Paul Freeman Movies
A noted character actor in England, Paul Freeman spent his early performing years on the stage, moving into film with the abysmal Whose Child Am I?, which still turns up on cable once in a while. TV appearances (including The Life of Shakespeare in which he played Burbage) followed. In 1979 he was drafted to play Colin, the best friend of fictional British crime boss Harold Shand (played by Bob Hoskins) in the controversial and troubled The Long Good Friday. Equally as controversial was Death of a Princess, a docudrama about the 1977 execution of a Saudi Arabian princess for adultery, in which Freeman portrayed journalist Anthony Thomas.The Dogs of War took Freeman to Africa, co-starring with Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger, and it was during this shoot that he met his wife, Maggie Scott, who was cast in the key role of Gabrielle. Tunisia was one of the next stops for Freeman, who stepped into one of the defining roles of his career at this point -- that of crooked archaeologist Rene Belloq, chief rival to Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Freeman returned briefly to television, as the villainous Gustav Riebman in Falcon Crest, then returned to feature work with The Sender,The Final Option, and others, salting these with Sakharov for HBO and the miniseries A.D., which led to him being cast in the title role of the aborted Pontius Pilate project, based on the Paul Maier novel.
Over the years, he has essayed a remarkable number of roles, from parts in the universally panned Shanghai Surprise (which sank George Harrison's Handmade Films company) to the role of Moriarty in Without a Clue and even, buried under pounds of makeup, the evil Ivan Ooze in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. On occasion he has even managed to turn up in controversial projects, such as 1990's barely-seen Prisoner of Rio, in which he played Ronald Biggs, a fugitive British train robber living handsomely in Brazil. By late 1997, early 1998, he was working with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Paul Freeman is not to be confused with a producer by the same name. ~ Steven E. McDonald, All Movie Guide
- 2006
With his English-language political thriller The Feast of the Goat, action helmer Luis Llosa cinematizes Mario Vargas Llosa's sweeping, epic novel about the myriad of events leading up to the assassination of a real-life tyrannical despot. The story opens in 1992, when a Dominican émigré attorney, Urania Cabral (Isabella Rossellini) leaves her new home in the U.S. and heads back to her native country, for the first occasion in decades. She intends to confront her father, 80-year-old Augustin (Tomas Milian), about his former employment in the government of the supremely corrupt dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo (Tomas Milian). The film then flashes back to the events surrounding the assassination of Trujillo on a highway in late May of 1961, by delving into the lives and motives of each of the participants - from Amadito (Juan Diego Botto), whom Trujillo forced to execute his future brother-in-law, to that victim's father (Murphy Guyer), to Antonio (David Zayas), the brother of an incriminating witness whom Trujillo's men executed. One by one, as their stories are disinterred, the assassins gather on a nighttime road, brandishing guns, and prepare to shoot Trujillo and throw his body into the trunk of a car. Paul Freeman, Stephanie Leonidas and Richard Bekins co-star; Llosa co-authored the script with Augusto Cabada and Zachary Sklar. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tomas Milian, Isabella Rossellini, (more)
- 2003
Ian Sharp's Mrs. Caldicot's Cabbage War concerns itself with Thelma Caldicot (Pauline Collins), whose life changes radically after the death of her husband. After her spouse dies, thanks to an errant cricket ball, Thelma is taken out of her home by her son Derek (Peter Capaldi) and her daughter-in-law Veronica (Anna Wilson-Jones). She is admitted to the Twilight Years Rest Home, which is run by Hawthorne (John Alderton). Upset with the care she and the other patients receive, Thelma leads a revolt. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pauline Collins, Peter Capaldi, (more)
The family friendly adventure film George and the Dragon tells the tale of a knight who, upon returning home after an unsettling period fighting the Crusades, agrees to find a king's missing daughter in order to possess some land in a quiet area of the world. Soon he learns that in order to return the princess, George will be forced to outwit a dragon with the help of his loyal friend Elmendorf. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Purefoy, Piper Perabo, (more)
- 2002
Season nine of ER begins ten minutes after season eight left off, with the County General ER still in lockdown in the face of a possible smallpox epidemic. Though most of the patients and staffers have been evacuated, a handful are quarantined at the ER for two weeks, among them Carter (Noah Wyle), Abby (Maura Tierney), Chen (Ming-Na), and Pratt (Mekhi Phifer), now a full-fledged series regular. In the midst of the chaos and confusion, Carter and Abby have managed to find the opportunity to lock lips, thereby inaugurating a whole new phase in their relationship. Meanwhile, on the roof of the hospital, Romano (Paul McCrane) throws another temper tantrum, with disastrous consequences when, in mid-rant, he backs into the tail rotor of a helicopter. And in faraway London, the newly widowed Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) has joined her father's business -- but may now be too "Americanized" for her family's tastes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
The wedding of Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) and Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) may never come off, thanks to a combination of terrible weather, squabbling in-laws, a misplaced wallet, and a clueless limo service. Back at the ER, with most of the nurses invited to the wedding, Abby (Maura Tierney) must hold down the fort while suffering from a bad cold; and Kovac (Goran Visnjic) and Carter (Noah Wyle) argue over the treatment of the victims of a prison-van accident. And while embarking on a vacation to get over her relationship with Legaspi, Weaver (Laura Innes) makes a new "friend" (Casey Biggs). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Everything seems to be going right for Julius Morlang (Paul Freeman, best-known as the villainous Rene Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark). He lives with his beautiful young girlfriend, Ann (Susan Lynch of From Hell), in a lovely cliffside home on the Pacific coast of Ireland. His once-stagnant art career is undergoing a resurgence and his agent (Eric van der Donk) tells him, "You seem a little happier. It's in your work." But things begin to fall apart when someone breaks into his home and ransacks it, leaving a cryptic message. Through flashbacks the audience discovers the truth about the death of Ellen (Diana Kent), Julius' wife of 15 years. Julius soon finds his new life with Ann threatened by a malevolent figure from his past. The basic premise of Morlang, Tjebbo Penning's directorial debut feature, was inspired by a television news story. Penning's film won awards for Best Lead Actor (Freeman) and Best First Film at the 2001 Cairo International Film Festival. It was also shown in competition at the 2002 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Freeman, Diana Kent, (more)
Kirsten Dunst stars in this drama as a Jewish teenager who doesn't care much about her family's religious heritage until she's transported back in time to Poland in 1941, where she learns a valuable lesson about the struggles of her family -- and her people. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Brittany Murphy, (more)
- 1998
Greene (Anthony Edwards) ponders becoming the EMT medical director on a part-time basis. Benton (Eriq La Salle) worries that his son, Reese, may be hearing-impaired. Elizabeth Corday's father (Paul Freeman) arrives from England, and asks Elizabeth (Alex Kingston) to join his practice back in the old country, while Weaver (Laura Innes) offers the counter-suggestion that Elizabeth start over as an intern to learn American methods. And Carter's (Noah Wyle) first attempt to be the RA in the medical-school dorms isn't all that successful. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
In this two-part made-for-TV romantic drama, a neurosurgeon finds difficulty in dealing with the fact that his latest critically ill patient is the woman whom he once wanted to marry. He is married to another woman, but he still has feelings for his patient. ~ Andrew Olthuis, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marisa Tomei, Rob Morrow, (more)
- 1996
When the Berlin Wall came down, Polish peasant lass Eva wept with joy. Seven years later, the beauteous girl is living the high-life in Milan as a pricy call girl. One day, her innocent, but equally beautiful little sister Maria shows up for a surprise visit. She thinks Eva makes money as an interpreter. Unfortunately for Maria her surprise is spoiled because Eva has been missing for a while. Teaming up with the police, Maria begins a search that leads her to discover Eva's true profession. Desperate to locate her older sister, Marie masquerades as Eva. Featuring a cast comprised of international supermodels, this Italian thriller fits nicely into the "so-bad-it's-good" category of trashy films. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1993
In this romantic fantasy, Liechtenhaus is one of those seldom-heard-of tiny European principalities. It is being ruled by Prince Max (David Warner), but the little country is nearly bankrupt. In fact, if he can't get an infusion of cash quickly, he may have to sell the royal palace to American developers as a casino complex. Fortunately, he's got a very pretty daughter, and the dowry he will get from marrying her off to the unappealing (but wealthy) heir to a similar nearby principality will more than get his tiny country in the clear. Unfortunately for him, his daughter, princess Sofia (Barbara Snellenburg), is adamant about refusing this arranged marriage, and prefers romance with a handsome but penniless windsurfing instructor (Raoul Bova) to saving her country. Nefarious schemes come forth and multiply, and when the princess is kidnapped, something must be done. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Raoul Bova, David Warner, (more)
- 1992
Just Like a Woman is a contemporary cross-dressing farce played as if it were a romantic comedy. But still, in the deep recesses of the celluloid, the narrator from Ed Wood's Glen Or Glenda can be heard intoning, "Remember, transvestites are not homosexuals." The story begins when businessman Gerald (Adrian Pasdar) is kicked out of his house by his wife, who discovers Gerald in the possession of a strange woman's underwear. After being cast out of hearth and home, he ends up living in a rented room at the home of fortyish divorcee Monica (Julie Walters). The two proceed to fall in love, and all is well until Monica spots a mysterious woman creeping upstairs to Gerald's room. When Monica investigates, it turns out that the mystery woman is, in fact, Gerald. Monica is taken aback, but only for a moment, and they continue their affair -- dresses, panties, garter belts and all. As one of Monica's friends points out to her, "It's 'is 'obby, luv . . . like golf . . .except you see more of him." Unfortunately, so does Gerald's boss, Miles Millichamp (Paul Freeman) who abruptly fires him for being a transvestite. But Gerald's firing affects his firm's negotiations with an important Japanese company and he must muster up enough fortitude to both straighten out his career and his panty hose. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Walters, Adrian Pasdar, (more)
- 1991
- Add A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia to QueueAdd A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia to top of Queue
This informative look at T.E. Lawrence at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, as he serves as the liaison to the Hashemite delegation in an effort to have the Allies agree to Arab independence. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Fiennes
- 1990
In this somewhat allegorical drama, five men, two women and a dog are the sole survivors of an airplane crash into the desert. The men are as mixed a lot as one could hope to find; the women (one young, one mature) are as level-headed a pair as one could hope to find. Conflict between the men breaks out almost immediately, as the bible-thumping macho hunter cannot abide the Scottish homosexual and his lover; the adolescent young man wants to have sex with somebody, preferably the younger woman; and the biologist wants to quieten things down but is otherwise unable to contribute anything. By the film's end, all the men have done unspeakable things to one another while the women remain above the fray. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Freeman, Shelagh McLeod, (more)
- 1990
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason represents a Marine Officer who is accused of killing a Nazi war criminal. He is the prime suspect because the Nazi had treated his mother terribly at a concentration camp. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
The four-part British miniseries Pursuit, based upon Robert L. Fish's novel of the same name, was first telecast in the United States as the two-part "movie special" Twist of Fate. Bruce Greenwood essayed the leading role of Helmut Von Schraeder, an ex-S.S. officer on the run after conspiring to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. Undergoing plastic surgery, Von Schraeder assumed the new identity of Jewish concentration camp survivor Daniel Grossman. And as if that wasn't unbelievable enough, "Grossman" went on to a colorful career as an Israeli freedom fighter. The huge multinational cast included British film and TV stalwart Ben Cross and American leading lady Sarah Jessica Parker. Though made for British television, Pursuit did not air in that country until 1990, a full year after its American debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Cross, Veronica Hamel, (more)
- 1989
Ben Kingsley stars as Simon Weisenthal, an Austrian Jew who is interred in the Malthausen concentration camp during World War II. When the camp is liberated, it is Weisenthal's eyewitness testimony, coupled with sketches that he's made of the many Nazi atrocities, that leads to the capture of Malthausen's escaped commandants. Weisenthal goes on to join the American War Crimes unit, collecting evidence for the Nuremberg trials. Eventually he dedicates his life to tracking down Nazi war criminals, at great personal cost to himself and his wife (Renee Soutendjik). His most daunting task is to convince his daughter (Louisa Haigh) that he is pursuing justice, not vengeance. Made for HBO, Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story premiered April 22, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
A sly American magician manipulates a London television producer in this drama. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1988
In 1981, Ronald Biggs was kidnapped by agents from Scotland Yard from his Brazilian hideout for his participation in the 1964 British train robbery. This feature was written by Biggs and director Lech Majewski as a fictionalized account of the authorities trying to bring the colorful crook to justice. Paul Freeman plays Biggs, infamous for his participation in the $5 million heist dubbed "The Great Train Robbery". Jack McFarland (Steven Berkoff) is the Scotland Yard agent obsessed with apprehending Biggs and placing him on board a British navy ship bound for England. Nudity abounds in the final carnival scene as Biggs stays one step ahead of his captors. Colorful scenes of Rio are the highlight of this feature hampered by a thin script. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Berkoff, Paul Freeman, (more)
