Ray Connolly Movies

Two men who had been partners 20 years earlier reunite and rekindle old animosities in this routine, low-budget drama by director David Drury, made for the "First Love" British TV series but also released theatrically. James (James Aubrey), a teacher, and Father Michael (Nicholas Gecks) meet again long after their upbeat musical partnership ended and are overjoyed at seeing each other -- though that is short-lived. Personality differences emerge rather quickly, especially after James starts a sexual liaison with the mother of a little boy who adores Father Michael. Flashbacks to the 1950s help to illustrate the background of the two men in conflict. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Stardust was the sequel to That'll be the Day, a 1973 film à clef about the rise of a Beatles-like rock group. Real-life rock star David Essex plays singer Jim Maclaine (read: John Lennon), whose sudden rise to fame has enriched him beyond his wildest dreams. His perspective and sense of values skewered by sex, drugs, and booze, Maclaine becomes little more than a singing cipher, outwardly successful but hollow inside. Ironically, Keith Moon of the Who, whose own life paralleled the fictional Maclaine's in many ways, appears in a supporting role. Dave Edmunds, who appears in as Alex, co-wrote the film's pulsating musical score with Lord David Puttnam (the film's producer). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi