Philip Glenister Movies
- 2010
- R
- Add You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger to Queue Add You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger to top of Queue
Two couples find their lives turned upside down by their unfulfilled longings in this ensemble comedy from director Woody Allen. Alfie (Anthony Hopkins) and Helena (Gemma Jones) have been married for years. They have a grown-up daughter named Sally (Naomi Watts), who is married to a successful novelist named Roy (Josh Brolin), but finds the future of her marriage in jeopardy after falling for Greg (Antonio Banderas), the dapper owner of a prominent art gallery. Meanwhile, as Roy develops a fixation on Dia (Freida Pinto), an exotic beauty he encounters on the street, Alfie ditches Helena for Charmaine (Lucy Punch), an impressionable young call girl. Now it seems that the harder everyone tries runs away from their problems, the faster their lives seem to fall apart. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, (more)
- 2008
In the tradition of such nothing-goes-right heist films as Big Deal on Madonna Street and Dog Day Afternoon comes Tu£sday - the seriocomic exploration of the chaos that can ensue when three different groups of criminals make the disastrous decision to rob the same bank on the very same day. In one corner of the City of Big Ben, a band of professional thieves known as The Cowboys - Billy (Ashley Walters), Earp (Philip Glenister), Butch (Cristian Solimeno) and Silver (John Simm) - learn that a precious emerald called the Meidan-i-Noor is being held overnight at a nearby bank; sensing opportunity afoot, they plan a heist. Meanwhile, office worker William (Linal Haft) isn't aware of the jewel per se, but decides to rob the bank of cash as an outlet for his desperation; he's being abandoned by his wife, and once she leaves he will face eviction from his home. And in the bank itself, two tellers, Samantha (Kirsty Mitchell) and Angie (Kate Macgowan) grow so infuriated at being passed over for a promotion that they also hatch a plan to steal the jewel. The three plots unfurl at the same time, leading to a host of complications and a wealth of confusion that balloons to almost farcical proportions. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Philip Glenister, John Simm, (more)
The small town gossip, secrets, and romance of Mary Gaskells' popular series of novels comes to the small screen in this BBC drama series from director Simon Curtis. The year is 1842, and Cranford is a modest Cheshire market town on the verge of great change. The railway is reaching to Cranford from Manchester, and the locals fear that their town will soon be overrun with migrant workers and lawlessness. Spinster Deborah Jenkins Eileen Atkins) is the arbitrator of correctness about town, and as far as she and her demurring sister Matty (Judi Dench) are concerned there's never a dull moment in Cranford. Things begin to get especially interesting after handsome new doctor Frank Harrison (Simon Woods) arrives in town shocking the locals with his decidedly non-traditional methods of practicing medicine. Frank has a powerful effect on the ladies around town, but when Matty runs into an old flame at Lady Ludlow's garden party her thoughts drift back to the time when she was forced to give up the man she once loved with all her heart. No one is immune from the gossip that winds its way through the local circuits, and that gossip can almost always be traced back to the Jenkins sisters. When news emerges that the railroad is coming to town, everyone realizes that their tidy little universe is about to expand in ways that they could have never imagined. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Judi Dench, Philip Glenister, (more)
Ridley Scott directed this epic-scale historical drama inspired by the events of the Crusades of the 12th century. Balian (Orlando Bloom) is a humble French blacksmith who is searching for a reason to go on after the death of his wife and children. Balian is approached by Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson), a fabled knight who has briefly returned home after serving in the East. Godfrey informs Balian that he is his true father, and urges the blacksmith to join him as he and his forces journey to Jerusalem to help defend the holy city. Balian accepts, and he and Godfrey arrive during the lull between the Second and Third Crusades, in which the city is enjoying a fragile peace. Both Christian and Muslim forces are temporarily in retreat, thanks to the wisdom of the Christian monarch King Baldwin IV (Edward Norton), his second-in-command Tiberias (Jeremy Irons), and Muslim potentate Saladin (Ghassan Massoud). Violent agitators on both sides are foolishly eager to end the peace in a bid for greater power, and Saladin bows to pressures from Muslim factions; Godfrey is one of a handful of brave knights who has thrown his allegiance behind Baldwin IV and his community of diversity, and Balian joins him as they use their skills as warriors in a bid to build a lasting peace. Kingdom of Heaven also stars Eva Green as the princess Sibylla, David Thewlis as Hospitaler the priest, and Brendan Gleeson as Reynald. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, (more)
Spanning over six and a half hours, this U.K. television movie chronicles the harrowing experiences of the citizens of the Channel Islands during World War II. Produced for Masterpiece Theatre, Island at War is a fictionalized account of the five years spent under Nazi rule by the British inhabitants of St. Gregory island, a stand-in for the real islands that were subjected to the occupation. Directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan and Peter Lydon, the film stars James Wilby and Clare Holman. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Wilby, Clare Holman, (more)
Nigel Cole directs the feel-good comedy Calendar Girls, based on the true story of a group of working-class British housewives who became overnight celebrities by posing for a nude calendar in order to raise more than 500-thousand pounds for a new leukemia unit. The film follows the adventures of best friends Chris Harper (Helen Mirren) and Annie Clarke (Julie Walters), both members of the charitable Rylstone Women's Institute in North Yorkshire. After Annie's husband John (John Alderton) succumbs to leukemia, the friends are motivated to take some action. They convince the group to craft a tastefully nude calendar featuring the usual ladies' activities of gardening and baking, as photographed by the young amateur Lawrence (Philip Glenister). Despite the disapproval of the Institute's leader Marie (Geraldine James), the calendar quickly becomes a best-seller and leads the group to Hollywood. Ciaran Hinds appears as Chris' husband Rod Harper. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Helen Mirren, Julie Walters, (more)
The BBC biopic Byron recreates the life and times of early 19th century scribe Lord George Gordon Byron (Jonny Lee Miller of Trainspotting), widely considered one of the finest English-language belletrists in history. Though Byron culled enormous repute for the scandalous, taboo-breaking lead characters in his novels, the author himself led a life so rebellious that it rivaled anything in his fiction - meanwhile sinking ever quickly into a mire of dissatisfaction and lack of fulfillment as he flittered from one escapade to another. And yet Byron personified the zealous spirit of the Romantic Era, with his unapologetic political radicalism and multiple lovers. Here, director Julian Farino and scriptwriter Nick Dear dramatize Byron's experiences onscreen. Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Little co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
U.K. documentary filmmaker Philippa Lowthorpe brings an experimental approach to the costume drama The Other Boleyn Girl, produced for television by BBC Films. Shot with a handheld digital camera, the film is a largely improvised project based on the best-selling novel by Philippa Gregory. In 16th century England, the recently married Mary Boleyn (Natascha McElhone) is encouraged to have an affair with the notorious King Henry VIII (Jared Harris) in order to improve the power of her family. When she gets pregnant, the king turns his attention to her sister Anne Boleyn (Jodhi May). Learning to play by the degrading rules of the king's court, Anne conspires with her brother George (Steven Mackintosh) to produce a male heir. The Other Boleyn Girl first aired on BBC Two March 28, 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Natascha McElhone, Jodhi May, (more)
Though not the most ambitious British TV adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's 19th century novel Vanity Fair, this six-part BBC1 version was arguably the most expensive and elaborate. Natasha Little was cast as scheming country lass Becky Sharp, who managed to climb to the top of the British social ladder during and after the Napoleonic Wars, leaving a trail of broken hearts, betrayed friendships, and shattered reputations in her wake. Somehow, however, Becky always managed to land on her feet, and after mending her ways in middle age, she lived out her declining years as a much-beloved "Lady Bountiful." Debuting in Britain on November 1, 1998, Vanity Fair subsequently aired as part of the American public TV Masterpiece Theatre anthology beginning October 24, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Natasha Little
Based on novels by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe details the exploits of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier who fights Napoleon on the battlefield and his devious wife on the home front. Sean Bean plays Sharpe, while Abigail Cruttenden portrays Jane. In "Sharpe's Justice," Sharpe faces both professional and personal betrayal as he must face a conflict of interest at work while his wife lives with another man. Unlike the other episodes of this series, this story was not adapted from one of Cornwell's novels. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sean Bean
- 1995
An undercover cop finds that the line between his own personality and that of the character he's created have begun to dangerously blur in this drama. John (Reece Dinsdale) is a British police detective whose skill is matched only by his arrogance. Acts of brutal hooliganism have become commonplace at the football matches featuring one of London's minor league teams, Shadwell Town, and the police suspect that there is a more criminal undercurrent to these actions than merely fandom gone wrong after a few pints of beer. So John is made part of an undercover team along with Trevor (Richard Graham) and two other officers; they are to blend in with the most rabid fans and learn what is behind the violence. John also makes the acquaintance of Lydia (Saskia Reeves), a barmaid at a pub where many of the hooligans hang out, he and becomes friendly with her as a way of obtaining more information. But as John sinks deeper into a life of alcohol and violence while hanging out with the Shadwell Town hooligans, he finds he likes it more and more, and in time, he finds that he's becoming one of the brutal thugs he set out to capture. He also finds his relationship with Lydia is no longer just a matter of business, much to the chagrin of his wife Marie (Claire Skinner). I.D. marked the feature debut for British director Philip Davis, who also directed several distinguished productions for U.K. television. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Reece Dinsdale, Richard Graham, (more)
- 1991
- R
Screenwriter Hanif Kureishi marked his directorial debut in this slice-of-life chronicle about a collection of drug-dealing slackers in London. Centering on a band of delinquents calling themselves "the posse," the group is led by an ambitious male hustler named Muffdiver (Steven Mackintosh). His friend, Mr. Clint Eastwood (Justin Chadwick), begins to wonder about Muffdiver when he announces that he will no longer sell drugs for the gang. But soon Clint is wondering about himself, and after being beaten and stripped naked, he decides to go legitimate and look for a real job. He applies to a chic restaurant for a job as a waiter. The owner, Hemingway (Brad Dourif), promises to hire him if he comes back to the restaurant wearing a good pair of shoes. Obsessed with landing the job, he tries any way he can to get the pair of shoes. Impressed by the efforts of Clint and Muffdiver to get normal jobs, Sylvie (Emer McCourt), a drug addict who lives with the two, is inspired to leave the street life behind herself and pursue a more ordinary vocation. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Justin Chadwick, Steven Mackintosh, (more)
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