Tim McInnerny Movies

As the Black Death sweeps through Medieval England, young monk Osmund (Eddie Redmayne) sends his girlfriend, Averill (Kimberley Nixon), to the safety of the remote forest while he remains at the monastery to serve God. Shortly thereafter, Ulric (Sean Bean) and his fierce band of Christian crusaders show up seeking a guide to help them locate an isolated village that is said to be untouched by the Black Plague. Convinced that this may be his one opportunity to reunite with Averill and serve a higher power at the same time, Osmund volunteers. Later, as the group departs, Osmund learns that their mission has much darker implications. Rumors persist that within the village dwells a necromancer with the power to bring the dead back to life; their true goal is to take the sorcerer back to the bishop for confession, trial, and execution. Under the leadership of the deeply reverent Ulric, the group forges ever deeper into the blighted countryside, encountering madness, unrest, and unspeakable suffering along the way. Later, when the seekers finally arrive at their remote destination, they quickly find that the fantastical rumors seem rooted in fact -- not a single one of the villagers shows signs of infection, food remains plentiful, and spirits there are high. When mysterious village matriarch Langiva (Carice van Houten) reveals that survival does not come without sacrifice, however, Osmund realizes that his dark journey has only just begun. John Lynch and Tim McInnerny star in this shocking period horror film from director Christopher Smith (Severance, Creep) and writer Dario Poloni (Wilderness). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Award-winning screenwriter Andrew Davies adapts author Allan Hollinghurst's Booker Prize-winning novel for the screen with this three-part saga of love, sex, class, and money set against the backdrop of the Thatcher era. As the conservative government rises to power in the turbulent 1980s and four years of tragedy and transformation are set into motion, a young gay male living in Britain experiences everything from the ecstasy of falling in love to the agony of the emerging AIDS epidemic. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

History's most renowned ladies' man finally meets his match in this historical romance laced with comedy and adventure. In Venice in 1753, Giacomo Casanova (Heath Ledger) is a notorious playboy whose way with women goes too far when he's caught leaving the bedroom of a novice nun, and one of the leading prosecutors of the Inquisition, Pucci (Jeremy Irons), puts him on trial. The Doge (Tim McInnerny), Venice's political point man, is a friend of Casanova's and pulls strings to get him off the hook and allow him to stay in the city, but under one condition -- he must take a wife and remain faithful to her. Casanova sets his sights on Victoria (Natalie Dormer), a lovely young maiden who is obviously taken with the handsome ladykiller, but he's not the only one who wants her hand. Giovanni Bruni (Charlie Cox) is a young man who is very much in love with Victoria, and in order to move him out of the picture, Casanova challenges him to a duel. However, when Casanova is bested in swords in the challenge, he discovers he's actually been parrying with Giovanni's sister, Francesca (Sienna Miller). As Casanova gets to know Francesca, he discovers she's a gifted writer and a bright and independent woman as well as a good hand with a sword, and he comes to the realization that she's the woman he wants to take to the altar. However, Francesca has already been promised to the vain and chubby Papprizzio (Oliver Platt), a man she's never met, and she doesn't seem at all interested in the notorious Casanova. Casanova also stars Lena Olin, and Omid Djalili. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Glenn Close goes to the dogs once again in this sequel to 101 Dalmatians, Disney's 1996 live-action adaptation of their beloved animated classic. After three years in prison, Cruella De Vil (Close) is judged to have paid her debt to society and is set free, as she pledges to have nothing to do with animal fur (especially dogs) ever again. Meanwhile, Kevin (Ioan Gruffudd) operates an animal shelter that has fallen on hard times; unless he's able to find new financial support, the lost dogs he's been caring for will have nowhere to go. Kevin and his girlfriend Chloe (Alice Evans), who happens to be Cruella's parole officer, get the idea of bringing their plight to the people through the press, but media reports of the shelter's problems attract an unlikely benefactor -- Cruella. While Ms. De Vil claims the purest of intentions, it seems the shelter is housing a large number of dalmatians, and in cahoots with mad fashion designer Monsieur Le Pelt (Gérard Depardieu), she plans to turn the puppies into haute couture. 102 Dalmatians was the first live-action feature for director Kevin Lima, who previously helmed two animated features for Disney, A Goofy Movie and Tarzan. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Based on the tell-all autobiography by Nick Leeson, Rogue Trader tells the true story of how one man managed to bring down England's best respected merchant bank. Ewan McGregor plays Leeson, an ambitious young man from North London who is hired by the Barings Brothers Bank and sent to Indonesia to help untangle some problems with bearer bonds. Leeson does well enough to earn a transfer to Singapore, where he's put in charge of Barings' staff at the Singapore International Money Exchange. The Asian economy is booming and a variety of new financial strategies are changing the shape of the marketplace; while his superiors in London are a bit baffled by the range of possibilities, Leeson takes to the work like a duck to water, and he's soon trusted to do as he pleases. This eventually proves to be his downfall; without a separate team watching the accounts in the back office, Leeson is soon juggling figures to cover up for certain mistakes and gambling on the market with the bank's funds, not just their clients'. In 1995, Leeson's schemes finally collaped, leaving Barings bankrupt; Nick and his wife (another Barings employee) tried to flee the country to avoid arrest. Leeson was eventually sentenced to six-and-a-half years in a Singapore prison for his financial misdeeds; he was released after four years and four months, a week before Rogue Trader opened in British theaters. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Richard Loncraine takes Shakespeare's classic tale of treachery, Richard III, and transplants it to the 1930s. Ian McKellen is Richard who, as the film opens, begins plotting against his brother Edward, who has just ascended to the throne after a bloody civil war. Richard begins by seducing and wedding Lady Anne (Kristin Scott Thomas), whom he made a widow during the war. With the help of some loyal henchmen, Richard succeeds in murdering his older brother Clarence (Nigel Hawthorne), which so upsets Edward that he dies. Eventually, the crown falls to the young Prince of Wales (Marc Williamson). Richard is assigned to be the young king's protector, but instead, he has the boy and his brother jailed in the Tower of London. Richard seizes control over the country, but his ruthless quest for power eventually makes him powerful enemies, led by Henry Richman (Dominic West), who attempt to stop him. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

The fourth series of Blackadder episodes, logically titled Blackadder Goes Forth, commenced on September 28, 1989. Rowan Atkinson was back as the latest in a long line of Blackadders, this one named Captain Edmund. Having joined the Army to meet beautiful and willing damsels, the cowardly Edmund was aghast when Great Britain entered the First World War. In the episode titled "Plan A: Captain Cook," Edmund conspires with his traditional crony Baldrick (Tony Robinson) to avoid combat duty by becoming Official War Artist. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Anxious to be transferred far away from the trenches of France, Captain Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) arranges a musical show for the top brass. The plan comes acropper when Baldrick (Tony Robinson) stops the show with a disgusting Charlie Chaplin impression. Making matters even dicier, the general (Stephen Fry) falls in love with a sexy female chanteuse -- who turns out to be Lt. George St. Barleigh (Hugh Laurie) in disguise. "Plan C: Major Star" was originally telecast in England on October 12, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Faced with the prospect of joining the AEF in the "big push" against the Germans, Captain Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) goes insane -- or at least he pretends to. Only a last-minute phone call to Field Marshall Douglas Haig (Geoffrey Palmer) stands between Edmund and the Kaiser's guns. Will our "hero" be sacrificed to the Great Cause, or will there somehow be a fifth season of Blackadder episodes? "Plan F: Goodbyeee" was originally telecast on November 2, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An unusually principled young Viking becomes increasing uncomfortable with all the killing and plundering that goes with the job, and sets out on a magical journey in order to bring about world peace. Former Monty Python member Terry Jones attempts to have his story of Erik's seemingly hopeless quest operate as both witty, lunatic satire and sincere children's fantasy. However, despite a good cast and some interesting design elements, the film fails to completely succeed at either of its goals. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi