Jonny Phillips Movies
The Jacket director John Maybury adapts playwright Sharman MacDonald's account of the true-life relationships shared between Welsh poet Dylan Thomas; his wife, Caitlin; his lifelong friend Vera Phillips; and her husband, William Killick, in this biographical drama centering on the curious incident in which Thomas found his home turned into a war zone when Phillips and Killick attacked the abode with a machine gun and a grenade. Sienna Miller assumes the role of Dylan's wife, Caitlin, and Keira Knightley joins the cast as the trigger-happy Phillips in a film that not only reunites Knightley with Jacket director Maybury, but takes its cue from the play penned the Pirates of the Caribbean star's mother as well. Lindsay Lohan was originally tapped to play Caitlin, but dropped out due to contractual disagreements. The film also stars Matthew Rhys (Brothers & Sisters) as Thomas and Cillian Murphy as Killick. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, (more)
- 2008
- R
The notorious life of the U.K.'s "most violent prisoner" serves as the subject of Pusher Trilogy director Nicolas Winding Refn's brutal biopic. Born Michael Peterson but later renamed by his fight promoter, Charles Bronson's sole ambition in life was to become famous. Surmising that the fastest means of accomplishing his goal with such limited opportunities was to cultivate a stylized persona as a hardened criminal, the ambitious do-badder embraced a desperate existence of extreme savagery. But who is the real man behind the warped persona? Seeing as how 28 of Bronson's 34 years behind bars were spent in solitary confinement, that's a difficult question to answer. The terror of the legend comes to vivid life, however, as director Refn explores the twisted alternate reality created by Bronson, and highlights precisely how the controversial criminal staged himself within that anarchistic world. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
William Makepeace Thackeray's witty assessment of the British class system, as seen through the experiences of one young woman, is brought to the screen with some serious star power in this period comedy drama. Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) is a bright and ambitious girl born to a poor British family. Becky is determined to make something of herself however she can, and after accepting a job as a nanny for the children of the powerful and aristocratic Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins), she wastes no time ingratiating herself with the family. Pretty Becky catches the eye of Crawley's handsome and eligible son Rawdon (James Purefoy), and becomes chummy with sharp-tongued Aunt Matilda (Eileen Atkins). Between the two of them, Becky is introduced to London's most exclusive social circle, where she becomes re-acquainted with Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai), a former school chum who is amused by Becky's efforts to scale the ladder of social influence. Becky weds Rawdon, but following initial happiness, the social and economic stability she dreamed of begins to collapse when he begins drowning his troubles in gambling and drink, and soon she turns to the powerful Marquess of Steyne (Gabriel Byrne) for support. Meanwhile, Amelia's fortunes fall even harder following the death of her husband. Vanity Fair was directed by Mira Nair, who enjoyed a surprise international success with 2002's Monsoon Wedding. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reese Witherspoon, Romola Garai, (more)
- 2002
Based on Peter Lovesey's novel On the Edge, this British TV production is a comic variation on the old "exchange murder" device so beloved of writer Patricia Highsmith and filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. Shortly after the end of WWII, old friends Antonia (Helen McCrory) and Rose (Fay Ripley) unexpectedly catch up with each other. Comparing notes, the ladies find that they're both mired in unhappy marriages. Since divorce is out of the question, Antonia and Rose enter into an agreement to do away with one another's husbands: In both cases, it will look like an accident, and how in the world could anyone find a link between the killings? Unfortunately, once the deeds are done, the "perfect" scheme begins to unravel thanks to Rose's cold feet and Antonia's eccentric approach to the art of murder. First seen in the U.K. on October of 2002, Dead Gorgeous was shown as part of the PBS anthology Mystery! on July 6, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen McCrory, Fay Ripley, (more)
Scottish short film director David Mackenzie made his feature-film debut in 2002 with The Last Great Wilderness, the tale of two oddballs stuck in a sleepy Scottish town out in the middle of nowhere. The romantically jilted Charlie (Alastair Mackenzie) is headed to a remote location in the Highlands to burn down the house of the celebrity that stole his girlfriend away from him. On the way, he is forced to give a ride to a pseudo-Spaniard named Vincente (Jonny Phillips) who is on the run after sleeping with a violent thug's wife. En route, the car breaks down and the men are forced to stay at the Moor Lodge -- home to a group of similarly odd people that Charlie and Vince soon find themselves compelled to learn more about. The Last Great Wilderness premiered at the 2002 Edinburgh Film Festival. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alastair Mackenzie, Jonathan Phillips, (more)
