William J. MacDonald Movies

No dull, dry, pedantic tract this, the British drama series Rome covered the progression of Rome from Republic to Empire in a vivid, vibrant, spectacular and often sordid and profane fashion, succeeding brilliantly in putting a human face on ancient history--in many cases, all too human. This up close and personal look into the intrigues of the last half of the 1st century BCE was seen alternately from the perspective of the famous and infamous power brokers of the ruling and military class, and through the eyes of two humble foot-soldiers in Caesar's army, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson). Vorenus was a respectable family man who hated war and could not wait to return home to his wife Niobe (Indira Varma) and their children, and to start a small business that would provide him a modicum of security for life. Conversely, Pullo was an unabashed hedonist who loved the blood and stench of battle, and whose mission in life was to loot, pillage, ravage women and guzzle as much wine as possible. Ironically, Vorenus encountered virtually nothing but tragedy and failure, while Gallo thrived and prospered--and, through a combination of street smarts and dumb luck, always managed to avoid being executed for his many misdeeds, invariably emerging from his latest scrape drenched in glory and prestige. (Contrary to popular belief, both Vorenus and Pullo actually existed, and were mentioned in Caesar's "Commentaries"--though undoubtedly a great deal of dramatic license was taken with their personalities). While for many viewers Pullo was the series' most fascinating character, he was given a run for his money by the scheming, duplicitous Atia (Polly Walker), the niece of Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds). Using every wile at her disposal to increase her political power and wealth, Atia was not only a skilled bedroom diplomat, but was also eager and willing to misuse and exploit her children Octavia (Kerry Condon) and Octavian (Max Pirkis) for her own gain. Deceptively callow and sickly-looking, the young Octavian became the series' strongest and most ruthless player during its second season, ultimately morphing into what one historian has described as "The Michael Corleone of Rome." Though the dialogue and acting were as "modern" as possible under the circumstances, the producers of Rome strove for historical realism in every aspect of production. The standing sets representing the city, the Forum et. al. were the world's largest, covering five acres of Rome's Cinecitta studios. And the costumes, props, weaponry etc. were authentic right down to the smallest sandal and coin--to say nothing of the obscene Latin graffiti scrawled on the rotting walls of the Eternal City. Created by John Milius, William MacDonald and Bruno Heller, Rome premiered August 28, 2005 on the American HBO cable service, and November 2, 2005 on the U.K.'s BBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Elisabeth Shue stars in this drama as Molly McKay, a mentally challenged woman who has suffered from autism since childhood. Institutionalized since the age of three, Molly is released at age 28 into the custody of her brother Buck (Aaron Eckhart), whom she hasn't seen since childhood. While Buck cares for his sister, she is in many ways a stranger to him, and he's having enough problems in his life at the moment. When Buck is told by doctors of a risky experimental surgery that could cure Molly, he gives his consent. The operation is a success, and Molly emerges with the emotional walls of autism removed, revealing her to be a genius. But the autistic personality's intense concentration remains, and Buck finds the new Molly nearly as challenging as the old one. Molly's supporting cast includes D.W. Moffett, Jill Hennessy, and Thomas Jane; it was the first credit for screenwriter Dick Christie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Based on the popular novels about that other suave, globe-trotting man of action, this genre picture from director Phillip Noyce mixed romance and character development with dangerous stunts, geopolitical intrigue, and a variety of elaborate disguises, resulting in an uneven stew of a spy thriller. Val Kilmer is Simon Templar, a classy, cunning master thief and "man of a thousand faces" who cribs his phony names from those of obscure saints and sells his illegal services to the highest bidder. Hired by an ambitious Russian politician (Rade Serbedzija) to steal the formula for cold fusion, Templar falls in love with Dr. Emma Russell (Elisabeth Shue), the frail Oxford scientist who has unlocked the secret of the process. Back in Moscow, the thief debates whether to betray his new love or the powerful madman who is paying him millions, until he discovers that his client is concealing oil reserves that could save his freezing people. Often seen as an also-ran to the legendary James Bond, Templar, the creation of author Leslie Charteris, in fact predated the first Bond novel by decades and probably inspired Ian Fleming in his creation of the debonair agent. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

An investigator seeking the truth behind the death of a noted art dealer uncovers a web of sexual deception in this erotic thriller. David Caruso plays David Corelli, a San Francisco District Attorney who faces a potential conflict of interest when he learns that the prime suspect in the murder is psychologist Katrina Gavin (Linda Fiorentino), an old flame who eventually married Corelli's close friend (Chazz Palminteri). Despite this, he continues on the case and discovers that the dealer owned a series of photographs showing prominent public figures in compromising positions with an enigmatic prostitute known only as Jade. As Corelli searches for the identity of this unknown woman, believing she holds the key to the murder's solution, he uncovers further secrets that ultimately threaten his own life. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide