Timothy Spall Movies
Perhaps the actor most closely associated with director Mike Leigh, Timothy Spall has acted in productions for the director on both the stage and screen. Spall made a particularly strong impression in Leigh's Life is Sweet (1991), which cast him as a socially awkward gourmet chef, and Secrets & Lies (1996), in which his starring performance as a portrait photographer struggling with marital problems earned him award nominations from the British Academy and the London Film Critics Circle.In addition to his work with Leigh, Spall has appeared in a number of disparate productions. He made his film debut with a supporting role in the Who's Quadrophenia in 1979 and spent the next decade splitting his time and energy between the stage and screen. He acted extensively for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre, and he also did acclaimed work on television, most notably as Mr. Venus in the BBC production of Charles Dicken's Our Mutual Friend, for which he received a BAFTA Best Actor nomination.
Spall began to gain recognition and respect as a film actor in the 1990s, thanks in large part to his collaborations with Leigh. In addition to his work with the director, Spall was particularly memorable in Brian Gibson's Still Crazy (1998), a comedy that cast him as the drummer for a defunct 1970s rock band trying to make a come-back. In 1999, the actor enjoyed another collaboration with Leigh in Topsy-Turvy, an acclaimed drama about the partnership between Gilbert and Sullivan that featured Spall as an effeminate opera diva. The following year, he could be seen as Don Armado in Kenneth Branagh's musical adaptation of Love's Labour's Lost, and heard as a chicken farm denizen in Nick Park's animated Chicken Run. In recognition of his contributions to the arts, Spall was named an Officer of the Order of British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth on New Year's Eve, 1999. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
Actor/director Kenneth Branagh sets his screen version of Shakespeare's play in the 1930s, adding such classic songs as "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "Let's Face the Music and Dance," and staging it in the manner of a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical. The King of Navarre (Allesandro Nivola) and three of his noblemen (Branagh, Matthew Lillard, and Adrien Lester) have decided that they're wasting their time chasing women. They swear a solemn oath to spend the next three years avoiding the pitfalls of romance and improving their minds. No sooner have they made this agreement than they meet a French princess (Alicia Silverstone) and her three handmaidens (Natascha McElhone, Carmen Ejogo, and Emily Mortimer). The pledge is forgotten and the chase is on. Love's Labour's Lost also features Nathan Lane, Timothy Spall, and Paul Whitehouse. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alessandro Nivola, Alicia Silverstone, (more)
Aardman Animations, the British clay-animation studio that created a cult sensation (and won three Academy awards) with its short subjects featuring Wallace and Gromit, presents its first feature film, a mixture of comedy and adventure. Mrs. Tweedy (voice of Miranda Richardson) operates a chicken farm, where most of the birds have resigned themselves to a short and uneventful life of producing eggs and ending up as the main course of someone's Sunday dinner. But when Rocky (voice of Mel Gibson), a rooster from America, arrives on the farm, things begin to change. Rocky soon finds romance with a hen named Ginger (voice of Julia Sawalha) who longs for a better life and has been trying to find a way out of the farm for some time; together they devise a plan to escape to freedom. However, Rocky and Ginger soon find themselves racing against the clock when Mrs. Tweedy decides it's time to turn the entire flock into chicken pies. Nick Park, director of the Wallace and Gromit shorts, co-directed Chicken Run with Peter Lord, who produced several Aardman projects and created animation for the TV series Pee-Wee's Playhouse. The voice cast also includes Jane Horrocks, Phil Daniels, and Timothy Spall. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, (more)
A man hoping to win the favor of a King finds that his heart has gotten in the way in this lavishly-produced comedy-drama. In 1671, the Prince du Conde (Julian Glover) is a figure of French nobility who is deep in debt and suffering from gout. Hoping to buoy his fortunes and his reputation, du Conde wants to win command of the French Army in an anticipated conflict with Holland. When du Conde receives word from the Marquis de Lauzun (Tim Roth) that that King Louis XIV (Julian Sands) wishes to spend three days at his estate, du Conde is determined to pull out all the stops, and he asks Francois Vatel (Gerard Depardieu) to make the arrangements. Vatel is a master chef with a genius for arranging spectacular entertainments, and he is determined that this will be a weekend that the king will always remember. But that's before Vatel meets Anne de Montausier (Uma Thurman), a lovely courtesan traveling with the king's party. Anne is the king's new mistress, but that doesn't stop Vatel from falling in love with her, and he is determined to win her heart. Produced in both English and French language versions, Vatel was chosen to open the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Féodor Atkine, Hywel Bennett, (more)
Noted for intimate character studies created in collaboration with his actors, director Mike Leigh makes a dramatic change of pace with this biography of comic opera composers W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) is an easily angered but otherwise emotionally remote lyricist who works in collaboration with composer Sullivan (Alan Corduner), a genial and fun-loving sort who feels unsatisfied writing light operettas and longs to work with more serious material. While Sullivan is having a creative crisis, Gilbert is facing a failing marriage to Lucy (Lesley Manville), who loves her husband even if he can't return her affections, and must deal with his ailing father (Charles Simon). When they suffer their first failure, both men are depressed, and Sullivan announces that he's giving up operetta for good. However, a visit to an exhibit of Japanese art sparks an idea in Gilbert, and soon he and Sullivan are hard at work on what will become one of their greatest successes, The Mikado. Much of the film is devoted to the staging of this classic, with Shirley Henderson, Dorothy Atkinson, Martin Savage, Timothy Spall, and Kevin McKidd as members of the operetta's cast. Jim Broadbent won Best Actor at the 1999 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Broadbent, Alan Corduner, (more)
This 1999 British film pits idealistic overseers of a London photography collection against a pragmatic American entrepreneur exercising his right to evict them from a mansion he has purchased. The photo collection is one of the world's largest, containing ten million pictures which the staff files, maintains, and rents to various media. From an aesthetic standpoint, the collection -- dating all the way back to the beginning of photography in the 19th century -- is priceless. The key question is what will happen to it, for wealthy American businessman Christopher Anderson (Liam Cunningham) owns not only the building, but also the collection itself. After announcing plans to remodel the mansion into a state-of-the-art business school, he threatens to destroy all but the most valuable photographs because there's no time, according to his rat-race schedule, to find a new repository for them. Feisty curator Marilyn Truman (Lindsay Duncan) and her eccentric assistant, Oswald Bates (Timothy Spall), then hatch plots to thwart his plans. First, they "mislay" a selection of highly valuable photographs. When that stratagem doesn't work, Truman persuades Anderson to look at several stacks of the ordinary, less valuable photographs. These photographs turn out to be extraordinary. One set tells the poignant story of a Jewish family victimized by the holocaust. The images impress Anderson, but he refuses to alter his plans. Then Bates launches an ingenious scheme. Using his incredible "photographic" memory, he selects a few startling photos from among the millions -- photos that have a connection to Anderson's past. These photographs, and the secrets they hold, stun Anderson while demonstrating the variety and vastness of the collection. Will he alter his plans to save the collection? Meanwhile, Bates, believing his scheme has failed, attempts suicide, and the final moments of the film reveal whether Bates and the photos will survive. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
Still Crazy is a film that looks back at the "rock band" era of the 1970s. Brian Gibson, who has directed musical biographies on Josephine Baker and Tina Turner, sets his narrative on a rock group, Strange Fruit, who are attempting a comeback twenty years after a bolt of lightening literally ended their career in the late 1970's. When keyboard player Tony (Stephan Rea) runs into the son of their old festival promoter, he gets the idea he could perhaps bring the aging musicians together for a revival. He goes off to search for Karen (Juliet Aubre), the band's Girl Friday and often the butt of their various ego trips. Karen, who now lives alone with her daughter, thinks it's a great idea and they set off to locate the other members. Beano (Timothy Spall), the drummer, has barricaded himself away in a trailer in his mother's garden for fear of being caught by the taxman. Ray (Bill Nighy), the lead singer, lives in a luxurious country house (beyond his means) with his second wife; he's still in the music business and has released a solo record. Les (Jimmy Nail), a great bass guitarist, is happily married, and his only regret is that his music never found the following he would have liked. As for ex-roadie Hughie (Billy Connolly), the Fruits were always his boys, and he's ready to give up his stall at Camden market and follow the dream. He would also love to see guitarist Brian again, but Brian is nowhere to be found. Karen decides to hire a much younger musician, Luke, to replace him. The re-formed band go to Holland to play a few clubs on a warm-up tour. However, the youngest member of the band is stealing the show, particularly with the members of the opposite sex. Despite efforts to stay calm and professional, the band is falling into the old routine of bickering day by day as they get close to the big reunion concert. Still Crazy was screened as part of the Panorama during the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Rea, Billy Connolly, (more)
British screen favorites Timothy Spall and Martin Clunes headline the rollicking survivalist farce Neville's Island, which combines the premises of Deliverance and Robinson Crusoe, wrapped in distinctly English humor. When four white-collared businessmen undertake a team-building exercise, little can they foresee the disaster that will capsize their boat and deliver them to an uncharted, vacant island. Stripped of luxuries and creature comforts, this quartet of hapless, helpless businessmen must quickly learn to fend for themselves, against the harsh brutality of the natural world - while constantly bemoaning the absence of a swimming pool; a soft, warm bed; and a hot plate of Yorkshire pudding. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Spall, Martin Clunes, (more)
In this period piece set in England in 1776, Betsy, the eldest daughter of the 'nouveau riche' Sterling family from the city, is to wed Sir John, the son of the aristocratic but poor Ogleby family from the country. However, Betsy's sister Fanny, who has secretly married her father's clerk by whom she is pregnant, quickly becomes the object of attention not only of Sir John but also of his elderly father, Lord Ogleby. Betsy's father, who is not aware that Fanny is already married, secretly agrees to exchange one daughter for the other. Soon everyone is acting at cross-purposes, the immediate concern being how to save face. The Clandestine Marriage is a comedy of errors set against the lush landscape of an English country estate in high summer. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nigel Hawthorne, Joan Collins, (more)
Stephen Griscz, the protagonist of The Wisdom of Crocodiles, is a handsome but enigmatic man of many talents. He is also an incurable womanizer, always searching for the perfect woman. But all his relationships end in tragedy, which arouses the suspicions of police officer Healey. One day, Stephen meets Anne, an engineer who is also a very strong woman and definitely much better than all the others. Anne is intrigued by Stephen's strange airs. But soon it becomes clear that only one of them will survive the relationship. Po Chih Leong, who launched his film career as an editor with the BBC and went on to become a television producer in Hong Kong, made his directorial debut in 1976 and has since directed over a dozen features in English and Chinese before this British production. The Wisdom of Crocodiles was screened at the Montreal World Film Festival 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jude Law, Elina Löwensohn, (more)
A family is forced to confront the personal issues they've been avoiding for years in this powerful, realistic drama. Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn) is a working-class British woman whose life has been a long series of painful disappointments. She's single with no romantic prospects and a dead-end job at a box factory. Her daughter Roxanne (Claire Rushbrook) works as a street sweeper and is chronically bitter. Cynthia helped raise her brother, Maurice (Timothy Spall), who is doing well as a photographer, but she rarely sees him and usually blames his wife, Monica (Phyllis Logan). One day, Cynthia receives a phone call from a woman named Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), who claims to be the daughter Cynthia put up for adoption years ago. Cynthia initially reacts with panic, but she agrees to meet Hortense and is surprised to discover that she's a successful and soft-spoken eye doctor -- and that she's black. Cynthia is soon convinced that Hortense is just who she claims to be, and they quickly form a friendship that gives Cynthia a new source of emotional strength. However, when Cynthia decides to introduce the family to her new "friend," it forces them to confront the lies and evasions that have kept them apart all these years. Largely improvised by director Mike Leigh and his cast, Secrets & Lies features standout work by Brenda Blethyn (who earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (who was nominated as Best Supporting Actress), and Timothy Spall. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brenda Blethyn, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, (more)
At least the 22nd time William Shakespeare's most famous tragedy has been brought to the screen, Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of Hamlet was the first to preserve Shakespeare's entire text, uncut and unabridged. Moving the action into the 19th century, Branagh cast himself in the title role and, as in his adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, assembled an eclectic group of actors that mixed veteran Shakespearean performers (including John Mills, Judi Dench, John Gielgud, and Derek Jacobi) with Hollywood stars not known for interpreting the Bard's work (among them Robin Williams, Charlton Heston, Billy Crystal, and Jack Lemmon). However, unlike most interpretations, it's the women who really carry the show, with the two best performances delivered by Kate Winslet as Ophelia and Julie Christie as Gertrude. As usual, Hamlet finds himself torn over what to do after the death of his father and his mother's hasty remarriage. Branagh's version of Hamlet was also notable on a technical level, as it was filmed in the 70-mm format for increased visual clarity and detail. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Attenborough, Kenneth Branagh, (more)
Produced for Central Television, the British sitcom Outside Edge was based on Richard Harris' 1982 TV play of the same name. The stories dealt with the relationship between two couples, united only by the fact that both played for a Sunday League Cricket Team. Wealthy Roger Dervish was imperious and self-absorbed, while his wife Miriam was the long-suffering anchor (and occasional doormat) in the marriage. Their opposite numbers were the Costellos: slovenly Kevin and his outgoing, sexually supercharged wife, Maggie . Others in the cast included two Doctor Who veterans, Dennis Lill and Michael Jayston. Making its British TV debut on March 24, 1994, Outside Edge toted up 21 half-hour episodes and one 60-minute special before ending its run on February 13, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brenda Blethyn, Timothy Spall, (more)
Something of a sleeper in its 1990 release, White Hunter, Black Heart is one of Clint Eastwood's most engaging films. It is based on Peter Vietel's novel about the location shoot of John Huston's immortal The African Queen. But the focus is never on Bogie and Hepburn. Egomaniacal director John Wilson (Eastwood) is far more interested in killing an elephant than in making a movie. His old friend and scriptwriter Pete Verrill (Jeff Fahey) and his producer, Paul Landers (George Dzundza), are on hand to try and talk him down from this pursuit. Eastwood's verbose, outlandish performance will be particularly remarkable to fans who tend to think of him as the soft-spoken tough guy. ~ John Voorhees, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clint Eastwood, Jeff Fahey, (more)
- 1990
The bloody history of radical revolutionary movements in France has frequently provoked otherwise reasonable people in other countries to have an unreasoning fear of alternative political movements. In 1871, Napoleon III ruled France in a way that made him very popular with the rich and with aristocrats and would-be aristocrats around the world (particularly in the U.S.). In particular, he rigorously suppressed any hint of dissent, and prevented the development of trade unions and socialist political movements. In 1871 there was a bloody uprising which produced a short-lived regime known as "The Paris Commune," founded on principles every bit as radical as anything from the French Revolution of 1789. The story of this time is told from the point of view of the actress Severin (Ana Padrao) and the theater in which she worked. Her favors were sometimes available to those with sufficient funds, and she had two lovers: one, a revolutionary, the other, an English spy. In the end, neither is able to save her. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ana Padrão, Roshan Seth, (more)
From director Bernardo Bertolucci, The Sheltering Sky is a filmed adaptation of the novel of the same name by Paul Bowles. Debra Winger and John Malkovich star as Kit and Port Moresby, a married American couple who globetrot to North Africa in the late '40s with the hopes of re-sparking their love and adding some zest to their lackluster lives. Along for the ride is the pair's friend George Tunner (Campbell Scott), who soon begins having an affair with Kit. As they struggle through the numbing heat of Africa amidst the sudden love triangle, each of the trio sees his and her beliefs and lives challenged. The Sheltering Sky earned a Best Director nomination for Bertolucci at the 1991 Golden Globe Awards. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Malkovich, Debra Winger, (more)
- 1990
- R
Mike Leigh's situation comedy about a lower middle-class family in the London suburbs is a slice-of-life chronicle that subtly reveals the pain and rage underneath the surface of day-to-day conventions. The youngish parents, Wendy (Alison Steadman) and Andy (Jim Broadbent) live with their 20-something twin daughters, Nicola (Jane Horrocks) and Natalie (Claire Skinner). Natalie, a plumber's assistant, is clean-cut and forever looks on the bright side of life. Nicola, who is unemployed, has nothing but contempt for conventionality. As the daughters deal with the obsessively sunny Wendy and the lackadaisical Andy, and confront a succession of ne'er-do-well friends and neighbors, a darker picture is painted of this normal family -- particularly Nicola, who is convinced she is fat and ugly (despite her emaciated appearance), with Natalie being a constant rebuke to her. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alison Steadman, Jim Broadbent, (more)
- 1989
- PG13
Master cinematographer Caleb Deschanel is, not unexpectedly, stronger on visuals than substance in his direction of Crusoe (though the camerawork is officially credited to Tom Pinter). The protagonist, played by Aidan Quinn, is a shipwreck victim, just as novelist Daniel Defoe proscribed over two hundred years ago. But this Robinson Crusoe is a child of the late 19th century; moreover, he is no ordinary sailor but an insensitive slave trader. The "Friday" character is divided up amongst several black natives of the island where Crusoe is stranded. Ultimately, Crusoe profits by their example, rather than the other way around. Director Deschanel busies himself with gorgeous scenery (mostly lensed in the Seychelles) and languid sunsets, permitting screenwriters Christopher Logue and Walson Green to pursue the politically correct message of Crusoe without interference. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn, Ade Sapara, (more)
- 1989
- R
One of the first films by Polish director Agnieszka Holland to gain international acclaim, this drama is a joint French-American production based loosely on the real-life story of the dissident Polish priest Jerzy Popieluszko. In the early 1980s, as the democracy and labor movement known as Solidarity was challenging Soviet authority in Poland, an outspoken priest, Father Alek (Christopher Lambert), defies martial law and continues to rally followers around the cause of Solidarity. The Soviet-controlled Polish government enlists a police official, Stefan (Ed Harris), to stop the priest. Stefan, a devoted party follower, finds that the only way he can silence Father Alek is to have him killed. Along the way, however, the priest has a profound influence on Stefan. Among those in minor roles are Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, Pete Postlethwaite, and Tim Roth. Holland would go on to direct The Secret Garden and Washington Square. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lambert, Ed Harris, (more)
- 1988
- R
Jemma Redgrave is on the verge of marrying caddish Mark Greenstreet. Spending the night in her spooky old family mansion, Jemma stares into a mirror and begins experiencing terrifying dreams. She sees her past, present and future in a Bosch-like kaleidescope. And without knowing how or why, Jemma drags American tourist Kathleen Wilhoite, herself the victim of a troubled past, into her nightmarish visions. Its powerhouse opening sequence aside, Dream Demon tends to be rather slow going, despite some very convincing special effects. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathleen Wilhoite, Jemma Redgrave, (more)
In this sophomoric comedy, a lusty adolescent British hockey team heads for Holland where they find something far more interesting than tulips and windmills--gorgeous, lusty women. They are so busy pursuing romance that they forget all about their upcoming match. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Director Ken Russell applies his trademark excess to this surreal, experimental examination of the creative dementia which shaped Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein. The story is embellished from events which allegedly took place at the Swiss villa of Lord Byron (Gabriel Byrne) on the night of June 16, 1816. Byron's guests include poet Percy Shelley (Julian Sands) and his future wife Mary (Natasha Richardson); Mary's half-sister Claire (Myriam Cyr) and Byron's leech-happy personal physician Dr. John Polidori (Timothy Spall). Byron promises them a night of horror like only a mad poet can deliver -- after partaking of laudanum and other hallucinogens, the guests tell ghost stories while exploring the dark corridors of his home. From here, Russell dives headlong into madness, discarding plot structure in favor of fever-dream setpieces in which the guests confront living manifestations of their own fears and insecurities -- creative, mortal and sexual, among others. The raging Romantics are also given to lengthy discourse on the nature of fear and the fine line between creative genius and insanity; by the film's end, viewers may find themselves wondering the same thing about the director. Those who may prefer a more subdued speculation on the same theme should seek out Ivan Passer's Haunted Summer. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gabriel Byrne, Julian Sands, (more)
In this update of James Whale's classic The Bride of Frankenstein, pop star Sting furthers his burgeoning film career by portraying cinema's signature mad scientist. Disgusted by his dim-witted and ugly original creation (Clancy Brown), Dr. Frankenstein sets out to animate an improved version. Though lovely on the outside, Eva (Jennifer Beals) begins her new life as little more than an animal. With the help of his trusty housekeeper (Geraldine Page), however, Frankenstein soon grooms the beautiful zombie into a reasonable facsimile of an upper-class debutante. He's unprepared, however, when his ward displays a mind -- and sexual urges -- of her own. Meanwhile, the good doctor's discarded original creation assumes the name of Viktor and takes to the road. Befriended by an enterprising dwarf named Rinaldo (David Rappaport), Viktor becomes a circus performer but continues to pine after his bride. Connected to her psychically, he soon makes his way back to the scene of their mutual creation. There, he finds the girl embroiled in a love triangle between a callow suitor (Cary Elwes) and Frankenstein himself. In addition to its iconic '80s leads, The Bride boasts a famous supporting cast that includes gay memoirist Quentin Crisp and '60s model Veruschka. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sting, Jennifer Beals, (more)
