Treves, Frederick

House of Cards Trilogy (House of Cards / To Play the King / The Final Cut)

Connoisseurs of political chicanery will relish House of Cards, the mordantly funny story of Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson), a British politician with his eye on the top job. Urquhart is the chief whip of the Conservative Party and his job is to maintain party discipline, or, as he likes to say, "put a bit of stick about." This means that he has intimate knowledge of his colleagues' foibles, knowledge that he uses to further his own political ambitions. Aided by his equally ruthless wife and drawing on a network of accomplices, Urquhart forces the prime minister to resign then sets out to discredit each of his rivals for the party leadership. Although it is strongly cast throughout, House of Cards belongs to Ian Richardson. Without his perfectly balanced performance, Urquhart might have become no more than a two-dimensional villain, but Richardson finds exactly the right tone to make his character as attractive as he is wicked. Thanks to Richardson, and a superb script by Andrew Davies, this brilliant political satire is sure to delight anyone who has wondered what might be going on in the darker corners of our democratic institutions.

In To Play the King, Urquhart appears to have everything he wants. He is the prime minister, he has no immediate rivals, and everyone who knows of his crimes is either on his side or dead. But a new challenge arises when the queen dies and the new king (Michael Kitchen doing a perfect Prince Charles) proves to be a thorn in Urquhart's side. Urquhart may be a staunch defender of the monarchy as a concept, but an individual sovereign is fair game if he proves to be a threat. With a Davies script that pokes fun at British politics and the antics of the royal family as well as a terrific cast led again by Ian Richardson, To Play the King maintains the high standard set by House of Cards.

The Final Cut, the last installment of the trilogy, strikes a more somber note than its predecessors. Urquhart has almost overtaken Margaret Thatcher to become Britain's longest serving postwar leader, but the public is tiring of him and there are rumblings of dissent in the Conservative Party. Urquhart and his wife plot to secure both their place in history and their financial future. Once again, writer Andrew Davies has created a satire to relish, one that confirms all of our doubts about the motives of politicians. Ian Richardson's wonderful performance--filled with sly asides and winks to the camera--makes Francis Urquhart as fascinating as he is wicked, and we find ourselves rooting for this terrible man. The world would certainly be a duller place without him. --Simon Leake

Ian Richardson (From Hell, M. Butterfly) leads an all star cast in this malevolent satire of greed, corruption and ambition in the highest realms of government. As Machiavellian monster Francis Urquhart, he schemes and backstabs his way to the top until he is standing on a pile of broken promises, betrayals and the bodies of those who oppose him. Every step of the way, Urquhart lays out his plans with horrifying wit and venomous charm. But the ranks of his enemies are growing, and they intend to bring him down, whatever the price. Brilliantly adapted by Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones's Diary), from Michael Dobbs's best-selling novel, this satirical trilogy took home a primetime Emmy, a Peabody, two BAFTAs and a Broadcasting Press Guild Award.

The Elephant Man

You could only see his eyes behind the layers of makeup, but those expressive orbs earned John Hurt a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his moving portrayal of John Merrick, the grotesquely deformed Victorian-era man better known as The Elephant Man. Inarticulate and abused, Merrick is the virtual slave of a carnival barker (Freddie Jones) until dedicated London doctor Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins in a powerfully understated performance) rescues him from the life and offers him an existence with dignity. Anne Bancroft costars as the actress whose visit to Merrick makes him a social curiosity, with John Gielgud and Wendy Hiller as dubious hospital staffers won over by Merrick. David Lynch earned his only Oscar nominations as director and cowriter of this somber drama, which he shot in a rich black-and-white palette, a sometimes stark, sometimes dreamy visual style that at times recalls the offbeat expressionism of his first film, Eraserhead. It remains a perfect marriage between traditional Hollywood historical drama and Lynch's unique cinematic eye, a compassionate human tale delivered in a gothic vein. The film earned eight Oscar nominations in all, and though it left the Oscar race empty-handed, its dramatic power and handsome yet haunting imagery remain just as strong today. --Sean Axmaker

Silas Marner, The Weaver of Raveloe

Silas Marner was a man who had everything - until he lost it all. Falsely accused of theft and driven out of his town Silas starts life anew. One day upon arriving home he discovers a foundling child asleep on the hearth. Could this young girl be the redemption to love and happiness that Silas has been looking for?Running Time: 90 min.System Requirements:Run Time: 90 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 794051288325 Manufacturer No: E2883

Silas Marner, a member of a strict religious community, is wrongly accused of theft and has no choice but to move to a faraway village. For 15 years he lives alone, hoarding the money he makes from his weaving and gaining a reputation as a recluse, a miser, and perhaps even a witch. Marner's life changes dramatically one Christmas season, when his gold is stolen and a mysterious woman dies in the woods outside his cottage. She leaves behind a child that Marner, to the surprise of the other villagers, takes into his home to raise as his daughter. The arrival of the infant, whom he names Eppie after his mother, transforms Marner. His bitterness evaporates; he no longer cares about his lost money; and he commits himself completely to his adopted child, who grows up into a loving and beautiful daughter. But Marner's happiness may be threatened, because Eppie is really the daughter of the local squire, who was secretly married to the woman whose body Marner discovered. Remarried, but childless, the squire decides he wants to claim Eppie as his own.

