David Tennant Movies
British writer/actor Stephen Fry makes his feature-film debut with the witty, sophisticated comedy Bright Young Things, adapted from Evelyn Waugh's 1930 novel Vile Bodies. Set in London during the '30s, this stylish period film follows an ensemble cast of well-dressed and highly literate partygoers. Aspiring writer Adam Fenwick-Symes (stage actor Stephen Campbell Moore) loses the manuscript of his first novel when traveling through customs. He then sets out to raise enough money to marry his sweetheart, Nina Blount (Emily Mortimer), the daughter of a colonel (Peter O'Toole). All in the name of love, Adam seeks funding through a constant stream of parties, meetings, and conversations with eccentric acquaintances. Cameo appearances are made by the likes of Dan Aykroyd, Simon Callow, and Stockard Channing. Bright Young Things was shown at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emily Mortimer, Stephen Campbell Moore, (more)
As the world's greatest lover lies slowly fading on his death bed, the memories of his passionate past come flooding back in director Sheree Folkson's tale of lust and adventure in 18th Century Europe. Casanova (portrayed in his early years by David Tennant, and his dying days by Peter O'Toole) was a slave to the pleasures of the flesh. In his heyday the tireless lover would lie with some of the world's greatest beauties, yet without the live of the married Henriette (Laura Fraser) happiness always eluded him. After a chance encounter in his final days spurns on memories of his one true love, a dying Casanova makes one desperate attempt to see Henriette before death comes to claim him. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
When the BBC revived Doctor Who, its long running cult sci-fi series, in 2005, it snared an outstanding lead in Christopher Eccleston, but failed to anticipate Eccleston's withdrawal from the program, one year in. The network's apparent fear of a decline in viewership given the arrival of a new doctor (David Tennant) caused it to segue away from storylines centered around that character. Thus, the Series 2 episodes place far greater emphasis on the doctor's sidekick, Rose Tyler (Bille Piper) (and the members of her clan, including her mom, ex-boyfriend, and deceased dad) than on Who himself. In Series Two, the network also attempts to revive long-dormant Dr. Who characters from the 1970s, including Sarah Jane (Elizabeth Sladen), in an episode about the fate of one of the Doctor's former assistants. As the Series opens, Dr. Who assumes control of the TARDIS and embarks, episode by episode, on a number of disparate adventures. These include episodes in which: Queen Victoria battles vampires, Charles Dickens battles evil spirits, Dr. Who fights Satan in the pit of a black hole, a little girl discovers that her illustrations automatically come to life, cybermen wrest control of London, and television sets transform thousands of viewers into flesh-devouring zombies. The one connecting story that links all of the episodes in Series Two involves the shady and mysterious doings of a nefarious group called The Torchwood Institute, which later received its own spinoff program. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Tennant, Billie Piper, (more)
The third installment of Doctor Who is full of new thrills, new laughs, new heartbreak and some terrifying new monsters. From the moment the Doctor walks into the life of medical student Martha Jones he changes it forever. In Elizabethan London, they meet William Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre while back in present day London, 76-year-old Professor Lazarus recaptures his youth with consequences that threaten Martha's entire family. And, the Doctor's sworn enemies, the Daleks, who have been hiding in 1930's New York, return with a terrifying plan for humanity.
- Starring:
- David Tennant, Freema Agyeman, (more)
Hot on the heels of the acclaimed third series, Doctor Who returns for a fourth installment with a familiar face alongside the Doctor (David Tennant). Award-winning actress (and comedian) Catherine Tate returns as the Doctor's new companion, reprising her role as Donna Noble, who was featured in the 2006 Christmas special "The Runaway Bride." Now reunited, the Doctor and Donna travel back to Pompeii in AD 79 on the eve of the infamous eruption where people are slowly turning to stone; investigate a series of grisly murders with the help of Agatha Christie; journey to the home world of the sinister Ood; and come face to face with an old enemy of the Doctor's. Series 4 also sees the return of the Doctor's previous companions, the vivacious Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) and the feisty Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman).
- Starring:
- David Tennant, Catherine Tate, (more)
- 2007
Originally aired in twelve weekly parts on the children's sci-fi spin-off show Totally Doctor Who, this animated space adventure finds the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones traversing the stars in an attempt to locate the datachips needed to unlock The Infinate, an enormous spacecraft with the power to grant prople their greatest wish. But the Doctor and Martha aren't the only ones searching for The Infinate, because the malevolent Baltazar seeks to locate the ship first to achieve his own nefarious goals. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Tennant, Freema Agyeman, (more)
- 2006
A drug-addled elephant is on the run from people who either want to help him or kill him in this dark computer-animated comedy that is decidedly not for children. Jimmy is a performing elephant who travels with a third-rate Russian circus run by ringmaster Stromowski (voice of Jim Broadbent). Jimmy's minder is a sleazy American expatriate, Roy Arnie (voice of Woody Harrelson), who keeps the nervous beast pacified with regular doses of heroin. Roy has also hidden a large stash of the drug under Jimmy's skin, but Roy's decided he wants out of circus life and plans to sell the dope and go his own way. However, in order to do that he has to put Jimmy out of his misery, and he recruits three stoner buddies -- Odd (voice of Simon Pegg), Gaz (voice of Phil Daniels) and Flea (voice of Jim Simpson) -- to help whack the elephant. However, it seems Roy is also in debt to some gangsters (voices of Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and Steve Pemberton) who happen to know that he's hidden the drugs in the elephant, and they're aiming to grab Jimmy before Roy and his pals can. As it happens, they're both beaten to the punch by a group of dim-witted animal rights activists led by Marius (voice of Kyle MacLachlan), who liberate Jimmy and the other circus animals, not realizing they've just sent a junkie pachyderm into the wilds as it's going cold turkey, with only a friendly moose for help. Free Jimmy also features the voice talents of Samantha Morton, Emilla Fox and Lisa Maxwell. Though it was produced in Norway, two versions exist, one with a mostly English-cast (referenced above) and one with a mostly Norwegian cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan Saelid, Woody Harrelson, (more)
- 2005
- PG13
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Directed by Mike Newell, the fourth installment to the Harry Potter series finds Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) wondering why his legendary scar -- the famous result of a death curse gone wrong -- is aching in pain, and perhaps even causing mysterious visions. Before he can think too much about it, however, Harry boards the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he will attend his fourth year of magical education. Shortly after his reunion with his best friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), Harry is introduced to yet another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher: the grizzled Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson), a former dark wizard catcher who agreed to take on the infamous "DADA" professorship as a personal favor to Headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Of course, Harry's wishes for an uneventful school year are almost immediately shattered when he is unexpectedly chosen, along with fellow student Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson), as Hogwarts' representative in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which awards whoever completes three magical tasks the most skillfully with a thousand-galleon purse and the admiration of the international wizard community. As difficult as it is to deal with his schoolwork, friendships, and the tournament at the same time (not to mention his feelings toward the ever unfathomable Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), Harry doesn't realize that the most feared wizard in the world, Lord Voldemort, is anticipating the tournament, as well. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, (more)
When Louis and Emily Trevalyan exchanged wedding vows on a day that seemed to mark the beginning of a blissful union, little could they foresee the trials that would face them in their first year of marriage. As Anthony Trollepe slowly peels away the layers of Victorian propriety, a variety of colorful characters are revealed, including a colonel of questionable morals who makes unwholesome advances to the newlywed bride. As the fans that fuel Louis' jealousy soon give way to a raging inferno, the dejected groom rejects his wife and newborn son leading to a tragic bid to destroy everything in the world that he loves. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Nighy, Laura Fraser, (more)
Mika Kaurismaki directed this British-French-Finnish romantic comedy adapted from Richard Rayner's autobiographical novel about a series of Hollywood misadventures. Vacationing in the North of England, aspiring Los Angeles actress Barbara (Vinessa Shaw) stops briefly in a village where she meets town undertaker and obit writer Richard (David Tennant) -- who just can't stop thinking about her. Flying to California, Richard arrives at the Japanese restaurant where Barbara is a waitress, and a relationship begins -- while Richard learns about Hollywood at the hands of various hustlers and agents. Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Tennant, Vinessa Shaw, (more)
Shaun of the Dead star Kate Ashfield headlines this tightly-wound psychological thriller adapted from author Nicci French's novel about romance gone wrong, and the devastating repercussions that follow. For Miranda Cotton (Ashfield) it was just a brief fling, but for Brendan Block (David Tennant) it was so much more. When Miranda broke up with Brendan she figured he would eventually move on. Three weeks later Miranda's younger sister Kerry announces that she has just landed a new boyfriend, and his name is Brendan Block. Now, all of Miranda's friends are dying, and she's convinced that Brendan is the killer. Realizing that the only way to beat her manipulative ex-lover at his own game is to somehow turn the tables on him, Miranda puts her life on the line to prove that Brendan is killer the police are searching for. Should her plan backfire Miranda will most certainly die, and should she fail her sister will pay the ultimate price. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Tennant, Kate Ashfield, (more)
Love, politics, and class at once bring together and tear apart an extended family in this period drama. In 1920, Ireland is in the midst of a political upheaval, as upper class Anglo-Irish Protestants are driven from the country by the nation's increasingly vocal wishes Irish Catholic majority. Sir Richard Naylor (Michael Gambon) and his wife Lady Myra (Maggie Smith) are wealthy members of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy who slowly realize the life they've known in County Cork is coming to an end. Living with the Naylors are their financially-embarrassed friends Hugo and Francie Montmorency (Lambert Wilson and Jane Birkin); Marda Norton (Fiona Shaw), another friend who was one involved with Hugo; their nephew Laurence (Jonathan Slinger), a student at Oxford; and their niece Lois (Keeley Hawes). Lois is infatuated with Gerald (David Tennat), a British officer helping to mind the Naylors' property, though Myra believes he's beneath Lois' station; however, she's also keenly attracted to Connolly (Gary Lydon), an IRA soldier who is hiding in a mill on the estate. The Last September was based on the novel by Elizabeth Bowen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, (more)
