John Simm Movies

In the tradition of such nothing-goes-right heist films as Big Deal on Madonna Street and Dog Day Afternoon comes Tu£sday - the seriocomic exploration of the chaos that can ensue when three different groups of criminals make the disastrous decision to rob the same bank on the very same day. In one corner of the City of Big Ben, a band of professional thieves known as The Cowboys - Billy (Ashley Walters), Earp (Philip Glenister), Butch (Cristian Solimeno) and Silver (John Simm) - learn that a precious emerald called the Meidan-i-Noor is being held overnight at a nearby bank; sensing opportunity afoot, they plan a heist. Meanwhile, office worker William (Linal Haft) isn't aware of the jewel per se, but decides to rob the bank of cash as an outlet for his desperation; he's being abandoned by his wife, and once she leaves he will face eviction from his home. And in the bank itself, two tellers, Samantha (Kirsty Mitchell) and Angie (Kate Macgowan) grow so infuriated at being passed over for a promotion that they also hatch a plan to steal the jewel. The three plots unfurl at the same time, leading to a host of complications and a wealth of confusion that balloons to almost farcical proportions. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Brothers of the Head was adapted from Brian Aldiss' novel by screenwriter Tony Grisoni, and marks the narrative feature debut of Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe (Lost in La Mancha), who have structured Aldiss' story as a mock documentary. Twins Luke and Harry Treadaway star, respectively, as conjoined twins Barry and Tom Howe, joined at the torso. They were essentially purchased from their family as teens in the 1970s by a sleazy showbiz impresario, Zak Bedderwick (Howard Attfield), who planned to turn them into rock stars. Manager Nick (Sean Harris) kept the volatile Barry in line, sometimes violently, while musician Paul (Bryan Dick) taught the introspective Tom how to play the guitar, and helped the brothers write their songs. A documentary filmmaker, Eddie (Tom Bower), was hired to record the process. Their first live performance was a near disaster, as the rowdy pub crowd didn't welcome the sight of the two young men coming on-stage with their arms around each other, but Barry, the charismatically angry frontman, shocked the crowd by exposing the joint between them as he ripped into a snarling performance of their first single, "Two-Way Romeo," and the legend of their group, the Bang Bang, was born. As the proto-punk group's fame grew, Laura (Tania Emery), a young journalist, came to write an article about them, and quickly developed a romantic relationship with Tom, causing friction between the brothers. The film features interviews with some of the characters in the present day, and clips from an imagined unfinished Ken Russell film about the twins, starring Jonathan Pryce and Jane Horrocks. The music of the Bang Bang, performed by cast members and the band Crackout, was written and produced by Clive Langer. Brothers of the Head was shown at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

The government's dangerous penchant for favoring corporate interests is put to the ultimate test after an ambitious politician's research assistant perishes under mysterious circumstances, and a crime that at first appeared unconnected with the death is exposed to reveal an intricate web of lies and deceit. Stephen Collins (David Morrissey) is a rising politician with everything to lose, and his ex-campaign manager Cal McAffery (John Simm) has recently risen to fame as a respected investigative journalist. One day, on her way to work, Stephen's assistant falls to her death in the London Underground. Later, just as it's revealed that Stephen and his assistant were having an affair at the time of her death, the body of a suspected teenage drug dealer is discovered. At first it appears that these two events are completely unrelated, but a closer look reveals some deeply disturbing information about political and corporate interests becoming hopelessly intertwined. Now, as the lies, manipulations, and deceptions gradually boil to the surface, lives will be lost and friendships put to the ultimate test. Bill Nighy, James McAvoy, and Polly Walker star in the award-winning BBC series that riveted television viewers all across the U.K. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Originally telecast in the United Kingdom, the two-part miniseries White Teeth was based on Zadie Smith's 2000 bestseller about the perils of cultural assimilation in modern day North London. Taking place in the years 1974 to 1992 and set in the melting-pot community of Willesden Green, the story focuses on three different families. The Jamaican-English Archie Jones (Phil Davis) is a professional envelope-folder, while his wife, Clara (Naomie Harris), is a lapsed Jehovah's Witness. Archie's old army buddy Samad Iqbal (Om Puri) is a Bengalese waiter who hails from Bangladesh, also the home country of his sharp-tongued spouse, Alsana (Archie Panjabi). And the Malfen family, headed by Joyce and Marcus (Geraldine James, Robert Bathurst), are fiercely dedicated charter members of the Keepers of the Eternal and Victorious Islamic Nation (or KEVIN for short). Deftly combining comedy, drama, melodrama, and pathos, the Dickensian interactions and interrelationships among the three families manage to accommodate a variety of dizzying plot convolutions involving disenchanted youngsters, racial prejudice, social pretensions, cult worship, misguided animal activists, a genetically modified mouse, a Nazi war criminal, and a bizarre but brilliant kidnapping scheme. In the United States, White Teeth first aired May 11, 2003, as part of the PBS Masterpiece Theatre anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Fyodor Dostoyevsky's evergreen psychological novel Crime and Punishment was given an up-close-and-personal treatment in this two-part British miniseries version, first telecast over the BBC in 2002. John Simm starred as Dostoyevsky's idealistic antihero Raskolnikov, who, secure in his belief that he was a superior being ungoverned by emotions, murdered a hateful pawnbroker and impassively watched as the ensuing criminal investigation unfolded before his very eyes. Police inspector Porfiry (Ian McDiarmid) was fairly confident that Raskolnikov was the guilty party, but rather than immediately moving in for his kill, Porfiry calmly waited for the killer's latent conscience to get the better of him. There was more to the story, of course, and Tony Marchant's teleplay admirably telescoped the Dostoyevsky original into a neat four-hour television package. Eschewing the straightforward approach taken by earlier adaptations of Crime and Punishment, director Julian Jarrold trafficked in tight, uncomfortable close-ups and vertigo-inducing camera angles, virtually forcing the viewer to become as neurotic and unraveled as Raskolnikov. Filmed on location in St. Petersburg in the former Soviet Union, Crime and Punishment was first seen in the U.S. over the Bravo cable network on January 28 and 29, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A group of British youths try to escape their pointless, hum-drum lives with weekends of drug-fueled debauchery in the comedy Human Traffic. Jip (John Simm) works at a shop selling jeans, and his best friend Koop (Shaun Parkes) is an aspiring hip-hop artist who has a day job at a record store. Nina (Nicola Reynolds), Koop's girlfriend, is employed at a burger joint; her best friend is Lulu (Lorraine Pilkington), who has a uniformly low opinion of men. Moff (Danny Dyer) is a waste-case who lives with his father and deals drugs to the group. Come Friday evening, Moff supplies the Ecstasy, the six friends head out to the club, and they spend the next 48 hours playing the popular game "Annihilate This Week." Human Traffic was the directorial debut for filmmaker Justin Kerrigan, who reportedly had problems raising financing due to the film's refusal to explicitly condemn the use of drugs or the actions of its protagonists. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This Australian romantic comedy, filmed prior to the death of Princess Diana, was updated with additional scenes shot several months later. Even so, certain situations originally intended as comedy now seem prophetic and painful rather than humorous. After a grim London opening sequence with a voiceover acknowledging the royal Diana's death, the story flashes back 18 months to Wollongong, Australia, where independent Aussie Diana Spencer (Toni Collette), who entered a women's magazine competition, learns she has won a trip for two to meet the Princess of Wales. Spencer is fascinated by Princess Diana, since she shares both the same name and birthday (although she's 10 years younger). Joined by fiancé Mark Fraser (Malcolm Kennard), Spencer arrives in London, where the magazine's British representative Carol (Victoria Eagger) checks them into a hotel. She's then disappointed to find that her meeting with the Princess is not one-on-one but just an invitation to a garden party attended by hundreds. Problems arise when Mark is separated from Diana, who gets arrested along with British photographer Rob Naylor (Dominic West), part of the paparazzi pack stalking the Princess. (In one scene, paparazzi depart in a frenetic feeding frenzy to get pics of a celebrity in a car crash!). Carol makes a play for Mark back at the hotel room. Rob gets a tip on the whereabouts of the Princess, and Diana joins Rob in his stakeout of an apartment. After the Princess emerges and her car drives off, photographer Rob is in hot pursuit during a chase sequence. Mark decides to return to Australia, while Rob and Diana are joined by cross-dresser Neville (Tom Hillier), a look-alike for Princess Di. The trio takes off for Elton John's birthday party, where the Princess is scheduled to show. Attending the party are Bob Geldof, Jerry Hall, and Susannah York. One sequence in this film captures vocalist Kylie Minogue attempting to walk down a street while stalkarazzi keep pace; uniformed chauffeurs in another scene share a few drinks while awaiting passengers. The Sydney airport substitutes for London's Heathrow. Scenes later added to the controversial movie show Spencer in mourning outside Kensington Palace with an accompanying voiceover by Collette. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Bear witness to the rise of the most corrupt and ruthless ruler ever to preside over the Roman Empire as filmmaker Paul Marcus tells the tale of Nero's unlikely ascent to the throne, and his historical fall at the hands of his own vengeful kingdom. After murdering his sister's husband on grounds of conspiracy, the increasingly incoherent Caligula exiles his grieving sibling and sets into motion a devious plan that will one-day find her son Lucius presiding over all of Rome. Beset on all sides by tyranny and bloodlust, Lucius rises to power as Nero while facing the constant wrath of all who oppose his legacy. His paranoia soon reaching a fever pitch, Nero struggles to maintain power as his army, his people, and his own mother, ultimately turn against him. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi