Stella Maris Movies
- 1994
Two years after losing both her husband and an unborn baby in a single week, Alice (Julie Walters) hopes to satisfy her maternal urges by adopting a baby. Unfortunately, the adoption agencies in Britain and the Continent are unable to match up Alice with her much-coveted newborn child. Dragging her reluctant new boyfriend along, Alice heads to the poverty-stricken inner regions of Venezuela, there to find a baby by whatever means possible, legal or otherwise. First telecast on Britain's BBC1 under its original title Bambino Mio, this 90-minute film has been released to video in Europe as Mon Enfant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Ellie is an unworldly nineteen-year old, a bookish girl from Manchester, England, who has decided to travel around the world with her friend Linda. Luckily for her, she soon learns that her friend is completely unconcerned about her when, once they get to Málaga in the south of Spain, she leaves Ellie behind while she has a tryst with a local man. Ellie is soon robbed of her possessions and stranded. However, a much more worldly, easygoing German girl helps her find a waitress job at a local restaurant, and she begins to recover from the shock of her situation. A friendly Spanish boy who is a waiter at the same restaurant helps her enjoy life a little, and by the time Linda returns from her romance, Ellie is ready to decide whether to continue with her journey. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kate Hardie, Caroline Catz, (more)
Pianist Nina (Juliet Stevenson) and cellist Jamie (Alan Rickman) played together and loved together. When they weren't making music with each other, they made love. It was an idyllic romantic and musical partnership, and when Jamie dies, Nina takes it very hard. The condolences of friends and relatives don't help much when everything in the apartment they shared reminds her of him. She's a real basket case, and can barely get on with her life. One day, while plunking dejectedly on the piano, Nina looks up to discover Jamie, in ghostly form, lively as ever and just as loving. With a few new wrinkles (such as parties which include Jamie's newfound ghost friends), they resume living their relationship almost as before. Nina's friends are puzzled at her change from suicidal despondency to giddy cheefulness, but Jamie has pledged Nina to secrecy about their renewed relationship. For that reason, she cannot find any good excuses for not responding to the romantic advances of a living man, Mark (Michael Maloney). Before long, she will have to choose between the two of them. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliet Stevenson, Alan Rickman, (more)
- 1984
Alex Rodak (Michael York) is a Polish director in exile in London with his family, which includes an older teenage son Adam (Michael Lyndon) who is struggling with an identity crisis, his wife (Joanna Szerzerbic), and another son. Rodak is in the throes of putting together a major show about Poland and the politics of exile at a West End theater. His single-minded determination to succeed causes him to take advantage of others, and because of his need for backing, he turns to a low-life businessman (John Hurt) to bail him out. His wife is anything but happy about his behavior and dislikes this last decision even more. On the opposite end of the spectrum stands Adam, who is disillusioned with his father's drive to succeed at all costs (the father does receive a few awards) and who longs to go back to his roots -- in Warsaw. The story jumps from one scene to the next with some fantasy segments and not always enough connecting narrative. Otherwise, this is an interesting study of how a father and son become alienated in a conflict between cultural identity and its exploitation. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael York, Janna Szerzerbic, (more)
- 1984
- PG
Dweebish architect Miles Harding (Lenny Von Dohlen) is hopelessly in love with neighboring musician Madeline (Virginia Madsen). He soon learns that Madeline already has an ardent suitor: Harding's own computer (voiced by Harold and Maude star Bud Cort)! When the electronic device, nicknamed Edgar, begins composing love songs dedicated to Madeline, Harding passes the tunes off as his own. At this point, the envious Edgar really goes to town, taking over all the electrical appliances in Harding's house--and dangerously meddling in its owner's life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lenny Von Dohlen, Virginia Madsen, (more)
- 1983
Heavy with symbolism and light on storyline, this unbalanced tale of an unbalanced woman leaves a few open questions at the end. When Nelly (Eileen Atkins) is first encountered in a hotel, she does not remember her family or her friends and draws a blank when a detective arrives to connect her with a series of crimes. Eventually, Nelly goes back to her family and reprises a fairly boring, mundane existence -- are there any clues within this life that lead to the crimes she supposedly committed, or even lead to her amnesia? Maybe. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eileen Atkins, Anthony Bate, (more)
