Lesley Sharp Movies

Author Cornelia Funke's best-selling children's novel comes to vivid life on the big screen with this family-friendly tale about a bookbinder whose storytelling skills possess the curious power to transport the characters he speaks about into the real world. When a nefarious villain from a bedtime story that the father is currently reading to his daughter emerges to kidnap the stunned storyteller, it's up to the young girl and her adventurous friends -- both real and imaginary -- to bring dad back home and close the book on the dreaded fiend once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Six guys with nothing left to lose try losing their clothing for fun and profit in this international hit comedy. Gaz (Robert Carlyle) and Dave (Mark Addy) are two former steelworkers in the British industrial town of Sheffield who have been devastated by the economic downturn in their community. Gaz is threatened with losing visitation rights with his son if he can't pay his child support, while Dave feels emasculated by his inability to support his wife. One day, Gaz stops by a local pub for a drink and is told it's women only tonight -- the Chippendales male exotic dancing troupe is playing, and they are demanding a hefty cover charge. Gaz decides there's nothing a bunch of pantywaists from America can do that he and his pals can't do better, and decides to form his own crew of male strippers, called "Hard Steel." However, the local talent pool leaves a bit to be desired. Gaz isn't bad looking, but Dave is a bit heavy and very self conscious about it. Horse (Paul Barber) was probably hot stuff at Soul Night in the mid-70's, but his joints don't move like they used to. Guy (Hugo Speer) can't dance to save his life, but makes the troupe because ... well, let's say he and Dirk Diggler would have a lot to say to each other. Lomper (Steve Huison) is sometimes too busy attempting suicide to practice. And Gerald (Tom Wilkinson), their choreographer, isn't much on male exotic dancing -- ballroom dancing is more his speed. While "Hard Steel"'s performances are more amusing then enticing, for the first time since they lost their jobs the men have a reason to get up in the morning; joining the group has given them a circle of friendship, and a renewed sense of purpose. Combining broad comedy with believable and well-drawn characters, The Full Monty was a major box-office hit both in England and the United States and was nominated for Academy Awards as Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A priest is torn between church dogma and his personal beliefs in this British drama. Father Greg (Linus Roache) is a Catholic priest who tends to a parish in Liverpool. Like his superior, Father Matthew (Tom Wilkinson), Father Greg is not dealing well with his vow of celibacy. While Matthew has been discreetly having an affair with his housekeeper, Greg is homosexual, and he occasionally slips out to gay clubs for anonymous encounters with strangers. One night, Father Greg meets a man named Graham (Robert Carlyle) at the bar; when he bumps into him on the street a few days later, he realizes that he's falling in love with him. As Father Greg struggles with his sexual and spiritual identity, he hears a confession from 14-year-old Lisa Unsworth (Christine Tremarco), who tells him that her father has been molesting her. Mr. Unsworth (Robert Pugh) confirms his daughter's allegation during confession, and he tells the priest that he will not stop his incestuous behavior. Should Father Greg violate the seal of the confessional to save Lisa from further abuse? Priest, which opened in America on Good Friday, generated considerable controversy, both with Catholic organizations (who denounced the picture) and the MPAA (the film had to be re-edited to gain an R rating for U.S. release). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Set in Great Britain in the late 1980s -- in the midst of Margaret Thatcher's controversial tenure as Prime Minister -- this drama examines the strange relationship between two siblings. Richard (Clive Owen) has given up a well-paying job in the private sector to take a position with a government agency that oversees real estate development. While Richard has always been emotionally secure and well-adjusted, his sister Natalie (Saskia Reeves) is nervous and unsure of how to deal with her life, even after marrying Sinclair (Alan Rickman), a successful financial analyst who can afford a posh home on the River Thames. Natalie and Richard don't see each other often, and their relationship has long had an odd cast to it, as Natalie often seems to flirt with her brother. One day, Richard meets Natalie and Sinclair over lunch, and Richard finds himself strongly attracted to his sister. In time, a mutual interest evolves into a full-blown incestuous affair. Natalie realizes that this sort of relationship can't go on and tries to break it off with Richard, but he becomes irrational, attempting suicide and threatening violence. While dealing openly with the sexual nature of its story, Close My Eyes also uses incest as a metaphor for moral and political irresponsibility. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Dillon is a very buttoned-down bookkeeper and appears to be just about as prim as it's possible to be. Perhaps that's because he is an illegitimate child raised by his unconventional grandmother after his parents died. Though he has become a rather conservative fellow, when a pair of aging ne'er-do-wells recount stories of his father and the band he played in (The Pink Frogs), he is thrilled. However, he's not sure what to make of the excitement in his grandmother's life these days: the man who loved her and left her forty years ago has come back into her life and is asking to marry her. On top of that, Dillon has a girlfriend who is something of a free spirit herself and is prone to ask him searching questions at the most awkward times. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi