Bryan Brown Movies
With his rugged, everyman exterior and quick wit, Aussie actor Bryan Brown has made an undeniable mark in the world of cinema with unforgettable roles in such efforts as Bruce Beresford's Breaker Morant (1980), the innovative action thriller F/X, and the bottle slingin' bartender drama Cocktail (1988). Although public misconception may be that Brown abandoned the Land Down Under for a film career in Hollywood, the lifelong Australian resident remains true to his homeland despite his status as a popular international film star. A former insurance salesman who was bitten by the acting bug early on, the Sydney native soon found stage work in both his hometown as well as London. His film debut as a lovelorn, mentally ill man in The Love Letters From Teralba Road (1977) soon followed, and after gaining positive critical notice for his performance, Brown appeared in minor capacity in such films as Phillip Noyce's Newsfront and Bruce Beresford's Money Movers before his breakout turn as a supporting player in the searing war drama Breaker Morant. His star on the rise in the early '80s, Brown subsequently appeared in the prison drama Stir before turning up in the acclaimed miniseries The Thorn Birds (1983). The musical drama Give My Regards to Broad Street proved a surprising gem to Paul McCartney and Brown fans alike the following year, and with the release of F/X in 1986, Brown became a bankable international star. The film's innovative use of special effects as a means to drive the plot, combined with a smart script and Brown's natural charisma, resulted in a modest hit that spawned both a sequel and a television series (albeit without him).After taking the lead in Tai-Pan (1986) and returning to Australia for the relationship drama The Good Wife (1987), Brown took his biggest Hollywood role to date as a veteran bartender opposite Tom Cruise in Cocktail. Although Brown would have little chance to truly shine opposite the Hollywood heavy, he did manage to steal a few scenes and have fun with the role. Shifting gears entirely for Gorillas in the Mist that same year, Brown was once again offered the opportunity to shine in the role of a National Geographic photographer who falls for primate researcher Dian Fossey Sigourney Weaver. Despite the fact that Brown's '80s momentum may not have carried into the '90s as strongly as fans might have hoped, those who did seek out his films found him still very much at the top of his game. From Nicolas Roeg's existential drama Full Body Massage (1995) to the intensely personal Dead Heart (1996), his performances were consistently thought provoking. After expanding his resumé to include producer credits with the 1991 F/X sequel, Brown did his best to bring stories to the screen that he found personally compelling. His association both in front of and behind the scenes of Twisted Tales (a sort of Down Under Twilight Zone meets The X-Files) helped to maintain his high profile in Australia, and, in 1999, Brown appeared opposite hot-Aussie export Heath Ledger in the comedy drama Two Hands. After more starring roles that year, Brown appeared in the sleeper drama Risk and the nuclear drama On the Beach (both 2000). Having been a youngster in 1960 Australia, the retro-gangster comedy Dirty Deeds had special appeal to Brown, and his turn as a Sydney-based crime syndicate leader who draws the ire of a fearsome Chicago crime family offered a fun take of the gangster-chic trend. Although Brown would threaten to take a break from acting following Dirty Deeds, it wasn't long before he was back in front of the cameras for the Ben Stiller comedy Along Came Polly Captured (2004). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
The second of two network-TV adaptations of Jules Verne's speculative 1868 novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, this two-part ABC version originally aired on May 11 and 12, 1997, some two months after CBS's shorter -- and infinitely more faithful -- version. The year is 1886, and an unknown "creature" is terrorizing the high seas, causing merchant vessels to vanish without a trace. Enlisted by the U.S. government to find out what's really going on, oceanographer Pierre Arronax (Patrick Dempsey) and rough-hewn whaler Ned Land (Bryan Brown) set sail for uncharted waters. Ultimately, they are captured by the insane but honorably motivated Captain Nemo (Michael Caine), the inventor of the high-teach submarine Nautilus. This much can be found in the original novel. The rest of the film has less to do with Jules Verne than its does with the popularity of such theatrical features as Star Wars and Titanic, not to mention the then-prevalent specter of political correctness. Because he wants nothing more out of life than to slaughter whales, Verne's nominal hero Ned Land is transformed into the main villain -- while Pierre Arronax comes off none too sympathetically himself, depicted in an early scene as a wanton womanizer who sleeps with his own father's mistress. Also, a bit of gratuitous romance is thrown into the proceedings, with Captain Nemo suddenly acquiring a daughter, and another woman joining the storyline when the Nautilus makes a side trip to the lost city of Atlantis. Finally, what with Verne's good guys turning bad and Captain Nemo clearly certifiable, a new "hero" is introduced in the form of African-American crewman Cabe Attucks (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje). Oh, and did we mention that Nemo is actually a half-cyborg and a former Indian prince? This "new and improved" 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is only slightly less ridiculous than the 1916 silent film version, which also managed to add a love interest and a spectacular "flashback" sequence straight out of 1001 Arabian Nights. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Patrick Dempsey, (more)
- 1980
A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute's novel of the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War II, was first filmed as a theatrical feature in 1956. The six-part British TV adaptation of 1980, first shown in the US on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre beginning October 4, 1981, is more inclusive and sweeping in its adaptation. Much of the story concentrates on the oppression exercised upon the female British citizens of Malaya by the Japanese troops, including the infamous 6-week "death march" through the jungles. The miniseries begins just prior to the invasion, when the British citizens find it hard to believe that they're in danger. The subsequent horrors are seen through the eyes of two POWS: A British woman (Helen Morse) and an Australian soldier (Bryan Brown). Thrust together by the war and its related deprivations, the two prisoners fall in love. But at war's end they return to their separate countries of birth, and their ardor cools. After an awkward and inconclusive reunion, the lovers ultimately renew their relationship--a circumstance once more sparked by a crisis in their lives. A Town Like Alice was Masterpiece Theatre's first presentation of the 1981-82 TV season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- PG
In this mystery, an ancient Roman detective looks into the disappearance of a powerful senator's son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Matthias Hues, (more)
Screenwriter John Hamburg directs his second film (since his 1998 debut Safe Men) with the romantic comedy Along Came Polly. Ben Stiller plays Reuben Feffer, a professional risk assessor who never takes chances in any aspect of his life. When his new bride Lisa (Debra Messing) leaves him for a European scuba instructor named Claude (Hank Azaria), he finally decides to a risk of his own. At a party, he meets free-spirited Polly Prince (Jennifer Aniston), whom he remembers from his seventh-grade Model U.N. Unlike the control-freak Reuben, she's spent her life living on the edge. They reluctantly begin a romance and Polly introduces him to a new world of spicy food and suggestive dances. Along Came Polly also stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as Reuben's washed-up best friend Sandy Lyle and Alec Baldwin as the obnoxious insurance company boss Stan Indursky. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, (more)
Set against the scenic backdrop of pre-World War II Australia, Baz Luhrmann's romantic period adventure stars Nicole Kidman as an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch, and Hugh Jackman as the rough-and-tumble cattle driver who helps protect her property from greedy English cattle barons. As the pair attempt to herd 2,000 head of cattle hundreds of miles across the treacherous Australian outback, they are stunned to bear witness to the bombing of Darwin by Japanese forces -- who just a few months prior launched a devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, (more)
Brevity may be the soul of wit, but that doesn't make the 79-minute Blame It on the Bellboy any funnier. Orton (Dudley Moore) is an ambitious real estate agent. Horton (Richard Griffiths) is a middle-aged married man looking for extracurricular activity via a dating service. And Lawton (Bryan Brown) is a professional hit man. Orton, Horton and Lawton all check into adjoining rooms at a posh Venetian hotel. Bellboy Bronson Pinchot, whose grasp of the English language is virtually nonexistent, delivers the wrong messages to the three men. That's why Orton is trying to sell a valuable piece of property to a roomful of mafiosi, Horton is "paired up" with an unwitting female real estate broker, and Lawton is preparing to rub out a hapless dating-service subscriber......Written by director Mark Herman, this old-style doorslamming farce might have passed muster as a dinner-theater attraction, but on film it comes across as strained and tiresome. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dudley Moore, Bryan Brown, (more)
- 1980
In this drama, a terminally ill ex-crook returns to his home in Melbourne, Australia to make amends and die with peace and dignity. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Breaker Morant is one of the most acclaimed Australian films, telling a powerful tale of wartime betrayal and injustice. Henry "Breaker" Morant (Edward Woodward) is an Englishman living in Australia at the end of the 19th century. When war breaks out in 1899 between Britain and the Boers (descendants of Dutch colonists), Morant and a number of Australians volunteer for duty and are absorbed into the non-regular units of the British army. Acting under orders from his commanders, Morant oversees the execution of several Boer prisoners; it turns out that one of them was German, and in order to keep the peace with Germany, Britain agrees to courtmartial Morant and two other soldiers, sentencing two to death and one to life imprisonment. Based on a play by Kenneth Ross, Bruce Beresford's film is powerfully filmed and acted and has become a classic anti-war movie since its 1980 release; the script (co-written by Beresford) was nominated for an Academy Award. The final execution scene is nearly overpowering in its sense of tragedy and futility. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Woodward, Bryan Brown, (more)
- 1990
Aussies call the wild horse a "brumby." Bryan Brown narrates a look at these animals that may be born free, but are today considered a pest on the Australian Outback. These beautiful creatures represent an important connection to Australia's past and at the same time reflect a robust and spirited sense of freedom. Unfortunately, left uncontrolled, the animals have developed into an environmental threat and have become the object of cruelty. Brumby: Horse Run Wild provides a thought-provoking account of this Australian dilemma and the plight of the wild mustangs and mares who roam the unique landscape Down Under. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide
- 1979
- R
Based on a true story, this drama stars Michelle Fawdon as Cathy Baikas, a woman of Greek heritage who lives in Sydney, Australia with her three-year-old daughter. When the girl's father kidnaps the child and takes her back to Greece with him, Cathy discovers the authorities can do little to help her, so she turns to the media, hoping that taking her story to the people will help bring her daughter back to her. The outwardly-crusty editor of a major daily newspaper proves sympathetic to Cathy's problem and begins giving her case press coverage. Fawdon won an Australian Film Institute award for Best Actress. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michelle Fawdon, Alan Cassell, (more)
Tom Cruise juggles Martini shakers and ice cubes as the materialistic Brian Flanagan, a bartender who drops out of school to search for the perfect "rich chick" who will bankroll him into luxury. Brian meets up with bar veteran Doug Couglin (Bryan Brown) and they put together a dance-duo bar-tending act, taking five minutes to a mix a drink as they dance and toss gin bottles behind the bar to cutting-edge rock music circa 1988. The patrons, instead of demanding the booze, are dazzled by their antics and cheer them on. As a result, the bartenders become wildly popular -- in particular, Brian, who finds the bar babes falling all over each other to hop into the sack with him. As a result of their bar-tending success, they get hired to tend bar at a swanky disco, but there Brian and Doug have a falling out, and Brian takes off for Jamaica. There he meets vacationing New York City waitress Jordan Mooney (Elisabeth Shue) and the two fall in love. But then Brian meets rich New York fashion executive Bonnie (Lisa Banes) who wants to take Brian back to Manhattan with her to become her drink-mixing stud. When Jordan sees this, the love affair is put on hold. But not for long, as pangs of consciousness begin to filter through Brian's drunken haze. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown, (more)
Though not quite a western, this gripping Australian drama contains similar themes as it chronicles the unending struggle between native aborigines and ever-encroaching Europeans. Set in the arid red-rock desert west of Alice Springs, a region called Dead Heart by the whites and hailed as a sacred place by the aborigines, the story centers on the travails of Ray Lorkin (Bryan Brown) the local lawman who sees that Australian laws are obeyed in the tiny village of Wala Wala where he is one of only seven whites. The story itself unfolds via flashback as told by the Aboriginal village elder Poppy. The trouble begins in the town jail when an Aboriginal prisoner is discovered dead. Believing the hanging to be murder, the town tribesmen demand revenge. Lorkin, while not fully understanding aboriginal customs, has always tried to remain tolerant and respectful of their ways and so allows his deputy, Billy, to be ritually wounded during a ceremony of vengeance. More trouble brews when Aborigine bootlegger Ray Tony takes the schoolteacher's bored wife Kay out to a particularly sacred area for an illicit tryst. Later, Kate finds Tony dead. Strangely, his body shows no signs of violence. Despite the lacking evidence, Lorkin suspects a murder and demands justice. His investigation leads him down a dangerous, winding path that culminates in a tense and surprising manner. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Ernie Dingo, (more)
- 1991
Made for cable TV, this thriller finds a lawyer (Bryan Brown) plotting the murder of his wealthy wife so he can make off with his secretary. The wrong person ends up dead, however, and he finds himself accused of the crime. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Teri Hatcher, (more)
- 2008
Multiple Oscar nominee Peter O'Toole adds yet another offbeat role to his long resume with the mystical comedy-drama Dean Spanley. Adapted from Lord Dunsany's popular novella My Talks with Dean Spanley and helmed by Toa Fraser, the film stars O'Toole as Horatio Fisk, an irascible, cantankerous septuagenarian living out his final days at the turn of the 20th Century. Despite his distant and slightly strained relationship with his son Henslowe (Jeremy Northam), Horatio willfully joins the young man on regular outings; the tedium and monotony of these routines eventually grow so overwhelming, however, that the two decide to attend a lecture on the Transmigration of Souls by a visiting Hindu Swami. At the meeting, their paths intersect with the eccentric Dean Spanley (Sam Neill), and a friendship blossoms between Spanley and Henslowe. When Spanley joins Henslowe for a private dinner, and accepts his invitation to sample a rare Hungarian wine known as the Imperial Tokay, Spanley instinctively brings forth reminiscences of a prior life lived out as a canine - and his recollections hold a rather bizarre connection to Horatio's familial past. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Northam, Sam Neill, (more)
- 1999
Beautiful location filming highlights this romantic comedy/adventure from Australia. Walter (Bryan Brown) is a shy mailman who delivers a route in the small town of Talok Spring near Australia's Whitsunday Islands. Walter has long had a crush on Claudia (Aleksandra Vujcic), who works at a barmaid in Talok Spring's local tavern. Walter politely lets Claudia tag along on a routine mail flight, though postal regulations expressly forbid it, and when a storm causes the plane to crash in the bay near an island, Walter and Claudia are able to swim to shore. For Walter, this is a dream come true -- the weather is beautiful, fruit, vegetables and seafood are in abundance, and he's alone with the woman he loves. However, Claudia, who does not return Walter's affection, is less than enthusiastic, and with good reason. It seems she stole a large quantity of gold and stashed it on the plane before takeoff, and is in no small hurry to recover it before the crime is traced back to her. Dear Claudia marked the feature film debut for writer/director Chris Cudlipp. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Aleksandra Vujcic, (more)
- 1992
In this made-for-cable-TV crime drama, New York detective Devlin must prove that he is innocent of killing his brother-in-law, a mayoral candidate. It is not easy for the unhappily married, alcoholic gumshoe because he suspects that the man trying to frame him is his arch nemesis, his corrupt father-in-law, a powerful local politician. Now while trying to save his neck and solve the murder, Devlin finds himself pursued by both his fellow cops and the mob. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Directed by David Caesar, Dirty Deeds is an Australian crime picture inspired by real-life Sydney mobsters, and is set in the Sydney crime underworld of 1969. Bryan Brown stars as Barry Ryan, a prominent gangster whose ruthlessness rivals some of the toughest in the trade. He lives with his downbeat wife, Sharon (Toni Collette), and their son, but spends the majority of his time either with fellow mobsters or his mistress, Margaret (Kestie Morassi). Ryan's business is threatened when a Chicago Mafia boss dispatches two of his goons to scope out the poker machine scene for a potential takeover. Tony (John Goodman) and Sal (Felix Williamson), however, are lost when it comes to Australian culture, and stick out like a sore thumb. Negotiating with the Americans will be difficult enough for Barry, but the real blow comes when he learns that one of his own gang members has been deceitful. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Toni Collette, (more)
Ken Russell's Dogboys is set at a southern prison. The title of the film comes from the prisoners who are used to train the attack dogs employed to stop escapes. DA Jennifer Dern (Tia Carrere) is investigating the prison's warden (Bryan Brown). She puts one of her men inside the prison, but he ends up dead from one of the dogs. Inmate Julian Taylor (Dean Cain) finds a partial picture of a man in with the blood from the mole's death. While keeping himself free of attack and harm in the prison, Taylor and Dern team up to reveal the truth about the warden, and stop his sadistic practices. Dogboys was made-for-television. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Cain, Bryan Brown, (more)
A man who simulates death for a living finds himself unwittingly tied into the real thing in this New York-based suspense drama. Special effects man Rollie Tyler (Bryan Brown) makes his living simulating gory mayhem and photogenic violence for movies such as "I Dismember Mama." Tyler is given a chance to expand his professional horizons when he's approached by Lipton (Cliff DeYoung), who introduces himself as an FBI agent and makes an unusual proposal. Mob kingpin Nicholas DeFranco (Jerry Orbach) is willing to testify against his fellow gangsters, but the investigators are worried about his safety. Lipton wants Tyler to help him and his staff fake DeFranco's assassination; if everyone is convinced DeFranco is dead, people will be a lot less likely to look for him. Tyler grudgingly takes the assignment, and while he's able to realistically simulate DeFranco being shot in a crowded restaurant, after the "gag," he discovers that he's been double crossed, and he's wanted for the murder of the man he just "shot." Tyler hides out with his girlfriend Ellen (Diane Venora), but he realizes that whoever set him up wants him dead after she's killed by a bullet meant for him. With the help of fellow effects artist Andy (Martha Gehman), Tyler goes underground and tries to unravel the truth behind the Lipton murder. Meanwhile, police detective Leo McCarthy (Brian Dennehy) is convinced that something is not right when he's called to the scene of DeFranco's murder and is certain that the dead body is not the gangster. F/X was followed by a sequel, and later a short-lived TV series. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Brian Dennehy, (more)
In F/X2: The Deadly Art of Illusion, Bryan Brown returns as movie special effects designer Rollie Tyler. Having barely escaped with his life after being duped and exploited by the villains in the first F/X, he isn't too eager to channel his talents into police work again. He'd much rather design harmless playthings for the kiddies. Still, detective Mike Brandon (Tom Mason) manages to convince Rollie to help the cops trap a dangerous voyeur. When Brandon is killed, Rollie suspects there's more to the story than meets the eye. With the aid of his old buddy Leo McCarthy (Brian Dennehy, likewise a veteran of the first F/X), Rollie uncovers a vast conspiracy involving both the police and organized crime. Of course, this compels Rollie to come up with a series of dazzling live-action special effects to confound the bad guys. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Brian Dennehy, (more)
- 1982
When a political reporter disappears in Southeast Asia, it is up to his wife to find him. She enlists the help of a former boyfriend, who is still coping with his unresolved feelings for her. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Helen Morse, (more)
Adapted from an unproduced play by Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby, et al.), the made-for-TV Footsteps stars Candice Bergen as Daisy Lowenthal, a best-selling suspense novelist who has recently "killed off" her most popular fictional character -- and who is recovering from a nervous breakdown. Determined to confront and conquer one of her most dreaded phobias, Daisy elects to spend a weekend alone at her isolated beach house, not even permitting her husband Robbie (Michael Murphy) to keep her company. As Daisy sweats out the weekend -- and an ominous storm -- she finds that she is not quite as alone as she thinks. For one, there's that curious young man named Spencer (Bug Hall), Daisy's self-proclaimed number one fan who possesses a disturbingly thorough knowledge of the writer's professional and personal life; for another, there's lawman Eddie Bruno (Bryan Brown), who has apparently been hired to keep tabs on Daisy. There's yet another player in this taut little melodrama...but to give any more away would be unthinkable. Footsteps debuted October 12, 2003, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Candice Bergen, Bryan Brown, (more)
- 1995
- R
In this erotic drama, Nina (Mimi Rogers) is a successful gallery owner who lives alone in a luxurious house filled with exquisite works of art. Her career is demanding, and once a week she gets a massage at home to ease her tenseness. One week she is surprised when Fitch (Bryan Brown) arrives to substitute for her regular masseur. During the massage session, Nina and Fitch discuss their lives, and the film makes cinematic use of flashbacks and intercut footage to reveal their pasts and inner thoughts. Nina reminisces about her ex-husband, as well as about an artist who was a recent lover. Fitch's memories revolve around the love of his life, a Hopi woman who introduced him to the healing arts. Fitch turns out to be a man who both intrigues and irks Nina, and although she finds the massage physically relaxing, she is troubled when he confronts her with challenging questions. By the end of the film, more than Nina's physical tenseness has been released: she has opened up both psychologically and spiritually. ~ All Movie Guide
