Keith Allen Movies

Coronation Street scribe John Fay pens this three-part conspiracy thriller concerning a mobile phone engineer who blames his job for giving him an inoperable brain tumor, and who becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation when a drug dealer is shot dead and a mobile phone mast is destroyed. Set against the backdrop of the Iraq War, the film opens as mobile phone engineer Eddie (Neil Fitzmaurice) is diagnosed with a deadly brain tumor. Though his wife Donna (Julie Graham) and their two children vow to make his final days truly memorable, all vengeful Eddie can think about is making sure that someone pays. Eddie's efforts to track down the responsible party backfires though when a murdered drug dealer and a destroyed cell phone mast lead police to suspect that he may be responsible for a series of murders around the city. Also hungry for vengeance is broken soldier Maurice Stone (Jamie Draven), whose wife and son were killed by a driver that was talking on their cell phone. That driver has never been found, and Maurice won't rest easy until he's gotten his revenge. Later, when the identity of the hit-and-run driver is finally revealed, the true mastermind behind this mobile phone terror plot finally steps out from the shadows as a labyrinthine conspiracy slowly comes to light. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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, All Movie Guide

Based on a true story, this two-part British miniseries chronicled the sorry career of Victorian-era doctor -- and unrepentant murderer -- William Palmer. Eager to become "the most famous surgeon in England," Palmer (played with appropriate arrogant detachment by Keith Allen) stopped at nothing to achieve his goal, ultimately poisoning anyone who had the temerity to stand in his way. Despite having decimated virtually his entire family, Palmer managed to get away with his homicidal perfidy until he brought about the death of his "best friend," John Parsons Cook (Richard Coyle). As a result of this final outrage, Palmer did indeed become England's most famous surgeon -- but not quite in the way that he'd always imagined. Originally telecast in Britain by Yorkshire Television on March 3 and 10, 1998, The Life and Crimes of William Palmer was seen in America via PBS' Mystery anthology on November 12 and 19, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Beyond Bedlam is an ambitious British horror shocker, incorporating elements familiar from Nightmare On Elm Street and the work of such authors as Thomas Harris and Clive Barker. Terry Hamilton (Craig Fairbrass) is a detective haunted by the maniac he captured seven years ago, known as the Bone Man (Keith Allen). The Bone Man, whose real name is Gilmour, is the top patient of a scientist (Elizabeth Hurley), who has been using Gilmour in experiments to test a new mind-calming drug called BFND. But the drug also enables Gilmour to bring his hallucinations to life, and his monstrous creations menace Hamilton and the doctor during the film's second half as they attempt to put Gilmour down for good. Shot mostly in an abandoned sanitarium, the film puts its eerie location to good effect and has a lot of visual style, but the initially promising premise breaks down as the long final pursuit kicks in. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Set in Wales a few hundred years ago, Rebecca's Daughters stars Paul Rhys as an aristocratic member of the ruling class. Rhys is not happy with the way that the members of his social order, particularly dissipated nobleman Peter O'Toole, are taxing the Welsh peasants into nonexistence. Thus, he decides to become a man of the people-or, more accurately, a woman of the people. Disguising himself as a crusading female named Rebecca, Rhys leads a peasant revolt against the aristocracy. No, of course this isn't meant to be taken seriously. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A genial spoof of the Indiana Jones film series, the weekly British children's program Jackson Pace: The Great Years focused on a teenaged explorer-adventurer. Keith Allen starred as Jackson Pace, whose exploits took him all over the world and brought him in contact with a colorful array of beautiful ladies and sinister villains. Nothing, of course, was meant to be taken seriously -- nor could it have been, given the series' meager budget and modest production values. Written by veteran teen-show scrivener Daniel Peacock (who also played a key supporting role), Jackson Pace: The Great Years was originally telecast from October 11 to November 15, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set in the 1830s, this historical drama stars Robin Soans as George Loveless, a Methodist minister whose flock is a group of working families in Tolpuddle, a small town in the British Southwest. Most of the workers in the community are under the thumb of Frampton (Robert Stephens), a ruthless land owner, and his overseer Clerk (Murray Melvin); Frampton and Clerk demand long hours from their workers and pay meager wages. Convinced that the workers deserve a better shake, Loveless, encouraged by organizer Mr. Pitt (Michael Hordern), forms the Society of Friends, an early labor union, and organizes the men to negotiate with Frampton for better pay. When their salaries are instead cut, Loveless and his men go on strike, which could cripple Frampton financially. However, Frampton is well-connected, and soon both the government and private militias are sent in to break the strike and punish the rebellious laborers. The supporting cast includes James Fox, Freddie Jones, and Vanessa Redgrave. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This digital-video biopic uses the life of journalist, record mogul and club owner Tony Wilson to frame the story of the Manchester, England, music scene from the heyday of punk through the late-'80s "Madchester" era. As the founder of staunchly independent Factory Records, Wilson (Steve Coogan) shepherded the careers of doomed post-punk combo Joy Division, synth-pop superstars New Order and hedonistic louts the Happy Mondays. Along the way, he helped bring rave culture to Britain under the aegis of the legendary Hacienda nightclub. 24 Hour Party People follows Wilson from his conversion to punk at a seminal Sex Pistols concert through the suicide of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, the overwhelming success of New Order and the eventual dissolution of the Factory empire thanks to bad business decisions, underworld ties and the hedonistic excess of the Happy Mondays. Directed by Michael Winterbottom and written by frequent collaborator Frank Cottrell Boyce, 24 Hour Party People features cameos from a large number of Manchester music luminaries. The supporting cast includes Shirley Henderson and John Simm, both of whom appeared in Winterbottom's Wonderland, while the film's title comes from a Happy Mondays song. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Joseph Fiennes and Rhys Ifans star in this wacky British comedy-thriller. Hard luck case Pete (Ifans), who is unable to impregnate his hot-to-trot wife Sarah (Sadie Frost), learns that his father's business, which he recently inherited, is saddled with a huge tax debt. At his wits' end, he consults his coke-snorting buddy Sean (Fiennes), who recommends a monetary infusion from local Russian loan shark Mr. Kant (Steven Berkoff) and his over-sexed daughter Masha (Tara Fitzgerald). When Pete and the mobster meet, Masha starts aggressively seducing him. Meanwhile, Sean double-crosses everyone while Sarah just whines. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Hey all you gremmies! Let's wax up our boards, load up the woodie and hit the beach for a big day of surfing in ... Cornwall, England? Blue Juice takes a look at a small but hardy group of British surfing enthusiasts who have learned to make the best of the flat waves and low tides of their homeland. Thirtysomething JC (Sean Pertwee) has been the local king of the surfing scene for some time, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend Chloe (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who would like JC to pay a little more attention to her and perhaps start doing something useful with his life. One night, JC's buddies Dean (Ewan McGregor), a small time drug dealer, and Josh (Steven Mackintosh), a record producer, show up with their pal Terry (Peter Gunn) in tow. Terry is about to get married, and they figure that they should take him out for a good time before he puts on the harness. JC is eager to tag along, but Chloe is annoyed at JC for leaving her alone at home for yet another night, and she gives him his walking papers. JC is thinking of hooking up with some friends to check out some real waves elsewhere, but Chloe starts to think that she would like to give JC another chance. Blue Juice was released a year before Ewan McGregor had his commercial breakthrough in Trainspotting, and three years before The Mask of Zorro would make Catherine Zeta-Jones a star. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide