John Thaw (Inspector Morse) stars as the widowed and cantankerous Tom Oakley in this charming film adaptation of the prize-winning children’s novel by Michelle Magorian. When the Second World War is declared Tom finds that his quiet life in the village of Little Weirwold is set to change when nine-year old Willie Beech (Nick Robinson) is evacuated from London and billeted on him. Willie is a quiet sad child with a deprived and disturbing past but he slowly begins to flouri
Based on the mystery novels of Georges Simenon One of the best-selling authors of all time Georges Simenon is most famous for his more than 100 novels and short stories featuring Chief Inspector Maigret of the Paris police. Concerned more with why than who Maigret's profound perception of the realities of human behavior and extraordinary psychological insight make him one of fiction's most interesting and unique sleuths. Michael Gambon brings the timeless tantalizing exploits of George Simenon's legendary detective to life in twelve episodes of mystery and intrigue. From Montmartre to the remote French countryside Maigret encounters the dark side of the human psyche. Yet he manages to maintain both compassion and a sense of humor as he explores the complex motives that lie behind every crime.
1880's London. The popular comic operas of Gilbert (words) and Sullivan (music) have never failed, but their latest, 'Princess Ida' receives a lukewarm press.
Grandma's House is a new comedy for BBC2. It's written by Simon Amstell and long term collaborator Dan Swimer. The series stars Simon Amstell playing a version of himself; a television presenter who is quitting his job to try and do something more meaningful with his life. Each episode is set at Grandma's House where Simon's Jewish family regularly congregate to catch up. Everything happens under Grandma's (Linda Bassett - East Is East Larkrise to Candleford) watchful eye who is desperate to see everything going well. The show also stars BAFTA winner Rebecca Front (The Thick of It Nighty Nighty) who plays Simon's mum Tanya a large than life single woman who's looking for love and dotes on her famous son. The rest of the cast includes the late Geoffrey Hutchings (Benidorm Sunshine) as Grandpa James Smith (In The Loop The Armando Iannucci Shows) as Clive Samantha Spiro (Cor Blimey Tomorrow La Scala) as Auntie Liz and introduces Jamal Hadjkura as her son Adam.
Set in austere post-war Britain Wish You Were Here tumbles though the hilarious and outrageous sexual adventures of 15 year old Linda. It is a story of an irrepressible human spirit that refuses to be crushed by her colourless surroundings. Showered with awards together with critical and public acclaim since its first triumphant showing at the Canned Film Festival, Wish You Were Here was honoured with 3 BAFTA naminations, 2 best Actress awards for Emily Lloyd and Peter Sellars Award for Comedy for director David Leland.
Written by David Leland and directed by Alan Clarke, Made in Britain is a slice of horrible but not inaccurate life from 1982. It holds a terrific early performance from Tim Roth as a skinhead with a swastika caste-mark tattoo, who constantly bares shark-like teeth as he spits embittered, articulate defiance at caring social workers and truncheon-wielding policemen alike. Sixteen-year-old Trevor (Roth) is remanded to an assessment centre before sentencing, but remains determined to disobey the rules imposed on him by any authority figures and spends the whole 73-minute play challenging the system to smack him back down, by vandalising the Job Centre, using his case-file as a toilet, stealing cars, victimising members of the "immigrant community" and shouting bile at people. The cycle that will lead him to an adult life in prison is explained to him with blackboard diagrams, but he believes he's better off keeping his hatred burning than toeing the line to end up as a no-hoper in a society that prizes obedience over conscience. It was originally televised as one of four Leland-filmed dramas about different aspects of the British education system, which made it seem less monomaniacal in its focus on an extreme case. There's no denying that it's an honest portrait of a monster calculated to terrify even the most concerned liberals which still manages to celebrate his self-destructive defiance. A film for television rather than a TV play, it has very strong language but the violence is all in Roth's face.On the DVD: No extra features here, but it does come with optional English sub-titles, and the theme song by the Exploited over the menu. --Kim Newman
A young woman escapes her life in a provincial Chinese village and heads to London to marry an older man only to find her entrapment begins anew.
Set in Brighton in 1951, Wish You Were Here contrasts an England of post-war conformity with the free-spirited nature of a girl, Lynda, on the verge of womanhood, played by the then 17-year-old Emily Lloyd, giving one of the great screen debuts. Filled with youthful energy, good-natured yet delighting in shocking the prudish world around her, Lynda is innocently flirtatious and eager to discover sex. She can't quite understand why everyone disapproves so much, and the film expertly balances uproarious comedy with drama in what is essentially a complex character study. The second, darker half has shades of Lolita, with the excellent Tom Bell in the older man role, while Lynda herself in some ways anticipates Laura Dern's Rambling Rose (1991). Director David Leland also wrote the Brighton thriller, Mona Lisa (1986), and Personal Services (1987) based on the true story of the madam, Cynthia Payne. It is on Payne's own early memories, as told to Leland, that the fictional Wish You Were Here is partly based, while Leland went on to further explore female sexual awakening in The Land Girls (1997), again exploring female sexual awakening --Gary S. Dalkin
Michael Gambon plays the extraordinary Belgian detective Inspector Maigret in this television adaptation of the novels by George Simenon. Intuitive intelligent and creative with a genius for human nature Maigret is like no other detective as he cunningly investigates crime and the human psyche. Episode titles: Maigret's Boyhood Friend Maigret and the Minister Maigret and the Maid.
Meantime: 'Meantime' centres on East End family the Pollacks - Mavis Frank and their sons Mark and Colin - and their experience of unemployment poverty and life in early 1980s Britain. When Colin comes under the influence of skinhead Coxy and when Mavis's better off sister Barbara offers Colin work family tensions erupt into conflict. Mike Leigh's first independent film for five years has a superb cast of rising stars including Gary Oldman Alfred Molina Tim Roth and Phil Daniels. First shown on television it is a memorable and closely observed account of life in Thatcher's Britain. Made In Britain: Trevor is a teenage skinhead. Caught smashing the windows of a Pakistani owned shop he is sent to an assessment centre by social worker Harry where it is discovered he is highly articulate and intelligent. But he escapes steals cars and goes berserk; can Harry still save him?
An absolute must for fans of Georges Simenon's beloved sleuth, Inspector Jules Maigret, this four-volume Maigret Collection is the finest detective series from Granada Television since the late Jeremy Brett gave us his definitive portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the 1980s. The masterful Michael Gambon is the latest in a long tradition of familiar leading men (from Jean Gabin to Richard Harris) who have played Simenon's blunt but humane, occasionally whimsical, and magnificently insightful investigator. Yet Gambon is perhaps uniquely suited to the part: a popular star with none of the baggage of a brand-name icon or the self-effacing obligations of a character actor. He captures perfectly Maigret's measured but hardly inscrutable presence in the eruptive underworld of Paris crime. Among the 12 episodes here is "Maigret and the Burglar's Wife", which does honour to Simenon's compassionate tale of a retiring thief whose accidental encounter with a corpse sets in motion one of Maigret's most intense psychological duels. The equally compelling "Maigret's Boyhood Friend" finds the detective on a case drawing suspicion to an old school chum, while "Maigret Sets a Trap" is a wonderful production of Simenon's puzzler about a serial killer whose patterns of motivation and action must be deciphered before he can be caught. --Tom Keogh
Made In Britain Tim Roth made an unforgettable screen debut as the tattooed contemptuous racist Trevor. Made In Britain depicts his relationship with Harry and the reasons behind his violence with documentary-style naturalism. Filmed on location in London Made In Britain is one of the most memorable feature-length TV dramas of the 1980s. Prick Up Your Ears Joe Orton was one of the 1960s golden boys from working class Leicester lad to national celebrity from sexual innocent to grinning satyr from penniless student to icon of Swinging London. He became a star by breaking the rules - sexual and theatrical. But while his plays including Loot What the Butler Saw and Entertaining Mr Sloane were hugely successful his private life was sometimes sordid often farcical and ended in tragedy... Meantime A drama which centres on the Pollack family who live in a council house in East London whose lives are affected by unemployment and boredom...
Michael Gambon plays the extraordinary Belgian Detective Inspector Maigret in this television adaptation of the novels by George Simenon. Inuitive intelligent and creative with a genius for human nature Maigret is like no other detective as he cunningly investigates crime and the human psyche. Episode titles: The Patience Of Maigret Maigret And The Burglar's Wife Maigret Goes To School.
Michael Gambon plays the extraordinary Belgian detective Inspector Maigret in this television adaptation of the novels by George Simenon. Intuitive intelligent and creative with a genius for human nature Maigret is like no other detective as he cunningly investigates crime and the human psyche. Episode titles: Maigret And The Mad Woman Maigret On Home Ground Maigret Sets A Trap.
Michael Gambon plays the extraordinary French detective Inspector Maigret in this television adaptation of the novels by George Simenon. Intuitive intelligent and creative with a genius for human nature Maigret is like no other detective as he cunningly investigates crime and the human psyche. Episode titles: Maigret And The Nightclub Dancer Maigret And The Hotel Majestic Maigret On The Defensive.
Joaquin Phoenix and Claire Danes star as two lovers attempting to save their relationship in a near-future world on the brink of cosmic collapse.
It's All About Love takes place in the near future and tells the story of two lovers fighting for their lives in a world out of balance. It's a classic love story with elements of Hitchcockian suspense. John (Joaquin Phoenix) and the world famous ice skater Elena (Claire Danes) have a cosmopolitan marriage and have lived apart for a number of years. Time has made the distance between them grow and eventually John goes from Poland to New York to see Elena and get a divorce - but as John arrives in New York he realizes that unexpected and inexplicable things are going on around Elena. The people he knew as friends might not be friends after all. The love that he thought had died bursts into flames again and it becomes up to John to save Elena from her destiny. If he can...
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