Alan Wright Movies
- 2002
The third feature-length installment of the British detective series Helen West, A Clear Conscience was based on a novel by Frances Fyfield. On the verge of burnout, overworked Crown Prosecutor Helen West (Amanda Burton) finds solace and comfort in renovating her cozy but rather run-down garden apartment. But despite her efforts to escape the pressures of her job, Helen is inexorably drawn into a murder case involving her housekeeper Cath Boyce (Lynda Steadman). The ensuing intrigue -- which involves domestic abuse, a horrible secret, and a second murder -- not only wears Helen's nerves to a frazzle, but also seriously jeopardizes her romance with the detective on the case, Chief Superintendent Geoffrey Bailey (Connor Mullen). Originally telecast in England over the ITV network Helen West: A Clear Conscience made its American debut over the A&E cable service on December 7, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amanda Burton, Conor Mullen, (more)
- 1999
Originally telecast by the BBC in 1999, Trial by Fire served as the unofficial pilot film for the Helen West mystery series, based on the novels by Frances Fyfield. Moving from London to the supposed tranquility of the suburbs, prosecutor Helen West (Juliet Stevenson) and her police-chief boyfriend, Geoffrey Bailey (Jim Carter), don't find very much peace and quiet. In fact, things are almost as bad as in the big city, what with spousal abuse, kleptomania, and murder running amok. Much against her will, Helen is drawn into the intrigues of her new murder -- and by extension, so is Geoffrey, who totally disagrees with Helen's deductions. Trial by Fire aired in the U.S. as an episode of the PBS Mystery! anthology on February 24, 2000; in the subsequent Helen West series, the roles of Helen and Geoffrey were respectively played by Amanda Burton and Conor Mullen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliet Stevenson, Jim Carter, (more)
- 1997
This comedy of manners from playwright Michael Frayn, author of Noises Off (1992), was based on his teleplay for "Jamie, On a Flying Visit," a 1968 episode of the legendary BBC television series The Wednesday Play (1964-70). Middle class couple Ian (Rik Mayall) and insurance adjuster Lorna (Imelda Staunton) have their troubles, including a rebellious teenage daughter who's dating a car thief, Lorna's frustrated dreams of being a writer, and Ian's joblessness. Then Jamie (Robert Lindsay) appears on their doorstep. An ex-boyfriend that Lorna hasn't seen in twenty years, Jamie's keeping a few secrets past and present, all of which emerge to the chagrin of Ian and Lorna, as Jamie and his buxom girlfriend Georgina (Natalie Walker) are invited to share dinner and then stay the night. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lindsay, Rik Mayall, (more)
The wife of a kind but uninteresting preacher is scorned by her community for supplementing the family income by taking a job at the local grocery store in this drama starring Lindsay Duncan and based on the book by Joanna Trollope. Anna Bouverie's husband has been passed over for a job promotion, leaving her family financially destitute. Concerned that they will not be able to survive on the humble preacher's meager income, Anna decides to alleviate both the money issue and her personal boredom by accepting a position as a shelf stocker at the local grocery store. Largely mocked by the traditional-minded community for her benign act of independence, Anna soon begins to attract the attention of Cotswald Village's male population. Now, as the men in the small village begin falling in love with the beautiful married woman, Anna finds herself forced to choose between not only two men, but her commitments to her family and her own independence as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lindsay Duncan, Stephen Dillane, (more)
- 1994
Like the 1977 British children's comedy series of the same name, the 1994 effort Just William was based on a series of popular children's books by Richmal Crompton. Oliver Rokison starred as William Brown, the most mischievous schoolboy in the entire British Empire. Unlike the 1978 version, which was set in contemporary times, the later series returned the property to its original 1930s milieu. Still in attendance were William's beleaguered parents, and the boy's gang of troublemakers, the "Outlaws." Lasting 12 half-hour episodes, Just William was first seen on November 13, 1994, and last seen on December 17, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oliver Rokison, Polly Adams, (more)
Originally a nine-hour British miniseries, this film on the last four decades in the life of Richard Wagner may have taken its long-winded cue from the lengthy operas of the famous 19th-century German composer and musical theorist -- the Ring des Nibelungen is 14-15 hours in itself, divided into four separate operas. This biographical film begins when Wagner is first recognized for his work, yet in that same year, 1848, he was forced out of his homeland for his radical politics (he supported the unification of separate kingdoms under one Germany) and settled in Zurich for awhile. Focusing on character traits that are well-known and would not endear him to anyone, the film details his bigotry (a confirmed anti-Semitic), his insensitivity, and his obsession with money -- he went after the bottom line even if it meant losing friendships or ruining his marriage. Although Wagner is known for his music theory and the contribution he made to opera during his lifetime, very little attention is given to his actual works in this film. Venerable British thespians (Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Joan Plowright, and Richard Burton as Wagner) light up the cast but not always with the same brightness. In the final analysis, the slow-paced story is simply too long in the telling, and even the visually sumptuous costumes and production design cannot make up for a slow script, uneven acting, and problems in direction. The film version runs 300 minutes. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Burton, Vanessa Redgrave, (more)
