British Films

The message in Daniel Barber's revenge drama HARRY BROWN is deafeningly clear. Harry Brown is on the streets, and he'll scare you straight. Michael Caine delivers a strong performance that almost makes this ludicrous film worth seeing.

Boogie Woogie - A review of Duncan Ward's frothy art satire Boogie Woogie.

Fish Tank review. Katie Jarvis is achingly good as the angry and vulnerable Mia in Andrea Arnold's FISH TANK, a film that manages to be both unremittingly bleak and simultaneously hopeful. Michael Fassbender and Kierston Wareing also star.

2001: A Space Odyssey review - Jurgen Fauth on repeated viewings of Stanley Kubrick's classic film "2001: A Space Odyssey"

A review of Pawel Pawlikowski's LAST RESORT.

SOMERS TOWN - A review of Shane Meadow's SOMERS TOWN. Two teenage boys become friends in Shane Meadows' lovely film. Best known for his previous film, the bleak and violent THIS IS ENGLAND and DEAD MAN'S SHOES, Meadow's SOMER'S TOWN is a charming departure in theme and style.

Easy Virtue Review: Stephan Elliot's EASY VIRTUE sounds like a good thing: a madcap romantic comedy, based on a Neil Coward play, with an illustrious cast that includes the Kirsten Scott Thomas, Colin Firth, and the insanely popular American actress Jessica Biel. Read our review of Easy Virtue.

Review of Donkey Punch, a thriller about a drug-fueled orgy aboard a yacht that goes terribly wrong.

The Duchess review - A Review of The Duchess starring Keira Knightley.

Happy-Go-Lucky Review - A review of Mike Leigh's Film Happy-Go-Lucky, starring Sally Hawkins as the unforgettable Poppy, an irrepressibly free-spirited school teacher in London.

"Brick Lane," Sarah Gavron's debut film, is based on the on the internationally acclaimed novel by Monica Ali. Tannishtha Chatterjee stars.

Anand Tucker's "When Did You Last See Your Father?" is an unflinching exploration of a father/son relationship, as Blake Morrison (Colin Firth) deals with his father Arthur’s (Jim Broadbent) terminal illness and imminent death.

Merchant Ivory presents BEFORE THE RAINS, the English language film debut of acclaimed Indian director/cinematographer Santosh Sivan (THE TERRORIST, ASOKA), starring award-winning actor Linus Roache (“Law & Order,” PRIEST), Rahul Bose (MR. & MRS. IYER), Nandita Das (FIRE, EARTH), Tony Award and BAFTA-winner Jennifer Ehle (Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing and The Coast of Utopia, BBC’s “Pride and Prejudice”) and John Standing (V FOR VENDETTA).

Make of the Ocean franchise what you want, but one thing is certain: stylistically, Steven Soderbergh set the bar for heist thrillers pretty high. With The Bank Job, thriller veteran Roger Donaldson (Thirteen Days, No Way Out) clearly attempted to create a film with similar headlong forward momentum but stumbles over rote situations, wooden dialogue, and Jason Statham.

SON OF RAMBOW is a hilariously fresh and visually inventive take on friendship, family, film heroes and the death-defying adventures of growing up in the video age.

Paul Andrew Williams' debut film "From London To Brighton" tells the sordid tale of two abused prostitutes on the run. Georgia Groome and Lorraine Stanley star.

Director Joe Wright has reunited with his filmmaking team and Keira Knightley for another classic British romance, "Atonement, also starring James McAvoy, Romoloa Garai, and Vanessa Redgrave. Christopher Hampton has written the screenplay adaptation of Ian McEwan’s best-selling 2002 novel.

After transforming the bucolic English countryside into a site of horror with the nasty little revenge tale Dead Man's Shoes, Shane Meadows turns toward Maggie Thatcher's England with a skinhead coming-of-age story. This is England starts out as well-acted and superbly designed mid-eighties time-capsule but degenerates to a formulaic conclusion that cheapens everything that went before.

Danny Boyle's "Sunshine" sends a group of astronauts – Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, and Rose Byrne among them – on a mission to deliver a giant nuke in order to restart our dying star and save mankind.

Shaun of the Dead meets Saw in Christopher Smith's gory comedy about a company's team-building weekend gone awry.

Tom Vaughan's debut film "Starter for Ten" is earnest and sometimes charming, occasionally funny, but for the most part, unforgivably bland. James McAvoy (Last King of Scotland, The Chronicles of Narnia) stars as Brian Jackson, an affable working class kid who makes his way in an elite college. The film also features a nostalgic eighties soundtrack and two attractive coeds.

Andrea Arnold's debut film Red Road won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival 2006 and is screening. The stark thriller screens at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and will open nationally in April. Kate Dickie, Natalie Press, and Tony Curran star.

Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench and Bill Nighy star in Richard Eyre's taught thiller Notes on a Scandal. Opens December 25, 2006.

Edgar Wright's "Hot Fuzz," the eagerly anticipated second feature from the co-creators of 2004’s award-winning sleeper hit "Shaun of the Dead," is a contemporary action comedy. Opens March 9, 2007.

The History Boys tells the story of an unruly class of bright, funny history students in pursuit of an undergraduate place at Oxford or Cambridge. The big screen adaptation of the five time Tony award-winning play is directed by Nicholas Hytner from a script adapted for the screen by the playwright Alan Bennett. Opens November 21, 2006.

The bucolic, rain-drenched English countryside hides awful secrets in Shane Meadows's thriller Dead Man's Shoes, starring Paddy Considine.

Actor Richard Grant's directorial debut film is guilty of numerous crimes: sweeping theme music, meaningful close-ups, endless sunsets, and a boatload of quirky supporting characters who fail to entertain. Emily Watson, Miranda Richardson, Gabriel Byrne and newcomer Nicholas Hoult star in this tepid coming of age drama.

A meta-movie about an unfilmable novel: Steve Coogan plays the title character, who spends most of the film waiting to be born, as well as "Steve Coogan," the vain and insecure actor. With his trademark protean inventiveness, Michael Winterbottom adapts Laurence Sterne's groundbreaking 18th century book, and it's a riot.

Julian Fellowes' directorial debut about the crumbing marriage of aseemingly perfect upper crust English couple pulls suprising punch. Emily Watson, Ruperett Evert, and Tom Wilkinson give uniformly superb perfomances in this adult, often uncomfortable drama.

Michael Winterbottom's latest experiment mixes live concert footage with real sex. Already a scandal as "the most explicit film in British film history," it luxuriates in stolen moments of intimacy between Lisa, a young American (Margo Stilley) and Matt, an English glaciologist (Kieran O'Brien.)

Don't be fooled by the title: Asif Kapadia's debut film is not a film about fighting. Newcomer Asif Kapadia brings honesty and seriousness to this tale of revenge and redemption. "The Warrior" is a beautiful and affecting meditation on what it takes to bring about peace.

Pawel Pawlikowski's "My Summer of Love" is arguably the best film of the summer, perhaps even the year.

Roger Mitchell's pyschological thriller "Enduring Love" quickly loses steam after an hot air balloon plunges on the picnic of two lovers. Daniel Craig, Samantha Morton, and Rhy Ifan's star.

Mike Leigh fully creates Vera's universe as wife, mother and abortionist in 1950's London. Imelda Staunton, in an absolutely riveting performance, makes her breathe. Rejected at Cannes, "Vera Drake" won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and Staunton received Best Actress award. The film screen premiere in the U.S at the New York Film Festival.

Welcome to the latest hybrid strand of mutant pop culture: a romantic British horror comedy. Britcom star Simon Pegg (of the cult TV series "Spaced") wrote and acts in the romp about a North London slacker who is about to be left by his girlfriend--until the zombies attack, and Shaun is forced to get his life together.

Reese Witherspoon is quick-witted, sexy, adorable, only occasionally detestable, and always convincing as the complex and conniving Becky Sharp, the central character in Mina Nair's highly entertaining adaptation of William Thackeray's classic novel "Vanity Fair."

British humor isn't exactly everybody's cup of tea, but those who enjoy it would have it no other way. Here's a list of essential English entertainment that could make the queen lose her wig.

The most sublime movie ever made, or a heap of crock? Read why I can't stop watching this film over and over again, and find links to more 2001 resources than you can shake a bone at.

Jonathan Glazer's first attempt "Sexy Beast" falls short despite heavyweights Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley. Not even fast dialogue and even faster editing can save this bloated film from sinking.

Nude pictures of middle-aged women! "Calendar Girls" is a small, lovely film about women posing topless--for charity, of course. Terrific English actresses Helen Mirren and Julie Walters star as best friends from a small village whose pleasant lives are shattered when Walters' husband dies of leukemia.

Tim Fywell's period drama "I Capture The Castle" has all the right ingredients: an eccentric English family, lush countryside, Victorian gowns, a crumbling castle, eligible bachelors, and the wonderful English actress Romolai Garai as the earnest heroine.

Katrin Cartlidge stars in this thoughtful, chilling drama about an Irish immigrant in Hew York. Directed by Lodge H. Kerrigan.

Merchant-Ivory do it again: See Nick Nolte, Uma Thurman, Kate Beckinsale and Anjelica Houston dressed up in finery, huffing and puffing over intrigue and complicated love triangles.

Justin Kerrigan's award-winning directorial debut, a huge hit in Britain, has made it to the States. Trainspotting for the new millennium.

Clive Owen desperately needs a hair cut in Mike Hodges' arty, absolutely tedious new thriller "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead." Charlotte Rampling, Malcolm McDowell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers co-star.

The seventy-five minute gem by newcomer Ryszrd Lenczewski about the dark Thatcher days. Shot in cinema verite style.

Interwoven stories about love lost and found -- and one particularly fine corkscrew. Neil Hunter and Tom Hunsinger's second collaboration stars Tom Hollander, Bill Nighby, Clementine Celarie, and Douglas Henshall.

Aimless British blokes love, live, and loaf around London in Jamie Thraves charming debut.

Michelle Williams of 'Dawson Creek' and Anna Friel star in Sandra Golbacher's second film about a tumultuous friendship during 1970s and 80s England.

The pre-cog is out of the bag: Samantha Morton constantly amazes and never takes off the headphones in Lynne Ramsey's first film since "Ratcatcher."

Director Douglas McGrath, best known for the Victorian adaptation "Emma," pushes his Victorian luck with "Nicholas Nickleby." An all-star cast can't save this bland, bloated film.

Put together a chain-smoking asthmatic guy, and a slightly pudgy nymphomaniac girl, and the result is John Curran's award winning Australian film.

Lynne Ramsay's debut feature is set during the Glasgow garbage strike of the 1970s.

A review of Paul McGuigan's fourteenth century drama "The Reckoning" starring Paul Bettany, Willen Dafoe, Gina McKee, Vincent Cassel and Brian Cox.

Guy Ritchie is the happiest director in the world. He's got Madonna, he's got a new movie, and he's got Brad Pitt. What else could he possibly wish for? Well, for starters, how about a decent plot?

A Bombay bank clerk who is severely tested on the eve of India's 1971 war with Pakistan. Starring Seth Roshan.

This heartwarming comedy starring award-winning British actress was a favorite at the 1999 Sundance festival.

Coky Giedroyc's assertive exploration of teenage prostitution. Starring Trainspotting's Kelly MacDonald.

Jude Law as bonechillingly good-looking vampire in Po-Chih Leong's stylish, offbeat thriller.

Michael Winterbottom's wistful family portrait set against the backdrop of South London.

Ewan McGregor sheathes his light saber and makes love to Tilda Swinton in this sooty, brooding adaptation of a novel by Alexander Trocchi.

THE DEBT review: Brit director John Madden helms The DEBT an espionage thriller that stars Helen Mirren and Jessica Chastain alternating as Rachel Singer, a Nazi-hunting Mossad undercover agent with a secret. Read Beck Ireland's review

The world is coming to an end in David McKenzie’s dystopian love story 'Perfect Sense' starring Eva Green and Ewan McGregor. Marcy Dermansky reviews.