Charles Dance Movies

Pineapple Express co-stars Danny McBride and James Franco reunite for director David Gordon Green's fantasy comedy Your Highness, which sends up such beloved '80s gems as Krull and The Sword and the Sorcerer. Thadeous (McBride) has always stood in the shadow of his older brother, Fabious (Franco), a fearless knight who never met a Minotaur he couldn't slay or a warlord he couldn't defeat. Meanwhile, as Fabious embarked on incredible adventures and returned home to lavish celebrations, Thadeous puffed on wizard's weed, and spent his nights in the company of loose maidens. But Thadeous' life of luxury comes to an abrupt end when powerful wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux) shows up and abducts Fabious' beautiful fiancée, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel). Now threatened with being cut off from the family fortune by his father, the king (Charles Dance), Thadeous reluctantly agrees to join Fabious on a treacherous quest to rescue the fair maiden, and defeat Leezar once and for all. Their voyage to rescue Belladonna will be marked by incredible adventure and unprecedented danger, but together with the help of a fearless warrior named Isabel (Natalie Portman) the two brothers will battle mythical beasts and villainous knights. Meanwhile, as Isabel carries out a clandestine agenda that could place them all in greater danger than they ever imagined, Thadeous struggles to summon his inner warrior and help his noble brother prevent Leezar from using his powers to usher in a terrifying new age of darkness. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

As a three-hour miniseries (adapted from Terry Pratchetts novel of the same name) that originally aired on Britain's Sky One television, Going Postal (2010) unfolds in the fictional land of Ankh-Morpork. Standing center stage is Moist von Lipwig (Richard Coyle), a master con artist who spends his days devising elaborate scams to fleece locals. The law finally catches up with Moist in the form of Lord Vetinari (Charles Dance), who offers the criminal an odd ultimatum: he can either take over the derelict post office, or die a long and painful death. Moist chooses the former, and is soon put in charge of thousands upon thousands of undelivered letters and packages. He must also contend with a nutty staff and the doings of Reacher Gilt (David Suchet), a crooked businessman hell-bent on destroying his competitors. Also present is Adora Dearheart (Claire Foy), an ice water-veined woman for whom Moist falls. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Wesley Snipes plays an ex-assassin set up by his old bosses and pursued through London in this action thriller. Former sniper James Dial (Snipes) has carried around the ghosts of his last botched job ever since he failed to kill the leader of a worldwide terrorist group. After leaving the business and enduring a long exile in Montana, word gets out that the British government are holding the same terrorist in captivity; Dial is wooed back via the opportunity to make good on his initial failure. What Dial doesn't know is that he'll soon be framed for murder, putting him on the run in London's underbelly with the British police hot on his heels. Alone and distrustful, Dial claims only one ally: a twelve-year-old girl who aids him in hunting down proof of his innocence. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Both laughs and thrills are on the masthead in this comedy drama about a would-be reporter written and directed by Woody Allen. Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson) is an American journalism student who travels to England to visit friends. While in London, she attends a magic show where magician Sid "Splendini" Waterman (Woody Allen) brings her on-stage as part of a trick in which he makes her disappear. However, while waiting to be "de-materialized," she's visited by the ghost of a murdered reporter (Ian McShane), who passes along the scoop of the decade. The spirit claims that Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman), the wealthy and handsome son of a well-known aristocrat, is leading a double life as "the Tarot Card Killer," a serial murderer who has been terrifying the nation and eluding police. With the magician's help, Jane begins investigating the story and is able to piece together some incriminating evidence against Lyman. However, the more she learns, the more dangerous her investigation becomes -- especially when she falls into a romance with the suspected killer. Scoop was Woody Allen's second consecutive film with leading lady Scarlett Johansson, after the critically acclaimed Match Point; it was also Allen's second feature to be shot in Great Britain. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A trio of orphans becomes embroiled in a mysterious and long-running lawsuit in this sprawling BBC adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel. A legend in the legal circles of Victorian London, the messy inheritance case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has been trickling through the courts for years with no end in sight. Nobleman John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson) has seen the case destroy more than one life, so when he becomes guardian to three young people -- beautiful Ada Clare (Carey Mulligan), Ada's cousin Richard Carstone (Patrick Kennedy), and her devoted companion, Esther Summerson (Anna Maxwell Martin) -- he vows to shield them from its pernicious effects by bringing them to the safety of his estate, the eponymous Bleak House. Richard, however, becomes obsessed with the unattainable Jarndyce inheritance, to the detriment of his career and mental health. Esther, meanwhile, remains haunted by her origins; the product of a scandalous pregnancy, she was raised by her aunt and knows nothing about her dead mother's identity. Meanwhile, imperious noblewoman Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson) plots to hide the evidence of her own mysterious past -- a quest that leads her to the intrigue surrounding Jarndyce and Jarndyce. She is but one of dozens of characters who find themselves drawn into the lawsuit's web of corruption, blackmail, and murder. Bleak House debuted October 27, 2005, on BBC One. It received its U.S. premiere on January 22, 2006, on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, where the 15 British episodes were combined into six longer blocks. Britain's Royal Television Society named the series Best Drama Serial of 2005. A previous adaptation of Dickens' novel ran on Masterpiece Theatre in 1985. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Two sisters engage in a subtle war for the affections of a man half their age in this British comedy drama. It's 1936, and Janet Widdington (Maggie Smith) and her sister, Ursula (Judi Dench), are a pair of elderly spinsters who share a home in Cornwall on the coast of England. After a storm, the sisters discover that someone has been washed up on the beach in front of their house. Bringing the body inside, they discover the victim is a handsome Polish man named Andrea Marowski (Daniel Brühl) who has suffered a broken ankle and speaks no English, only Polish and German. As the sisters patch up Andrea's ankle, Janet dusts off her old German textbook from school, and begins getting to know more about their guest. It isn't long before Janet develops an infatuation for the good-looking stranger, and attempts to teach him English, which is more than a bit maddening to Ursula, who has fallen head over heels for him -- especially after the sisters discover he's a gifted violinist and hear him display his craft on a borrowed instrument. As the sisters find themselves vying for Andrea's attention, they wonder if they should report his presence to the authorities, especially after Olga (Natascha McElhone), an attractive woman in her early thirties who lives nearby, becomes aware of Andrea's presence in the home and wants to make contact with him. Based on a short story by William J. Locke, Ladies in Lavender marked the directorial debut of actor Charles Dance. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The life of one of Great Britain's most influential and feared monarchs is dramatized in this lavish production, originally produced for British television. King Henry VIII (Ray Winstone) is a shrewd but ruthless ruler who is determined to sire a male heir who will succeed him on the throne. However, his wife, Catherine of Aragon (Assumpta Serna), after numerous attempts, is only able to bear him a daughter, so the king takes a mistress, Anne Boleyn (Helena Bonham Carter), in hopes she will give him a son. Anne Boleyn cleverly insists that she must wed the king if they are to have a child, and when the Catholic Church forbids Henry's request for a divorce, the king responds by forming his own denomination, the Church of England, which he will oversee himself. One of the king's most trusted advisers, Cardinal Wolsey (David Suchet) attempts to convince Henry that this is folly; Henry sentences him to death, and sends him to the Tower of London to await his sentence. Despite these machinations, Anne Boleyn is unable to give Henry the son he wants, and the king decides she will pay with her life for this failing. As Henry becomes increasingly ruthless in his dealings with those close to him -- as well as other nations -- he leaves a bloody wake as he uses beheading as his favored means of dealing with troublesome wives and untrustworthy allies. The cast also includes Sean Bean, Charles Dance, Emilia Fox, and Emily Blunt; Henry VIII first aired in the United States as part of PBS's award-winning anthology series Masterpiece Theatre. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Directed by Craig Lahiff, Black and White is a story about bigotry, social injustice, and a real-life murder trial that made Australian headlines in the late '50s. On a December afternoon in 1958, the body of a nine-year-old white girl is discovered in a cave off the coast of Southern Australia. Detective Paul Turner (Roy Billing) quickly arrests a half-aboriginal fair-worker named Max Stuart (David Ngoombujarra), who signs a confession. However, being that Max is illiterate, the legitimacy of the confession is contested by his legal aid representatives, David O'Sullivan (Robert Carlyle) and Helen Devaney (Kerry Fox). Despite the questionable confession, Max is found guilty by the all-white, all-male jury, and sentenced to be hanged. O'Sullivan lodges a series of appeals, but no conclusive evidence of Max's guilt or innocence has been found to this day. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Maverick American filmmaker Robert Altman takes a witty and absorbing look at the foibles of the British class system in this intelligent murder mystery set in the early '30s. Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and his wife Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas) are a pair of wealthy British socialites who have invited a variety of friends, relatives, and acquaintances to their mansion in the country for a weekend of hunting and relaxation. Among the honored guests are Constance (Maggie Smith), Lady Sylvia's matronly aunt; Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), William's cousin who is also a well-known actor and songwriter; and Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban), an American film producer who is friendly with Ivor and researching an upcoming project. Observing the proceedings are the domestic staff of the mansion, including imperious butler Jennings (Alan Bates); footmen George (Richard E. Grant) and Arthur (Jeremy Swift); Probert (Derek Jacobi), a valet to Sir William; housekeeper Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren); Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins), who oversees the kitchen; and Elsie (Emily Watson), a maid. Also on hand are the guests' personal servants, including Mary (Kelly Macdonald), Constance's maid; Henry (Ryan Phillippe), Weissman's valet; and Parks (Clive Owens), a butler. While the servants are required to display a high level of decorum, they are expected to be passive observers who do not comment on what they see, though the gossip among them travels thick and fast once they retire to the servants' quarters downstairs. And it turns out that there's plenty worth gossiping about, especially after Sir William turns up dead, and everyone is ordered to stay at the mansion while the police investigate the killing. Gosford Park also features Charles Dance, Tom Hollander, Natasha Wightman, and Ron Webster; the screenplay was written by Julian Fellowes, based on a story by Altman and co-star Bob Balaban. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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, Rovi

Rod Serling's sobering drama, originally shown on Playhouse 90, is re-made in this made-for-cable movie. The setting is the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943, where Jews are either carted off to Nazi death camps or left to die in the disease-ridden squalor of the streets. Armin Mueller-Stahl stars as Rabbi Heller, a father who is struggling to retain his commitment to peace in the face of the horrors he sees around him. Heller stands his moral ground while watching his daughter Rachel targeted by a German soldier and his son transformed into a hateful ex-prisoner. Director Joan Micklin Silver effectively re-creates the claustrophobic feel of the Ghetto and music group Dead Can Dance provides the emotive score. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi