Michael Aldridge Movies

Countdown to War is a unique docudrama featuring actual private papers and diaries of the major players of World War II. Actor Ian McKellen portrays Hitler using recreated dialogue taken from the man himself. Behind-the-scenes events that predated the war are presented. Authentic meetings and debates give a sense of realism to the program. Alex Norton stars as Stalin, Michael Aldridge as Neville Chamberlain, Peter Vaughan as Hermann Göring, and Barrie Rutter enacts Mussolini. As the war looms, the decision-makers struggle to position themselves among the powerful. The result is a never-before-seen viewpoint that tells the real reasons behind the global confrontation. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi

John Cleese's knack for mining hilarity from the growing frustration of a dignified gentleman is fully exploited in the British comedy Clockwise. Cleese portrays Brian Stimpson, a perfectionist English headmaster who has been selected to make an important presentation before a group of his peers. When Stimpson sets out upon his journey, however, he finds himself facing a seemingly never-ending series of delays and inconveniences, which range from missing a train to becoming a fugitive from the police. The film goes no deeper than its farcical surface, but is nevertheless consistently entertaining, thanks to former Monty Python member Cleese's precisely tuned transitions from composure to complete collapse. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Adapted by Harold Pinter from the novel by Russell Hoban, Turtle Diary stars Glenda Jackson as Neaera Duncan, a famed author/illustrator of children's books. In the midst of her success, Duncan suffers from writer's block. While casting about for new ideas, she makes several visits to the turtle tank at the local aquarium, where she becomes acquainted with shy bookstore clerk William Snow (Ben Kingsley). From this point on, nothing is in the least predictable. What can one say that's sensible about a plotline that climaxes with a turtle hijacking? Screenwriter Pinter has a cameo role as "Man in Bookshop." Turtle Diary was the maiden effort of United British Artists, a consortium consisting of Glenda Jackson, Harold Pinter, and producer Richard Johnson (who also appears in the film). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Plot is a secondary consideration in this partially successful, partially failed take-off on the Bulldog Drummond series of the 1930s. "Bullshot" Crummond (Alan Shearman) is a square-jawed hero of World War I who longs to face off against his German arch-nemesis Count Otto von Bruno (Ron House) one more time. He gets his chance when he must save Rosemary Fenton (Diz White), a damsel in distress -- her father made a top-secret discovery before he died and Count von Bruno wants that secret for himself, no matter what happens to the good Rosemary. As the hijinks unfold inside the requisite Sinister Mansion (Bullshot fights a giant octopus and leaps onto a plane in mid-air as the action reaches a crescendo), caricature, and zany anarchy provide the humor. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Adapted from the novel by H.E. Bates, the British miniseries Love for Lydia featured Mel Martin in the title role. A young and giddy heiress, Lydia spent the better part of the 1930s holding several eligible bachelors in her thrall. Meanwhile, long-suffering Edward Richardson (Christopher Blake), convinced that he'd be the heroine's one true love if only given the chance, stood quietly on the sidelines as the impulsive Lydia toyed with the emotions of his rivals. The 13 hour-long episodes of Love for Lydia were originally aired over London Weekend Television in 1977, then telecast in America as part of PBS' Masterpiece Theatre anthology beginning September 23, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This English comedy is based on a short play by Peter Shaffer (better known for Equus). Belinda is a free-spirited American woman married to a stuffy English rolled-umbrella man. When he leaves for work each day, she leaves their London apartment too. She says she's just sightseeing, but he doesn't believe her. He hires a private eye (Chaim Topol) to follow her around and find the "other man" in her life. What she said was true, however, and the private eye becomes her traveling companion. He tells his employer that she was telling the truth, but he doesn't believe him. At that point, the detective admits to being the "other man," complicating things thoroughly. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The legendary Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff, the notoriously drunken, obese, and yet charming companion of the young Henry V, steps up from supporting character in several plays to the central focus of Orson Welles' Chimes at Midnight, considered by many critics the best of the director's acclaimed Shakespeare films. The script borrows scenes from several plays, but draws most heavily on the two parts of Henry IV, focusing on the shifting relationship between Falstaff and Prince Hal. Beginning as the prince's companion in debauchery and idleness, the corpulent jokester finds himself falling out of favor as the prince comes to terms with the importance of his destiny as England's future leader. While Falstaff's ample wit is still much in evidence, the film places greater emphasis on the tragic character beneath all the joviality, with Welles perfectly embodying this mixture of spiritually youthful prankster and sad adult. While his towering performance naturally takes center stage, the other cast members are also superb. The film's visual elements are also strong, with Welles' attention to composition matching his sensitivity to character. There are technical imperfections due to the film's extremely limited budget, including an inconsistent soundtrack, but they are unable to overshadow the film's many achievements. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

This 69-minute "docudrama" was based on The Shetland Bus, a novel by David Howarth. The film recounts the daring exploits of a group of Norwegian patriots, operating under the aegis of the British Navy in the Shetland Islands during WW II. In the dead of winter, these hardy souls regularly crossed the North Sea in flimsy fishing boats, the better to provide arms and supplies to the Norwegian underground. Most of the "actors" in this film were the actual participants in this dangerous mission. Surprisingly, this most unusual wartime drama has been dismissed as "standard" and "predictable" by some observers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This sci-fi adventure was originally aimed at younger audiences. It tells the story of a young woman who falls from a horse frightened by a gunshot and is assisted by two clever brothers who begin investigating and discover that the girl's father is being chased by crooks after his innovative ray gun. Later the girl and her father are kidnapped and stashed in a secret subterranean hideout. To save her, the brothers get help from a G-man and together they see that justice is done. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi