Alan Perrin Movies
A family facing myriad disasters is forced to confront one on the form of their own son in this harrowing psychological drama from British filmmaker Simon Rumley. Donald Brocklebank (Roger Lloyd Pack) is a former British nobleman who has lost his peerage, and with it his fortune. The Brocklebank estate has fallen into disrepair, Donald's wife Nancy (Kate Fahy) is suffering from an advanced case of cancer that makes nearly any effort an agony, and their son James (Leo Bill) is a manic depressive with violent tendencies and the mind of a child. Only an operation that Donald cannot afford will save Nancy's life, so he has made plans to sell the estate in order to pay for the surgery and her subsequent care. However, Donald has to travel out of town for several days in order to complete the details of the sale. Donald has arranged for Mary (Sarah Ball), a nurse who has worked for the family before, to care for his wife while he's away, but Donald is forced to leave before Mary arrives. Determined to show his father that he's a responsible adult, James announces he'll be "looking after Mummy," locks Mary out of the house, disconnects the telephone, and stages a minor siege as Mary is determined to save Nancy's life. Nancy slowly slips into a panic as her brutal and incompetent son nearly claims her life, and matters become uglier when Mary contacts the police about the situation at the Brocklebank mansion. The Living and the Dead won the Jury Award in five categories (including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor) at the 2006 Austin Fantastic Fest. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Based on the novel by H.E. Bates, this period drama stars Embeth Davidtz as Bella Ford, a woman living in rural England during the Victorian era. Bella fell victim to Arch Wilson (Greg Wise), a unprincipled man who claimed to be from the nearby village. He seduced her only to vanish without a trace when she became pregnant. When she is outcast after her child is stillborn, a kindly villager named Ben Wainwright (Tom Bell) allows her to stay with his family in exchange for helping with the chores. However, the presence of a young and beautiful woman in the house creates a certain amount of tension between Ben, his wife (Gemma Jones), and sons Jedd (James Purefoy), a soldier; Matty (Kent Anderson), a shoemaker; and Con (Ben Chaplin), a homebody and social misfit. Con takes a shine to Bella and eventually proposes marriage; Bella accepts, but matters become complicated when she discovers that the dastardly Arch has returned to the village. Ismail Merchant served as executive producer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Embeth Davidtz, Ben Chaplin, (more)
