Aidan Gillen Movies
The embodiment of the line "when Irish eyes are smiling, they're up to something bad," Aidan Gillen oozed ruthless charisma and wicked sex appeal in his role as the sexually prolific Stuart Alan Jones in the 1999 British TV series Queer As Folk. Bringing wry humor and understatement to a potentially over-the-top role, Gillen earned a reputation as one of the U.K.'s most compulsively watchable new performers.Born in Dublin, Gillen got his professional start in the late '80s, appearing in minor film roles. He worked steadily through the 1990s, in film and on television, popping up in such diverse offerings as Circle of Friends (1995), Some Mother's Son (1996), and Jez Butterworth's Mojo (1997). His major breakthrough role was inarguably that of Queer As Folk's Stuart, an arrogant, vain, and thoroughly sexy PR executive who strips countless men of both their clothing and resistance. The success of the controversial miniseries ensured that it -- and its talented actors -- would be back for a second go-round, which followed in 2000. That same year, Gillen found accompanying acclaim on the big screen, in Jamie Thraves' acclaimed directorial debut The Low Down, in which he starred as an amiable but frustrated commercial artist whose life changes when he meets a radiant, ambitious woman. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
WWE star John Cena headlines his sophomore action picture as a police officer whose wife is kidnapped in New Orleans. Daniel Kunka provides the script, with Deep Blue Sea's Renny Harlin handling the directing duties for the 20-million-dollar Fox Atomic/WWE Films production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Cena, Steve Harris, (more)
For the fifth and final season of this groundbreaking urban drama, series creator David Simon returns to his old stomping grounds at the Baltimore Sun, where he worked for many years as a crime reporter, to examine the media's role in modern society. This fictionalized version of what was once a newspaper of record is experiencing tough economic times, precipitating layoffs and a hollow mantra from management to "do more with less." These marching orders are met with derision by Gus Haynes (Clark Johnson), an old-school City Desk editor who encourages eager young journalists such as Alma Gutierrez (Michelle Paress) to hone their craft. The cutbacks at the Sun mirror those at City Hall, where Mayor Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) -- who's too busy angling for a gubernatorial run and convicting corrupt politico Clay Davis (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) to care-slashes the police budget to save money. But the decimation of the department's morale and matériel is too much for Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West). The maverick detective, who is not only back in Homicide but regressing to his tomcatting ways, fabricates a grisly crime that catches the eye of self-serving Sun reporter Scott Templeton (Tom McCarthy). And although his sensational articles about a rampaging serial killer are met with skepticism by Haynes, they're championed by his prize-hungry bosses. McNulty's scheme doesn't sit well with his partner Bunk (Wendell Pierce), but is embraced by Det. Freamon (Clarke Peters) if the means justify the restoration of funding to pursue drug lord Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector). Free of law-enforcement scrutiny, Marlo shields himself with onetime Barksdale attorney Maurice Levy (Michael Kostroff) on a quest to rule the entire city's drug trade, and tempts fate by luring stickup artist Omar (Michael K. Williams) back to town to settle an old score. Meanwhile, former addict Bubbles (Andre Royo) struggles to stay clean, but finds it hard to face his demons at Narcotics Anonymous meetings. ~ Joe Friedrich, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dominic West, Clarke Peters, (more)
KM 31 director Rigoberto Castaneda takes the helm for this independent thriller concerning three people who become trapped in a hospital elevator for twenty-four hours. Her grandmother mere moments away from death, a young woman (Amber Tamblyn) races the ailing woman to the nearest hospital. Little does the concerned granddaughter realize that what first appeared to be a minor inconvenience is about to turn into something much more malevolent. Later, as the trapped trio grows increasingly frantic, a psychotic doctor (Aidan Gillen) reveals that he's more inclined to take lives than save them. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amber Tamblyn, Aidan Gillen, (more)
David Simon's masterful social commentary went back to school, quite literally, in the fourth season, which focuses on Baltimore's crumbling education system. A relevant link to its first three seasons is supplied by Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski (Jim True-Frost), who left the police department to become a teacher at Edward Tilghman Middle School, a hardscrabble institution on life support that services a low-income, drug-infested neighborhood. (Incidentally, Prez's career path is similar to one of the series' producers, Ed Burns). His eighth-grade math class includes a close-knit quartet of friends -- Randy Wagstaff (Maestro Harrell), Michael Lee (Tristan Wilds), Duquan "Dukie" Weems (Jermaine Crawford) and Namond Brice (Julito McCullum). The wisecracking Brice is ignominiously selected to be part of a university experiment studying at-risk kids, which counts a former police commander, Bunny Colvin (Robert Wisdom), as a consultant. Out on the corners, Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector) strengthens his grip on the city's West Side narcotics trade once dominated by the Barksdale gang, and with his cold-blooded lieutenants, Chris (Gbenga Akinnagbe) and Snoop (Felicia Pearson), devises an ingenious method to hide the collateral damage of his ascent from the law. This sleight-of-hand bedevils detectives Freamon (Clarke Peters), Greggs (Sonja Sohn) and Bunk (Wendell Pierce). The trio are flummoxed by the lack of victims that would surely coincide with Marlo's ever-widening domain, a savage power grab that also threatens the relative peace of the New Day Co-Op under East Side pooh-bah Proposition Joe (Robert F. Chew). Meanwhile, the Democratic primary in the city's mayoral campaign pits the entrenched African-American incumbent, Clarence Royce (Glynn Turman), against Councilman Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillen), a scrappy politico with a savvy campaign manager in Norman Wilson (Reg E. Cathey), but a long shot to become Charm City's first white chief executive in years. ~ Joe Friedrich, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dominic West, Clarke Peters, (more)
Season three of The Wire continues the series' even-handed dissection of the Baltimore "drug wars," as seen through the eyes of both the police investigators and the drug lords. With charismatic hoodlum Stringer Bell (Idris Elba) emerging as the unofficial leader of the Barksdale drug empire, and with narcotics detective James McNulty (Dominic West) allowing his personal demons to catch up with him vis-à-vis an ever-increasing dependence upon booze, a curious dichotomy is established whereby Stringer often comes off as the more mentally stable and morally responsible of the two men. Even so, Stringer and McNulty are but two of the series' 40-plus recurring characters, meaning that their individual travails are never permitted to overwhelm the series' overall narrative thrust. Dictating the direction in which the 12 episodes of season three will follow is a burgeoning political-reform movement in Baltimore, with the ongoing drug investigation becoming a volatile campaign tool. Before long, "body counts" on both sides are being publicly tallied in a manner that dredges up grim memories of Vietnam. And though the story arcs have become more complex and multi-layered, there is still plenty of time to develop such quirky vignettes as the "trading" of drug-free urine from Baltimore's daycare centers. The season's final episode is titled "Mission Accomplished" -- as grotesquely ironic as when those same two words were prematurely applied to war in Iraq. The most startling development of the season-three finale is the sudden demise of one of the series' main players...with his greatest enemy becoming his biggest mourner. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dominic West, Wood Harris, (more)
East and West team up to take on bad guys in the British Empire in this sequel to the action comedy hit Shanghai Noon. Chon Wang (Jackie Chan), once an Imperial Guard in China, is now the Sheriff of Carson City, NV, while his onetime cohort, former train robber Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson), scrapes together a living writing dime novels based on his adventures and waiting tables in New York City. However, when Wang learns that his father was killed by bandits who broke into the Emperor's palace and stole the Imperial Seal, he's determined to bring the criminals to justice. Wang's sister Lin (Fann Wong) has learned that the killers have escaped to London, so Wang travels to England to meet her, with O'Bannon in tow. As Wang and Lin -- whose martial arts skills rival those of her brother -- look for the culprits, they discover that Lord Rathbone (Aidan Gillen), who is looking to shorten his path of succession to the British throne, is in cahoots with Wu Chan (Donnie Yen), the bastard son of the Chinese Emperor's father, who needs the Imperial Seal as part of his plan to win control of the nation. As Wang and Lin try to get to the bottom of Chan's schemes, O'Bannon finds himself infatuated with his pal's sister. While set in Victorian London, Shanghai Knights was actually filmed on locations in the former Czech Republic, which more closely resembled turn-of-the-century England. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, (more)
- 2003
- R
Patrick Harkins makes his directorial debut with the satirical dark comedy The Final Curtain, written by screenwriter John Hodge (Trainspotting, Shallow Grave). Serious author Jonathan Stitch (Adrian Lester) accepts a job writing a biography of unscrupulous U.K. game show host J.J. Curtis (Peter O'Toole). Told in flashback, the story goes back to the '70s with the game show "The Big Prize." Curtis enters into intense competition with his television rival, the young newcomer Dave Turner (Aidan Gillen from Queer as Folk), who hosts a game show called "Current Account," where contestants give their loved ones electrical shocks. Also starring Julia Sawalha from Absolutely Fabulous as Dave's personal assistant, Karen. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter O'Toole, Adrian Lester, (more)
- 2001
William Shakespeare's King Lear is transposed into a modern-dress British crime drama in this tense tale of family ties and the lust for power. Sandeman (Richard Harris) is the elderly leader of a Liverpool crime syndicate who is fiercely loyal to his wife Mandy (Lynn Redgrave) and his daughters Jo (Emma Catherwood), Tracy (Lorraine Pilkington), and Kath (Louise Lombard). When Mandy is shot dead during a street robbery, Sandeman is shattered, and decides it's time to turn the business over to one of his daughters. Jo, the middle child, has long been Sandeman's favorite, and he decides to give her control of the business, as well as the lion's share of his estate when he dies. Loyal Jo, however, does not want to get involved in her father's dealings, which leads to a heated battle between Tracy and Kath over Sandeman's empire; adding fuel to the fire are Dean (Paul McGann), a strong-arm man for Sandeman who's married to Kath, and Jug (Jimi Mistry), Tracy's spouse and a notorious drug dealer. As a civil war rages among Sandeman's family and associates over control of his syndicate, police officer Puttnam (Aidan Gillen) and customs agent Quick (Tom Bell) make one last attempt to put Sandeman behind bars before he retires from his life of crime. My Kingdom isn't the first gangland drama to be based on the work of William Shakespeare; another of the Bard's tragedies received similar treatment in 1955's Joe Macbeth. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Harris, Lynn Redgrave, (more)
Filmed in London and Wales, this two-part adaptation of the oft-dramatized R.D. Blackmore novel Lorna Doone was praised for its realism, though one or two nitpickers pointed out that the costumes were not all "in period" for 17th century Scotland. This time around, Amelia Warner starred as the titular Lorna, whose romance with young John Ridd (Richard Coyle) was imperiled by the bloody, long-standing feud between the Doones and the Ridds. The show was stolen by Martin Clunes in the flashy role of the redoubtable Jeremy Stickles. Lorna Doone aired over BBC1 on December 24 and 26, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
A poor man learns that obtaining wealth through evil means can command a terrible price in this made-for-TV horror story. Jeff Obold (Aiden Gillen) is a struggling auto mechanic whose personal life is a good bit more rewarding than his career; he has a lovely wife, Marla (Nina Siemaszko), and a seven-year-old daughter Casey (Skye McCole Bartusiak) whom he dotes on, even though he has a hard time providing for them. One day, while looking for parts for a vintage muscle car, Jeff makes the acquaintance of Bruno Rubin (F. Murray Abraham), a mysterious but charming stranger. Jeff and Bruno learn they share an interest in classic cars, and Bruno invites Jeff and Marla to visit him at his estate. The couple soon discovers that Bruno is very wealthy, and soon Bruno shares with Jeff the source of his wealth and power -- a strange demonic creature called a "darkling." The darkling can bestow untold material fortune on anyone willing to be its companion, but Jeff finds doing the darkling's wishes has a price when his association with the demon costs him his beloved Marla -- and Casey's life may be next. The Darkling was produced for the USA cable network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- F. Murray Abraham, Aidan Gillen, (more)
- 2000
Music video director Jamie Thraves made his feature debut with this cinema verite look at a group of bohemian Londoners straddling the line between apathy and ambition. Aidan Gillen (of the popular British TV series Queer As Folk) plays Frank, a prop artist who spends his free time chain-smoking, drinking, pontificating, and chain-smoking some more. He's at a crossroads, however: Unable to tolerate his loud, drug-dealing neighbors, he considers buying a flat of his own. At the realtors, he meets the fetching Ruby (Kate Ashfield), who shows him a variety of dismal real estate opportunities, barely veiling her contempt for the offerings. Charmed, Frank begins to go out with Kate, and as their relationship heats up, Frank notices changes in his group of laterally mobile friends. Mike (Dean Lennox Kelly) begins to take on more responsibility, both at the prop shop and in his personal life, as he proposes marriage to his longtime girlfriend -- putting him at odds with the more lackadaisical John (Tobias Menzies), a chronically tardy co-worker who's beginning to reconsider his career track. Frank finds himself mediating between the two, and unable to make any definitive choices in his own life. The Low Down made its North American Premiere at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aidan Gillen, Kate Ashfield, (more)
In this bizarre drama that would seem to have "cult item" written all over it, Francis (Aidan Gillen) is a severely introverted young man with a speech impediment who shares a shabby apartment with his bedridden mother, Sal (Susan Tyrrell). Francis has developed certain voyeuristic tendencies which are satisfied through his job in a photo lab, where he helps process other people's snapshots all day. Soon Sal has a new boarder, a massive plumber named Vic (Mark Boone Junior), and Francis notices that a beautiful woman has moved in across the street -- who, to his delight, never draws her curtains. One day, while walking home, Francis sees the woman being attacked by a mugger, and he's able to rescue her. The grateful woman introduces herself as Gloria (Emmanuelle Seigner) and begins flirting with Francis; the evening ends with Francis in Gloria's bed, hardly able to believe his good fortune. However, he can't help watching her from across the street, and when the staunchly vegetarian Gloria is gobbling down some meat, he begins to suspect that not everything is what it seems to be, leading him into a labyrinth of violence and murder. The score was composed by Michael Brook, with contributions from Brian Eno. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aidan Gillen, Emmanuelle Seigner, (more)
- 1997
An illegal immigrant who imagined America to be the land of opportunity finds that good fortune does not come as easily as he thought in this drama. Liam (Karl Geary) is a man from Ireland who has grown tired of the poverty and limited opportunities of his homeland, so he smuggles himself into the United States, hoping to find work in New York. While Liam's initial contacts in the Bronx turn sour on him, his unstable cousin Des (Ian Hart) allows him to stay in the flat that he shares with two other illegal aliens from Ireland, Owen (Jared Harris), a construction worker, and Paddy (Aidan Gillen), a gardener. Living across the hall from Des and his mates are Mary (Louise Lombard), who's currently dating Owen, and Brenda (Andrea Irvine), who has her eyes on Liam. Paddy, meanwhile, has fallen in love with the daughter of his boss, but given that he's an Irish immigrant struggling to get by and she comes form a wealthy family from Connecticut, he's not sure how he'll overcome their social differences. Eventually, Liam finds work in a bar run by Mario (James Belushi) as he tries to make a place for himself in America while staying out of harm's way. Gold in the Streets marked the feature directorial debut for screenwriter and actress Elizabeth Gill. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Jez Butterworth directed this adaptation of his own play about the 1958 rock scene in London's Soho. Silver Johnny (Hans Matheson) performs at the Atlantic Club where he catches the eye of big-shot Sam Ross (Harold Pinter). Ross invites Johnny and Johnny's manager Ezra (Ricky Tomlinson) for a meeting to discuss Johnny's jump to a bigger plateau. Skinny (Ewan Bremner), a member of Johnny's group, discovers Ezra sawed in half, and Ezra's associate Mickey (Ian Hart) announces that Ross intends to take over the Atlantic Club, setting the stage for major power struggles. Shown at the 1997 Venice Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Hart, Ewen Bremner, (more)
- 1996
- R
A 1981 hunger strike in a Belfast prison is the historical inspiration for the drama Some Mother's Son, which attempts to focus on the personal dimensions of the event through its portrayal of the families of the striking prisoners. Directed by Terry George, co-author of In the Name of the Father, the film is anchored by Helen Mirren's performance as Kathleen Quigley, an educated, thoughtful schoolteacher who feels the Irish-English conflict is remote from her life until her son is arrested for his involvement with the Irish Republican Army. Yet while she supports her son and works to save his life, Kathleen nevertheless maintains her disdain for violence. This is in great contrast to Annie Higgins, the mother of Gerard's collaborator, who wholeheartedly embraces the IRA's mission. Despite their differing philosophies, the women form an uneasy bond over the suffering of their imprisoned sons. Kathleen finds herself increasingly politicized but finds herself facing a moral dilemma when the prisoners begin a hunger strike. As Gerard's next of kin, it is her right to agree to intravenous feeding should her son enter a coma; however, many people, including Annie, would see such as an act as betrayal of the strike, leaving Kathleen with a choice between saving her son's life and respecting his cause. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Mirren, Fionnula Flanagan, (more)
Set in 1957, this romantic coming-of-age story follows three childhood friends from a small town in Ireland as they head to Dublin to attend Trinity College. Nan (Saffron Burrows), a year older than her friends and already in her second year at Trinity, is ambitious, romantic, and just a bit reckless. She hopes to win the hand of Simon (Colin Firth), an older Protestant land-owner who would help her rise up the social and economic ladder. Eve (Geraldine O'Rawe), a bit more pragmatic and cautious, finds herself falling for a boy named Aidan (Aidan Gillen). Bernadette (Minnie Driver), called "Benny" by her friends and family, comes from strict parents who won't allow her to live on campus, forcing her to commute back and forth from classes every day. Bennie's father, a haberdasher, has always expected that his daughter, a bit plainer and plumper than her friends, will marry his shop's manager, an odd duck named Sean (Alan Cumming). But at Trinity, Bennie discovers that she fancies a tall, good-looking rugby player named Jack (Chris O'Donnell), and to the surprise of Bennie and everyone else, it turns out that Jack fancies her as well. Circle of Friends gave Minnie Driver her breakthrough film role after her initial success as a television actress in Britain. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris O'Donnell, Minnie Driver, (more)
- 1993
Safe is exactly what these London homeless youths and anyone associating with them isn't. This bleak, prize-winning drama explores the lives of Gypo and Kaz (Aidan Gillen and Katd Hardie), two twenty-ish outcastes, who raise cash by pretending to be a prostitute and her pimp, mugging anyone foolish enough to fall for their ploy. When they can't get by that way, they reluctantly consent to spend time at homeless shelters, but their disruptive behaviors there don't make them many friends. When they are bored with these options, there's nothing to stop Gypo from plunging a broken bottle into his chest to see if he can't get some free hospital time out of the deal. The raw subect matter and occasional full frontal nudity make this film one to keep the kids away from. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aidan Gillen, Kate Hardie, (more)
