Andrew Eaton Movies

The members of a British working-class family see their lives starting to come apart as the Nation prepares to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day (named for an anarchist who tried to blow up Parliament) in Michael Winterbottom's drama Wonderland. Eileen (Kika Markham) and Bill (Jack Shepherd) are a married couple with four grown children. Bill has lost his job and is drifting through life, unsure of what to do. He's also having sexual problems with Eileen, who is being driven insane by their noisy neighbors. Neither Bill nor Eileen have seen their son Darren (Enzo Cilenti) for a long time, and his birthday is a heartbreaking experience for them. (Darren, on the other hand, would prefer to celebrate his birthday by spending the night in a hotel with his girlfriend rather than seeing his parents.) Bill and Eileen also have three daughters, Nadia (Gina McKee), Debbie (Shirley Henderson) and Molly (Molly Parker). Nadia works in a cafe and has trouble meeting men; she's signed up with a dating agency, but has yet to meet anyone she likes. Debbie is suddenly a single mother after separating from her drunken lout of a husband. Debbie drowns her sorrows in a series of meaningless one-night-stands, while her husband flies into uncontrollable rages and their son is left with no one to turn to on either side. And while Molly's story seems happy on the surface -- she's soon to give birth to her first child and her husband has done well in kitchen sales -- she's suddenly thrown into instability when she finds her husband has quit his job, without telling her, to follow his dream of becoming a chef. Wonderland received enthusiastic reviews for its ensemble cast when shown at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This neo-noir British crime drama, set at a decaying English beach resort, begins with a body dropped from a pier. Hairdresser Helen (Rachel Weisz) goes with local deejay Bob (Ben Daniels), but mute bicyclist Honda (Luka Petrusic), who secretly tapes people's conversations, meets Helen at the beachfront and begins sending her flowers. Honda's sad nympho sister Smokey (Macedonian-born Labina Mitevska) sings at a local club. A figure from Helen's past, the enigmatic, mysterious Martin (Alessandro Nivola) checks out Helen but keeps his distance. Irritated that Helen won't sleep with him, Honda plans a way to embarrass Bob with the secret tapes, while Martin and Helen renew their relationship. Polish cinematographer Slawomir Idziak, famed for his filtered filming for Krzysztof Kieslowski's (Blue), captures the dark, visual tone of obsessive love, while Elvis Costello's 1986 song I Want You is heard throughout. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

The family that steals together stays together in this satiric British comedy. After a fire destroys her home, Bernadette James (Helen McCrory) gathers up her four children and leaves Edinburgh for London, hoping to locate her not-especially-responsible and currently-absent husband, Spendlove (John Hannah). Spendlove, as usual, turns out to be in no position to help them and is prepared to give up the marriage when Bernadette, in a fit of pique, robs a jewelry store, using her children as decoys. While the James family is now on the run, Bernadette has finally discovered a skill that can be used to support her children; she soon moves up to stealing cars and pulling daring (and lucrative) robberies in broad daylight, with hubby and the kids helping out. However, Spendlove doesn't have the stomach for a life of crime and wants to bail out, while police detective Julia Armstrong (Toni Collette) is determined to put the criminal family behind bars. Spendlove's brother (Jason Flemyng) soon joins in the James family's life of crime as the police's web tightens around them. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This provocative British comedy-drama provides an unsentimental chronicle of a vibrant young man who discovers that he is suffering from multiple sclerosis, and of the woman who loves and supports him. The afflicted man is Nick who loves life and spends his free time playing soccer and hanging out with his pals. One day he meets Karen and they end up moving in together. Their happiness is interrupted by a series of puzzling symptoms that begin to plague Nick. Karen, who has had more education, begins to fear that he has MS, but she says nothing to him. He goes in for rigorous medical tests and Karen's private diagnosis is confirmed. The disease gradually destroys the central nervous system and soon Nick is unable to pursue the things he most enjoys. He begins to retreat into himself and become increasingly bitter and irritable. Despite his anger and pain, Karen stays beside him. At one point, after he is no longer able to have sex, he accuses her of sleeping with her boss. But still the loyal Karen remains until the story's surprising conclusion. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This quirky British film is the self-portrait of director Lindsay Anderson. It is part of "The Director's Place" series that is sponsored by the BBC Scotland and represents several self-portraits of popular directors. The film, set within the director's north London apartment, begins with a quote from the Cinema Manifesto of 1956: "Perfection is not an aim." In his apartment, Anderson is visited by his peers and friends who come to talk about life, their work, and socio-political concerns. A typical day for Anderson is chronicled. He is seen getting up, taking a leisurely bath surrounded by ideas for his movies, seeing visitors, and using his pensioner's travel pass to utilize public transportation (Anderson is in his '70s). The film's climax is a boat ride on the Thames where the ashes of actresses Jill Bennet and Rachel Roberts are finally cast upon the waters. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi