Charlotte Rampling Movies
Born in England circa 1945, actress Charlotte Rampling is the daughter of a British colonel who went on to become a NATO commander and relatively successful painter. After attending the Jeanne d'Arc Académie pour Jeunes Filles in Versailles and the prestigious St. Hilda's school in Bushley, England, Rampling worked as a model before making her film debut as a water skier in The Knack...and How to Get It (1965), director Richard Lester's acclaimed sex comedy. Her breakout role, however, wouldn't come until a year later, when she performed opposite Lynn Redgrave as the bitchy but beautiful roommate of the title character in Georgy Girl (1966). Georgy Girl set the standard for Rampling's further work, which, while not always popular with mainstream audiences, could never be conceived of as mundane. Quite the contrary, in fact -- from her role as a hitchhiker in Vanishing Point (1971) to her portrayal of Ann Boleyn in Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972) to her performance as a woman in love with a chimpanzee in Max My Love (1986), Rampling became notorious for her bold, meaningful characters. Luchino Visconti's The Damned (1969) is no exception to the rule (the incestuous political drama was originally rated X in the United States); neither was her work with Sean Connery in John Boorman's sci-fi adventure Zardoz (1973). That said, Rampling's most intense role was, arguably, that of a concentration camp survivor who is reunited with the Nazi guard (Dirk Bogarde) who tortured her throughout her captivity in 1974's The Night Porter.In 1975, Rampling starred opposite Robert Mitchum in the post-noir detective thriller Farewell, My Lovely, and offered a passionate rendering of a violent heiress confined to a mental institution in the French/Italian/German collaboration La Chair de l'Orchidée. The actress' success continued to grow throughout the later half of the 1970s, and in 1980, Rampling played a lead role alongside Woody Allen in Stardust Memories, the follow-up to the much-hailed Manhattan. Shortly afterward, Rampling could be seen as the deceitful Laura in director Sidney Lumet's courtroom drama The Verdict (1982) with Paul Newman. Rampling spent much of the mid-'80s filming in Europe; one of her most notable performances during that time was as the mysterious mistress of a murder victim in the French crime thriller On Ne Meurt Que Deux Fois, though she would return to America for Alan Parker's Angel Heart. The heavily praised voodoo-themed crime thriller featured Rampling as an ill-fated woman whose heart is irrevocably extracted from her body.
Though her fondness for murder mysteries and historical political dramas still manifested itself through her performances in Paris by Night (1989) and Invasion of Privacy (1996), Rampling also found luck in several moderately well-received comedies, including Time is Money (1994) and Asphalt Tango (1997). However, her name was launched back into the A-list after her performance as a complicated aunt in the multi-award-winning The Wings of the Dove with Helena Bonham Carter. In 2000, Rampling was nominated for her own Oscar; her portrayal of a phenomenally distraught widow in Under the Sand was praised by critics and audiences alike as one of the best performances of the year. After participating in several documentaries and the espionage thriller Spy Game (2001), Rampling starred as a conservative mystery writer in director François Ozon's Swimming Pool -- the role would win her an award for Best Actress from the European Film Academy in 2003. After her success with Swimming Pool, Rampling went on to play supporting roles in The Statement (2003) and Immortel Ad Vitam (2004). ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- 1985
In this cool, clinical adaptation of the novel about love and death by Yasunari Kawabata, Hugo (Andrzej Zulawski) is a writer whose one great book was based on an affair he had with Lea (Charlotte Rampling), a sculptor. Bereft of inspiration for a follow-up, Hugo returns years later to rekindle the flame of romance and creativity. Lea soundly rejects him, and her student Prudence (Myriem Roussel) feels a burning hatred for the man who deserted the woman/teacher she admires. So after Hugo returns to his wife and family in Paris, Prudence hunts him down to perversely seduce him in a mocking manner. In the meantime, she and Hugo's son Martin (Jean-Claude Adelin) fall in love for real. After Prudence goes back home, Martin comes for a visit -- with accidentally unhappy results for all concerned. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andrzej Zulawski, Charlotte Rampling, (more)
- 1985
On Ne Meurt Que Deux Fois, a French murder mystery based upon a novel of the same name, is an unusual, involving film with excellent performances by its entire cast. Police Inspector Staniland (Michel Serrault) is investigating the death of a pianist. While conducting his investigation and looking through the victim's apartment, he meets Barbara (Charlotte Rampling), the mistress of the murder victim. Barbara confesses to the crime, but Staniland, based on his observations and experience, does not believe her. He then sets out to find the truth, with surprising results. Both Serrault and Rampling are outstanding in this well-directed, well-paced film. On Ne Meurt Que Deux Fois was also released as He Died With His Eyes Open and won the Jury Prize at the 1985 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michel Serrault, Charlotte Rampling, (more)
- 1984
Through a series of convoluted turns, like a tornado going through Kansas, director Claude Lelouch has managed to keep a vacuum at the center of his film. A corporate executive (Michel Piccoli and a young actress (Evelyne Bouix) suddenly disappear and reappear and disappear, almost as fast as blinking Christmas tree lights. Since neither can remember what is going on, it is likely that they are suffering from the classic "I was kidnapped by an extraterrestrial" syndrome. And in fact, that may be the case because it seems that some ETs wanted to speak through these two people to tell earthlings to quit gearing up their nuclear arsenals. Jean-Louis Trintignant plays an acting teacher and Charles Aznavour plays a restaurant owner in this complex story -- yet both stars cannot carry the film on their own merits. For many viewers the labyrinth that wends its way to the final credits is a bit difficult to follow, and at the center of the labyrinth is a woefully inadequate ending. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlotte Rampling, Michel Piccoli, (more)
- 1977
An ambitious musical adaptation of Michel Déon's best-selling novel, Un Taxi Mauve is set in Ireland during a time in which the nation announced it would no longer demand income taxes of artists, bringing a steady stream of creative bohemians to the Emerald Isle. Novelist Philippe (Philippe Noiret) is a French novelist recently relocated to Ireland, where makes friends with Jerry (Edward Albert), an American expatriate who left his home after the death of his girlfriend. Philippe and Jerry become chummy with Taubelman (Peter Ustinov), who is looking after Anne, a beautiful young woman who cannot speak. Jerry becomes infatuated with Anne, while Philippe tries to win the heart of Sharon (Charlotte Rampling), Jerry's sister. Fred Astaire also appears as Dr. Scully, an American physician who has come to Ireland to live out his final years.
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlotte Rampling, Philippe Noiret, (more)
- 1976
Sherlock Holmes in New York is a topnotch TV movie starring Roger Moore (surprisingly effective as Holmes) and Patrick MacNee (an intelligent, compassionate Watson). The Great Detective travels to the Big Apple of the 1890s to thwart arch-villain Moriarty, who plans to devalue the world's gold supply. Holmes is also reunited with his lost love Irene Adler (Charlotte Rampling), whose honesty--or lack of it--is just as much in doubt as it had been in Doyle's Scandal in Bohemia. The film combines the razor-sharp deductions of Holmes with the deeper, darker aspects of his character. Sherlock Holmes in New York underwent numerous script and concept changes while the producers awaited the availability of Roger Moore, who in the mid-1970s was being kept busy as James Bond. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1975
Composer, songwriter, director, producer, and star performer Adriano Celentano has put together this tale of a seedy aristocrat's two loves, drawing upon the inspiration of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lewis. Felice (Celentano) has two wives, and he loves them both. His first, Silvia (Charlotte Rampling), faked a suicide in order to be the mistress of a wealthy man and live comfortably (divorce was not possible in Italy at this time). His second, Adelaide (Claudia Mori) cares deeply about his happiness. When Silvia comes to Felice hoping to make a baby with him, romantic complications abound, jeopardizing both relationships. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adriano Celentano, Charlotte Rampling, (more)
- 1973
Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) was one of the pivotal thinkers of the Renaissance. A Dominican friar in Italy, he left the order and taught widely throughout Europe. Among the ideas he taught were the inexpressibility of any ultimate truths and the complete relativity of ordinary truth. He also taught religious tolerance. For these and other deviations, he was burned at the stake by the Inquisition. This lavish Italian film takes up his story after he has returned to Venice from meetings with European heads of state and teaching sessions at the great universities. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gian Maria Volontè
- 1972
Henry VIII and His Six Wives is a feature film based upon the 1971 BBC miniseries The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Keith Michell weathers several makeup changes as the much-married titular monarch. While the miniseries was able to explore the political and personal reasons for the selection (and sometimes rejection) of the wives, the shortened version concentrates chiefly on such highlights as the birth of Queen Elizabeth and the execution of Anne Boleyn. The film is constructed in flashback form, with an aged Henry recalling his marital record. Side note: Donald Pleasence appears as Thomas Cromwell in Henry VIII and His Six Wives; Pleasence's daughter Angela had played Katherine Howard, Bride No. 5, in the original Six Wives of Henry VIII. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Keith Michell, Donald Pleasence, (more)
- 1972
Based on the Restoration-era play by John Ford, the Italian 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore (Addio, Fratello Cruelle) stars Charlotte Rampling as the much-put-upon Annabella. Involved in an incestuous relationship with her own brother, Annabella becomes pregnant. This necessitates a quick marriage of convenience to nobleman Soranzo (Fabio Testi). Upon finding out who's responsible for Annabella's plight, Soranzo flies off into a murderous rage. Before you blame the "liberated" 1970s for the racier aspects of 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore, please remember that the source material is 300 years old. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
Struggles over Sardinian grazing land have long been a tradition in the interior of the island where shepherding is a main economic force. This violent tale of kidnapping, extortion and murder finds a family victimized by the abduction of their college-student son. The student's girlfriend runs into a stone wall of silence from the residents before she finally goes to the police. When property rights are signed over to the mastermind of the abduction, he orders himself to be kidnapped to collect on the insurance and property monies. A friend of the family uncovers the real estate scheme linked to the crime, as the family tries to get enough money to see their son returned safely. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Franco Nero, Charlotte Rampling, (more)
- 1967
Invited to an airborne costume party, Steed and six other guests find themselves stranded on a desert island. The castaways then learn that there's a highly trained assassin in their midst. As the festivities degenerate into a campy replay of Ten Little Indians, Emma tries to figure out a means of rescuing her partner. As was the case with many fifth-season episodes, this one benefits from a superb guest-star roster, including Donald Sutherland, Brian Blessed, and Charlotte Rampling. Written by Brian Clemens, "The Superlative Seven" first aired in England on April 8, 1967, and made its American TV bow on April 21 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1967
A lawmen who is sworn to bring a rebel to justice finds himself developing a great respect and admiration for his quarry in this period drama. In the 1920s, the British Raj still rule India, and Freddy Young (Trevor Howard) is a English police officer whose duty is to keep order among the native Bhantas. While Young believes in his heart that the people of India should be free to determine their own political destiny, he is forced by his occupation to uphold British law. However, not all the Bhantas willingly follow the commands of the British, and Sultan (Yul Brynner) is an Indian determined to lead his people to freedom from colonial tyranny. Young is instructed to find and capture Sultan, but while his superiors indicate that they would not be upset if Sultan were to meet with an accident, Young is impressed by the courage and intelligence of his adversary, and he is determined to bring him back alive. Young eventually infiltrates Sultan's camp and pleads with the leader to give himself up before more bloodthirsty British forces storm his compound. The Long Duel's supporting cast includes Edward Fox and Charlotte Rampling, in roles that predated their rise to stardom. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, (more)
Georgy Girl is a bittersweet comedy drama about Georgy (Lynn Redgrave), a slightly overweight, working-class virgin in her early twenties who shares an apartment with the gorgeous, promiscuous Meredith (Charlotte Rampling). Georgy has never been the subject of the desire for any man until the wealthy, married employer of her family, James Leamington (James Mason) (for whom her parents work as servants) decides that he would like her for a mistress. Shortly afterward, the unmarried Meredith becomes pregnant and introduces Georgy to the father, Jos (Alan Bates). Georgy and Jos fall in love. Although Meredith initially wants to give the child up for adoption, she agrees to let Georgy act as surrogate mother. Meanwhile, James - whose wife unexpectedly dies -- has also indicated that he wants to marry her. As the film approaches its denouement, Georgy is faced with a tough call: should she stay single and keep the child, marry James and keep the baby, or marry Jos? We won't divulge the ending here, but the finale is a heartbreaker. Georgy Girl was a tremendously popular film upon its 1966 release, as was the Seekers' catchy title song. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Mason, Alan Bates, (more)
- 1965
England's famed comedy brothers John Boulting and Roy Boulting created this caper about a trio of crooks plotting to retrieve their ill-gotten booty. Jelly Knight (Dudley Sutton), Lenny the Dip (Kenneth Griffith), and Scapa Flood (James Beckett) are released from the stir upon finishing their sentence for pulling off a heist. They immediately go in search of their one-time leader, The Duke (Anton Rodgers), who was supposed to safeguard their share of the money. When they find the Duke's girlfriend Sara (Charlotte Rampling), she tells them that the Duke is dead, and the money is long gone. It's not long before the gang discovers that she's lying, however, and that the Duke is masquerading as the head of a spa, the Hope Springs Nature Clinic, where he is planning a felony with some criminal cronies. Jelly, Lenny, and Scapa get in on the scam, while Sara dallies with Lieutenant Vine (Ian Bannen), an officer from a nearby army camp. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anton Rodgers, Eric Sykes, (more)
- 1965
- Add The Knack ... And How to Get It to Queue Add The Knack ... And How to Get It to top of Queue
Colin (Michael Crawford, who much later won a Tony Award for his role in Broadway's Phantom of the Opera) is an uptight schoolteacher whose housemate, Tolen (Ray Brooks) is a consummate womanizer. Colin imagines a long line of young women in tight white sweaters on his stairwell, waiting to get into Tolen's room. Jealous of Tolen's incredible success with the ladies, Colin asks Tolen for advice on how to get a girl. When Tolen's advice doesn't seem very practical, Colin decides that his first order of business is to get a bigger bed. Colin is also trying to find a third roommate to take a spare room. Tom (Donal Donnelly), who seems compelled to paint everything in sight, happens by the house, and inserts himself in the spare room without so much as saying "hello." Nancy (Rita Tushingham of A Taste of Honey) is new in town, and wanders the streets of London in a fruitless search for the YWCA. She runs into Colin and Tom at the dump, where they are procuring a gigantic bed. They offer her a ride, and proceed to race through London on the bed. Colin seems too shy to speak much to Nancy, despite Tom's encouragement. Eventually, the trio reach Colin's house, where Tolen works his gruff magic on Nancy, and havoc ensues. Capturing late 1960s London in black-and-white, Richard Lester's The Knack. . .and How to Get It was released between the director's two successes with the Beatles, A Hard Day's Night and Help. The script, by Charles Wood (An Awfully Big Adventure) is based on a play by Ann Jellicoe. Future stars Jacqueline Bisset, Charlotte Rampling, and Jane Birkin appear briefly amid all the attractive young women in the film. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rita Tushingham, Ray Brooks, (more)
Director Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) and writer Alex Garland (28 Days Later) team up to adapt Remains of the Day author Kazuo Ishiguro's introspective sci-fi novel about a group of unsuspecting boarding-school students who make a horrifying discovery about themselves. Sheltered teens Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley), and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) all grew up at a remote English boarding school, and now they're hungry to explore the real world. Their dreams of freedom are soon stifled, however, upon learning that they are nothing more than clones created specifically for organ harvesting. Now, in addition to confronting their own mortality, all three must come to terms with a lifetime of emotions and unfulfilled longings while pondering their true purpose for being. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield, (more)
A disconnected accountant finds his mundane life injected with a new sense of urgency after striking up a friendship with a charismatic attorney in director Marcel Langenegger's sexually charged action thriller. Jonathan (Ewan McGregor) is an accountant who has lost his passion in life. When his powerful new lawyer friend, Wyatt (Hugh Jackman), introduces Jonathan to a salacious underground sex club called The List, the dejected accountant soon believes he has found the woman of his dreams (Michelle Williams). His newfound happiness takes a turn for the worse, however, when Jonathan is named the prime suspect in the woman's disappearance as well as the theft of 20 million dollars. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, (more)
When the mysterious death of a major athlete prompts Scotland Yard detective Roy Washburn (David Thewlis) to order the investigation of best-selling crime novelist Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), criminal psychiatrist Dr. Michael Glass (David Morrissey) is slowly drawn into Tramell's seductive world of lies and sexual intrigue in director Michael Caton-Jones belated sequel to Paul Verhoeven's 1992 erotic thriller. Upon relocating from San Francisco to London, alluring crime novelist Tramell once again finds herself pursued by authorities when all clues point to her being somehow involved in the death of a popular sports superstar. Intellectually intrigued by his new subject and undeniably drawn to her physically, Dr. Glass finds it increasingly difficult to resist the cunning black widow's devious web of deception and physical temptation. When the professional boundaries between Glass and Trammel come shattering down in a shower of unbridled lust, Dr. Glass is forced to make a difficult decision that could mean the end of both his professional career, and his life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sharon Stone, David Morrissey, (more)
The year is 2095 and the ancient Egyptian gods have returned to Earth to cast judgment on the falcon-headed god Horus in this epic fantasy from comic-book creator Enki Bilal. Given only one week by the gods to preserve his immortality, Horus must search New York City and find both a human host whose body he will inhabit and a willing mate to continue his legacy. As the enormous pyramid of the gods looms ominously over Manhattan, a beautiful and mysterious young woman named Jill wanders the streets in search of her true identity. With striking blue hair to match the azure tears that stream down her cheeks, Jill is joined in her search by a doctor determined to help her unlock her true power. In the Immortal world, reality is limited only by imagination, and the futuristic city is inhabited by creatures never conceived in even your wildest dreams. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlotte Rampling, Thomas Kretschmann, (more)
The life and times of Augustus Caesar are brought to the screen in this made-for-television historical epic. After assisting Julius Caesar in a string of military campaigns, Augustus is adopted by the Roman leader, and when Brutus and Cassius kill Julius, Augustus joins forces with Marc Antony to rid them and their associates of the Roman leadership. As Augustus becomes Rome's new and uncontested leader, he falls for the beautiful Livia and is forced to turn against Marc Antony on the field of battle. While Rome enjoys a period of wealth and progress, Livia becomes politically ambitious and Augustus finds he has become the center of an assassination plot. Augustus stars Peter O'Toole and Charlotte Rampling, who respectively portray the mature Augustus and Livia. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter O'Toole, Charlotte Rampling, (more)
A man who has been able to avoid the consequences of his actions for nearly 50 years suddenly finds he must answer pursuers on both sides of the law in this drama, based on the novel by Brian Moore and inspired by a true story. After France fell to German occupation during World War II, the Nazi-controlled Vichy government established a law-enforcement group known as the Milice, who were under the direct control of Nazi authorities. In 1944, Pierre Brossard (George Williams) is one of a handful of Milice officers who round up and execute seven Jewish resistance members in the village of Dombey. After the liberation of France, Brossard is tried and convicted for his crimes, but he manages to escape capture, and years later is pardoned. In 1992, Brossard (now played by Michael Caine) is an elderly man living a quiet life in Provence and modestly supported by fellow veterans of the Vichy regime when he's ambushed and nearly killed by a man whom he learns was a hired killer. Brossard discovers this is hardly his only problem; new legislation will allow Vichy-era war criminals who escaped punishment to be charged and tried again, and Anne Marie Livi (Tilda Swinton), a bright and aggressive French prosecutor, has joined forces with Col. Roux (Jeremy Northam) to bring Brossard, among others, to justice. While Brossard is still being clandestinely assisted by church officials and Vichy sympathizers, he must go on the run to avoid capture, and finds himself hiding from the French police as well as a cadre of underground assassins, whose alliances and purposes are frustratingly unclear. The Statement also stars Charlotte Rampling, Alan Bates, and Frank Finlay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Tilda Swinton, (more)
For I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, director Mike Hodges re-teams with Trevor Preston, the respected British television writer with whom he made a series of documentaries for ITV back in the 1960s. The film also brings the director together again with actor Clive Owen, the star of his previous film, Croupier, which signaled Hodges' resurgence. Owen plays Will Graham, a former London gangster who moved out to the country after suffering a breakdown of some sort. Will works clearing forests, and lives out of his van, until he loses his job over a lack of proper documentation. Meanwhile, Will's younger brother, Davey, is enjoying his life as a womanizing man about town, and dabbling in drug dealing, until one night, when an older man, Boad (Malcolm McDowell), has him followed and brutally assaults him. The traumatized Davey returns home and takes his own life. Will, uncertain as to where to go, finds himself drawn back to London, where he learns of Davey's death from Mrs. Barz (Sylvia Syms), his landlady. Will investigates what happened that night with his old friend, Mickser (Jamie Foreman). As Will tries to piece together what happened, he goes to visit Helen (Charlotte Rampling), his former lover, who is less than thrilled to see him after he abandoned her years earlier and eventually cut off all contact. The current neighborhood crime boss, Turner (Ken Stott), knows what Will is capable of, and sees him as a threat. Eventually, Will uncovers the truth, and is faced with the unpleasant prospect of avenging Davey's death. Screenwriter Preston took the title for the film from a sardonic song by the late Warren Zevon. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Clive Owen, Charlotte Rampling, (more)
François Ozon's psychological thriller Swimming Pool stars Charlotte Rampling as a mystery writer. When Sarah (Rampling) is offered the use of her publisher's vacation home, she accepts the offer. The conservative, repressed Sarah clashes with the house's other inhabitant, Julie (Ludivine Sagnier), the uninhibited daughter of the publisher. Julie's promiscuous sex life intrigues Sarah and starts to lead to the thawing of the emotional deep-freeze between the two. The death of one of Julie's nightly assignations complicates their lives. Swimming Pool was screened in competition at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier, (more)
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