Paul Geoffrey Movies

The first directorial effort of British screenwriter Paul Greengrass, Resurrected is based on a true story that came to light during the Falklands War. David Thewlis plays an Army private who, after being listed as missing and presumed dead, wanders back into camp, a victim of amnesia. The army, embarrassed at the situation and not fully believing the boy's story, downplays Thewlis' return. His British home town had planned to give him a hero's welcome, but a newspaper story has intimated that the boy was a deserter. The general consensus is that it would have been better if Thewlis had really died, thus saving his neighbors from embarrassment. With no one, not even his parents, willing to believe the amnesia story, Thewlis is persona non grata, and to add to his troubles he is severely beaten by several of his former army buddies. An ironic coda caps this unpleasant glimpse at the darker side of human nature. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Flame to the Phoenix manages to transcend its skintight budget and variable English-language dubbing. The time is the eve of WW II, and the place is Poland. When the Germans stage their invasion, most of the country is caught helpless and unawares. With no heavy artillery to speak of, the Poles must rely on their antiquated cavalry to offer resistance. Surprisingly, the cavalry proves quite efficient in warding off Hitler's panzer columns--at least for a while. Offsetting the desperate courage of the Polish military and civilians are the futile efforts by British diplomats to prevent Germany from embarking upon its hellish course. The storyline of Flame to the Phoenix tends to be disorganized, but overall the film is a worthy tribute to the valiant men and women who died fighting an apparently lost cause. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Zina (Domiziana Giordano) is the daughter of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky. When her father is exiled, Zina heads to Berlin in hopes of leading a normal life. Tormented by nightmares, Zina turns to a psychiatrist (Ian McKellan) for aid. The doctor comes to the conclusion that Zina's nocturnal visions are portents for future horrors--specifically the rise of the Nazis. This thought-provoking British film ends with the symbolic death of the ideals set down by the "visionary" Leon Trotsky. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes is a reverent retelling of the Edgar Rice Burroughs original, with a 1980s-sensibilities slant. Shipwrecked on the coast of Africa, Lord Jack Clayton (Paul Geoffrey) and his pregnant wife Lady Alice (Cheryl Campbell) attempt to survive in the hostile environment, but both die shortly after the birth of their son John. Abandoned in the wilderness, the orphaned John is adopted by a family of rather highly evolved apes, and raised as one of their own. Years later, John-now known as Tarzan, and now played by Christopher Lambert-comes across a party of white hunters. Rescuing one of the intruders, Belgian Captain Phillipe D'Arnot (Ian Holm) from a horrible death , Tarzan is taught to speak English by the grateful D'Arnot. Coming across the remains and possessions of Tarzan's parents, D'Arnot discovers that the Lord of the Jungle is actually the Earl of Greystoke. Brought back to England, Tarzan is introduced to society, where his crude, apelike manners offend everyone--except the likeable (and painfully senile) 6th Lord of Greystoke (Ralph Richardson, in his final film role) and Greystoke's American ward, Jane Porter (Andie McDowell, whose Southern-fried voice is dubbed by Glenn Close). Disturbed at the notion of Tarzan's inheriting Greystoke manner, his more greedy relatives begin plotting against him. But it is Tarzan himself who decides that he cannot adapt himself to England-especially after a painful reunion with his ape foster father, imprisoned in a science-lab cage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide