Amazing Grace 2007   PG, 111 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Michael Apted
Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Romola Garai, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Rufus Sewell, Youssou N'Dour, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones, Nicholas Farrell, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Jeremy Swift, Stephen Campbell Moore, Bill Paterson, Nicholas Day, Nicholas Woodeson
Eighteenth-century social reformer William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd) tries to convince Parliament that the slave trade should be outlawed. While the British do not own slaves, British industries profit greatly from the shipping trade that hauls thousands of slaves to the West Indies and American colonies. Through compromise, Wilberforce continues his work over the years, and his crusade is suspenseful because, despite physical disabilities, Wilberforce will not renege on his dream.
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As You Like It 2006  PG, 127 min.
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Brian Blessed, Romola Garai, Bryce Dallas Howard, Kevin Kline, Adrian Lester, Janet McTeer, Alfred Molina, David Oyelowo, Richard Briers, Jimmy Yuill, Alex Wyndham, Jade Jefferies, Gerard Horan
William Shakespeare's play is again brought to the screen–this time transplanted from the Forest of Arden to 19th-century Japan. Rosalind (Bryce Dallas Howard) disguises herself as a boy, Ganymede, and, escaping a death threat, leaves the court after her father is banished. Traveling with her are her cousin Celia (Romola Garai) and the court jester Touchstone (Alfred Molina). Along the way, she runs into the man she loves, Orlando (David Oyelowo). Now, Rosalind uses her disguise as Ganymede to test Orlando's love.
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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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Daniel Deronda 2002 TV, 210 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Tom Hooper
Cast: Hugh Dancy, Romola Garai, Jodhi May, Hugh Bonneville, Edward Fox, Amanda Root, David Bamber, Greta Scacchi, Barbara Hershey, Celia Imrie, Michael Attwell, Daniel Evans
George Eliot's classic novel was first telecast on BBC TV and then re-edited into a two-part, two-story series for Masterpiece Theater. One story involves beautiful, but spoiled, Gwendolen Harleth (Ramola Garai) who marries Henleigh Grandcourt (Hugh Bonneville) to regain a family fortune. In the second story, Daniel Daronda (Hugh Dancy) is a young Jew who is attracted to Gwendolen and is influenced by Mordecai (Daniel Evans) who lectures Deronda to be true to his heritage. When Deronda finds his inner-self, he finds true love with Mordecai's sister, Mirah (Jodhi May).
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Dirty Dancing 2 2004  PG-13, 85 min.
Genre: Musical / Drama / Romance
aka: Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Director: Guy Ferland
Cast: Diego Luna, Romola Garai, Sela Ward, John Slattery, Jonathan Jackson, January Jones, Mika Boorem, Rene Lavan, Mya, Polly Cole, Chris Engen, Marisol Padilla Sanchez, Tommy Kavelin, Wilmer Cordero, Charlie Rodriguez
Just before the Cuban Revolution, American teen Katey (Romola Garai) and her family move to Havana when her father's company transfers him there. Katey falls for a sexy dancer, Javier (Diego Luna), and secretly takes dancing lessons from him. The couple enters a dance competition, which, of course, will bring their relationship out into the open.
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I Capture the Castle 2003 R, 113 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Tim Fywell
Cast: Romola Garai, Rose Byrne, Henry Thomas, Marc Blucas, Bill Nighy, Tara Fitzgerald, Sinead Cusack, Henry Cavill, Sarah Woodward, James Faulkner, David Bamber, Helena Little
Cassandra (Romola Garai), a naive 17 year old, lives in a run-down English castle with her eccentric family. When new landlords from America–Simon (Henry Thomas) and Neil (Marc Blucas)–arrive on the scene, Cassandra's eyes are opened to reveal how her own scheming can lead to despair.
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Inside I'm Dancing 2004 R, 104 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy
aka: Rory O'Shea Was Here
Director: Damien O'Donnell
Cast: James McAvoy, Steven Robertson, Romola Garai, Gerard McSorley, Tom Hickey, Brenda Fricker, Alan King, Ruth McCabe, Pat Shortt, Anna Healy
Wheelchair-bound Rory O'Shea (James McAvoy) moves into a home for the disabled, befriends cerebral palsy victim Michael (Steven Robertson), and opens up a new world of possibilities for Michael when they leave the institution, move into their own home, and hire a caretaker.
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 Nicholas Nickleby 2002  PG, 152 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Douglas McGrath
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Christopher Plummer, Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Bell, Edward Fox, Romola Garai, Tom Courtenay, Nathan Lane, Alan Cumming, Barry Humphries
After the death of his father, Nicholas Nickleby (Charlie Hunnam) and his family seek help from Uncle Ralph (Christopher Plummer). But Uncle Ralph seems determined to split up the family members. He disposes of Nicholas by sending him to a boarding school for poor boys that is run by the dastardly Wackford Squeers (Jim Broadbent). All is not lost; Nicholas and his friend, Smike (Jamie Bell), escape and set out to reunite the Nicklebys.
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Renaissance 2006 R, 105 min.
Genre: Animation / Sci-Fi / Action / Thriller
Director: Christian Volckman
Cast: Daniel Craig, Catherine McCormack, Romola Garai, Jonathan Pryce, Ian Holm, Rick Warden, Pax Baldwin, Breffni McKenna, Sean Pertwee, Wayne Forrester, Patrick Floersheim, Kevork Malikyan
Set in Paris during the year 2054, this film uses motion-capture animation to tell the story of a policeman's (voice of Daniel Craig) efforts to solve the case of a kidnapped scientist (voice of Catherine McCormack).
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Scoop 2006  PG-13, 95 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Fantasy
Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Ian McShane, Woody Allen, Romola Garai, Kevin McNally, Jim Dunk, Geoff Bell, Christopher Fulford, Nigel Lindsay, Fenella Woolgar, Matt Day, Rupert Frazer
Recently deceased journalist Joe Strombel (Ian McShane) is still able, in his after-life, to uncover a good story. He works through college journalist Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson) who, in turn, teams up with two-bit magician Sid Waterman (Woody Allen) to uncover information implicating distinguished British Lord Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman) as the "Tarot Card Killer" who has been terrorizing London.
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Vanity Fair 2004 PG-13, 140 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Mira Nair
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, James Purefoy, Romola Garai, Rhys Ifans, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Eileen Atkins, Jim Broadbent, Bob Hoskins, Tony Maudsley, John Franklyn-Robbins, Deborah Findlay, Angelica Mandy, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Ruth Sheen
A London lass, Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon), overcomes her youth as a poor orphan, earns an education, and begins her climb up Britain's 19th-century social ladder when she gains a job as governess for the daughters of Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins). Becky marries Crawley's son Rawdon (James Purefoy), but problems rise to the fore. Now, Becky uses her wiles on the powerful Steyne (Gabriel Byrne) to gain yet another step up the social ladder.
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| 1. Amazing Grace (2007)
2. As You Like It (2006)
3. Atonement (2007)
4. Daniel Deronda (2002)
5. Dirty Dancing 2 (2004)
aka: Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
6. I Capture the Castle (2003)
7. Inside I'm Dancing (2004)
aka: Rory O'Shea Was Here
8. Nicholas Nickleby (2002)
9. Renaissance (2006)
10. Scoop (2006)
11. Vanity Fair (2004)
In The News
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