Philip Jackson Movies

Three stories of human treachery are given an unexpected link in this dry comedy drama from Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur. Holt (Forest Whitaker) is an insurance investigator who is sent to Minnesota to look into a bus accident; the bus seems to have had significantly more passengers after it crashed than it had when it left the station, and Holt, posing as a police detective, needs to know who is telling the truth and who is attempting to cash in on the tragedy. Later, Holt is back on the job, when a badly burned body is found in a wrecked car, and the ID on the corpse indicates the victim was a small-time con artist with a police record. The victim's sister, Isold (Julia Stiles), claims that her brother's accident happened after his gas tank was drained and he was struggling to make his way home on a stormy night, but Holt isn't buying it; and Isold's husband, Fred (Jeremy Renner), and son, Thor (Alfred Harmsworth), don't seem especially trustworthy. Finally, a man and a woman struggle to make their way to shore after their car sails off a cliff into a body of water. While they seem grateful to make it back to dry land, it seems the woman has reason to be unhappy with her mate when she viciously attacks him. Who are these people, and what is their story? A Little Trip to Heaven received its North American premier at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In a drama that runs out of steam slowly, a small Cornish town is faced with the unwelcome news that nuclear weapons are stored in the nearby U.S. Marine base. This causes a great deal of commotion among the townspeople and adds a twist to the problems Geoff has in romancing Carol, who is already dating a Marine with pacifist leanings. Issues come to a head at the town meeting, when a Ministry representative explains that England would survive a nuclear war -- and almost sets off a war with that statement. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Having written the music and screenplay for this film, Paul McCartney also plays himself in the leading role. When the sole copy of McCartney's latest album is misplaced, he must discover its whereabouts in less than 24 hours or else risk losing his recording company to the lowlife Mr. Rath (John Bennett). McCartney performs three new songs, along with a number of classic Beatles' tunes. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

In this early film, award-winning director Mike Leigh uses a loose, open-ended narrative structure to unsettle cinematic expectations and create a truly inventive and very honest film. High Hopes opens with the arrival of Wayne, a small-town lad in his twenties, in the London metropolis. Completely lost in the hustle and bustle, Wayne asks for directions from a cyclist named Cyril. Unable to assist him, Cyril brings Wayne to his house to examine a map and meet his long-time girlfriend, Shirley, also a working-class intellectual. After the opening credits roll, Wayne, equipped with directions, leaves and turns to wave goodbye to the helpful couple. Completely unexpectedly the camera stays with Cyril and Shirley, Wayne exits the film as a minor character, and the viewer's notions of what to expect from a narrative drama are completely shaken. Throughout, High Hopes' seemingly innocuous events turn out to be crucial incidents in the characters' lives. After this abrupt change of direction, Cyril and Shirley pay a visit to Cyril's aging mother, Mrs. Bender, and meet her neighbors, the vapid Boothe-Braines. In a parallel story, we meet Cyril's high-strung sister, Valerie, who perpetually neglects her mother as she herself is neglected by her wandering husband, Martin. The remainder of the film explores the dull, unfulfilled lives of the middle class and the wasteful and purposeless lives of the upper-middle class (the Boothe-Braines), and Cyril and Shirley's struggle to decide if they should bring a child into this mess of a world. As with his other films, Leigh did not work from a script in filming High Hopes, relying instead on the actors' improvisations which contribute to the lyrical, open-ended quality of the narrative. ~ Brian Whitener, Rovi

Three armed criminals invade a bank, take everyone inside hostage, and nervously await the arrival of a payroll truck. Among the hostages is Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr), who hopes to take advantage of the robbers' internal squabbling in order to play one against the other--but the thieves may be a bit too smart to fall for that trick. Reportedly based on a true story, this episode features a young actress named Kathleen Gackle, better known in later years as Kathleen Lloyd. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The great British obsession with football (soccer to Americans) receives a thorough skewering in this mock documentary look at perhaps the most hapless coach in the history of professional sport. The manager of England's national football unexpectedly succumbs to a heart attack, and suddenly the search is on for a replacement. Most people who seem qualified for the position have the good sense to turn it down, and so the responsibility falls to Mike Bassett (Ricky Tomlinson), a scruffy and loud-mouthed lout whose claim to football fame is leading a previously undistinguished team to a league championship. Bassett insists that England will win the World Cup under his leadership, but that's before he replaces his star player with a once-gifted footballer (Dean Lennox Kelly) who has since developed a drinking problem, and hired a one-time car salesman (Philip Jackson) as his assistant. After several stunning losses to Poland, Bassett goes from a favorite of both fans and the press to one of the most hated men in England; hoping to whip his team into shape, he subjects them to the high-tech training methods of eccentric Dr. Shoegaarten (Ulrich Thomsen), which injures more players than it helps. Despite Bassett's ineptitude, England manages to qualify for the World Cup tournament thanks to a loophole in the rules, and he flies to Rio with his team in hopes of somehow turning their bad luck around. British television journalist Martin Bashir, musician and comic Keith Allen, and international football sensation Pele all appear as themselves to lend Mike Bassett: England Manager an air of authenticity. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Recalling The Sweet Hereafter, this drama explores how a working-class couple manages to carry on after the accidental death of their only son. On the same night police find stolen goods in the east London house of construction worker Woody (Ray Winstone) and Sonia (Pauline Quirke), the two are concerned when their eight-year-old son Lee doesn't come home from school. At the police station, Woody learns Lee died after being struck by a hit-and-run driver. Woody and Sonia are at a loss to deal with this emotionally draining event that alters their lives. Shown at the 1997 Dinard Festival of British Cinema (France) and the 1997 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Hastings is surprised when Poirot (David Suchet) announces his intention to retire and asks Hastings to accompany him on a trip to the seaside. En route, the two make the acquaintance of a young woman who discovers some valuable antiques missing from her possession. Hastings thinks that he's found the thief, but it's only after Poirot comes out of retirement that the case is solved. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

Agatha Christie's fastidious Belgian detective is on the trail of evildoers once again in this made-for-TV mystery. Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) is attending a flower show where a pink rose is to be named after him when he's given a packet of seeds by an older woman. Poirot is later called upon by the same woman, who fearfully claims there's serious trouble at her home. When he arrives, Poirot discovers a murder has been committed, and the woman's Russian housekeeper, thought to be part of a Communist conspiracy, is the prime suspect. Poirot: How Does Your Garden Grow? was produced by the British network Granada Television, and later aired in the United States as part of the PBS series Mystery!. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

David Suchet stars as the fastidious Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in this made-for-TV adaptation of the classic mystery by Agatha Christie. A killer is on the loose who is toying with the great sleuth by sending him a series of letters in which he announces when and where his next crime will occur. Can Poirot discover who is the criminal and determine his motive before he kills again? Poirot: The ABC Murders was originally aired in the U.S. on the PBS series Mystery! The supporting cast includes Philip Jackson as Inspector Japp and Hugh Frasier as Capt. Hastings. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this whodunit based on a novel by Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) is delighted to be entertaining a lovely Belgian film star one evening, while Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) is hot on the trail of a master jewel thief. When the actress confesses she's been receiving threatening letters since she came into possession of a valuable diamond called "The Western Star," Poirot and Japp join forces to find the offending party, though they also have to keep a close eye on the actress, who intends to wear her prize diamond for a major social event. oirot: The Adventure Of The Western Star was produced by the British network Granada Television, and later aired in the United States as part of the PBS series Mystery!. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

After Inspector Japp is called upon to investigate the strange disappearance of a wealthy banker, Poirot (David Suchet) makes a five-quid wager with Japp that he can solve the mystery without even leaving his flat. After Hastings is dispatched on a number of bizarre errands, Poirot figures out the solution to the case. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi