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Control [2007]

starring: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Craig Parkinson, Joe Anderson, James Anthony Pearson
directed by: Anton Corbijn

February 11, 2008
Anton Corbijn has created a stylistic masterpiece. The backdrop of 1970s England is so faithfully reproduced that it's worth watching the movie just for that sense of deja vu as you see and remember a particular car, or jacket, or drink in a shop window. I saw this movie at a cinema with Hookie from Joy Division there in the audience - he took some questions after the film was shown. He said that it's as close to the truth as any filmmaker can possibly get. With that level of integrity and beautiful cinematography, this is a must-see movie for any music fan.

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The Jane Austen ITV Collection - Mansfield Park / Northanger Abbey / Emma (3 Disc Box Set) [2007]

starring: Billie Piper, William Beck, Liam Cunningham, Kate Beckinsale, Samantha Morton
directed by: Diarmuid Lawrence

March 26, 2007
I saw the whole short season of ITV Austen adaptations from which the three featured here were chosen and the main mystery to me is why it was that by far the the best of them - 'Persuasion', with Rupert Penry Jones and the excellent Sally Hawkins - was not included in this set.

This 'Mansfield Park' is especially poor, partly because Billie Piper - (a decent actress to be sure) is miscast. Even her looks, with her trademark bleached blonde hair and black eyebrows, are simply wrong for a lead Austen part.

For Mansfield Park, look for the greatly superior version starring Frances O' Connor as Fanny Price.

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Elizabeth: The Golden Age [2007]

starring: Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush, Rhys Ifans, Abbie Cornish
directed by: Shekhar Kapur

February 25, 2008
At once more ambitious and less intriguing than its predecessor, Elizabeth: The Golden Age certainly isn't the abject disaster reviewers claimed on its theatrical release, although it's not nearly as engrossing as the original. Unfortunately, while Shekhar Kapur opens up the action and opts for a much lighter palate this time round, with at least a trailer's worth of striking visuals, the results are not particularly compelling. By focusing on the best-known part of the Virgin Queen's reign there's less of the constant sense of danger that marked its predecessor even though it amps up the threat by pitting her not against her own court but the might of the Spanish Empire and its Armada. Yet, being a sequel, it adheres to the `the same but different,' and ... Read More:

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Elizabeth/Elizabeth - The Golden Age

starring: Cate Blanchett, Eric Cantona, Angus Deayton, Clive Owen, Samantha Morton
directed by: Shekhar Kapur

February 25, 2008
This is a worthwhile package featuring the fine historical dramas 'Elizabeth' and 'Elizabeth:The Golden Age'.Both movies show Elizabeth 1st at different stages of her life and though they have received some critisism about their historical inaccuracies they are entertaining and well worth watching.

Cate Blanchett is fantastic in the lead role and you can't take your eyes off her.She is a wonderful actress and she is at her very best in both movies.There is very good support from the likes of Geoffrey Rush,Clive Owen,Christopher Eccleston,Joseph Fiennes and many others.The cinematography is excellent also.

Of the two,'Elizabeth' is the better movie but as a double DVD set this is a treat and definitely well worth a look.There are also ... Read More:

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Emma [1996]

starring: Kate Beckinsale, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Bernard Hepton, Samantha Bond
directed by: Diarmuid Lawrence

March 19, 2007
Yes, this does indeed make the other version look paltry.
I love all the performances, but Mark Strong's Mr. Knightly, and Prunella Scale's Mrs. Bates are particularly fine. A beautifully and subtly made adaptation.

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Elizabeth/Elizabeth - The Golden Age/The Other Boleyn Girl (Steelbook) [1998]

starring: Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Eric Bana, Scarlett Johansson, Geoffrey Rush
directed by: Shekhar Kapur, Justin Chadwick

October 06, 2008
Yes, this does indeed make the other version look paltry.
I love all the performances, but Mark Strong's Mr. Knightly, and Prunella Scale's Mrs. Bates are particularly fine. A beautifully and subtly made adaptation.

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The Libertine [2005]

starring: Johnny Depp, John Malkovich, Samantha Morton, Johnny Vegas, Shane MacGowan
directed by: Laurence Dunmore

May 08, 2006
This film has much to recommend it: the performances are uniformly good, especially those of Depp and Morton; the script is wry and intelligent; the depiction of 17th century England is uncompromising; and the music by Michael Nyman is as rhythmically haunting as ever. Why then does this movie not quite work?

Perhaps because The Libertine fails to engage on an emotional level. The movie is concerned primarily with an intellectual, rather than a personal, analysis of morality, and thus leaves the viewer feeling cold and unmoved. It is difficult to sympathise with any of the characters, even those who clearly deserve our sympathy.

If the rating system allowed I would give four stars for the performances and the production design. But overall, ... Read More:

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Enduring Love [2004]

starring: Daniel Craig, Samantha Morton, Rhys Ifans, Alexandra Aitken, Susan Lynch
directed by: Roger Michell

April 11, 2005
If you are interested by the plot synopsis read the book instead (Enduring Love). It has much more depth which cannot be shown on film. The actors' try their best (Bill Nighy, as ever, is great in a sadly quite minor role) but it's not the easiest book to make into a film and, while I'm not usually one for writing negative reviews, I wish they hadn't bothered.

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In America [2003]

starring: Paddy Considine, Samantha Morton, Djimon Hounsou, Sarah Bolger, Emma Bolger
directed by: Jim Sheridan

March 15, 2004
Although this is really well acted by all the cast, I just found this film tipped over the edge into sentimentality. Actually, it was almost fairy-tale like with the two cute girls & the way they make fast work of befriending the local residents in a junkie-infested building/area of Manhattan. I should have guessed when the US border guard was won over by the younger girl's cuteness factor right at the start of the movie. Gimme a break!
If you're looking for grittiness (which I thought I was gonna get from this) then look elsewhere. But if you're a sentimental type, then this could well be up your street.

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The History Of Tom Jones A Foundling [1997]

starring: Max Beesley, John Sessions, Ben Whitrow, June Whitfield, Sylvester McCoy
directed by: Metin Huseyin

March 13, 2006
After having watched most of the BBC's period dramas, I still think that 'Tom Jones' is the best of them all. The original novel is difficult to dramatise but the writers here did a fantastic job. Henry Fielding is an intrusive narrator in the book and I found the decision to include him as a featured character in the dramatisation to be quite convincing. The acting is superb throughout. With the possible exception of Samantha Morton as Sophia Western, who comes across as rather bland, the cast is a joy to watch. Some of the supporting characters could not be better cast, just take a look at Brian Blessed who makes a perfect Squire Western (rotten teeth, swearing and all). I always found the Tom Jones of Fielding's novel one of the most likeable characters in all English fiction - Max Beesley has it all: ... Read More: