Kate Magowan Movies
Sturdy, unconventionally attractive British actress Kate Magowan built a substantial onscreen career during the mid- to late 2000s. Throughout, she revealed a marked preference for U.K. independent films and a laudable ability to ferret out critically respected material. The actress landed one of her first cinematic roles under the aegis of esteemed director Michael Winterbottom, with a bit part on the filmmaker's 2002 feature 24 Hour Party People -- a hugely ambitious, if imperfect, trip through the musical history of Manchester, England. She followed it up (and received higher billing) with the similarly themed It's All Gone Pete Tong (2004), a mockumentary about the rise and fall of a DJ. Magowan is best known to American audiences, however, for her colorful turn as a witch's slave (opposite Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer) in the 2007 Stardust. The film represented Magowan's first major Hollywood effort. In her native England, Magowan appeared as a guest star on such television series as The Bill and Manchild. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
This digital-video biopic uses the life of journalist, record mogul and club owner Tony Wilson to frame the story of the Manchester, England, music scene from the heyday of punk through the late-'80s "Madchester" era. As the founder of staunchly independent Factory Records, Wilson (Steve Coogan) shepherded the careers of doomed post-punk combo Joy Division, synth-pop superstars New Order and hedonistic louts the Happy Mondays. Along the way, he helped bring rave culture to Britain under the aegis of the legendary Hacienda nightclub. 24 Hour Party People follows Wilson from his conversion to punk at a seminal Sex Pistols concert through the suicide of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, the overwhelming success of New Order and the eventual dissolution of the Factory empire thanks to bad business decisions, underworld ties and the hedonistic excess of the Happy Mondays. Directed by Michael Winterbottom and written by frequent collaborator Frank Cottrell Boyce, 24 Hour Party People features cameos from a large number of Manchester music luminaries. The supporting cast includes Shirley Henderson and John Simm, both of whom appeared in Winterbottom's Wonderland, while the film's title comes from a Happy Mondays song. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Coogan, Shirley Henderson, (more)
The rise, fall, and rebirth of a turntable master sets the stage for this comedy drama with elements of mockumentary. Frankie Wilde (Paul Kaye) is one of the world's leading dance music DJs; his sets in Ibiza are the stuff of legend, he commands a premium fee to spin in clubs around the world, he's in demand for his remixing skills, and he's launched a promising career as a recording artist. Frankie has a mansion, a beautiful wife, and a stepson, but there are a few other things that he also has -- a dangerous appetite for liquor and drugs, and a hearing problem that's getting worse. When Frankie's hearing begins to interfere with his work, his life and career go into a tailspin -- he becomes a sloppy, chemically imbalanced wreck, and his wife leaves him once the money begins to run out. Frankie is near the bottom of the barrel when he meets Penelope (Beatriz Batarda), a beautiful but hard-shelled woman who can stand up to Frankie's wild side while teaching him how to read lips and start life over again. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Kaye, Beatriz Batarda, (more)
This British drama follows a day in the lives of four poor youths living in an impoverished neighborhood in West London, where the pressure and desperation of poverty propels each of them towards the choice between a life of bleakness, violence, and crime, and the terrifying prospect of striving for a better life. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aml Ameen, Red Madrell, (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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, (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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Philip Glenister, John Simm, (more)
