Christopher Maltman Movies

17th Century Baroque composer Henry Purcell 's 1689 chamber opera Dido and Aeneas comes to life through the efforts of London's Opéra Comique in this 2008 production, which stars Malena Ernman as Dido and Christopher Maltman as Aeneas. William Christie did the musical direction, Deborah Warner designed the sets, and the chorus and opera of Les Arts Florissants provide musical accompaniment. François Roussillon directs. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

John Adams' audacious contemporary opera about the 1985 capture of the ocean liner Achille Lauro is given a faithful screen adaptation in this production financed by the British television network Channel 4. A large group of tourists book passage aboard the Achille Lauro for a 12-day cruise in the Mediterranean, and when the ship docks in Alexandria for two days, just over half of the passengers head into town for shopping and sightseeing. While the ship is docked, a maid cleaning a stateroom discovers four of the passengers left on board are actually members of the Palestine Liberation Organization who are traveling incognito. Startled by their discovery, the PLO cadre is forced to move forward immediately with their plan, and they round up the passengers on board, holding them hostage in the dining room, and demanding the release of 50 Palestinian activists held in Israeli jails in exchange for the freedom and safety of the tourists. As Egyptian, American, Italian, and Palestinian authorities bicker over the best way to handle the situation (and who would negotiate with the terrorists), the kidnappers find themselves dealing with rebellion among their captives, and an argument between the four PLO members and Leon Klinghoffer, a Jewish-American confined to a wheelchair, eventually escalates into violence. The Death of Klinghoffer stars Christopher Maltman, Sanford Sylvan, Tom Randle, Yvonne Howard, and Kamel Boutros. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Like Tchaikovsky and other classical geniuses, Franz Schubert buried a dark and somewhat disturbing lifestyle beneath a myriad of extraordinary musical accomplishments. A notorious rake, Schubert contracted such a severe case of syphilis that he endured a forced hospitalization, yet his difficult recuperation and physical suffering reportedly inspired some of his most glorious works. The documentary The Double Life of Franz Schubert: An Exploration of His Life and Work unflinchingly hones in on this period of development and growth in Schubert's life. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi