Nick O'Hagan Movies
Director/screenwriter Gerald McMorrow makes his feature debut with this ambitious psychological sci-fi drama set between contemporary London and the dystopic Meanwhile City, where the separation between church and state has been obliterated to make way for a religion-dominated society. As atheist vigilante Jonathan Preest (Ryan Phillippe) prepares to seek revenge against Meanwhile City's powerful leader, privileged artist Emilia (Eva Green) finds her cynicism and depression accelerated by the difficult relationship she shares with her mother. Meanwhile, sensitive Milo (Sam Riley) attempts to recover from a recent heartache, just as deeply religious Peter (Bernard Hill) arrives in London to search for his missing son, a haunted Gulf War veteran. As the narrative shifts between the real and imaginary worlds, McMorrow explores the complex relationships between fantasy, faith, and love. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eva Green, Ryan Phillippe, (more)
- 2007
Using the chaos of the World Cup competition as their cover, a crew of crackerjack bank robbers scheme to steal millions of pounds in used bank notes from a London bank before the cold hard cash is incinerated as scheduled. After checking in early for a flight to Germany in order to establish their alibi, the thieves quickly sneak out to the airport parking lot, pile into a van, and stealthily drive towards their target. Their plan to smash the van into the building and grab the cash before catching their flight goes suddenly awry, however, when a member of the gang is badly injured in the crash. With the clock counting down before their flight takes to the sky, the group is soon forced to alter their plan as police attempt to negotiate with the crew through the crumpled van. The negotiations are quickly staled when the robbers refuse to negotiate, leaving the police with no other choice than to hatch a plan to storm the bank. When the police do finally gain entry into the bank, the sight they find leaves even the most sharp-minded law enforcer hopelessly speechless. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vas Blackwood, Geoff Bell, (more)
A family facing myriad disasters is forced to confront one on the form of their own son in this harrowing psychological drama from British filmmaker Simon Rumley. Donald Brocklebank (Roger Lloyd Pack) is a former British nobleman who has lost his peerage, and with it his fortune. The Brocklebank estate has fallen into disrepair, Donald's wife Nancy (Kate Fahy) is suffering from an advanced case of cancer that makes nearly any effort an agony, and their son James (Leo Bill) is a manic depressive with violent tendencies and the mind of a child. Only an operation that Donald cannot afford will save Nancy's life, so he has made plans to sell the estate in order to pay for the surgery and her subsequent care. However, Donald has to travel out of town for several days in order to complete the details of the sale. Donald has arranged for Mary (Sarah Ball), a nurse who has worked for the family before, to care for his wife while he's away, but Donald is forced to leave before Mary arrives. Determined to show his father that he's a responsible adult, James announces he'll be "looking after Mummy," locks Mary out of the house, disconnects the telephone, and stages a minor siege as Mary is determined to save Nancy's life. Nancy slowly slips into a panic as her brutal and incompetent son nearly claims her life, and matters become uglier when Mary contacts the police about the situation at the Brocklebank mansion. The Living and the Dead won the Jury Award in five categories (including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor) at the 2006 Austin Fantastic Fest. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2003
- NC17
An amoral young man wends his way into the lives of a handful of damaged souls in this adaptation of British Beat Generation writer Alexander Trocchi's first novel. Written for the screen and directed by David Mackenzie, Young Adam begins with the discovery of a barely dressed woman's corpse by two barge workers, Joe (Ewan McGregor) and Leslie (Peter Mullan). A taciturn drifter, Joe hoists the body ashore with little distress, and the ensuing police investigation does little to ruffle his day-to-day existence on the barge. But his behavior becomes more and more erratic, and as he begins a torrid affair with Leslie's downtrodden wife Ella (Tilda Swinton), flashbacks reveal a similarly cruel encounter he once had with a young woman named Cathie (Emily Mortimer). Young Adam premiered at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival before securing berths at the Toronto and New York Film Festivals later that year. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, (more)
- 2000
- PG13
The troubled friendship and occasional rivalry between two of England's greatest poets, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, is explored in an unorthodox light in this historical drama from renegade director Julian Temple. As Coleridge (Linus Roache), Wordsworth (John Hannah), and Lord Byron (Guy Lankester) await the news of who will be Great Britain's new poet laureate in 1816, Coleridge finds himself thinking back to 1795, when he and Wordsworth were two struggling writers involved in radical politics. Embracing the ideal of an agrarian society, Coleridge moves to the country, accompanied by his wife Sarah (Samantha Morton) and their infant son. Wordsworth soon follows, joined by his often argumentative sister Dorothy (Emily Woof). However, the two writers discover the hard work of maintaining a farm is not as conducive to their literary endeavors as they might have imagined, despite taking most available opportunities to shock the local bourgeoisie. It's not until Coleridge discovers laudanum (a tincture of alcohol and opium) that he finds the inspiration to create his first masterpiece, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Wordsworth soon finds his friend's fame is far surpassing his own, which brings an uncomfortable jealousy into their relationship; Coleridge, meanwhile, has developed a dangerous fondness for opium, which threatens to drown the creative spirit that it once sparked within him. Pandaemonium received its North American premiere at the 2000 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linus Roache, John Hannah, (more)
Literary genius, legendary wit, bon vivant, and gay martyr, Oscar Wilde was a man whose legend has grown to iconic proportions since his death at the beginning of the 20th century. Establishing Wilde (Stephen Fry) as a loving family man, complete with a wife (Jennifer Ehle) and two adorable sons, the film takes pains to portray him as a dignified genius who was as pained by what he considered his own sin -- his homosexuality -- as he was delighted by the sins of others. From his initial encounters with Robbie Ross (Michael Sheen), his first male lover, through his tragic affair with the beautiful and bratty Alfred Lord Douglas (a perfectly cast Jude Law), Wilde is seen as a conflicted fellow, warring with his own urges even as he dazzles everyone around him. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Fry, Jude Law, (more)
A football fan tries to reconcile his obsessive love of the game with his job, his romantic relationships, and his life in general in this comedy/drama. Since he was a child in North London, Paul Ashworth (Colin Firth) has been a loyal fan of the Arsenal football team; he attended many a match with his father as a child, especially after his parents divorced, and Arsenal's annual season is one of the few emotional anchors in his life. Now in his mid-30s, Paul teaches English at a state-run school and has become involved with Sarah (Ruth Gemmell), a fellow member of the school staff. While she's pretty, bright, and in nearly all ways a good catch, Sarah doesn't care for football. This lack of interest unfortunately shows itself at a time when Arsenal seems poised to win their first championship in 18 years, and Paul hopes to buy a house near their stadium to make it easier to attend home games. When Sarah becomes pregnant and the long-term stability of their relationship becomes a crucial issue, she forces Paul to decide what he loves more: Sarah and their baby, or Arsenal? For Paul, the answer isn't as simple as one might imagine, as he weighs the joys and responsibilities of adulthood against the passionate enthusiasm that sustained him through his youth. Fever Pitch was based on the semi-autobiographical book by Nick Hornby, who has a cameo as a football coach. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Firth, Ruth Gemmell, (more)
- 1994
- R
This British romantic comedy examines a trouble relationship between a behavioral psychologist and a paleontology lecturer with serious sexual hang-ups. Currently Dr. Daniel Becker is holding seminars for teaching body language to executives. Katie, the lecturer, seems to defy all he seems to know with her habit of knocking out any male she suspects of harboring sexual thoughts about her. They go out on a dinner date. Immediately, Katie-the-mind-reader smacks the waiter. Intrigued, Daniel blindfolds her to see if she really can read thoughts. Katie, who sees no future in their relationship, plans to go on a research trip to India with her peer, Sandip. Daniel tries to thwart her plans. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amanda Pays, Mark Frankel, (more)
