Atonement 2007  R, 126 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Brenda Blethyn, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave, Benedict Cumberbatch, Harriet Walter, Daniel Mays, Juno Temple, Nonso Anozie, Julia West
The story begins in Surrey, England, during 1935 when an aspiring writer, 13-year-old Briony Tallis, falsely accuses her sister Cecilia's (Keira Knightley) boyfriend Robbie (James McAvoy) of a rape that he did not commit. Robbie is sent to prison. Five years later, World War II has begun, Robbie is released from prison and sent to fight in France, and Robbie and Cecilia have not forgotten each other. Briony is now an 18 year old in nurses training, realizes the mistake she made in her accusation five years ago, and will spend most of the rest of her life trying to atone for that mistake. Vanessa Redgrave takes the role of the older Briony as she suffers because of her earlier action. The film received an Academy Award for Best Original Score; six other nominations nominations included Best Picture and Supporting Actress (Saoirse Ronan).
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 Babel 2006   R, 142 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Adriana Barraza, Gael Garcia Bernal, Rinko Kikuchi, Koji Yakusho, Elle Fanning, Nathan Gamble, Mohamed Akhzam, Mustapha Amhita, Peter Wight, Harriet Walter, Boubker Ait El Caid
This story involves people in four cities showing how we are all interconnected despite differences in geography and race. It begins with a random shooting in Morocco by a young boy that leaves Susan (Cate Blanchett) bleeding badly. As American tourists, Susan and husband Richard (Brad Pitt) are on a trip hoping to repair their marriage, and now Richard fights to keep Susan alive. The scene switches to Tokyo where deaf-mute teenager Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi) engages in sexual acts as a outlet to deal with her mother's suicide. Finally, the scene cuts back to San Diego where Richard and Susan's illegal alien housekeeper Amelia (Adriana Barraza) faces the problem of what to do with their children who she is tending while Richard and Susan are away. Amelia's son is getting married in Mexico, and she opts to take the American children across the border for the wedding. But, as luck would have it, problems present themselves when the group attempts to re-cross the border. The film received an Oscar for Best Original Score; five other nominations were received, including Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Rinko Kikuchi), and Supporting Actress (Adriana Barraza).
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Bedrooms & Hallways 1998   N/R, 96 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Rose Troche
Cast: Kevin McKidd, Hugo Weaving, Simon Callow, Jennifer Ehle, Tom Hollander, James Purefoy, Julie Graham, Christopher Fulford, Harriet Walter, Con O'Neill
Leo (Kevin McKidd), a member of a consciousness-raising group, admits his attraction for Brendan (James Purefoy) who is in the same group. This revelation leads to an affair. But, in very short order, Brendan's ex-girlfriend, Sally (Jennifer Ehle), appears on the scene. Leo is shocked that Sally was his own high-school sweetheart. Is there still chemistry between Leo and Sally, OR will Leo remain true to Brendan, OR do we care?
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Cheri 2009 R, 92 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Stephen Frears
Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, Rupert Friend, Felicity Jones, Frances Tomeltry, Anita Pallenberg, Harriet Walter, Iben Hjejle, Gaye Brown, Rollo Weeks, Joe Sheridan, Tom Burke
In Paris during the early 20th century, Lea de Lonval (Michelle Pfeiffer) is retiring from her life as a seductress when she begins a six-year, on-again-off-again love affair with Cheri (Rupert Friend) who happens to be the immature son of her former rival, Madame Charlotte Peloux (Kathy Bates). Along the way, Charlotte steps in and plots to separate Lea and Cheri by arranging a match between Cheri and 18-year-old Edmee (Felicity Jones).
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The Good Father 1985  R, 90 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Mike Newell
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walter, Frances Viner, Simon Callow, Miriam Margolyes, Joanne Whalley, Michael Byrne, Jennie Stoller, Johanna Kirby, Stephen Fry, Clifford Rose
Embittered over his own marriage failure and loss of his son's custody, Bill (Anthony Hopkins) encourages, and even funds, his friend Roger's (Jim Broadbent) court case for custody of Roger's young son.
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The Governess 1998 R, 100 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Sandra Goldbacher
Cast: Minnie Driver, Tom Wilkinson, Florence Hoath, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Harriet Walter, Arlene Cockburn, Emma Bird, Adam Levy, Bruce Myers
Beginning in London during the 1840s, this is the story of a Sephardic Jew, Rosina (Minnie Driver), who attempts to pass herself off as a gentile by changing her name to Mary Blackchurch and taking the position of governess in the Cavendish home in Scotland. There she becomes romantically involved with the father (Tom Wilkinson) in her effort to attain salvation.
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Hard Times 1994 TV, 100 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Peter Barnes
Cast: Bob Peck, Bill Paterson, Alex Jennings, Alan Bates, Harriet Walter, Richard E. Grant, Beatie Edney, Christien Anholt, Patsy Byrne, Dilys Laye
In this made-for-TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel criticizing England's industrial revolution, Thomas Gradgrind (Bob Peck) is a school teacher in an industrial town, and his philosophy that facts are the only important thing in life brings tragedy to his family
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Keep the Aspidistra Flying 1997 R, 100 min.
Genre: Drama
aka: A Merry War
Director: Robert Bierman
Cast: Richard E. Grant, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Carter, Harriet Walter, Julian Wadham, Lesley Vickerage, Liz Smith, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, John Clegg, Maggie McCarthy
Based on George Orwell's story, this film is about an aspiring poet, Gordon Comstock (Richard E. Grant), working in the advertising field as a copywriter, who decides to become a full-time poet, but not without major problems.
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Onegin 1999 R, 106 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Martha Fiennes
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Liv Tyler, Martin Donovan, Toby Stephens, Lena Headey, Alun Armstrong, Harriet Walter, Irene Worth, Jason Watkins, Francesca Annis
Based on Alexander Pushkin's 1833 narrative poem, this story involves an aristocrat, Evgeny Onegin (Ralph Fiennes) who spurns the advances of the beautiful Tatyana Larina (Liv Tyler). But, six-years later, when they meet in St. Petersburg, it is Evgeny who is smitten and Tatyana who is now uninterested in him.
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 Sense and Sensibility 1995 PG, 135 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Ang Lee
Cast: Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Greg Wise, Imogen Stubbs, Emilie Francois, Harriet Walter, James Fleet, Tom Wilkinson, Elizabeth Spriggs, Gemma Jones, Robert Hardy, Imelda Staunton, Hugh Laurie
Jane Austen's tale is brought to the screen in this witty film with an Oscar-winning screenplay by Emma Thompson. It is the story of an attempt by the women of the Dashwood family to balance sense with sensibility in 19th-century British society. When they are left with nothing because the estate passed to the eldest son, sensible Elinor (Emma Thompson) is the daughter who sees the farce of courtship to attain social status through marriage. In addition to the Oscar, the film had six other nominations, including Best Picture, Actress, and Supporting Actress (Kate Winslet).
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| 1. Atonement (2007)
2. Babel (2006)
3. Bedrooms & Hallways (1998)
4. Cheri (2009)
5. The Good Father (1985)
6. The Governess (1998)
7. Hard Times (1994)
8. Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1997)
aka: A Merry War
9. Onegin (1999)
10. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
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