Based on a trio of novels by Elizabeth Gaskell, Cranford is the latest in a long line of sumptuous costume dramas from the BBC. And it's a fine addition to the BBC's heritage too, pulling together a stellar cast for an involving, highly enjoyable series that's well worth picking up on DVD. The key asset Cranford has in its corner is that aforementioned cast. It's lead by the ...
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain VideoStarring: Judi Dench, Philip Glenister, Francesca Annis, Michael Gambon, Lesley ManvilleDirected By: Simon Curtis
Given the great success of Pride and Prejudice (1995) and that Jane Austen wrote so little, the BBC and screenwriter Andrew Davies looked elsewhere for material of comparable quality. Wives and Daughters by Mrs (Elizabeth) Gaskell is set around 1860 and tells the story of 17-year-old Molly (Justine Waddell), beloved daughter of the widowed Dr Gibson (Bill Paterson). A mercenary ...
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain VideoStarring: Justine Waddell, Bill Paterson, Francesca Annis, Keeley Hawes, Tom Hollander
In this inspirational costume drama, Michael Apted (49 Up) recounts a important period in British history. Unsurprisingly, however, his eye-opening biography of 18th century abolitionist William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd) is likely to come as a revelation to many Britons. After all, despite the presence of his wife, Barbara (Romola Garai), this isn't a particularly "sexy" story, but it ...
Manufacturer: Momentum Pictures Home EntStarring: Ioan Gruffudd, Rufus Sewell, Michael Gambon, Albert Finney, Youssou N'DourDirected By: Michael Apted
Manufacturer: Warner Home VideoStarring: Daniel Radcliffe, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Rupert Grint, Emma WatsonDirected By: Mike Newell
Manufacturer: Optimum Home EntertainmentStarring: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Christopher Walken, Miranda Richardson, Martin Landau
The latest entry in the Harry Potter saga could be retitled Fast Times at Hogwarts, where finding a date to the winter ball is nearly as terrifying as worrying about Lord Voldemort's return. Thus, the young wizards' entry into puberty (and discovery of the opposite sex) opens up a rich mining field to balance out the dark content in the fourth movie (and the stories are only going to get darker). ...
As its title suggests, Layer Cake is a crime thriller that cuts into several levels of its treacherous criminal underworld. The title is actually one character's definition of the drug-trade hierarchy, but it's also an apt metaphor for the separate layers of deception, death, and betrayal experienced by the film's unnamed protagonist, a cocaine traffic middle-man played with smooth appeal ...
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentStarring: Daniel Craig, Kenneth Cranham, Dexter Fletcher, Jamie Foreman, Michael GambonDirected By: Matthew Vaughn
Manufacturer: NetworkStarring: Michael Gambon, Jack Galloway, Geoffrey Hutchings, Ciaran MaddenDirected By: James Cellan Jones, John Glenister
As its title suggests, Layer Cake is a crime-thriller that cuts into several levels of its treacherous criminal underworld. The title is actually one character's definition of the drug-trade hierarchy, but it's also an apt metaphor for the separate layers of deception, death and betrayal experienced by the film's unnamed protagonist, a cocaine traffic middle-man played with smooth appeal by ...
Tony Kushner's prize-winning play Angels in America became the defining US theatrical event of the 1990s, an astonishing mix of philosophy, politics, and vibrant gay soap opera that summed up the Reagan era for an entire generation of theatre-goers. Post-9/11 would seem to be too late for a film version--philosophy and politics don't always age well--but this 2003 HBO adaptation, ably ...
Manufacturer: Warner Home VideoStarring: Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeffrey WrightDirected By: Mike Nichols
