The Website for People Who Love Britain - Anglophiles
I'm generally at my most happiest when I'm watching a period movie set in the 1930's. So, I was excited enough about Hyde Park on the Hudson to plan a special trip into Chicago (we live an hour away) to see it. Hyde Park on Hudson is the latest Oscar bait to come out this winter and it's the type of movie that will succeed at the Oscars. The … [Read more...]
William Travers is an honest London lawyer who always believes 100% in his client’s innocence. When Travers learns that he successfully defended a man who was actually guilty of a horrible crime, Travers suffers a mental breakdown and leaves London to settle in quiet Suffolk. After an old college pal is accused of murdering his beautiful … [Read more...]
BRAVE Director: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell Duration: 100 mins With the voices of: Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly Score: 3 out of 5 Review by JAMES BARTLETT Firstly, BE WARNED – there’s a big spoiler in my review (something unexpected that happens in Brave) – so if you don’t want to know … [Read more...]
Whether you consider it to be a prequel or a sequel, British director Ridley Scott’s Prometheus is one highly-anticipated movie – even if only by the many fans of Alien and its sequels (the series started back in 1979 with Alien, which was also directed by Scott). Now the year is 2089, and archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Rapace) and boyfriend … [Read more...]
THE DICTATOR Director: Larry David Duration: 88 mins Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley Score: 4 out of 5 Review by JAMES BARTLETT Sacha Baron Cohen is back, and this time he’s General Wadeen, the ruthless dictator of the Republic of Wadiya in North Africa. The General keeps all the country’s oil profits for … [Read more...]
Review by JAMES BARTLETT Lured by the chance for a golden age in the golden raj – and also in search of a new lease of life (whether they want it or not), a plucky group of senior Brits sign up for a stay at the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in Jaipur, India. There’s newly-widowed and broke Evelyn (Dench), the unhappily married Ainslies, … [Read more...]
Review by JAMES BARTLETT It’s 1857. Pirate-hating Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton) is on the throne and her navy is on the march, but life aboard the ship of Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) is full of looting, cutlasses and regular Ham Nights – it’s just a shame that they’re not very good at their job. It’s worse at this time … [Read more...]
Review by JAMES BARTLETT It sounds like complete madness; a joke. That’s what dedicated angler and Government employee Dr. Alfred Jones (McGregor) thinks when he’s told that rich Sheikh Muhammad (Waked) wants to fish for salmon in his homeland. Harriet (Blunt) is trying to make the project happen for him, though “Fred” quickly tells her … [Read more...]
Like it or not the Harry Potter movies are over, and actor Daniel Radcliffe – despite having enough in the bank to walk away forever – is trying to move onto the next stage of his career. He’s already performed on stage to some acclaim, but his next movie project was always going to be highly-anticipated, and doubtless the knives were out … [Read more...]
Many Doctor Who and David Tennant fans have been waiting for The Decoy Bride for some time. It's had a strange release schedule (being released in Italy months ago for some reason). But it's finally opened in the USA on the IFC On Demand service. It will open in US theaters in march. This is David Tennant's first turn at becoming the next Hugh … [Read more...]
Making a biopic about Margaret Thatcher is not an easy thing to do. She’s not a sparkling conversationalist, she’s not overly witty, and she’s not electric in personality. However she is one of the most significant women of the last century and remains England’s first and only female Prime Minister. She is a woman who, while in office, … [Read more...]
Fiennes – most recently seen on screen as Lord Voldemeort in the tumultuous final two movies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – goes all Shakespearean for his directorial debut, taking on one of the bard’s lesser-performed works. Screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator, The Last Samurai) adapted Shakespeare’s base-on-truth … [Read more...]
Editor's Note: This if the first review for Anglotopia's new staff Brit movie reviewer - James Bartlett - a British Expat living in LA. Period dramas and classic novel adaptations aside, in many ways this is perhaps the most British movie released for many years, as it is a biopic of Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister from 1979-1990 … [Read more...]
One of the great things about writing movie reviews is that it gets me to see movies I hadn't really had much interest in seeing. Sometimes my lack of interest is justified, as with One Day. Other times, I'm pleasantly surprised as I was with Johnny English Reborn. The movie is a sequel to 2003's Johnny English, which I admit I never saw. It … [Read more...]
George Smiley is no James Bond.His face and body belong to a middle-age man who enjoys his tea and biscuits. There is no flash or dazzle in his manner; he is not a charmer. There is just the quiet, disciplined methodology of a highly analytical man whose job is his life’s calling. And it is this methodology that is precisely what makes Tinker … [Read more...]
Based on the best selling book by David Nicholls, One Day tells the story of Dexter and Emma, two college friends and their ever changing relationship over the span of 20 years. Each scene of the movie takes place on the same day in progressing years. Part of the problem of adapting books in to movies is the inevitable need to condense material … [Read more...]
So, farewell then. This is the end of the road for The Inbetweeners. After 18 episodes of brilliantly constructed farce, the boys are back together for one final blow out. Now that they're finished with sixth form, they're off to enjoy the summer holiday in style by participating in that old British tradition. A monumental booze fest in a sunny … [Read more...]
Many people are decrying the lack of original ideas in Hollywood. Every year we are presented with sequels, remakes - or as they like to call them now "reboots." I myself have nothing against remakes per se. Musicians having been covering each other's songs for years and Broadway made a special awards category just for revivals of plays. It's … [Read more...]
Editor's Note: The following is a guest review from British Expat Michael Walsh who wrote a review for us last week of the Yes, Prime Minister play in London. Thanks Michael! The ghost writer of ex-Prime Minister Adam Lang's memoirs dies under mysterious circumstances and a new ghost, played with masterful understatement by Ewan McGregor, is … [Read more...]
Lovely and delightful - if a bit dark towards the end. I've been anxiously awaiting this movie for some time. It's based on a graphic novel of the same name which is also loosely based on Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, my favorite book in Brit Lit. The plot has several deviations but follows a lot of the concepts. I was also looking … [Read more...]
By far the most interesting movie about tax collection I've ever seen. I was pretty dubious about the prospect of yet another movie about Robin Hood, even with Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott involved. It's a story that's been so well trod - it's hard to find anything worth telling about the story again. Growing up in the 1990's - there were … [Read more...]
[picappgallerysingle id="7421371"] It was a nice Christmas treat. I'll try to be light on the Spoilers - but I may discuss some plot details. First what I loved about this movie. Robert Downey Jr is brilliant as Sherlock. Jude Law is brilliant as Watson. Together they're spectacular. I really liked the angle they took on Sherlock - … [Read more...]
Editor's Note: I met John Rabon at Dragon*Con this year when we were on a couple panels together. He was lucky enough to see The Boat That Rocked in Europe earlier this year and decided to write up a review of the differences that Pirate Radio has compared to The Boat the Rocked. Thanks John! So I took my time to see the film yesterday, and while … [Read more...]
One of the perks of working in Downtown Chicago is that when good art movies come to town, it's easy to take an evening and go see them. This past weekend, my wife and I went on a date - dinner and 'An Education' with Carey Mulligan. It was a brilliant film (and a brilliant date). An Education stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a precocious girl … [Read more...]
I loved it! I wasn't a big fan of Order of the Phoenix - Half Blood prince was a huge improvement. Very much looking forward to the next in the series. … [Read more...]
I really enjoyed HBO's recent airing of "Into the Storm" and will watch it a million times. However, it has serious flaws and I don't think it's on the same caliber as it's predecessor "The Gathering Storm." The film, made in partnership between HBO and BBC Films is pretty much a direct sequel to "The Gathering Storm which aired several years … [Read more...]
I recently had the chance to Watch Last Chance Harvey and I've really been looking forward to it. It didn't get a very wide release so I was not able to see it when it was in theaters. So, a couple weekends ago, the wife and I sat down to watch this London themed movie. We're were a little disapointed with it. First, the plot. The film … [Read more...]
Overall, I enjoyed the new Brideshead Revisited. I know this will be a rather unpopular view considering the critical reception of the movie. Brideshead Revisited is based on one of my favorite books of the same name and I dare-say one of the finest TV series ever produced by the BBC. I love stories that give an insight into the British … [Read more...]
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is a delightful gem of a movie from the same director that brought us Bend it Like Beckham. This movie started off annoying. The main character, Georgia has the neuroses of a middle aged women, despite being 14 years old. She was driving me a bit batty with her constant complaining. But somewhere along the way, I … [Read more...]
I had a chance to see Australia the other day. It opened over a month ago, but I did not have a chance to go until now. I was able to see it at the local second run theater for just $3. And you what? It's a cracking film. Well worth the $3. I was not so impressed with the beginning. You could tell that the story was so sprawling that they didn't … [Read more...]
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia is now our full time jobs and we spend our time working on the site and planning our yearly trips to Britain. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
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