Rollo Weeks Movies
The family friendly adventure film George and the Dragon tells the tale of a knight who, upon returning home after an unsettling period fighting the Crusades, agrees to find a king's missing daughter in order to possess some land in a quiet area of the world. Soon he learns that in order to return the princess, George will be forced to outwit a dragon with the help of his loyal friend Elmendorf. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Purefoy, Piper Perabo, (more)
This historical drama from director Stephen Poliakoff was produced for and originally aired on the BBC. Miranda Richardson and Tom Hollander star as Queen Mary and King George V. After discovering that their son Prince John (Daniel Williams and Matthew Thomas) suffers from epilepsy and learning disabilities, the royals have the boy sent off to be raised in a rural farmhouse, lest he tarnish the family's image of superiority. Removed from the public eye and the attention of his parents, Prince John forms a loving bond with his nurse, Lalla (Gina McKee). ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miranda Richardson, Tom Hollander, (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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, (more)
A thieving band of orphans who steal from the rich simply to survive encounter a supernatural merry-go-round with mysterious powers in this screen adaptation of award-winning author Cornelia Funke's popular series of children's books. Left in the care of their abusive aunt following the death of their mother, two young boys flee to Venice, Italy in hopes that life will be easier on their own. Times are tough in Venice though, and after meeting mysterious young thief Scipio the desperate runaways soon agree to join his band of pint-sized pickpockets. When a detective assigned the task of bringing the youngsters in becomes privy to their impoverished plight, he joins them in solving the mystery of a powerful merry-go-round that appears to have special powers. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Stephen Frears, the director who bolstered his international reputation with his Choderlos de Laclos adaptation Dangerous Liaisons (1988), returns to the annals of period intrigue over 20 years later with this melodrama, which reunites him with Liasons scripter Christopher Hampton and star Michelle Pfeiffer. An adaptation of Colette's 1920 novel of the same name, the tale unfurls in late 19th century Paris -- La Belle Époque -- where numerous courtesans (or female companions of noblemen who occupied the royal courts) have worked their way up through the ranks of high society. Two retired courtesans, Charlotte Peloux (Kathy Bates) and Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer), meet for some routine gossip; Lea then meets Charlotte's hedonistic playboy son, nicknamed "Chéri" (Rupert Friend), and a passionate, erotic affair blossoms for the next six years between Lea and Chéri. Eventually, Charlotte makes an aggressive attempt to interfere with the situation by setting up an arranged marriage between Chéri and the virginal 18-year-old Edmée (Felicity Jones), the daughter of another ex-courtesan, Marie-Laure (Iben Hjejle). Lea feels irritated, and responds by seeking out young male lovers during a vacation in Biarritz, but the attached Chéri is not far behind, and in seemingly no time at all the two resume their bedroom liaisons. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, (more)
