Geoff Bell Movies
Director Steven Spielberg's epic World War I drama details the remarkable bond between a man named Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and his loyal horse, Joey. Adapted from the novel by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse follows the growing friendship between man and beast as Albert trains Joey, and then follows Joey on an incredible journey across the English countryside after the pair are forcibly separated. Along the way, Joey touches the lives of everyone he comes into contact with, including British and German soldiers, as well as a kindly French farmer and his impressionable granddaughter. Later, in no man's land, Joey's extraordinary saga winds to a poignant and deeply affecting climax. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, (more)
Screenwriter Rowan Joffe makes his feature directorial debut with this adaptation of author Graham Greene's 1939 novel about an ambitious British gangster who will stop at nothing in his quest for ultimate power. Britain, 1964: Pinkie (Sam Riley) is well on his way to becoming one of the most powerful figures in the British underworld when naïve waitress Rose (Andrea Riseborough) links him to a brutal murder. In order to ensure that Rose remains silent about the crime, Pinkie seduces her, and begins tracking her every move. John Hurt, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, and Oscar winner Helen Mirren co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Helen Mirren
London enforcer "Boots" Mason (Gary Stretch) discovers that he's got a bounty on his head after getting caught in the crosshairs of rogue cop Dunn (Vinnie Jones), and seek vengeance against his estranged family as his brother (Adrian Paul) rises to power in the world of politics. Stephen Rea, Jean Marsh, and Christopher Lee co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gary Stretch, Stephen Rea, (more)
A gorgeous con artist sells a fake painting to a powerful gangster and discovers that crime doesn't pay when her unsatisfied customer hires Europe's top assassin to take her out. But the moment Victor (Bill Nighy) gets Rose (Emily Blunt) in his crosshairs, he hesitates. The situation grows tense when Victor vows to protect the sprightly scammer rather than rubbing her out, and finds himself the unwitting mentor to a young protégée. Before long, all three are on the run from Europe's second-best assassin. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Emily Blunt, Bill Nighy, (more)
A group of vacationing twenty-somethings are terrorized by a mysterious predator during a weekend boating excursion into the Norfolk Broads. Lost in the endless miles of winding waterways, the few remaining survivors must fight for their lives while attempting to find their way back to civilization. Nick Cohen and Christopher Baker team up to direct a rural horror shocker released as part of the fourth annual AfterDark Horrorfest. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Geoff Bell
An emotionally tortured teenager returns from the grave and promptly makes life hell for those who ostracized him, in this jet-black horror comedy with echoes of Carrie At the center of the British secondary school in question is Justine (Tuppence Middleton), a pampered, elitist rich bitch. Following the suicide of a bullied classmate - overweight, asthmatic Darren Mullett (Calvin Dean) - Justine tries to wheedle her way into the "in crowd," whose members are every bit as snotty and obnoxious as she is, and strikes up a torrid affair with Alexis (Dimitri Leonidas), the most popular boy in class. For a time, everyone assumes that Darren is dead and gone; then his corpse begins turning up and gruesomely picking off the bullies, one by one. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, (more)
A train conductor (Danny Glover), a pre-med student (LeeleeSobieski), and a fast-talking salesman (Steve Zahn) find their greed clashing with their better judgment after stumbling into a fortune in diamonds aboard a speeding locomotive, and attempting to figure out a way to keep their discovery a secret. A nameless passenger has died en route to an unknown destination. His only possession: a mysterious box containing a valuable treasure. With that amount of money, the conductor, the student, and the salesman could all live comfortably for the rest of their days. But all three would rather have the fortune to themselves, and as the train races toward its destination, temptation, betrayal, deceit drives them each to irrational extremes in a paranoid bid to outsmart the others. Little do these three desperate souls realize that there's something sinister to this innocent looking box, and they might not find out what it is until it's already too late. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Danny Glover, Steve Zahn, (more)
A charmingly naïve boy from the English village of Wall travels to a magical, mythical world in search of the falling star that will help him win the heart of his true love in this fantasy adventure starring Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ricky Gervais, and Sienna Miller. For hundreds of years the massive cobblestone barrier that surrounds the sleepy English hamlet of Wall has kept the citizens of the village safe and secure from the malevolent supernatural forces that stir just outside its perimeter. When dashing Tristan Thorne (Cox) promises the fairest girl in the village, Victoria (Miller), that he will prove his love by bestowing her with a genuine falling star, his daring mission sends him on an adventure far outside the comfortable confines of Wall. In order to find the fallen star, Tristan will have to ascend the wall and venture deep into the forbidden heart of the fantastical realm known as Stormhold. Upon discovering that the meteorite he sought was in fact a beautiful girl named Yvaine (Danes), who has stumbled though space and is now being pursued by the King of Stormhold's (Peter O'Toole) sons (who long to use her cosmic powers to lay claim to the throne), Tristan vows to protect the otherworldly visitor at all costs. But the king's sons aren't the only ones in search of the luminous Yvaine; fearsome witch Lamia (Pfeiffer) has become convinced that the young girl's power can help her to achieve eternal youth and beauty. As Tristan makes his way through Stormhold on a mission to bring the star back to Wall, he will encounter a series of spectacular characters and creatures that will lead him to a fate he never imagined. Layer Cake director Matthew Vaughn serves as director and co-screenwriter for this tale of witches and pirates adapted from the novel by fantasy icon Neil Gaiman, who also produces. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, (more)
A professional thief finds his luck going from bad to worse when he's sent to Russia to steal a priceless antique crucifix and becomes the terrified target of a serial killer who takes the title of "headhunter" all too seriously. Career larcenist Ritchie Donovan (Stephen Dorff)'s latest job has just ended in tragedy, and he still owes a fortune to a fearsome Russian godfather. Fortunately for Ritchie, the crime kingpin is feeling especially benevolent today, and offers the luckless cat burglar one last chance to settle his debt. All Ritchie has to do is travel to Moscow, ascent a skyscraper penthouse, crack the safe, and steal an antique crucifix. It couldn't have been a simpler plan, but when the robbery ends in murder and police surround the building, Ritchie and the gang are forced to take hostages. Just as it begins to appear as if all hope is lost, the elevator that Ritchie and his fellow gangsters are traveling on comes to a complete stop on the building's unused thirteenth floor. But landing on the thirteenth floor of this building may not have been the lucky break it first appeared, because lying in wait on the hidden level is a serial killer with a knack for collecting heads. He makes no secret of his hobby either, because his gruesome trophies line these seldom-wandered halls like a nightmarish testament to the ultimate gamesman. With the cops closing in from below, psychotic Russian gangsters on all sides, panicked hostages freaking out, and a homicidal maniac somewhere too close for comfort, all Ritchie cares about now if getting his feet back on the ground before he loses his head. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stephen Dorff, Jamie Foreman, (more)
An American abroad is introduced to the heady but dangerous pleasures of violence in this powerful drama from Great Britain. Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) is a journalism student from America who is expelled from college when his roommate sets him to take the fall after drugs are found in their dorm room. Needing time to sort out what his next move should be, Matt travels to London to visit his sister Shannon (Claire Forlani), who has married British Steve Dunham (Marc Warren). As it happens, Matt arrives at a less than opportune moment, and he ends up spending his first evening in the U.K. with Steve's brother Pete (Charlie Hunnam). Pete hangs out with a "firm" of friends who call themselves "the Green Street Elite" and are passionate fans of the West Ham United football club (Matt quickly discovers calling British football "soccer" is an easy way to get your teeth knocked out). Pete has little use for Matt until the Green Street Elite get into a dust-up with another firm; Matt turns out to be a fierce if inexperienced fighter, and discovers he enjoys the kick of street brawling. Matt is cautiously accepted by Pete and the other members of the firm, and is soon absorbed into the very British world of violent football fandom. But when Pete and his friends learn that Matt studied journalism, they begin to suspect he's a reporter doing an undercover piece on hooliganism, and they set out to teach him an ugly lesson about loyalty. The debut feature film from British director Lexi Alexander, Green Street Hooligans (initially shown simply as Hooligans) was the first film ever to win both the Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Charlie Hunnam, (more)
- 2004
- R
In the era when Britain's criminal elite fled for the safety of Spain in order to escape the long-arm of Margaret Thatcher, a young scoundrel from the tenements of South London finds the allure of money, women, and drugs leading him down a dangerous path of self-destruction. Assigned the task of delivering a large sum of money to an ex-con named Charlie (Tamer Hassan) in Puerto Banus, English lad Frankie (Danny Dyer) becomes hopelessly enamored with the laid back lifestyle enjoyed by the cheeky playboy and his loyal ensemble of British ex-pats. Though it isn't long before Frankie is named Charlie's second in command, the situation soon begins to heat up when loyalties start to shift and business takes a back seat to pleasure. There's no doubt that Frankie has a flair for the criminal lifestyle, though by the looks of things he's getting a little too comfortable with his newfound position of power. When Frankie succumbs to temptation and begins romancing Carly (Georgina Chapman), the flirtatious girlfriend of psycho gangster Sonny (Roland Manookian), it begins to look as if the lawless apprentice's whirlwind criminal career will soon end with a bang. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Danny Dyer, Tamer Hassan, (more)
The subject of one of Johannes Vermeer's most enduring portraits becomes the focus of this biographical period piece from director Peter Webber. Girl With a Pearl Earring is told from the point of view of Griet (Scarlett Johansson), a teenaged girl who leaves her family's care in the country to become a servant for the Vermeer household in the comparatively bustling, canal-laden burgh of Delft. When she arrives, she finds herself at the low end of the servant totem pole, until she's allowed to clean "the master's" painting quarters. There, she catches the eye of the taciturn, reclusive Vermeer (Colin Firth), and over a period of time, he begins to craft her portrait. Of course, this does little to further his relationship with his jealous, pregnant wife, Catharina (Essie Davis), or with his most vocal benefactor, van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson), who often dictates what portraits Vermeer should paint. Meanwhile, Griet navigates a sweet, tentative relationship with a peasant boy her age (Cillian Murphy). Girl With a Pearl Earring had its North American premiere at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, (more)
Set in 1978 England, AKA opens with 18-year-old Dean (Matthew Leitch) being kicked out of his working-class home by his abusive father. Shy but socially ambitious, Dean subsequently finds work with high society marm Lady Gryffon (Diana Quick), who introduces him to the privileged set. However, Dean does something to perturb the good lady, and is unceremoniously kicked out of her household. Loathe to part company with the perks of high society, he assumes the identity of Lady Gryffon's son, Alex, and relocates to Paris. There, he makes the acquaintance of Benjamin (Peter Youngblood Hills), a cute but drug-riddled American, and Benjamin's lover David (George Asprey), an older playboy who has the hots for Dean. What unfolds is a tale of deceit, class warfare, and the complexities of sexual identity. AKA was screened at the 2002 Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- Starring:
- Matthew Leitch, George Asprey, (more)
- 2001
The great British obsession with football (soccer to Americans) receives a thorough skewering in this mock documentary look at perhaps the most hapless coach in the history of professional sport. The manager of England's national football unexpectedly succumbs to a heart attack, and suddenly the search is on for a replacement. Most people who seem qualified for the position have the good sense to turn it down, and so the responsibility falls to Mike Bassett (Ricky Tomlinson), a scruffy and loud-mouthed lout whose claim to football fame is leading a previously undistinguished team to a league championship. Bassett insists that England will win the World Cup under his leadership, but that's before he replaces his star player with a once-gifted footballer (Dean Lennox Kelly) who has since developed a drinking problem, and hired a one-time car salesman (Philip Jackson) as his assistant. After several stunning losses to Poland, Bassett goes from a favorite of both fans and the press to one of the most hated men in England; hoping to whip his team into shape, he subjects them to the high-tech training methods of eccentric Dr. Shoegaarten (Ulrich Thomsen), which injures more players than it helps. Despite Bassett's ineptitude, England manages to qualify for the World Cup tournament thanks to a loophole in the rules, and he flies to Rio with his team in hopes of somehow turning their bad luck around. British television journalist Martin Bashir, musician and comic Keith Allen, and international football sensation Pele all appear as themselves to lend Mike Bassett: England Manager an air of authenticity. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ricky Tomlinson, Amanda Redman, (more)
The classic Burt Reynolds football-behind-bars flick The Longest Yard crosses the pond and gets an appropriate British accent in the process in this rough-and-tumble mixture of sports and action-comedy. Danny Mehan (Vinnie Jones) was one of the biggest stars in British football (what Americans call soccer), until he was caught rigging a game during a championship tournament. In the wake of this scandal, Danny's career takes a nosedive and his life spins out of control, until he finally ends up in prison for three years on an assault and battery conviction. Danny discovers there are a number of football fans behind bars who still hate him for fixing the game, but Danny has one powerful fan in this prison. The warden (David Hemmings) is a devoted football supporter with a taste for gambling; he's been trying to assemble a semi-pro team comprised of the prison's guards, but Danny is just smart enough to know this would seal his fate with his fellow prisoners. Instead, he offers to put together a team of inmates, who can play practice games against the guards. A new inmate, Sykes (John Forgeham), gets wind of Danny's idea and arranges an exhibition match between Danny's new team and the guards, though Sykes' motivation is more than just good fun. A powerful bookie, Sykes lost a fortune on the game Danny threw, and expects betting to be heavy for this game. If Danny and his men win, Sykes could make back the fortune he lost, but if the guards come out ahead, Danny's goose is cooked. Can Danny turn a gang of losers, misfits, and violent psychopaths -- including muscle-bound lunatic Monk (Jason Statham), creepy but loyal Billy the Limpit (Danny Dyer), tough guy Massive (Vas Blackwood), pyromaniac Nitro (Robbie Gee), and enthusiastic but out-of-shape Raj (Omid Djalili) -- into a proper team with a fighting chance of winning? Mean Machine was produced by Matthew Vaughn, who was also behind Guy Ritchie's tough-but-stylish crime comedies Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. Star Vinnie Jones, by the way, enjoyed a career as a professional footballer in Great Britain before turning to acting. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vinnie Jones, Jason Statham, (more)
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