Julia Davis Movies
Take a trip to the North Pole and discover exactly how Santa Claus makes Christmas magic happen every year in this imaginative comedy for the entire family. Produced by Aardman Features in association with Sony Pictures Animation, this fun-filled holiday film introduces viewers to Santa's mischievous son Arthur, who races to complete an important mission in time to ensure that this year's Christmas celebrations will go off without a hitch. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, (more)
A handful of young men set out to take on the decadent West but are more of a threat to themselves than anyone else in this black comedy from director Chris Morris. Omar (Riz Ahmed) is a devout Muslim living in the United Kingdom who has decided to form a terrorist cell to bring forth a jihad against a culture he believes is dominated by the sinful and ignorant. However, Omar isn't much of leader, and he's assembled an unimpressive team of fellow terrorists, among them Waj (Kayvan Novak), who lacks the brainpower to come up with ideas or direction on his own; Faisal (Adeel Akhtar), who is shy and doesn't have much to say; and Barry (Nigel Lindsay), a recent convert to Islam who tries to make up for his lack of practical knowledge with fierce passion. As Omar and his comrades debate both doctrine and methods, they ponder such notions as using birds as explosive devices, creating video communiqués with a hip-hop flavor, and attacking mosques in an effort to provoke nonviolent Muslims. But are Omar and his partners a legitimate threat to the safety of Great Britain, or just four half-bright twentysomethings with more bluster than imagination? Four Lions received its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rizwan Ahmed, Arsher Ali, (more)
Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones star in this adaptation of the Jane Austin classic about a lovelorn woman who receives a second chance for true happiness. Anne Elliot was just nineteen when she fell hopelessly in love with dashing naval officer Frederick Wentworth, so when her family attempted to convince her that she was making a terrible mistake the smitten young woman hastily broke off her engagement. That decision has haunted her ever since, and despite the fact that nearly a decade has passed not a day goes by that Anne doesn't long for Frederick's embrace. Now, eight years later, Frederick has returned a highly decorated, and extremely wealthy military man. As every eligible woman in Anne's district swoons over the handsome and successful naval officer, the crestfallen young woman still holds out hope that Frederick will somehow find it in his heart to look beyond her youthful indecision, and give her a second shot at true love. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sally Hawkins, Rupert Penry-Jones, (more)
Burt Reynolds, Robert Loggia, and Charles Durning star in this crime comedy following three retired war veterans who stumble upon $4million in stolen mob money and quickly find themselves targeted by both the Mafia and the Feds. Sam (Reynolds), Carl (Loggia), and Eddie (Durning) have all managed to survive their turbulent tours of duty, and now all they want is to settle down and enjoy their retirement in the desert paradise of Sunrise Park - located just outside of Phoenix, AZ. Up until now, the biggest concern for these three friends was who would wind up winning the affections of their sultry neighbor, a former Las Vegas showgirl named Christine (Raquel Welch). The stakes get more than a little higher, however, when the Witness Protection Program drops mob-informant Angelo Nitti in their midst. Having recently turned evidence on some of the most dangerous underworld heavies around, Angelo has been given a new name and a new home in Sunrise Park. But despite the fact that he's come clean about his criminal life, Angelo still harbors a whopper of a secret: He's quietly stashed $4million in stolen mob money, and he's planning on spending the rest of his days in style. His plan hits a hitch, however, when his three neighbors discover the loot and head out on a wild spending spree. Now, as Angelo's secret spreads among both the underworld and the authorities, unsuspecting trio Sam, Carl, and Eddie soon find themselves pursued by trigger-happy treasure hunters on both sides of the law. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Raquel Welch, (more)
This dark British comedy drama earned a devoted cult following in America when it premiered on the Oxygen cable network in summer 2004, just months after making its bow on BBC3. On first glance, Nighty Night's peculiar tone, grotesque pathos, and uneasy humor might seem like a strange fit for the Oprah network -- but only if one assumes that all women's television must pander to the Lifetime movie-of-the-week mindset. In fact, the premise of Nighty Night might almost work as a Meredith Baxter vehicle: attractive, fortyish blonde finds out her husband has cancer. But in the twisted world of Nighty Night creator/star Julia Davis, this well-worn situation provides the jumping-off point for a delicious case study in how to turn other people's sympathy into an unlimited license for bad behavior. Davis portrays Jill Tyrrell, a West Countries hairdresser who sees husband Terry's cancer scare as an excuse to reinvent her life. Despite every indication that Terry (Kevin Eldon) will respond to chemo, Jill ensconces him in a hospital, announces his death, and begins a ferocious quest to win the heart of Don (Angus Deayton), the middle-aged doctor who just moved in across the street. Unfortunately for Jill, Don is trying to revive his failing marriage to dour, MS-stricken Cathy (Rebecca Front). Undeterred, Jill installs herself as Cathy's involuntary best friend and tries a number of devious schemes to undermine the couple's reconciliation. Whether comparing her nether regions to a "cat's anus," "jogging the grief off" in high heels and lingerie, or telling cancer-stricken Terry that there's "no sense in us both being depressed," Jill hides her monstrousness behind a soft-spoken demeanor and a firm conviction that the world owes her, well, everything. Though its laugh track-free setup and subtly over-the-top tone blend the sensibilities of Absolutely Fabulous and The Office with the plot of Fatal Attraction, Nighty Night achieves a singular voice of its own in just six 30-minute episodes. ~ Rovi
All of London is in love -- or longing to be -- in Four Weddings and a Funeral writer Richard Curtis' first directorial effort. Billed as "the ultimate romantic comedy," Love Actually involves more than a dozen main characters, each weaving his or her way into another's heart over the course of one particularly eventful Christmas. The seemingly perfect wedding of Juliet (Keira Knightley) and Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) brings many of the principals together, including heartsick best man Mark (Andrew Lincoln), who harbors a very unrequited crush on Juliet. There's also recent widower Daniel (Liam Neeson), trying to help his lonely stepson Sam (Thomas Sangster) express his true feelings to a classmate. Across town, devoted working mother Karen (Emma Thompson) tries to rekindle the passion of her husband, Harry (Alan Rickman), who secretly pines for a young colleague of his. In the same office, the lonely Sarah (Laura Linney) not-so-secretly pines for a man just a few desks away (Rodrigo Santoro), who returns her affections but may not be able to dissuade her neuroses. Providing the unofficial soundtrack for all of the couples is an aging rocker (Bill Nighy) who just wants to cash in and get laid -- but even he might find a meaningful relationship in the most unlikely of places. A working print of Love Actually premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, (more)
Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig, the writer and director of the 12th Dogme 95 film, 2000's critically acclaimed Italian for Beginners, presents this comedy drama starring Jamie Sives and Adrian Rawlins as brothers Wilbur and Harbour. When their mother died early in their lives, it became up to Harbour to keep tabs on Wilbur, the younger and chronically depressed of the two siblings. Now in their thirties, their father has passed away, leaving them to take over the family's used book store. It is there that they encounter Alice (Shirley Henderson), a hospital janitor who sells the books that patients leave behind, and her young, optimistic daughter, Mary (Lisa McKinlay). Together, the four form a bond that changes each of their lives, with Harbour falling in love with Alice and Mary's sunny demeanor giving the suicidal Wilbur a reason to live. The first English-language effort from Scherfig, Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself was nominated for best film at Denmark's 2003 Bodil Awards. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jamie Sives, Adrian Rawlins, (more)
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