Ben Kingsley gives a subtle and moving performance as the simple weaver, and a strong cast gives him ample support in this 1985 BBC adaptation of George Eliot's novel. Silas Marner is not particularly complex--it's certainly a more modest undertaking than Eliot's most famous novel, Middlemarch--but this sentimental Victorian tale, filled with historical detail, potential tragedy, heartless villains, and the redeeming power of childhood, makes for a very satisfying film. --Simon Leake

P.D. James - A Certain Justice

"There's no such thing as a safe haven," wrote British mystery novelist P.D. James. This is certainly the case in her mystery novel A Certain Justice, which has been given a splendid interpretation in the British TV series Mystery. Brilliant, successful defense attorney Venetia Aldridge (Penny Downie) is found murdered in her court chambers. She had been a controversial figure, not least because she was a strong woman who didn't hesitate to tell her male colleagues exactly what she thought of them. In the first episode of this three-part miniseries, Venetia piles up enemies, any one of whom might be guilty of her murder. The implacable Commander Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard (played, as always, by Roy Marsden) must discover whodunit. The show features wonderfully well-developed characters: Venetia herself, her innocent teenage daughter, Octavia (doe-eyed Flora Montgomery), and Octavia's psychopathic boyfriend, Gary Ashe (whom Venetia successfully defended in a murder trial). As Ashe, Ricci Harnett delivers a truly disquieting performance. Suspense builds inexorably until the chilling conclusion, leavened regularly by P.D. James's cheeky, sardonic humor. Gore mixed with drollery--a tone only the English can pull off. --Laura Mirsky

Top flight criminal attorney Venetia Aldridge (Penny Downie), a high-profile woman with an abrasive reputation and turbulent private life, has been found dead in her office, stabbed through the heart with her own paper knife. Commander Dalgliesh and his team are called to investigate the murder. As Dalgliesh and Detective Inspector Kate Miskin (Sarah Winman) unravel the complex clues to Venetia's bizarre death, the other members of her prestigious chambers close ranks against the embarrassing questions of Scotland Yard's top commander. Then, just as a prime suspect is within Dalgliesh's grasp, an apparent suicide throws the case into turmoil.

Roy Marsden stars as poetry-loving detective Adam Dalgliesh in this three-part adaptation of P.D. James' A Certain Justice.

Masterpiece Theatre - The Cazalets

It's 1937 and the storm clouds of World War II gather across Europe. Tensions also simmer beneath the seemingly charmed lives of the Cazalet family. While this grand family saga commences during an idyllic summer at the Cazalet's Sussex country estate the years that follow will see birth death marriage adultery dementia intrigue and war play significant roles.Acclaimed for its richly detailed production talented cast and brilliant character depictions this vivid and poignant family portrait revolves around the wives lovers and children of the four Cazalet siblings: hard-working Hugh womanizing Edward spinster Rachel and the artistic Rupert.Soon after Hitler enters Poland and England enters the war the lives of three generations intertwine as devastating secrets explode like a blitzkrieg. Hardships invade with brutal reality and slowly the Cazalet's decorum can no longer mask their problems. As both the country and family are splintered by war the Cazalets must prove they have the strength to endure.Based on Elizabeth Jane Howard's captivating family epic The Cazalets stars Tony Award®-winner Stephen Dillane (The Real Thing) Hugh Bonneville (Madame Bovary) Paul Rhys (From Hell) and Emma Griffiths Malin (Mary Reilly).System Requirements: Running Time 360 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 783421354494 Manufacturer No: WG35449

The Politician's Wife

Flora (Juliet Stevenson in a tour de force performance) is the politician's wife. The politician, in this smart, unconventional thriller, is Tory MP Duncan Matlock (Troy's Trevor Eve). The setting is 1990s Britain. When they met, Duncan was a nobody, while Flora was from money. She married for love... and thought he did, too. Over the years, he became a powerful leader and she was always by his side. Then she--along with the rest of the nation--finds out he's been cheating. The woman (Minnie Driver) is an escort girl. Flora is devastated, but decides to put up a brave front. Secretly, however, she embarks on an ingenious plan to regain everything she's lost: pride, dignity, identity. There are no guns or knives in this award-winning miniseries (just a little nudity and profanity). Featuring a first-rate cast, including the late Ian Bannen (Waking Ned Devine) as the lynchpin in Flora's plan. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

When the tabloids scream the news that Minister of the Family Duncan Matlock has been caught in an affair with an "escort" girl, no one is more stunned than Flora, his wife. As her husband and the Tory establishment behind him expect, Flora maintains her loyal façade. But behind her public smiles, she seethes with mounting fury. Employing strange sexual games and covert political tactics, she plots to exact the ultimate revenge against her husband and the system that created him.

This powerful, award-winning PBS drama stars Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply; Bend It Like Beckham), Trevor Eve (In the Name of the Father), and Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting, Grosse Pointe Blank).

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE background essay by writer Paula Milne and cast filmographies.
"Splendidly wicked" —The New York Times
"Smashing!" —TV Guide
"A true PBS `Masterpiece'. . . a brilliant, incisive political potboiler"—Los Angeles Times

Summer's Lease

A family vacation in Tuscany leads to intrigue and mystery in a Masterpiece Theatre presentation written by John Mortimer (Rumpole of the Bailey) and starring Sir John Gielgud in an Emmy Award(r)-winning role.

The minute she sets eyes on it, Molly Pargeter (Susan Fleetwood) knows that the Tuscan villa she has found to lease is perfect for her family's summer holiday. She is powerfully drawn to its rustic beauty and to the enigma of its absentee landlord. Never mind that her husband and teenaged daughter are vocally unenthusiastic and that her outrageously extroverted father (Sir John Gielgud) tricks them into taking him along.

As the family goes sightseeing and gathers for candlelit dinners on the terrace, Molly becomes increasingly obsessed with unraveling the secrets of the villa's owner and of the British expatriates and locals they encounter. Her father lends a hand with the sleuthing while remaining on the prowl, zeroing in on a certain rich widow with whom he shares a romantic past.

Defense of the Realm

Taut extremely entertaining (Leonard Maltin) and laden with suspense with fast-moving chiller stats Gabriel Byrne as a Cold War reporter who discovers what free speech comes at a deadly price. Co-starring Careta Scacchi and Denholm Elliott Defense of the realm is electrifying terrifying and will leave you limp from controlled tension (Los Angeles Times)!When a tawdry sex scandal links a high-ranking British politician to Russian KGB agent ambitious newsman nick Mullen (Byrne) swiftly gets the story on page one. But when his scoop-of- the decade begins to unravel the cover up of the century involving military secrets nuclear weapons and government murders Mullen and the politician s beautiful secretary (Scacchi) fing themselves ensnared in a web every move could be their last .System Requirements: Running Time 96 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE Rating: PG UPC: 027616886583 Manufacturer No: 1004617

In the politically charged atmosphere of Margaret Thatcher's Britain, newspaper reporters are hungry for the big story that will make them stars and their newspapers famous. Nick Mullen (Gabriel Byrne in his first starring role) is one such reporter for the London Daily Dispatch. A top member of Parliament (Ian Bannen) is the focus of the latest political scandal: he has been photographed with a prostitute who is known to have Russian contacts. Nick barrels into the scandal full-bore, despite warnings from his mentor (a deft Denholm Elliott). Nick receives a tip that makes his story a front-page item and he quickly becomes a celebrity himself. But as he soon discovers, there is much more to the story than he imagined. Director David Drury (Prime Suspect 3) keeps this highly complex, John le Carré-esque story moving swiftly. The clues are hard to find at times, but it is not because the story is told unclearly; rather, the filmmakers have decided that audiences can think for themselves and piece together the information along with Nick. An overlooked and truly entertaining thinking person's film. --Doug Thomas

Edward the King

Edward the seventh waits nearly 60 years to become King. He wins the devotion of his people, the hearts of beautiful women and the fierce enmity of his mother, Queen Victoria. This sweeping saga covers 70 of the most tumultuous years of Britain at the height of her power. The story begins with the rebellion of a boy pampered beyond endurance, and continues through his mother's distrust and jealousy, his marriage and scandalous affairs, his most delicate international negotiations and his behind-the-throne carousing. This thirteen part series makes Edward The King an epic for all time.

The Elephant Man [Region 2]

You could only see his eyes behind the layers of makeup, but those expressive orbs earned John Hurt a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his moving portrayal of John Merrick, the grotesquely deformed Victorian-era man better known as The Elephant Man. Inarticulate and abused, Merrick is the virtual slave of a carnival barker (Freddie Jones) until dedicated London doctor Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins in a powerfully understated performance) rescues him from the life and offers him an existence with dignity. Anne Bancroft costars as the actress whose visit to Merrick makes him a social curiosity, with John Gielgud and Wendy Hiller as dubious hospital staffers won over by Merrick. David Lynch earned his only Oscar nominations as director and cowriter of this somber drama, which he shot in a rich black-and-white palette, a sometimes stark, sometimes dreamy visual style that at times recalls the offbeat expressionism of his first film, Eraserhead. It remains a perfect marriage between traditional Hollywood historical drama and Lynch's unique cinematic eye, a compassionate human tale delivered in a gothic vein. The film earned eight Oscar nominations in all, and though it left the Oscar race empty-handed, its dramatic power and handsome yet haunting imagery remain just as strong today. --Sean Axmaker