David Puttnam Movies
Producer David Puttnam valued artistry and the moral accountability of film characters over box-office returns. Born of a working-class family in England, he got his start as an advertising photographer in London during the 1960s. He then moved to movie production and made a few little-known films before he and director Alan Parker scored big with Bugsy Malone (1976). He and Parker then went on to make the Academy Award winning Midnight Express (1978). Amidst all the acclaim for that gripping true story of an American placed in a Turkish prison after drugs are found on him in customs, Puttnam publicly apologized for any exploitative affects the film had on audiences, thus earning him the reputation as a "responsible renegade." During his career, he had an eye for talented new directors and facilitated the debuts or breakthroughs of filmmakers such as Ridley Scott, Roland Joffe, and Bill Forsyth. He became chief of production for Columbia Pictures in 1986. There he promised to focus on cost-effective productions with an emphasis on artistry and also promised to bring in international filmmakers to diversify the type of films Columbia put out. Many of the films he produced there dealt with sensitive areas of society and politics. Puttnam avoided exploitation films and became aggressively dogmatic in his criticism of films such as Rambo because he felt the film's message morally irresponsible. He also showed little respect for the intelligence and moral fortitude of his audiences; eventually his ethical arrogance began to grate on those he worked with, and Puttnam was persuaded to leave Columbia -- with a $3 million golden parachute to soften the blow. His productions there were never released. Finally Puttnam went back to England where he continued to make films. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1994
Two different narratives, separated by 37 years, interconnect in this feature debut from acclaimed Canadian theater director Robert Lepage. In 1952, Alfred Hitchcock (here played by Ron Burrage) is in Quebec, filming I Confess. While the great director's presence adds a bit of Hollywood excitement to the usually sleepy city, Rachel (Suzanne Clement), a 16-year-old girl who works at a church being used for filming, is in turmoil. She's become pregnant and has nowhere to turn, so she speaks of her dilemma to the priest in the confessional, secure that it will remain confidential. In 1989, Pierre (Lothaire Bluteau) has returned to Quebec after three years in China to attend the funeral of his father. He encounters his adopted brother Marc (Patrick Goyette), and together they begin searching for answers to their difficult questions about their true heritage. Kristin Scott Thomas appears in a supporting role as Hitchcock's assistant. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lothaire Bluteau, Patrick Goyette, (more)
- 1994
This highly acclaimed made-for-cable movie tells the real-life story of one man's battle to save his land. Raul Julia stars as Chico Mendes, the Brazilian union leader who rallied his people to rise up and fight the exploitation of the rainforest. Mendes called on the locals to protest land developers building a road through the Amazon in an effort to make it more accessible for business. Julia is outstanding in his portrayal of the impassioned worker, who was subsequently assassinated in 1990. Nominated for many awards, the film took the Golden Globe for "Best Mini-series for TV" and several Emmy awards. Raul Julia won the Golden Globe and the Emmy for his inspiring lead performance. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1991
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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
- 1984
Two men who had been partners 20 years earlier reunite and rekindle old animosities in this routine, low-budget drama by director David Drury, made for the "First Love" British TV series but also released theatrically. James (James Aubrey), a teacher, and Father Michael (Nicholas Gecks) meet again long after their upbeat musical partnership ended and are overjoyed at seeing each other -- though that is short-lived. Personality differences emerge rather quickly, especially after James starts a sexual liaison with the mother of a little boy who adores Father Michael. Flashbacks to the 1950s help to illustrate the background of the two men in conflict. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicholas Gecks, Alec McCowen, (more)
This weak, self-conscious, made-for-TV comedy (one of producer David Puttnam's "First Love" series) is about four girlfriends who play soccer during their teen years and cheer on their favorite soccer players as well. The story begins with one of the four, the sports reporter Julia (Julia Goodman), getting a ride home from a sports broadcast with her girlhood hero, Danny Blanchflower -- and then flashbacks take the scenario to Julia's teen years with her three friends and the difficulties, triumphs, and excitement they shared as soccer consumed their lives. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zoe Nathenson, Julia Goodman, (more)
- 1984
This enjoyable romantic comedy-drama is about Stephan (Michael Maloney), an aspiring sci-fi writer who teaches English to a class of often amusing foreigners. On a field trip with his class one day Stephan goes by the house of his hero, Evan Gorley-Peters (Robert Urquhart), a celebrated sci-fi writer. Intrigued by the sight of the writer's attractive daughter Natasha (Suzanne Burden) out horseback riding, Stephan finagles a way to meet her and get invited to lunch with her and her father. As events unfold, Natasha starts to fall for the charming English teacher, but the big question is whether he is using her to get to her father, or not. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Suzanne Burden, Robert Urquhart, (more)
- 1984
In this British drama, Mal Stanton (Reece Dinsdale), a young British Royal Air Force recruit, meets and falls in love with the lovely Angie (Nicola Cowper). However, when Mal discovers that Angie is pregnant with the child of her former lover, he is forced to struggle with the complicated feelings this provokes. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reece Dinsdale, Nicola Cowper, (more)
- 1983
Presented in a series of ostensibly farcical or irreverent episodes without any particular connection to each other, and based on short stories written by Yuri Krotkov's own personal knowledge of Stalin, the Red Monarch sketches the infamous Russian dictator as something of a buffoon suffering under the responsibilities of total power. Stalin's many purges of "undesirables" that amounted to millions dead by the end of his reign are not mentioned, and Beria, the chief of the Secret Police (NKVD) responsible for those deaths, is presented in his other notorious persona, that of a vulgar skirt-chasing lecher. Episodes cover a meeting of the Politburo to go over the USSR's loss at a major basketball tournament, and an arm-wrestling context with Mao Zedong. No matter how well Colin Blakely portrays Stalin, he cannot overcome the aspects of the script that trivialize Stalin's criminal record in this failed attempt at a Mel Brooks-style comedy. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Blakely, David Suchet, (more)
- 1983
Moving as methodically as the old curmudgeon Arthur tending his cricket grounds, this drama about age and values is a steady, well-focused story that still might move too slowly or narrowly for some viewers. Arthur (Jimmy Jewel) has been taking care of the greensward for the cricket team since time immemorial and is at odds with the perennially losing team's board of directors. Len Draycock (Michael Elphick) and others want Arthur to shape the pitch to give the home team an advantage -- like every other home team. They would also like him to retire so they can install a modern system to tend the grounds and use his salary for needed amenities. Arthur's battles with Len and the board (and internally, himself as well) intensify when he is given an underprivileged young black man as an assistant. This was award-winning cinematographer Freddie Young's first (and last) directorial experience -- he was 90 when he directed this film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Jewel, Jean Boht, (more)
This documentary compiles newsclips from the 1930s to chronicle the entire decade of The Great Depression. The mood of the country is exemplified in a series of clips contrasting Franklin D. Roosevelt and James Cagney. Films of relevance to the documentary's task are also given attention, including I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang. The documentary includes many songs from the period, including Woody Guthrie's "Vigilanted Man," then swiftly moves through contrasting times up to the mid-1970s. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Stardust was the sequel to That'll be the Day, a 1973 film à clef about the rise of a Beatles-like rock group. Real-life rock star David Essex plays singer Jim Maclaine (read: John Lennon), whose sudden rise to fame has enriched him beyond his wildest dreams. His perspective and sense of values skewered by sex, drugs, and booze, Maclaine becomes little more than a singing cipher, outwardly successful but hollow inside. Ironically, Keith Moon of the Who, whose own life paralleled the fictional Maclaine's in many ways, appears in a supporting role. Dave Edmunds, who appears in as Alex, co-wrote the film's pulsating musical score with Lord David Puttnam (the film's producer). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Essex, Adam Faith, (more)
- 1974
Director Ken Russell made a number of biographical films of composers' lives including The Music Lovers, (about Tchaikovsky) and Lisztomania. Russell embellished the other films with certain characteristic flourishes, which include a focus on the composers' sexual obsessions, poetically telling anachronisms, and scenes which show Richard Wagner in a bad light. The story of Mahler is recounted in a much less complex and flamboyant manner and is a relatively reverent study of the life and work of Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, here played by Robert Powell. The film tackles the touchy dilemma of Mahler's Jewishness in the anti-Semitic atmosphere of 19th-century Vienna. He converts to Christianity, which has no effect on his brilliant musical output but which eats away at his physical and mental well-being. Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was a conductor and composer of the late Romantic era and specialized in huge symphonic works. Though his works were performed widely during his lifetime, they were less and less-often played until Leonard Bernstein's active campaign on their behalf brought him renewed recognition as a composer of the first rank, every bit the peer of Brahms or Stravinsky. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Powell, Georgina Hale, (more)
Long before Grease was even thought of, the British came out with That'll Be The Day, the story of a young man (David Essex) growing up in the dreary working-class world of Britain who comes of age and finds his proper outlet in the first outgrowths of the rock-and-roll world in Britain. This film and its accompanying album were extremely successful in Britain. Along with an excellent (and nostalgic) soundtrack, it features acting performances by rockers David Essex, Billy Fury, Keith Moon and Ringo Starr. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Essex, Ringo Starr, (more)
The Pied Piper eschews the romanticism of Robert Browning's poem and returns to the grim Grimm Brothers source. Pop singer Donovan plays the 14th century piper hired by duplicitous burgomaster Donald Pleasance to rid the town of Hamelin of its rats. The piper does what he's asked, but is denied the payment promised him; in revenge, he leads all of Hamelin's children out of town, never to be seen again. Though the story is a familiar one, this 1972 Pied Piper is not a kiddie movie. Director Jacques Demy's depiction of the 14th century as a muddy, backward, superstitious, disease-ridden, vermin-infested era transforms this fable into a squalid tale of revenge (incidentally, all those repulsive rodents are real; note John Holmes' screen credit as "rat trainer"). Donovan is quite good in the lead, and is matched by a remarkably restrained Jack Wild as the crippled boy. If you want the sugary sweet Pied Piper that your mother used to recite at bedtime, stay away from this film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Wild, Donald Pleasence, (more)
- 1972
Filmed at one of the many rock festivals that sprang up in the wake of Woodstock, this documentary covers one of the lesser-known such events, Glastonbury Fayre, which took place in rural England in 1971. The footage is based around performances by several artists -- most, though not all, of them British -- who appeared at the festival, including Traffic, Melanie, Arthur Brown, Family, Fairport Convention, Terry Reid, and Gong. Inserted among those clips are scenes of and interviews with concertgoers, as well as some religious figures who were also in attendance. The movie was not released until 1973, by which time most of the featured musicians had declined in popularity, and is one of the more obscure such concert films from the era. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terry Reid, David Lindley, (more)
- 1971
An excellent musical score by the Bee Gees adds appeal to this curious little movie about two ten-year olds, Daniel and Melody (Mark Lester and Tracy Hyde) who are completely taken with each other and announce to their parents, in all seriousness, that they plan to get married. This marriage is not planned for the distant future, but as soon as possible. The uproar that is caused when their seriousness becomes clear is not too surprising. Their best friend Ornshaw (Jack Wild) is not too thrilled with their plan either. What makes the film work is that the entire story is told from the children's point of view in which the grownups' objections, since they have no relation to the truth of what the children are feeling, come across as silly or inconsequential. This film is a reunion of sorts for Oscar-winning Oliver! co-stars Mark Lester and Jack Wild ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Wild, Mark Lester, (more)
Though cricket is relatively unknown outside of the British sphere of influence, there are millions of people around the world who hold an interest in the sport. Action Packed Cricket has compiled the most comprehensive collection of cricket matches for those who love watching men swing paddles at hurled balls. This particular highlight reel examines the great Batsmen of Cricket's long and illustrious history. Reaching back to 1896 and walking the viewer up to the present, this video leads you through 88 minutes of the finest and biggest sticks ever swung on the cricket grounds. ~ Ed Atkinson, All Movie Guide
The Killing Fields is a romanticized adaptation of an eyewitness magazine story by New York Times correspondent Sidney Schanberg. Covering the U.S. pullout from Vietnam in 1975, Schanberg (Sam Waterston) relies on his Cambodian friend and translator Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor) for inside information. Schanberg has an opportunity to rescue Dith Pran when the U.S. army evacuates all Cambodian citizens; instead, the reporter coerces his friend to remain behind to continue sending him news flashes. Although his family is helicoptered out of Saigon (a recreation of the famous TV news clip), Dith Pran stays with Schanberg on the ground. Racked with guilt, Schanberg does his best to arrange for Dith Pran's escape, but the Cambodian is captured by the dreaded Khmer Rouge. Accepting his Pulitzer Prize on behalf of Dith Pran, Schanberg vows to do right by his friend and extricate him from Cambodia. The rest of the film details Dith Pran's harrowing experiences at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, and his attempt to escape on his own. The Killing Fields won Academy Awards for Hang S. Ngor (a Cambodian doctor who lived through many of the horrific events depicted herein), cinematographer Chris Menges, and editor Jim Clark; an Oscar nomination went to Roland Joffe, who made his directorial debut with this film. Spalding Gray, who played a small role in the film, later elaborated on this experiences in his one-man stage presentation Swimming to Cambodia. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Waterston, Dr. Haing S. Ngor, (more)
- 1984
- R
Secrets was produced in 1982 for the British TV anthology series First Love. Anna Campbell-Jones plays a lonely 13-year-old girl who is about to be packed off to boarding school. Just before she leaves, she stumbles upon a packet of secret documents, revealing that her late father was a member of the Freemasons. Shortly afterward, her mother (Helen Lindsay) discovers a cache of condoms in her daughter's room. Mother and daughter confront each other, demanding explanations for what both have found. A slight but enjoyable piece, Secrets was released theatrically in the US by the Samuel Goldwyn Company in 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Lindsay, John Horsley, (more)
- 1984
- R
In the opening scenes of this politically-oriented drama, a killer enters the home of a policeman and in a shocking sequence murders him in cold blood -- an act that becomes the key to the rest of this film about the conflict between politics and life. Young Catholic, Cal (John Lynch) works in a slaughterhouse during the day and has participated in terrorist activities, but he wants out after he has been forced to drive a getaway car in the murder of the policeman. Meanwhile, he is slowly enchanted by Marcella, an older woman (Helen Mirren) who has just started working at the local library. Smitten but shy, Cal manages to ease himself into a job on her land, and when his father's home is burned to the ground by Protestants, Cal moves into a cottage on the woman's estate. Eventually, the two start a quiet liaison -- but Cal's inner turmoil disturbs the happiness he feels when he is with Marcella. Can he continue to hide his terrorist past from Marcella, who knows nothing about what he has done? While this question and others raised by the film are reasonable, director Pat O'Connor's treatment of the story may be too muted, and John Lynch's Cal too innocuous and frail (especially in contrast to Helen Mirren's Marcella) to win over all viewers. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Mirren, John Lynch, (more)
Foxes details the exploits of four teenage San Fernando Valley girls as they drink, dope and sleep their way into oblivion. Jeanie (Jodie Foster, in a standout performance), the most grounded of the quartet, deals with her burned-out working-student-mother (Sally Kellerman, also excellent) while playing mother to her cohorts; Annie (Cherie Curie), a promiscuous drug-vacuum, attempts to dodge her psychotic police officer-father while partying round the clock; Madge (Marilyn Kagan), an overweight tag-along, who tries desperately to fit in with her wilder friends; and Deirdre (Kandice Stroh); an insecure liar and also-ran. While the performances (particularly the aforementioned) are good, and the direction is solid, the script doesn't seem to go anywhere; maybe that's the point, though, since neither do the characters in their vacuous, instant-gratification-based existences. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jodie Foster, Scott Baio, (more)
Midnight Express is a harrowing tale of a naïve American caught in a nightmare of his own making thousands of miles from his home. Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) is an American tourist visiting Turkey with his girlfriend Susan (Irene Miracle) when he's caught by customs officials trying to smuggle a large amount of hashish out of the country. The crime would normally carry a sentence of four years, but officials decide to make an example of Billy, and he draws a 30-year sentence despite the promises of his Turkish legal counsel. While Susan and Billy's father (Mike Kellin) pledge to do everything they can to speed Billy's release, in fact there's little than can be done. Billy quickly finds himself in a hellish prison that's a nightmare of filth, violence, rape, inedible food, and unspeakable health conditions. However, Billy gains a few confidantes behind bars: Jimmy (Randy Quaid), an American in a constant state of emotional overdrive; Max (John Hurt), an intelligent, drug-addicted Englishman; and Erich (Norbert Weisser), a gay Scandinavian who is attracted to Billy but accepts his gentle refusals of sex. Before long, Billy is convinced that he can take no more, and he makes plans to take the "midnight express" -- jailhouse slang for escape. While his friends are willing to help, they also make clear that almost no one who has tried to escape has lived to tell the tale. Based on a true story, Midnight Express was a box-office hit which won wide acclaim for the performances of Brad Davis and John Hurt; and the screenplay, by Oliver Stone, won an Academy Award. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Davis, Randy Quaid, (more)
- 1975
- R
This audacious, vulgar, freewheeling fantasia on the life of pianist Franz Liszt ranks among director Ken Russell's most outrageous efforts. Roger Daltrey, lead singer for The Who, is awkward yet likeable as the flamboyant piano performer with a bevy of fetching mistresses and groupies, while Paul Nicholas is completely outlandish as the scheming opera composer Richard Wagner. There's no nod to reality here: Liszt and Wagner were in fact friends, and Liszt, who became Wagner's father-in-law, actually assisted in the production of Wagner's opulent productions. Russell, on the other hand, presents Wagner as Liszt's jealous rival ready to wreak havoc on the world by unleashing a cryogenic Viking (Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman) and a horde of machine-gun wielding robot Nazis. In a finale out of Flash Gordon serials, Liszt saves the day after surviving a guillotine designed for phallic dismemberment. The film is fast and loud and wildly undisciplined, much like one of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies. Look fast and you'll see Ringo Starr as the pope. ~ Les Stone, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roger Daltrey, Sara Kestelman, (more)
Jon Finch stars as Jerry Cornelius, swinging London's leading scientific genius, in this screen adaptation of the acclaimed science fiction novel by Michael Moorcock. As the world teeters on the brink of collapse following a nuclear war, Jerry discovers that a batch of microfilm containing "the final programme" -- the plan for an ideal, self-replicating human being, which was designed by his father -- has fallen into the wrong hands. With the assistance of Miss Brunner (Jenny Runacre), a voracious and bisexual computer expert, Jerry discovers the programme has been taken by his unscrupulous brother Frank (Derrick O'Connor), and Jerry and Miss Brunner must recover it and put the system to work, leading to the creation of a new messiah (which isn't quite what one would expect). The distinguished supporting cast for this thoughtful bit of satire includes Patrick Magee, Sterling Hayden, and George Coulouris. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Finch, Jenny Runacre, (more)
