Ian Richardson Movies
Similar to British countrymen and great thespians John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson, although a generation later, Ian Richardson has made more of an enduring career in classical theater and BBC television than in films, although in later years he has gravitated toward the latter. Little did he expect it, but his most memorable (and frequently parodied) role may have been as the limousine occupant who asks, "Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?" in that popular television ad. His dignified countenance and locutions have brought him frequent casting as men of education and refinement.Richardson was born on April 7, 1934, in Edinburgh, Scotland, and studied at the College of Dramatic Art in Glasgow. He first made a name for himself playing Hamlet at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 1960, before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he began a stint of several years as the leading artist, appearing in a variety of roles. At the RSC, he created the role of Jean Paul Marat in Marat/Sade, reprising it for the much-heralded 1966 film version. Stage success in Stratford, Ontario, and New York would soon follow.
His first roles on both the big and small screen were in continuing with his Shakespearean roots. Richardson appeared as Oberon in Peter Hall's well-liked 1968 rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream, then as Don John in the BBC Much Ado About Nothing in 1978. The actor spent the early '80s in British television movies and series, most notably appearing twice as Sherlock Homes in The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Sign of Four (both 1983). Richardson began gaining more worldwide recognition with his role as an officious bureaucrat in the dystopian universe of Terry Gilliam's Brazil (1985).
Soon after Brazil Richardson began garnering regular film work, first appearing in such British films as Cry Freedom and The Fourth Protocol (both 1987), and eventually shifting over to Hollywood. He put a twist on his Shakespearean experience by appearing as Polonius in the 1990 film version of Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
Richardson traveled through the 1990s without a universally distinguishing role to his credit, assuming a variety of supporting roles in bigger budget fare, while also continuing as a mainstay in British television. He had the misfortune of appearing in several notorious duds, including The Year of the Comet (1992) and Robert Townsend's widely detested B.A.P.S. (1997), in which he and Martin Landau jockeyed for the dubious honor of seeming more out of place. However, Richardson was credited with helping establish the haunting atmosphere of Alex Proyas' Dark City (1998) as Mr. Book, one of the eerie cloaked figures who floats through the landscape. Richardson then appeared as Mr. Torte in 102 Dalmations (2000) and Sir Charles Warren in From Hell (2001).
Richardson died of unspecified causes, at age 72, on February 9, 2007. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Events from the life of the author Jane Austen inspired this romantic historical drama, which speculates of a romance that may have had a significant impact on her life and work. Twenty-year-old Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) is the daughter of Rev. Austen (James Cromwell), a minister who looks after a flock in a small rural community in Southern England with his wife (Julie Walters). While her older sister, Cassandra (Anna Maxwell Martin), is engaged to be married, Jane resists her family's efforts to match her up with Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox), the wealthy but dull nephew of Lady Gresham (Maggie Smith), a minor member of the British nobility. Jane has the heart of an artist, and hopes to distinguish herself as a musician or a writer, though her parents don't think much of her prospects. When Jane meets Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy), a young man her own age, she's intrigued; while he scoffs at her writing style, he clearly sees she has talent, and is eager for her to learn more of the larger world by exposing her to more daring literature and modern pastimes such as boxing. As Tom begins to court Jane, she finds herself increasingly attracted to this poor but keenly intelligent man, though she soon realizes her own ideas about love and marriage are sometimes at odds with the conventions of the society in which she lives. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, (more)
From the mind of bestselling author Terry Pratchet comes this off-the-wall holiday film. In the parallel universe of Discworld, they don't celebrate Christmas. Instead, children look forward to December 32nd, also known as Hogswatchnight, when they'll receive gifts, not from Santa Claus, but from The Hogfather. However, this year, The Hogfather has disappeared, and there may be no Hogswatchnight. So, it's up to Death to assume the role and fulfill all of the children's wishes. Ian Richardson narrates. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Jason, David Warner, (more)
The year is 1914, and as World War I continues to rage across the European countryside, four individuals stuck on the front lines find themselves faced with the unthinkable in director Christian Carion's Academy Award-nominated account of the true-life wartime event that would offer hope for peace in mankind's darkest hour. When the war machines began rolling in the summer of 1914, the devastation that it waged upon German, British, and French troops was palpable. As the winter winds began to blow and the soldiers sat huddled in their trenches awaiting the generous Christmas care packages sent by the families, the sounds of warfare took a momentary backseat to the yearning for brotherhood among all of mankind. It is here that the fate of a French lieutenant, a Scottish priest, a German tenor, and a Danish soprano's lives were about to be changed forever. On Christmas Eve of that year, the lonely souls of the front lines abandoned their arms to reach out to their enemies on the battlefield and greet them with not anger or hostility, but with the simple, kindly gesture of a much needed cigarette or a treasured piece of chocolate, and to put their differences aside long enough to wish their brothers a sincere "Merry Christmas!" ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Kruger, Benno Fürmann, (more)
- 2002
The feature-length debut of Francesca Joseph, Tomorrow La Scala!, is about an unusual production of a musical. Victoria (Jessical Stevenson) is the head of a small opera company that goes to maximun-security Seaworth Prison to mount a staging of Sweeney Todd. Gurad Kevin (Shaun Dingwell) warns the troupe of the restrictive behavior expected from them. Janey (Samantha Spiro) is in charge of costumes and she resists the tamping down of her natural flamboyance. The inmates and the theater group learn from each other during the rehearsals. Tomorrow La Scala! was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Stevenson, Samantha Spiro, (more)
The true-life horror story of Jack the Ripper gets a new spin in this screen adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. In 1888, a ruthless and cold-blooded killer begins hunting prostitutes in East London, and while the murderer's work is savage, the mutilation of his victims suggests the fiend has an extensive medical background. Amidst a background of political unrest and barely contained scandal among the royal family, the murderer's grisly exploits shock and frighten all of England, and one of Scotland Yard's top inspectors, Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp), is put on the case, along with his partner, Peter Godley (Robbie Coltrane). Abberline, depending on one's viewpoint, is either blessed or cursed with second sight, and while he blurs his ability to see future events with opium and other drugs, he still has an uncanny ability to ferret out dangerous criminals, which is put to the test as he and Godley search for the Ripper. As Abberline and Godley investigate the neighborhood where the crimes occur, they become acquainted with the prostitutes and street people who were friends and compatriots of the victims, and Abberline finds himself falling in love with Mary Kelly (Heather Graham), a beautiful Irish streetwalker. As Abberline tries to identify the killer before Mary Kelly can become the next victim, he and Godley have to contend with Sir Charles Warren (Ian Richardson), their superior who is keen to pin the murders on a culprit who isn't British, and Sir William Gull (Ian Holm), a respected physician who has his own ideas about the murders and the benefits of psychosurgery. From Hell marked a change of pace for Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes, the sibling directorial team best known for their gritty depictions of America's urban underground in such films as Menace II Society and Dead Presidents. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, (more)
- 2000
Based on the popular novel The Tunnel Behind the Waterfall by William Corlett, this British miniseries revisits the characters of The Magician's House, as three children with an interest in magic try to save the fabled Golden House, home of the good but mysterious Magician. Land developers want to buy up the property in order to put in a theme park -- little knowing plays right into the hands of the wicked warlock Morden. The Magician's House II stars Ian Richardson, Sian Phillips, Katie Stuart, and Jennifer Saunders. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Richardson, Katie Stuart, (more)
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Close, Ioan Gruffudd, (more)
The Groan family has led the people for years from their castle, Gormenghast. Although a new heir, Titus Groan, has just come into the world, a scheming kitchen boy, Steerpike, begins an elaborate attempt to take control. Surprisingly Steerpike faces his stiffest competition from the usually mild-mannered Titus, the Earl of Goran. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
In this animated adaptation of the popular musical, British widow Anna Leonowens (voiced by Miranda Richardson, with singing by Christiane Noll) and her ten-year-old son Louis (Adam Wylie) travel from London to Siam in 1863. The King of Siam (Martin Vidnovic) has requested a proper English governess to teach his Royal children about the western world, from which he feels his nation can no longer remain isolated. While the King is an absolute monarch bound to uphold the traditions of his country, he is also a man of science. Uncertain about change, he realizes he must lead Siam to find its place in the world, but there are many roadblocks ahead. Anna begins to teach not just the children but also the King. The two strong-willed individuals immediately clash, but Anna soon proves an able advisor, convincing the King not to fight the approaching British emissaries, but to throw them a grand ball instead. There he will convince the world he is the modern monarch of a civilized country. Kralahome (Ian Richardson), the Prime Minister of Siam, has other ideas. As the Royal Astrologer, Kralahome possesses the ability to create powerful and horrific illusions to prey on the fears of his enemies, and he has his own plans for the country. He seeks to rule the nation but he must first get rid of the King. He plans to show the British that the King is a barbarian who should be removed from office, and only a man of Kralahome's sophistication can properly lead the people. With his bumbling assistant, Master Little (Darrell Hammond), the Prime Minister hatches a plot to dethrone the King. ~ Ron Wells, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miranda Richardson, Christiane Noll, (more)
- 1999
This fantasy for the family, originally produced as a miniseries for the BBC, follows three children, Mary (Katie Stuart), William (Steven Webb), and Alice (Olivia Coles), as they spend the summer with Mary's father, who lives in the lush woods of the Golden Valley of Wales. The children encounter Stephen Tyler (Ian Richardson), a magician who has mastered the art of traveling through time. As Tyler attempts to save the rare Golden Badger, whose home in the Golden Valley threatens to be destroyed by greedy property developers, he sends himself back to the 16th century, where he discovers the all-powerful Black Gold. But the powers of Black Gold are difficult to harness, and when Tyler's assistant Matthew Morden (Christopher Redman) gets his hands on the stuff, it nearly puts the valley into the hands of Tyler's enemies. Based on the popular series of books by William Corlett, The Magician's House was popular enough to inspire a sequel, The Magician's House II. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Richardson, Neil Pearson, (more)
The focus of this two-part British drama was not on the fictional Sherlock Holmes but on his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle. Set in 1878, the story found young physician Conan Doyle (Robin Laing) working as an apprentice to Edinburgh forensic specialist Dr. Joseph Bell (Ian Richardson). In keeping with the conventional wisdom that Bell was the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes, the doctor and his youthful assistant attempt to capture a serial murderer through the means of scientific deductions. The script was full of amusing "inside" jokes referencing future Holmes short stories and novels, while the cast was surprisingly topheavy with comic actors. Originally seen over the BBC2 service on January 4 and 5, 1999, Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes aired on American TV as a single two-hour "movie" on May 18, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Alex Proyas (The Crow) directed this noir-styled futuristic thriller, scripted by Proyas, Lem Dobbs (Kafka), and David S. Goyer (The Puppet Masters). Separated from his wife Emma (Jennifer Connelly), amnesiac John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens alone in a strange hotel to learn he is wanted for a series of brutal killings -- but he can't remember if he did or didn't commit these murders. Indeed, most of his memories have completely vanished, and he becomes the focus of interest for both mad genius Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland) and sympathetic detective Frank Bumstead (William Hurt). Attempting to unravel the twisted riddle of his identity, Murdoch encounters a group of ominous beings known as the Strangers, shadow-like figures who have a collective memory and possess the ability to stop time and alter physical reality through a process called The Tuning. Focusing their minds, they are able to change the size and shape of the material world. Murdoch manages to stay a step ahead of his adversaries as he slowly jigsaws together the puzzle of his past-bittersweet memories of his childhood, his love for Emma, and the key to the murders -- while following a labyrinth leading to the Strangers' Underworld, a set inspired by Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Rufus Sewell commented on the Underworld: "When Alex first sent me the sketches for that set, I was more excited than I had been when I read the script. The Underworld was truly remarkable -- a little bit scary, very thrilling, and full of hundreds of bald people." At the Fox Film Studios in Sydney, Australia, where 50 sets were built, three months were spent constructing the set for the Underworld, the largest indoor set ever built in Australia. The production design by George Liddle (Rapa Nui) and Patrick Tatopoulos (Godzilla, Space: Above and Beyond) is a composite of different styles and eras, combining the look of 1940s Manhattan with German Expressionism. The music is by Trevor Jones (G.I. Jane). The film's dedication reads: "In Memory of Dennis Potter with gratitude and admiration." ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, (more)
- 1998
This London-based film, the feature directorial debut of North American director Benson Lee, brought a 1998 Sundance Film Festival acting award for stage actress Andrea Hart in her first film. Beginning in black-and-white, the story opens with screenwriter Roman (James Hicks) failing to construct a serious social drama around career-woman Marianne (Julie Alanagh-Brighten), who successfully competes with men in the business world. With a switch to color, Roman awakens, creatively blocked, and heads to the financial district to find inspiration. There he encounters Gloria (Hart), who drops her cell phone and key. This enables him to enter her house and assemble a profile of her life by looking over her clothing, books, photos, and diary. Then he gets an even more intimate, voyeuristic glimpse by hiding in her closet when she returns. Shown in the Market section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrea Hart, James Hicks, (more)
In this romantic fantasy adventure, a lady scientist's experiment whisks her back to King Arthur's court. While there, the plucky lass proves that modern women are as tough as medieval men, and she soon becomes the mythical king's most favored knight. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whoopi Goldberg, Michael York, (more)
European locations (UK, France, Netherlands) highlight this romantic thriller set in the art world. In New York, top forger Harry Donovan (Jason Patric) is hired by British art dealers to fake a $500,000 Rembrandt, despite pressure from his ill father (Rod Steiger) to use his talent on originals rather than fakes. Harry plans to re-create a Rembrandt lost 350 years earlier when it was shipped from Rotterdam to San Sebastian, Spain. Off to research in Paris, Harry meets art student Marieke (Irene Jacob), uses her to acquire necessary scrapings from a real Rembrandt, sleeps with her in a hotel on the Seine, and then heads for an Amsterdam attic where he fabricates the "masterpiece." When he delivers the painting, he finds his clients won't pay until they are sure they've tricked the London experts. On the scene is Marieke, revealed as no student at all but a respected Rembrandt authority. When she rejects the painting as phony, the situation turns tense, guns go off, and Harry retreats -- with Marieke his hostage. At midpoint, this film features a sequence that reveals the specific details involved in forgery, including canvas aging, precise paints, and other deceptions. For a related film, see Orson Welles' "film essay," F for Fake (1973) with a segment on famed forger Elmyr de Hory. Shown at the 1997 London Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Patric, Irène Jacob, (more)
- 1997
In this, the sixth screen adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic story, Simon de Canterville (Ian Richardson) is trapped in his family's estate after he runs away rather than face another man in a duel. Canterville soon dies, and his ghost haunts the mansion. The fates have decreed that his soul will know no peace until his descendents restore the honor of the Canterville name. Centuries later, a family moves into the former Canterville estate, and they discover that they don't have the place entirely to themselves. The supporting cast includes Pauline Quirke and Rik Mayall. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Richardson
Along a dark country road in Cumberland, England, a ghoulish woman in white steps from the shadows to confront a foot traveler, Walter Hartright (Andrew Lincoln), bound for Limmeridge House three miles off. She asks senseless questions: "You don't suspect me of wrong, do you, Sir? Why do you suspect me of wrong?" Hartright assures her he suspects her of no wrong, but she gibbers on. When a carriage happens by, the woman dissolves into the darkness and Hartright accepts the offer of a ride the rest of the way to Limmeridge House, a mansion where eccentric esquire Frederick Fairlie (Ian Richardson) has arranged for Hartright to tutor his nieces -- half-sisters Marian and Laura Fairlie -- in the art of drawing. Soon, Hartright falls in love with Laura, a wealthy heiress. Strangely, she is the near mirror image of the woman in white. Laura, in turn, falls in love with him. Marian, who wants only the best for Laura, approves of the romance. Unfortunately, Hartright loses his job when falsely accused of bad conduct. Before he leaves Limmeridge House, he warns Laura that she and her sister are in grave danger. Deeply disappointed in him, Laura ignores his caveat and fulfills a pledge to marry Sir Percival Gylde (James Wilby). He seems amiable and even invites Marian to live with him and Laura after the wedding. But when Laura returns from the honeymoon, she is melancholy and morose, hardly speaking a word to Marian. Glyde and a sinister visitor named Count Fosco (Simon Callow) are the reasons. Apparently, they are plotting to seize her inheritance using the tidiest of stratagems: murder. Meanwhile, dark secrets unravel involving Glyde's family background and the mysterious woman in white, and Hartright returns in an attempt to save the sisters and exorcise the evil possessing Limmeridge House. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tara Fitzgerald, James Wilby, (more)
- 1997
There are those who say that Ireland is comprised of five provinces: four on the earthly plane and one in the passionate domain of magic and endless possibilities. It is the latter province wherein true love abides. This hypnotic, surreal fairy tale in its latter stages makes great fun of Alfred Hitchcock's landmark film Psycho. Introverted, socially isolated Timmy works by day as the keeper of a guest house and by night as an aspiring writer. He lives with his mentally unbalanced mother and dreams of a romantic involvement with Ireland's homely lady Prime Minister, a secret he shares only with his slightly off-kilter psychiatrist. Timmy loses his guest house when a major motorway is constructed nearby. One day, however, he is visited by Marcel, a time-travelling Spaniard who has a profound effect on Timmy's life and upon the lives of those around him. The changes begin when Timmy goes to an international writing conference and becomes a student of sophisticated, beautiful Belgian writer Diana de Brie. She pooh-poohs the naive Timmy's rather provincial work, but ends up falling in love with him. Thanks to the magical Marcel, Timmy later has Diana come to Ireland to visit his guest house where she discovers herself in an increasingly weird situation. It is in the story's latter stages that the spoof of Psycho begins. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian F. O'Byrne, Ian Richardson, (more)
In this broad fish-out-of-water comedy, Nisi (Halle Berry) and Mickey (Natalie Desselle) are African-American women with two ambitions -- marry rich men who will give them lots of money, and open the world's first combination hair salon and soul food restaurant. However, eligible bachelors and business opportunities are in short supply in Decatur, Georgia, so when Nisi hears rapper Heavy D is auditioning dancers in Los Angeles for an upcoming video and concert tour, the pair hit the road for California. They fail the audition but are approached by a man named Antonio (Luigi Amodeo) with a business proposition. Antonio is the chauffeur for Mr. Blakemore (Martin Landau), a millionaire in poor health. As a young man, Mr. Blakemore was in love with a black maid who worked in his household; Antonio and Blakemore's nephew Isaac (Jonathan Fried) think Nisi bears a resemblance to the girl Blakemore once loved, so they offer her a hefty payment plus room and board to pose as the granddaughter of Blakemore's lost love. Nisi and Mickey believe that this ruse is intended to make Blakemore feel better, but in fact Isaac wants to get his hands on his uncle's fortune, and he hopes that Nisi's presence will make him easier to manipulate. Meanwhile, Nisi and Mickey look like a hurricane that hit a cut-rate clothing store, so manservant Manley (Ian Richardson) teaches them social graces and gives them advice on how to dress. In time, Manley and Mr. Blakemore become friends with Nisi and Mickey; the men learn to be less stuffy and enjoy life, while the ladies become more respectable. B.A.P.S. stands for "Black American Princesses." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Halle Berry, Martin Landau, (more)
Adapted from the historical novel by Edith Nesbit, this family-oriented comedy-drama concerns Richard Barnstable (Nicholas Farrell), an eccentric widower and father of five who is trying to perfect a new form of refrigeration. Barnstable's tinkering doesn't bring in much money and his children suddenly find themselves spearheading a campaign to save the family's home from creditors. Barnstable's brood receive some unexpected help from a noted explorer (James Wilby) and a sympathetic female doctor (Gina McKee). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicholas Farrell, James Wilby, (more)
The trilogy begun with House of Cards and To Play the King comes to a close in this two-part miniseries produced for the BBC. Francis Urquarth (Ian Richardson) has used his guile and cunning to rise to the position of Britain's Prime Minister, and with the end of his political career appearing on the horizon, he's looking for a way to end his reign on an impressive note. With this in mind, Urquarth throws himself into a series of negotiations that would bring a peaceful end to the United Kingdom's conflicts with Cyprus. However, the Cypriote negotiators have discovered some information about Urquarth's youthful indiscretions that could bring his political career to an inglorious end. The Final Cut, like the two miniseries which preceeded it, was based on a novel by Michael Dobbs. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Richardson
Marvin J. Chomsky's sweeping historical drama, Catherine the Great, features Catherine Zeta-Jones as the title character. The film traces how the leader was able to skillfully manipulate both the societal institutions of the day as well as the powerful men who surrounded her in order to gain control over all of Russia. The cast includes such notable performers as Omar Sharif, Jeanne Moreau, and Mel Ferrer. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul McGann, (more)
