Philip Saville Movies
In the realm of television, there are likely few directors as prolific as Philip Saville. A one-time actor who stepped behind the camera as his onscreen career waned in the mid-'50s, Saville appeared in such features as The Straw Man (1953) and On the Run (1956) before making his directorial debut with the small-screen feature Curtains for Harry (1955). Quickly following with such efforts as Hamlet (1964), Oedipus the King (1968), and The Rainbirds (1971), it didn't take long for Saville to hit his stride. In 1986, Saville directed the BAFTA-winning miniseries The Life and Loves of a She-Devil (remade stateside with Roseanne in the lead three years later). In addition to features, he helmed episodes for such popular U.K. series as First Born (1988) and The Buccaneers (1995). Saville later gained possibly his most international exposure to date as the director of the urban comedy drama Metroland (1997), a touching marriage drama featuring Christian Bale and Emily Watson, which told the story of one man's conflict between his current life and how it might have been different had he taken another path. Though Saville subsequently returned to television for most of his work, he ventured into feature territory once again with the 2003 biblical dramaThe Gospel of John, and the 2004 Holocaust drama Love Is a Survivor. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Veteran British filmmaker Philip Saville directs the religious epic The Gospel of John, a production of the Canadian company Visual Bible International. This three-hour drama attempts to accurately follow the Gospel According to John, written sometime during the first century. The gospel contains four segments: an introduction to the nature of Jesus Christ; testimony by disciples and the presence of miracles; the Last Supper and crucifixion; and the appearance of the risen Christ. Henry Ian Cusick plays Jesus and Christopher Plummer provides voice-over narration. The Gospel of John was shown in a special presentation at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Ian Cusick, Christopher Plummer, (more)
- 2002
This made-for-TV film was adapted from the 1992 book Diana: Her True Story, which in turn was based on secret correspondence between Britain's Princess Diana and London Daily Mail reporter Andrew Morton (here played by Paul McGann). With the myth of her "storybook romance" with husband Prince Charles weighing heavily upon her, Diana wants to tell the world the true story of her miserable existence, but she is unable to penetrate the protective wall built up by the Royal Family and by those journalists sympathetic to Queen Elizabeth (an amalgam of such journalists is portrayed in this film by Faye Dunaway). Meanwhile, Andrew Morton, the author of several celebrity biographies, is poised to write a book about Marilyn Monroe. Miraculously, Di manages to get in touch with Morton, who reluctantly agrees to listen to her tale of woe. Throughout 1991 and 1992, the Princess and the journalist trade notes via secret courier (usually a pizza delivery man), and the result is the first true and fully informed "tell all" tome about Di's life in Buckingham Palace. Even so, the story may never be made public, thanks to the minions of the Royals and the intricacies of Britain's libel laws. Although this film opens itself up to criticism as being exploitational (it was timed for release around the fifth anniversary of Diana's death), much care is taken not to stray too far from the bounds of good taste and decorum; for example, Diana's face is never shown, and her voice is only heard in snippets via taped recordings. Reportedly filmed in 2000, The Biographer: The Secret Life of Princess Di made its CBS network bow on September 1, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul McGann, Rachel Preece, (more)
- 2000
My Uncle Silas tells the story of a mischievous reprobate in rural England in the early 20th century. The production consists of five episodes based on a collection of short stories H.E. Bates published in 1939 to relive the memories of his youth in Northamptonshire. Albert Finney stars as the title character, a kind of over-the-hill Tom Jones who lives life to the fullest -- and then some. Silas' misadventures are presented through eyes of his great nephew, Edward (whom Silas calls Ned), a ten-year-old who spends a summer vacation with Silas. The boy learns an important lesson from the old fellow: carpe diem. In episode one, "The Wedding," Silas and his relatives celebrate the wedding of his son. At the reception, Silas gets drunk, toasts the couples, and dances well into the night with the lovely bride. Ned can only marvel at his uncle's "eloquence" and stamina. In episode two, Silas and Ned paper walls at a hotel at which liquor is forbidden and the proprietor neglects his wife. By the time the walls are papered, Silas has rehabilitated the proprietor. He not only appreciates his wife, but he also begins to serve liquor. In episode three, Silas wins over a proper lady by serving her the best tea she ever tasted (because, unknown to her, it's spiked with booze), and comforts her on her deathbed. In episode four, Silas jogs himself into passable shape to box a brute named Goliath, and in episode five, he tells Ned a stirring tale from his youth in which he and his friends go swimming in the nude and impish creatures called girls steal their clothes. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Based on a novel by Elizabeth McGregor, the two-part British miniseries Little White Lies starred Tara Fitzgerald as Beth Marsh, who was left in a state of numb despair when her beloved husband David (Martin Wenner) died in a car crash. Turning to her neighbors Julia (Cherie Lunghi) and Oliver (Peter Bowles) for comfort and support, Beth was shocked to discover that, just before his death, David was prepared to walk out on her and leave her penniless. Worse still, Julia was David's mistress, and Oliver was the attorney helping him bleed his bank account dry. Sternly, Oliver warned Beth not to take any retaliatory action, inasmuch as Julia was "crazy" and capable of anything -- even murder. It is only after her pet cat was killed and mutilated that Beth was galvanized into action against her neighbors, not so much out of concern for her own safety as for that of Julia and Oliver's sweet-faced young daughter Rosie (Poppy Rodgers). Little White Lies made its BBC1 debut on July 18, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tara Fitzgerald
- 1997
- R
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An unexpected visit causes a man to wonder what path he should have taken in life in this drama. In 1977, Chris (Christian Bale) and Marion (Emily Watson) are a staid married couple living in a working-class community near the outskirts of London, where the Metro tube line dead-ends. While Marion is reasonably happy, Chris is bored and restless, and he often daydreams about how his life could have been different. Chris and Marion first met in Paris in 1968, when revolution was in the air and they were both footloose bohemians exploring the world. Chris was briefly in love with Annick (Elsa Zylberstein), a wild, beautiful, and high-spirited young woman, but he married Marion instead, and he frequently wonders if he made the right choice. One day, Chris receives a telephone call from his old buddy Toni (Lee Ross), who was his best friend back in his days in Paris. While Chris has joined the working class, Toni is still following his muse around the world, drifting through Europe, America, Africa, or anywhere else the breeze takes him. Toni is visiting England and invites Chris to leave Marion behind and join him in his travels. Already in an unsure state of mind, Chris finds himself calling practically every aspect of his life into question -- he even wonders if Marion might be attracted to Toni, whom she's never cared for. Metroland was adapted by Adrian Hodges from the novel by Julian Barnes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christian Bale, Lee Ross, (more)
Based on a novel by Edith Wharton, The Buccaneers follows four wealthy young women -- Nan (Carla Gugino), Virginia St. George (Alison Eliott), Conchita Closson (Mira Sorvino), and Lizzy Elmsworth (Rya Kihlstedt) -- throughout their eventful journey from America to London. Though they set off intending to hunt down potential husbands for themselves, what they find has less to do with love and more to do with the repressive nature of turn-of-the-century English society. Shunned as "new money" by London's elite and courted by a slew of noblemen lacking any code of personal honor, the quartet is forced to examine society's focus on social status and personal wealth. Directed by Philip Saville, this film also features Mark Tandy and Greg Wise. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carla Gugino, Alison Elliott, (more)
Family Pictures is a two-part TV adaptation of the Sue Miller novel of the same name. Anjelica Huston and Sam Neill are Lainey and David Eberlin, a 1950s married couple with six children, one of whom, Randall (Jamie Harrold), is autistic. The parents' initial decision not to institutionalize the boy results in a terrific strain on the rest of the family, until finally only Lainey is willing to shoulder the responsibility of raising Randall. The second half of Family Pictures, related from the vantage point of the 1980s by the Eberlins' oldest daughter (Kyra Sedgwick), details the effect that Randall's inevitable institutionalization had on the family. This anecdotal four-hour drama first aired on March 21 and 22, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
A middle-aged divorcee has the foundation of her life rocked when she discovers that her ex-husband has created young clones to replace her. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Martin Landau plays legendary Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal in this made-for-cable offering from director Philip Saville. Based on Wiesenthal's book, Treat Williams plays Max, a Jewish Holocaust survivor relating his story to Simon, who has tracked down the Nazi commandant in charge of the camp where Max and his fiancee Helen (Alice Krige) were held. While Max believes Helen to be dead, they are reunited after more than twenty years by film's end. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1990
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Cheryl Ladd stars as the wife of an airline pilot (Doug Sheehan), who is killed along with 127 other people in a mysterious crash. The authorities, egged on by a gonzo newsman, rush to judgment and chalk up the tragedy to pilot error. Ladd can't go along with this, and insists that the investigation be reopened. Were this made-for-TV film an episode of Charlie's Angels, Ladd would be force to endure a last-act showdown with the real culprit. But Crash: The Mystery of Flight 1501 is based on fact, and is reasonably faithful to the truth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Filmed in Britain, Fellow Traveller is set during the waning days of Hollywood's Communist "witchhunt". The film begins with the suicide of "unfriendly" movie star Hart Bochner; we then briefly flash back to the friendship between Bochner and his close friend, blacklisted writer Ron Silver. Working pseudonymously in England, Silver seeks out the late Bochner's girl friend Imogen Stubbs, who has not renounced her leftist views. He has an affair with Imogen, and through her regains his commitment to his own political preferences. Incidentally, the TV series for which Silver writes in Fellow Traveller is the popular The Adventures of Robin Hood, which actually did hire blacklistees in the mid-1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Silver, Hart Bochner, (more)
- 1988
The bluntly titled The Fruit Machine stars Emile Charles and Tony Forsyth as a pair of homosexual Liverpool teenagers. Though their sexual orientation may be the same, Charles and Forsyth hold diametrically opposed outlooks on life. Gradually, a romance develops between the two -- but before things progress much farther, the film suddenly switches emotional gears. Witnessing a gangland execution, Charles and Forsyth are forced to defend their lives against an onslaught of villains. The Fruit Machine seems unsure of what sort of movie it would like to be, though many of its individual components are handled with utmost confidence by director Philip Saville. The film was originally titled Wonderland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emile Charles, Tony Forsyth, (more)
- 1987
Described as a "biographical drama," the made-for-TV Mandela is the story of South African human-rights advocate Nelson Mandela, who at the time this film was made was in the 25th year of a prison sentence. Covering the years 1948 to 1987, the film traces Mandela's (Danny Glover) matriculation from young lawyer to fervent anti-Apartheid political activist. At first a proponent of nonviolence, Mandela is radicalized after the Sharpeville massacre of 1960. Thrown in jail by the white-dominated government in 1962, Mandela passes the cudgel to his wife Winnie (Alfre Woodard), who perseveres despite constant persecution from the powers-that-be. Understandably concentrating on Mandela's private life, the film is somewhat wanting in terms of personal glimpses, but this is a forgivable creative lapse. Likewise excusable is the partisan nature of Ronald Harwood's teleplay. Filmed on location in Zimbabwe, Mandela originally ran 139 minutes when it first aired September 20, 1977 over the HBO Cable service; it was subsequently shortened to 135 minutes when shown on network television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Fay Weldon's wittily wicked 1983 novel The Life and Loves of a She-Devil was the source for this near-legendary British TV miniseries. Julie T. Wallace starred as Ruth Patchett, the frumpy, wart-ridden wife of low-profile accountant Bobbo Patchett (Dennis Waterman). Already cursed with a brood of annoying children and a dingy suburban household, Ruth was dealt another blow when her husband deserted her in favor of glamorous, jet-setting romance novelist Mary Fisher (Patricia Hodge). Determined to get even with her rival and to restake her claim on Bobbo (who hardly seems worth the effort), Ruth embarked upon a campaign of revenge and conquest that rivalled anything cooked up by Machiavelli or the Borgias -- beginning with a spectacular fashion makeover, courtesy of British cosmetic designer Elizabeth Rowell. Several real-life authors appeared in the supporting cast of this four part, award-winning satirical drama, which originally aired over BBC2 from October 8 to 29, 1986, then was seen in America courtesy of the A&E cable service. Most critics agree that the "original" version of The Life and Loves of a She Devil far outclasses the later American theatrical-film adaptation starring Roseanne and Meryl Streep. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie T. Wallace
- 1985
- PG
This surreal British black comedy tells the tale of poor Oliver Shadey, a mechanic who longs to become a woman but lacks the money for the operation. Oliver is a talented lad and has the rare ability to read the minds of people and put their thought on film. He has the best of intentions when he hooks up with greedy Sir Cyril Landau with a way to earn some money and achieve his goal. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Antony Sher, Billie Whitelaw, (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)
Count Dracula is a three-part British television adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel. Louis Jourdan plays the count not as villain or pathetic victim of circumstance, but a charismatic charmer, who doesn't need to suck the blood of his lady victims to make them faint. Part One takes place in Transylvania, with British attorney Jonathan Harker (Bosco Hogan) arriving at Dracula's castle to close a real estate deal--and to nearly lose his life and soul to his sinister host. Part Two finds Dracula at large in England, beckoning the unfortunate Lucy (Susan Penhaligon) into the world of the Undead. The story grows more intense in Part Three, with vampire hunter Professor Van Helsing (Frank Finlay) rallying the forces of Good against the elusive Dracula. Count Dracula was first telecast in the US on PBS' Great Performances series in March of 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
- R
A sexy day in the life of a young family provides the basis of this sudsy drama. During this time the husband, the wife, and their daughter each have their own secret sexual interlude. Many enjoy this film because it contains five minutes of nudity starring the luscious Jacqueline Bisset. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Per Oscarsson
- 1969
In this British farce, the British Home Secretary satisfies the men of London by sanctioning a government-run brothel. This comedy chronicles what happens when secretary John Bird appoints Sir Francis Leybourne to run the place. Bird then has his lovely girlfriend Babbette act as the Madame. Sir Leybourne owns an opium plantation in India and one day goes there to see it. Unfortunately, he gets killed in an uprising, leaving his prim niece Josephine Pacefoot in charge of the cathouse. A staunch believer in social reform, she is quite sure what to do with the disreputable business. Leybourne's son has plenty of ideas too and wants the fortune and the bordello for himself. The ensuing struggle creates plenty of trouble and many laughs. Though the film originally received a British "X" rating, the sex is pretty tame by modern standards. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Hemmings, Joanna Pettet, (more)
- 1968
- G
The classic Greek tragedy by Sophocles stars Christopher Plummer as the psychologically tortured Oedipus. The successful monarch begins his downward slide after he discovers he has murdered his father and had children with his own mother. Oedipus is called on to avenge the death of the previous ruler, but his mother Jocasta (Lilli Palmer) hangs herself in the process. The tormented king tears out his own eyes and wanders the land as a destitute, disabled pauper. Orson Welles plays the insightful but sightless prophet Tiresias. The chorus, key to all Greek classical plays, is lead by Donald Sutherland. Roger Livesy is the shepherd who has raised the boy who would be king. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Plummer, Orson Welles, (more)
- 1966
The Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse London and Broadway musical hit Stop the World, I Want to Get Off is given literal treatment in this filmization. Newley stars as Littlechap, whose allegorical rise to success is countered by the instability of his private life. Like the play, the film is staged impressionistically, with Newley decked out in mime makeup and periodically stopping the action to address the audience, and with all the women in his life -- German, American and "Typically English" -- played by a single actress (Millicent Martin, taking over from the stage version's Anna Quayle). In Wizard of Oz fashion, the play itself is lensed in color, while the brief prologue, showing the actors preparing for their performance, is in black-and-white. The production includes such standards (and perennial audition pieces) as What Kind of Fool Am I? and Gonna Build a Mountain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Tanner, Millicent Martin, (more)
- 1964
This British anthology series allegedly extended full creative freedom to the actors, writers, and directors involved. The best known of Six's six original 30- and 60-minute dramas was "Diary of a Nobody," directed by Ken Russell and based on a novel by the Grosmith brothers. Other offerings included "The Chase," "Don't I Look Like a Lord's Son," "The Day of Ragnarok," "The Logic Game," and "Andy's Game." Six was telecast over BBC2 during the 1964-1965 TV season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Julian Caesar, the board chairman of a large company deals with jealousy and treachery among his underlings as he fights to maintain control and power in this reworking of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar." The duplicitous directors are led by the ruthless R. Cassius who after much badgering convinces the one honest director left, Brutus Smith, to join up and vote Caesar down. Upon losing his position, poor Caesar dies of a heart-attack, leaving Mark Anthony to take over and immediately toss out all the bad apples on the board. The despondent Brutus then takes his own life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
