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Donald Sumpter Movies

Quintessentially British character actor Donald Sumpter tackled a host of roles in his native Britain before breaking through to international acclaim. He landed guest parts (as different characters) on the U.K. cult fantasy series Doctor Who, then segued to features throughout the 1970s, '80s, and '90s in such pictures as Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979), Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990), and Richard III (1995). Sumpter's popularity increased substantially in the mid- to late 2000s when he landed pivotal supporting roles in two major features: Fernando Meirelles' The Constant Gardener (2005) and David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises (2007). ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
2011  
R  
Add The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo to Queue Add The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo to top of Queue  
A discredited journalist (Daniel Craig) and a mysterious computer hacker discover that even the wealthiest families have skeletons in their closets while working to solve the mystery of a 40-year-old murder in this David Fincher-directed remake of the 2009 Swedish thriller of the same name. Inspired by late author Stieg Larsson's successful trilogy of books, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo gets under way as the two leads (Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara) are briefed in the disappearance of Harriet Vanger, whose uncle suspects she may have been killed by a member of their own family. The deeper they dig for the truth, however, the greater the risk of being buried alive by members of the family, who will go to great lengths to keep their secrets tightly sealed. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Daniel CraigRooney Mara, (more)
 
2009  
 
Three seemingly ordinary twentysomethings live secret double lives as a werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost. ~ Karen Kelty, Rovi

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Starring:
Aidan TurnerRussell Tovey, (more)
 
2008  
 
Add Tess of the d'Urbervilles to Queue Add Tess of the d'Urbervilles to top of Queue  
Author Thomas Hardy's infamous novel is translated to the screen courtesy of director David Blair. Driven by poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles, beautiful innocent Tess Durbeyfield finds her ruse falling apart after crossing paths with the suspicious and highly manipulative Alec D'Urberville. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Gemma ArtertonHans Matheson, (more)
 
2007  
R  
Add Eastern Promises to Queue Add Eastern Promises to top of Queue  
Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Vincent Cassel star in this David Cronenberg's thriller concerning a London midwife who unwittingly stumbles into a clandestine Russian sex trafficking ring. An unidentified Russian teen has been rushed to a London hospital after going into labor. Though midwife Anna Khitrova (Watts) does manage to deliver a healthy baby girl, the newborn's mother dies tragically during delivery. But the deceased mother's secrets did not die with her, because she has left behind a diary. Determined to ensure the newborn is placed with her rightful family, Anna attempts to read the diary and discovers a business card for a local restaurant therein. Upon visiting the restaurant Anna is greeted by kindly owner Semyon (Mueller-Stahl), who generously offers to translate it for her. But Semyon is not what he appears to be, and before long Anna begins to fear that the child could be in great danger. Semyon admits to Anna that the diary contains information about his son Kirill (Cassell) that could land the volatile offspring in jail despite the fact that Kirill is at heart a good person. As the truth begins to unfold and Anna begins to believe that Kirill and his driver Nikolai (Mortensen) - an ambitious driver seeking to ascent the ranks of the notorious Russian mafia - mean the baby harm, an underworld storm begins to brew that could consume all involved. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Viggo MortensenNaomi Watts, (more)
 
2002  
PG13  
Add K-19: The Widowmaker to Queue Add K-19: The Widowmaker to top of Queue  
A real-life historical incident becomes the basis for this military thriller from director Kathryn Bigelow that's reminiscent of such submarine dramas as Das Boot (1981), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Crimson Tide (1995), and U-571 (2000). Harrison Ford stars as Captain Alexi Vostrikov, a Russian naval officer who's being given command of the Soviet Union's first nuclear submarine, K-19, at the height of the Cold War in 1961. The vessel's previous commander, Captain Mikhail Polenin (Liam Neeson) has been demoted to executive officer following a botched test and his outspoken assertions that the flagship is not yet ready for deployment, but he curbs his resentment and resolves to serve his new superior well. Polenin's concerns are well founded: parts are not yet installed, equipment is missing, and the ship's doctor is killed in an auto mishap. Political pressure forces Vostrikov to sail his crew into the North Atlantic anyway, for a missile fire test that serves as a warning to the U.S. that its enemy is now its technological equal. The test is a success, but a disastrous leak in the K-19's reactor cooling system soon threatens to create enough heat to detonate the craft's nuclear payload -- which would certainly be mistaken for the first salvo in a worldwide atomic exchange and spark the beginning of World War III. With no other option, Vostrikov orders his men to repair the damage in ten-minute shifts, irradiating them hopelessly. The conflict between the seemingly bureaucratic Communist Vostrikov and the more humane Polenin escalates, until a surprising twist reveals where both officers' loyalties truly lie. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Starring:
Harrison FordLiam Neeson, (more)
 
2001  
R  
Add Enigma to Queue Add Enigma to top of Queue  
The true story of a major breakthrough in intelligence technology created during World War II provides the backdrop for this blend of mystery, romance, and espionage, based on the novel by Robert Harris. Tom Jericho (Dougray Scott) is a gifted mathematician who is working with the British government on the development and maintenance of the Enigma machine, an electronic device that allows Allied intelligence agents to decode scrambled messages sent by Germany military officers. But the emotionally fragile Jericho is buckling under both the pressure of his work and the collapse of his relationship with Claire Romilly (Saffron Burrows), a co-worker with whom he's fallen deeply in love. After suffering a minor breakdown, Jericho is sent on a leave of absence, but when he returns to work, a crisis awaits: it seems the Germans have instituted a new code that the Enigma is not yet able to crack, and Jericho is needed to help unravel Axis communiqués before an important convoy of troops and materiel sets sail. It is also suspected that a German undercover agent has infiltrated the Enigma project, and Wigram (Jeremy Northam) is determined to ferret them out. In the midst of all this, Jericho receives troubling news that Claire has gone missing -- and that a file of German messages waiting to be decoded was found at her home. As Jericho works against the clock to crack the new German code, he forms an initially uneasy alliance with Hester Wallace (Kate Winslet), Claire's roommate and a fellow member of the Enigma project, as they try to discover Claire's whereabouts. Enigma was co-produced by Mick Jagger, who has a keen interest in the history of the real-life Enigma project, and even owns one of the original Enigma decoding machines. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Dougray ScottKate Winslet, (more)
 
1996  
 
Between 1972 and 1975, the notorious hooded psychopathic killer, Donald "The Black Panther" Neilson, kept British authorities on their toes and locals terrified with his series of post office robberies and murders. This docu-drama chronicles his crime spree that ended in 1975 with the kidnapping and murder of an adolescent heiress. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
Donald SumpterDebbie Farrington, (more)
 
1995  
R  
Add Richard III to Queue Add Richard III to top of Queue  
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

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Starring:
Ian McKellenAnnette Bening, (more)
 
1993  
R  
Add The Buddha of Suburbia to Queue Add The Buddha of Suburbia to top of Queue  
In the new tradition of "Tales of the City," this long, complex British satire profiles a decade in the life of a British family. The story opens in a South London suburb where main protagonist Karim Amir lives with his Indian father, Haroon, and his English mother during the 1970's. Haroon is a civil servant who makes extra cash, and gains notoriety for teaching "Eastern Philosophies," of which he knows nothing. Still, as Buddhism is in fashion, people pay him a bundle to hear his vapid, happy ramblings. When not preaching, Haroon is trysting with a rich follower, Eva Kay. Karim's mother learns of the affair and leaves with his younger brother. Karim stays with his father and his new love. He begins a career on the stage. The story also follows Charlie, Eva's boy as he aspires to become a rocker. Other plots and subplots abound in this film. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
Roshan SethNaveen Andrews, (more)
 
1990  
 
Donald Sumpter stars in this heavy-breathing British TV drama as Frank, a millionaire rock promoter. Saddled with a miserable domestic life, Frank enters into a torrid affair with the wife of a vicar. Jeremy Clyde, formerly of the rock group Chad and Jeremy, plays a key supporting role. Aimee was telecast by the BBC in 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1990  
PG  
Add Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead to Queue Add Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead to top of Queue  
Much as he would later do with Shakespeare in Love (1998), writer Tom Stoppard delivered a tale of Shakespearean origin from a skewed and unexpected perspective. In this case, it's the perspective of two relatively minor characters from Hamlet, Rosencrantz (Gary Oldman) and Guildenstern (Tim Roth), courtiers who, in the original play, were dispatched offstage before the narrative's conclusion. In Stoppard's script (which he also directed), the two supporting players take center stage as the events unfold in Elsinore Castle. Unable to determine the source of the prince's tortured despair, the duo ponders the question of fate as their predetermined roles are played out. Meanwhile, they dabble in a little verbal tennis and some ill-advised science experiments, and endure the puzzling attentions of mysterious wandering thespians led by (Richard Dreyfuss). Ordered to accompany Hamlet (Iain Glen) to England, the pair learn that the letter they carry instructs that nation's king to decapitate their mentally unbalanced and irksome charge, a revelation that Hamlet overhears. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Starring:
Gary OldmanTim Roth, (more)
 
1983  
PG  
Add Curse of the Pink Panther to Queue Add Curse of the Pink Panther to top of Queue  
Curse of the Pink Panther was released just after Trail of the Pink Panther with a script that has someone looking for the inept Inspector Clousseau and the fabulous stolen Pink Panther diamond at the same time. In Curse, Clifton Sleigh (Ted Wass) is a New York retread of the bumbling Inspector, chosen to look for him by Clousseau's former boss because Sleigh most certainly will never find him. Although peppered with a few inventive stunts, Curse still falls short of the Sellers classics. In a bizarre side note, David Niven was himself terminally ill at the time of his appearance in Trail of the Pink Panther and unable to speak adequately. His voice was dubbed in by impressionist Rich Little. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

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Starring:
Ted WassDavid Niven, (more)
 
1981  
 
Add Antony and Cleopatra to Queue Add Antony and Cleopatra to top of Queue  
Perhaps inspired by the success of PBS' Shakespeare Plays series, Bard Productions Ltd. Came out with this diverting if not very cinematic adaptation of the Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Timothy Dalton plays Marc Antony, while Lynn Redgrave is uncharacteristically alluring as Queen Cleopatra. The all-TV cast includes Nichelle Nichols, Anthony Geary, Walter Koenig, and Brian Kerwin. Also making a cameo appearance is John Carradine, giving his all to the brief part of the Soothsayer. At three hours, Antony and Cleopatra has some trouble getting bookings outside the "art" houses. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Timothy DaltonJane Lapotaire, (more)
 
1981  
 
Tom (Donald Sumpter), a computer technician who is beginning to wonder about the meaning of life, especially his life, is caught between the dictates of a mechanical robot-maid and the drudgery of his regimented, bureaucratic existence. Is there no way out of this kind of entrapment? Tom considers his limited options, as the mechanical clock ticks out mechanical time into an increasingly mechanical future. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

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Starring:
Donald SumpterJohn Cleese, (more)
 
1979  
 
Peter Brook, one of the pioneers of the experimental theatre movement of the 1950s and 1960s, was the director of Meetings with Remarkable Men. Brook tells the story of Asian mystic G. I. Gurdijeff, here played by Dragan Maksimovic. Gurdijeff devotes his entire existence, from youth to old age, in quest of the meaning of life. He eventually develops a form of meditation incorporating modern dance. Terence Stamp, who in Meetings with Remarkable Men plays Prince Lubovedsky, himself briefly retreated from his career after this picture, in favor of Eastern meditation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Dragan MaksimovicTerence Stamp, (more)
 
1972  
 
Add Bleak Moments to Queue Add Bleak Moments to top of Queue  
Mike Leigh began his career as one of Britain's most interesting directors with this realistic drama about a woman looking for respite from an unsatisfying life. Sylvia (Anne Raitt) is a slightly overweight woman who works as a secretary and hasn't had much luck in romance. She shares her home with her retarded sister, whom she looks after, and has been dating Peter (Eric Allen), a schoolteacher whom she hopes will ask her to marry him. However, one evening they have a date that doesn't go especially well, and Sylvia discovers that Peter is impotent; he breaks up with her shortly afterward. The only other interesting relationship in her life is with Norman (Mike Bradwell), a hippie who rents out Sylvia's garage as a workspace for his underground newspaper and plays songs on his guitar for her sister. Bleak Moments was adapted from a play written by Leigh; as is his habit, the story was created in collaboration with the actors who originated the roles. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Anne RaittMike Bradwell, (more)
 
1972  
 
In the fifth episode of the six-part story "The Sea Devils," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) realizes he will never be able to negotiate a truce between the British Navy and the reptilian Sea Devils as long as the Master (Roger Delgado) is stirring up hostilities. Things become even hairier when the Master develops a machine that will enable the Sea Devils to win their battle at sea and to wipe out all mankind. With no other alternative, the Doctor and the Master square off in a fight to the finish. Originally shown on March 25, 1972, "The Sea Devils, Episode 4" was written by Malcolm Hulke. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Jon PertweeKaty Manning, (more)
 
1972  
 
In the third episode of the six-part story "The Sea Devils," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Jo (Katy Manning) have been called in to investigate the disappearances of several military vessels on the high seas. It isn't long before both of the time travelers are attacked by the Sea Devils, a race of bipedal earth reptiles who have been summoned from the depths by the Master (Roger Delgado) in his latest bid to destroy the human race. Much of this episode was filmed on location, with full cooperation from the Royal Navy. Originally shown on March 11, 1972, "The Sea Devils, Episode 3" was written by Malcolm Hulke. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Jon PertweeKaty Manning, (more)
 
1972  
 
In the fourth episode of the six-part story "The Sea Devils," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) tries to "reach" the title characters, a race of bipedal earth reptiles. Knowing that the Master (Roger Delgado) intends to use the Sea Devils to wipe out all mankind, the Doctor attempts to appeal to the creatures' better nature and advanced intelligence -- just as he'd previously done with the Devils' distant relations, the Silurians. But negotiations quickly break down, and the earth is once more plunged into peril. Originally shown on March 18, 1972, "The Sea Devils, Episode 4" was written by Malcolm Hulke. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Jon PertweeKaty Manning, (more)
 
1970  
PG  
Based on a novel by Winston Graham, The Walking Stick stars Samantha Eggar as Deborah, a polio-stricken woman courted by charming artist Leigh Hartley (David Hemmings). She moves in with Leigh, who immediately suggests that she help him rob the antique store where she works. Her common sense clouded by love, Deborah agrees. She is laboring under the misapprehension that Leigh will use the stolen loot to open up their own antique shop. He of course has no such intention, having orchestrated the whole romance for his own greedy gain. Both Samantha Eggar and David Hemmings are too talented for the sluggish goings-on in The Walking Stick, but actors do have to eat once in a while. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
David HemmingsSamantha Eggar, (more)
 
1970  
 
In this exploitation drama, a teenage rock-group fan is so desperate to be with her heroes that she sneaks aboard their van and heads with them for London. Unfortunately for her, the boys are not nice at all and use her as their sex toy and get her addicted to drugs. She then gets in a car crash and more tragedy ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
Esme JohnsBilly Boyle, (more)
 
1969  
 
A serial killer is keeping Chief Inspector Rowan (Gilbert Wynne) busy late at night, much to the frustration of his young wife, Jenny (Linda Marlowe). After being picked at random in a police lineup, self-styled lothario Pete Laver (Donald Sumpter) is arrogant and disdainful to Rowan, and he even makes crude remarks about Jenny when she stops by her husband's office. Pete is released for lack of evidence, and that evening, Jenny is slashed to death by the killer while showering. Choked with rage, Rowan shadows Pete relentlessly, hounding him night and day until he can catch him in a mistake. The maniac strikes again, murdering a prostitute, and Pete is stuck without an alibi, so it appears that the crime has been solved. Judge Lomax (Jack May), long known to be tough on crime and social decay, presides over the case, but in the preceding weeks, his wife and colleagues have noticed a change in his behavior. His temper is short, his demeanor is cold, and he sometimes appears disoriented. Soon it becomes apparent that the judge has been the culprit all along, donning a black leather suit and an ill-fitting wig to commit his crimes. Stoked on pornography and willing to resort to transvestism to elude capture, the judge falls completely under the spell of his dementia and is confronted by the police on the waterfront, pleading for help and waving a pistol. Also available under the titles He Kills Night After Night After Night, Night After Night, and Night Slasher. ~ Fred Beldin, Rovi

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