muppets may find the film less fresh than Jim Henson's original creations, but the combination of old-fashioned storytelling, intriguing design, and clever humor will undoubtedly amuse younger audiences. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

An assembly of Indian women, both immigrants and their British-born brethren, travel to the English seaside in this comic drama. The plot focuses on a trio of young women caught between tradition and independence: Ginder (Kim Vithana), who risks the uncertainties of social ostracism and single motherhood in order to escape from her abusive husband; Hashida (Sarita Khajuria), who jeopardizes her promising future in medical school when she becomes pregnant by her West Indian boyfriend (Mo Sesay); and Simi (Shaheen Khan), who integrates her feminist politics and her commitment to her culture by heading up the Saheli Asian Women's Group. To provide the women of her community with a chance to get together and enjoy themselves, Simi organizes a ladies-only trip to Blackpool, a seaside resort town that resembles Atlantic City. Along for the ride are boy-crazy teens, conservative matrons, and a garish visitor from Bombay, each of them offering a singular perspective on Asian immigrant culture. Asha (Lalita Ahmed), a middle-aged wife, mother, and newsstand proprietor, spends much of the trip experiencing picturesque visions in which an Indian goddess reprimands her for the missed opportunities in her life. Introspection gets pre-empted, however, when Ginder's husband (Jimmi Harkishin) and his brothers show up looking for a little involuntary family reunion. Bhaji on the Beach screenwriter Meera Syal would go on to pen the award-winning novel (Anita and Me) and work on Goodness Gracious Me, the BBC's Indian/Pakistani sketch comedy show. Fans of Anglo-Asian cinema will recognize actress Souad Faress, who plays the colorful Rekha Tendon, from her role as the haughty Cherry in My Beautiful Laundrette. Akbar Kurtha, who plays one of Ginder's brothers-in-law, would go on to portray the title character in My Son the Fanatic. Writer/director Gurinder Chadha would return with another ensemble feature, What's Cooking?, in 2000. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Patsy Kensit stars in Don Boyd's distaff version of Alfie, with Kensit playing 21-year-old Katie, an attractive and self-absorbed Londoner who has just reached this milestone of an age and is trying to make some sense out of it. Until now, Katie has enjoyed life and all its pleasures without thinking too much about it. But, as she speaks to the camera, she reflects upon the men in her life and wonders if she has made all the right romantic decisions. There is Bobby (Rufus Sewell), her charming Scottish boyfriend, who has a propensity for slipping off to the bathroom for a heroin fix. And then there is Jack (Patrick Ryecart), another lover, whose sad-eyed demeanor belies his lack of sexual excitement. So what should Katie do about her beaux, particularly when she is preparing to move to New York? ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi