Rick Warden Movies
Viggo Mortensen and Jason Isaacs star in this period drama set in 1930s-era Germany, and detailing the ways in which an otherwise "good" man can be slowly seduced by dark forces. John Halder is a professor of literature. When he's not teaching, most of John's time is dedicated to looking after his neurotic wife, tending to the couple's two young children, and caring for his elderly mother, who suffers from senile dementia. Disheartened by his mother's downward spiral, John authors a novel supporting euthanasia for the terminally ill. Much to John's surprise, the Nazi party singles out his tome as the "way forward," and soon begins to heap flattery on the author in the form of glowing compliments and extravagant gifts. As a result, John finds himself making a variety of minor moral compromises that soon begin to snowball. As his moral compass becomes less and less reliable and music manifests in John's conscience at the most inopportune moments -- such as the time a Bavarian boy choir bursts in as he's attempting to seduce a young lover -- the author begins to question his own motivations while also taking pause to consult with his best friend, a Jewish psychoanalyst named Maurice (Jason Isaacs). Unfortunately for Maurice, the situation is quickly worsening for the Jews of Germany as John continues his ascent in the party ranks. While John does everything within his power to save Maurice, the risks involved in truly removing his old friend from harm's way may already be too great for the morally compromised author to consider. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Viggo Mortensen, Jason Isaacs, (more)
Three decades after a major country is quarantined in hopes of containing a lethal and highly contagious virus nicknamed "Reaper," signs that the super-bug has resurfaced in a major city prompt desperate specialists to race back into the infected zone to find a cure in director Neil Marshall's (The Descent) miasmic speculative sci-fi thriller. Few could have foreseen the terror that the microorganism known as "Reaper" would unleash upon the unsuspecting population, and when terrified authorities quarantined the entire country in hopes of saving the human race, the streets immediately descended into chaos. Thirty years later, the inhabitants of planet Earth think that they've seen the last of the merciless killer disease, but they couldn't be more wrong. When "Reaper" reappears more powerful than ever in a major city, an elite group of professionals led by Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra) are forced to travel back into the sealed-off country where the virus first broke out in order to create a cure and save humankind from certain doom. Now, as the rest of the world anxiously awaits word of their ultimate fate, Eden and her brave team are about to find out that there is indeed a hell, and they are about to journey directly into its black, envenomed heart. Also in the cast are Bob Hoskins and Malcolm McDowell, as well as a host of veterans from Marshall's past productions, including Sean Pertwee, MyAnna Buring, Craig Conway, and Nora-Jane Noone. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, (more)
When the students of a remote boarding school begin receiving text messages that claim to grant the recipient's greatest wish, it quickly becomes apparent that there is a heavy tool to pay for making one's wildest fantasy a reality. Dominique Pinon and Rick Warden star in this made-for-mobile phone horror series that's even more frightening on television than it was on your cell phone. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dominique Pinon, Jennifer Lim, (more)
In the labyrinthine streets of 21st century Paris, where every move is monitored and ever action recorded, a mysterious kidnapping sets into motion a catastrophic series of events that could ultimately prove the downfall of civilization. The year is 2054, and the Avalon Corporation has securely woven its way into every aspect of modern living by making youth and beauty the most valued commodity around. Troubles arises in the City of Lights when a high-profile scientist named Ilona (voice of Romola Garai) is kidnapped, and policeman Barthélémy Karas (voice of Daniel Craig) is assigned the task of solving the case. As his investigation leads Karas down a menacing path where death lurks around every bend, he soon discovers that events that took place in 2006 have cast a dark shadow over the future of humankind. A film that mixes Blade Runner aesthetics with stark, Sin City-style visuals, Renaissance was filmed using motion-capture animation and features extravagant production design by Alfred Frazzani (Immortel Ad Vitam). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Craig, Patrick Floersheim, (more)
The first season of the lush, lavish and frequently lewd and lascivious British historical drama Rome covers the years 52 to 44BCE, beginning with the return of Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds) from the Gallic wars and ending with the fateful "Ides of March". Though returning to a hero's welcome, Caesar realizes that he's stepping into a snake pit of deceit and corruption. The Patrician ruling class, worried that Caesar will make himself emperor and abolish the Republic, intend to strip him of his power. His scheming niece Atia (Polly Walker) is already undercutting her uncle by forcing her daughter Octavia (Kerry Condon) to marry Caesar's most influential nemesis, the aging Pompey (Kenneth Cranham). Playing one side against the other to keep Caesar at bay, Pompey proves so effective that Caesar must ask his friend Marc Antony (James Purefoy) to help him vanquish his foes, even if it means all-out civil war. Meanwhile, a pair of humble soldier, the virtuous family man Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and the hedonistic Pullo (Ray Stevenson), simply try to stay out of everyone's way and survive--but instead find themselves at Ground Zero of virtually every major historical turning point during the series' turbulent eight-year timespan. Pullo in particular spends much of his time squeaking out of one death-trap after another, somehow managing to enrich or aggrandize himself without even trying. His main contribution during Season One consists of taking Atia's callow son Octavian (Max Pirkis) under his wing, teaching the boy the ways of warfare and women. Eventually Octavian will emerge as the greatest threat against the pro-Caesar forces of Antony after Caesar's assassination--and thus the redoubtable Pullo has once more unwittingly altered the course of history. Not only was Rome an international success during its first season on the air, but the series also garnered an Emmy award for its American run on HBO. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ciarán Hinds, Kevin McKidd, (more)
A new bride finds she's tempted to leave her husband under circumstances she never anticipated in this romantic comedy-drama. Rachel (Piper Perabo) and Heck (Matthew Goode) are longtime sweethearts who have decided to take the plunge and get married, but on the day of their wedding, while Rachel is walking down the aisle, she finds herself struck by the beauty of Luce (Lena Headey), who has been hired to do the floral arrangements for the ceremony. While Rachel thinks little of this at first, she finds she can't get Luce out of her mind, and when Rachel invites Luce over to dinner in hopes of fixing her up with Coop (Darren Boyd), Heck's best friend and best man, she learns the lovely florist is a lesbian. When Rachel and Luce meet again while shopping, they strike up a friendship that deepens into something more, until Rachel declares her attraction to Luce -- and Luce reveals she feels the same way. Rachel has never had a relationship with a woman before, and while she's fallen deeply in love with Luce, she isn't at all sure of what to do next, and Heck soon realizes something has gone wrong in their marriage. Produced under the title Click, Imagine Me & You was the first directorial credit for screenwriter Ol Parker. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Piper Perabo, Lena Headey, (more)
- 2005
As the first season of Rome draws to a close, Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Pullo (Ray Stevenson) learn that they are heroes on the streets of the city, "symbols of brotherly love and redemption." On a trip to consecrate the land he and his wife have been given, Vorenus tells Niobe (Indira Varma) that Caesar (Ciarán Hinds) might exile him for disobeying his orders by helping Pullo. But Caesar later explains that it's politically unfeasible to punish the heroes, and if he does nothing, he'll appear weak, so, as part of a larger plan to incorporate (loyal) "plebs" and foreign citizens into the Senate, he makes Vorenus a senator. Of course, Caesar's ulterior motive is to have the "ferocious" Vorenus at his side so that no one will try to kill him. Pullo, near death, still manages to make his way from his sick bed, eager to reap the bounty of his newfound celebrity. Instead, he ends up collapsing at Vorenus' home, where Niobe assigns his care to Eirene (Chiara Mastalli), who contemplates murder. With Vorenus joined to Caesar on the Senate floor, the growing group of conspirators fears they will not have the opportunity to kill Caesar. While some would be content to poison him, or murder him in his bed, Brutus (Tobias Menzies) insists that the deed "must be done honorably." Then Servilia (Lindsay Duncan) realizes where she's heard Vorenus' name before, and sets a plot in motion to separate the hero from the dictator at the pivotal moment. While the plot is unfolding, Servilia invites Atia (Polly Walker) and Octavian (Max Pirkis) to her home, and tells them of her further plans for vengeance. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kerry Condon, James Purefoy, (more)
Executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks for HBO, Band of Brothers is a ten-part miniseries based on the book Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne From Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose. The series dramatically re-creates the path of Easy Company, an elite paratrooper unit, from their basic training at Camp Toccoa in Georgia in 1942, to D-Day, to their critical involvement in the Battle of the Bulge, through their triumph at the close of the war. The unit was one of the best trained and most productive in American military history, but it also suffered immense casualties. The series is an ensemble piece, involving dozens of characters, and cast with relative unknowns. To the extent that there is a central character, it is Dick Winters (Damian Lewis), who went to Toccoa as a lieutenant and was promoted, over the course of the war, to battalion commander. Each episode includes brief excerpts from present-day interviews with some of the surviving members of the company. While the series is not a hagiography, Winters is depicted as a brave, resourceful, and humane leader. It's clear that the men revered him, and that he genuinely respected and cared about them. There are a few other members of the unit that make a strong impression. Sobel (David Schwimmer of Friends), their C.O. at Toccoa, is depicted as a petty tyrant whose men bond together in their hatred of him. Nixon (Ron Livingston of Office Space) is Winters' fellow officer and best friend, and an alcoholic. Carwood Lipton (Donnie Wahlberg) is a decent, hard-working man, and a tremendous soldier who earns a battlefield commission for his exemplary leadership. Bill Guarnere (Frank John Hughes) fears nothing, and is known for his wise-guy attitude and hot temper. The series dramatizes the courage and fortitude of many others, but it's clear that Winters sets the tone for his men, and plays a pivotal role in the unit's success. The project involved several screenwriters, including Graham Yost (Speed) and E. Max Frye (Something Wild). Eight different directors were called upon for the ten installments, including Hanks, David Frankel (Miami Rhapsody), Mikael Salomon (Hard Rain), and Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams). Still, the tone and style of the series remains fairly consistent. While the story of Easy Company has been condensed and altered in some minor ways for dramatic purposes, and much of the dialogue was, by necessity, invented, the producers placed a strong emphasis on accurately depicting the conditions under which these men lived, fought, and died. Several survivors from the company consulted on the project, and an enormous amount of money was spent on sets, costumes, and special effects in order to re-create their experience. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Damian Lewis, Donnie Wahlberg, (more)
- 2000
Set in the titular district northwest of London that has long been heavily populated by Irish immigrants, County Kilburn opens as young bartender Mickey (Ciaran McMenamin) is working his last week on the job at the Waggon & Horses. Alone behind the bar thanks to the sudden death of the pub's owner, Mickey spends much of his time mulling over problems with his girlfriend and begins to suspect that there's more to life than hawking booze. During his last week -- the film is split into sections by days -- he is joined at various intervals by a series of regulars that includes Johno (Rick Warden), an old school friend who has a secret concerning his longtime unemployment; Black Jack (John Bowe), whose nasty misogyny may be a cover for something he's hiding; crotchety, laconic Mr. Bollox (Norman Rodway), so named because of his propensity to use the word; and Billy (Simon Sherlock), a slick car salesman. The pub's quiet routine is interrupted by the arrival of Sue (Georgia Mackenzie), an old schoolmate on whom both Mickey and Johno once had a crush. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ciarán McMenamin, Rick Warden, (more)
The BBC1 military miniseries Bravo Two Zero was based on the actual experiences of Sergeant Andy McNab, who adapted the teleplay from his own novel. Set during the 1991 Gulf War, the series' two 60-minute episodes follow an SAS Patrol as they burrow deep into Iraqui-held territory. Their mission: to destroy the scud missiles in the arsenal of Saddam Hussein. Getting into enemy territory was the "easy" part; getting out was another matter entirely. Without giving away the ending, it should be noted that the SAS team in question was the most highly decorated British patrol since the days of the Boer War -- and that only five of the eight operatives lived to receive their decorations. Sean Bean starred as protagonist Andy McNab. Bravo Zero Two made its first television appearance in 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sean Bean, Steve Nicolson, (more)
- 1998
- R
Killing Time aspires to be a hip, black comedy about a bumbling band of killers but never quite carries it off. Suave serial killer Jacob (Nigel Leach) finally goes too far when he kills a cop. Detective Bob Bryant (Craig Fairbrass) hires an Italian hit woman and then blackmails a small-time criminal into killing the hit woman. The story revolves around his gang and their increasingly unsuccessful attempts to carry out the job. The film is beautifully composed, and director Bharat Nalluri shows flair for striking camera placement, but the script is so poor that the film lurches from scene to scene and the performances are uneven. The only reason to see the film is Kendra Torgan as the hit woman who gives a sexy and threatening performance. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Craig Fairbrass, Nigel Leach, (more)
- 1995
This youthful British romance chronicles the love affair between an 18-year old waitress and a freewheeling 21-year old who in one night draws her into an exciting world of sex and drugs. The waitress is Sarah, who feels oppressed by living with her alcoholic mother and dreams of excitement. Tom seems to be just what the doctor ordered and following an orgiastic night of prolonged pill popping and lovemaking, she moves in with him. Tom is a true party animal, and Sarah finds him awesome. After she is fired from the diner, Sarah decides to become a drug runner for Tom's dealer Dez, who is also interested in taking a tumble with her. During her relationship with Tom, he makes it very clear that he is using her and will take no responsibility for her. When Sarah's mother makes a suicide attempt, the young woman is faced with a difficult choice. Should she stay with her exciting new friends, or should she return to her family? ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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