film recs: paul mcgann...
The reccing continues!
Paul McGann
(Born 14 November 1959 in Liverpool, England, UK)
Title: Withnail & I
Year: 1987
Paul plays: Marwood
Other notable cast members: Richard E. Grant, Richard Griffiths, Daragh O'Malley
Summary: London 1969 - two 'resting' (unemployed and unemployable) actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp, cold, piles of washing-up, mad drug dealers and psychotic Irishmen, decide to leave their squalid Camden flat for an idyllic holiday in the countryside, courtesy of Withnail's uncle Monty's country cottage.
Why I love the film: Because it's one of the best films EVER. The relationship between Withnail and Marwood is hysterical, and their adventures in the English countryside, for which they (especially Withnail) are NOT cut out at all, are even more hysterical, and the dialogue is so brilliant that I can quote about 90% of it. And, to top that, the film is also a bit slashy. I could watch it over and over again and wouldn't get tired of it.
Title: The Three Musketeers
Year: 1993
Paul plays: Girard / Jussac
Other notable cast members: Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Oliver Platt, Tim Curry, Rebecca de Mornay, Julie Delpy, Michael Wincott
Summary: The three best of the disbanded Musketeers - Athos, Porthos, and Aramis - join a young hotheaded would-be-Musketeer, D'Artagnan, to stop the Cardinal Richelieu's evil plot: to form an alliance with enemy England by way of the mysterious Milady.
Why I love the film: Because it's excellently filmed, has a fantastic cast, and is about swashbuckling heroes, dark plots, cloaks and daggers, and handles the matter with great humour. Paul is utterly hilarious in it, and not only because he wears an orange wig and looks absolutely ridiculous. XD
Title: Catherine the Great
Year: 1995
Paul plays: Potemkin
Other notable cast members: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ian Richardson, Brian Blessed, John Rhys-Davies, Mark McGann, Stephen McGann, Jeanne Moreau, Omar Sharif, Hannes Jaenicke, Veronica Ferres
Summary: Trapped in a loveless arranged marriage to the immature future Czar, a young German Princess proves a skillful political infighter and rises to become Catherine the Great.
Why I love the film: I'm not a fan of Catherine Zeta-Jones, but I really liked this film. It's a very well done historical epos with great costumes, great acting, and a storyline that never gets boring. Paul is fantastic as Catherine's lover and advisor Potemkin, and another highlight of the film is that Paul's brothers Mark and Stephen play the Orlov brothers, his direct rivals for Catherine.
Title: Hornblower
Year: 2001 - 2003
Paul plays: William Bush
Other notable cast members: Ioan Gruffudd, Robert Lindsay, David Warner, Jamie Bamber, Philip Glenister, Paul Copley, Sean Gilder, Greg Wise, Jonathan Forbes, Christian Coulson
Summary: A film series based on the books by C. S. Forester about the life and career of the Naval officer Horatio Hornblower before, during and after the Napoleonic Wars.
Why I love the film: Firstly because it's about the Age of Sail, has tons of gorgeous ships, and portrays the atmosphere of the era perfectly. The cast is great, the story is interesting and absorbing, and especially the chemistry between Hornblower and Bush was portrayed wonderfully.
Title: Poirot: Sad Cypress
Year: 2003
Paul plays: Dr. Peter Lord
Other notable cast members: David Suchet, Rupert Penry-Jones, Kelly Reilly
Summary: Elinor Carlisle seems to be the obvious murderer of her ailing aunt and the beautiful romantic rival who broke up her engagement, but Poirot uncovers darker motives.
Why I love the film: Because it's one of the most faithful Agatha Christie adaptions that I know. The story is true to the book in every important aspect, and the only major difference I can think of right now is that Dr. Lord, Paul's character, has a bigger part in the film than in the book. Also, it's a very ingenious, absorbing story. Every clue points to Elinor Carlisle as the murderer of her aunt, but Poirot thinks otherwise, and it's incredibly interesting to watch the events unfold.
Other Paul films I've seen but didn't include in the list:
» The Rainbow (1989): I only watched the film because of Paul, and Paul will remain the only reason for me owning it. The girl in the film is an annoying spoiled brat, and she's not even tolerable when she's in a lesbian relationship (though usually things like that improve a film for me XD), and the only true highlight is the scene in which she and Paul's character Anton are running naked over fields and plains - it's a D. H. Lawrence adaption, after all. ;)
» Queen of the Damned (2002): I've seen it already but I can't remember much of it, so I must watch it again before I can write a proper review. I do remember, though, that the film isn't as good as Interview with the Vampire.
Paul also played alongside Robert Lindsay in the TV series "Give Us A Break", but so far I haven't managed to find a DVD. I've seen a couple of episodes, though, and it's a lot of fun!
What do you think? Have you seen any of these? Did you like them? Have you seen any that I haven't seen? I want to know everything! XD
Paul McGann
(Born 14 November 1959 in Liverpool, England, UK)
Title: Withnail & I
Year: 1987
Paul plays: Marwood
Other notable cast members: Richard E. Grant, Richard Griffiths, Daragh O'Malley
Summary: London 1969 - two 'resting' (unemployed and unemployable) actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp, cold, piles of washing-up, mad drug dealers and psychotic Irishmen, decide to leave their squalid Camden flat for an idyllic holiday in the countryside, courtesy of Withnail's uncle Monty's country cottage.
Why I love the film: Because it's one of the best films EVER. The relationship between Withnail and Marwood is hysterical, and their adventures in the English countryside, for which they (especially Withnail) are NOT cut out at all, are even more hysterical, and the dialogue is so brilliant that I can quote about 90% of it. And, to top that, the film is also a bit slashy. I could watch it over and over again and wouldn't get tired of it.
Title: The Three Musketeers
Year: 1993
Paul plays: Girard / Jussac
Other notable cast members: Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Oliver Platt, Tim Curry, Rebecca de Mornay, Julie Delpy, Michael Wincott
Summary: The three best of the disbanded Musketeers - Athos, Porthos, and Aramis - join a young hotheaded would-be-Musketeer, D'Artagnan, to stop the Cardinal Richelieu's evil plot: to form an alliance with enemy England by way of the mysterious Milady.
Why I love the film: Because it's excellently filmed, has a fantastic cast, and is about swashbuckling heroes, dark plots, cloaks and daggers, and handles the matter with great humour. Paul is utterly hilarious in it, and not only because he wears an orange wig and looks absolutely ridiculous. XD
Title: Catherine the Great
Year: 1995
Paul plays: Potemkin
Other notable cast members: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ian Richardson, Brian Blessed, John Rhys-Davies, Mark McGann, Stephen McGann, Jeanne Moreau, Omar Sharif, Hannes Jaenicke, Veronica Ferres
Summary: Trapped in a loveless arranged marriage to the immature future Czar, a young German Princess proves a skillful political infighter and rises to become Catherine the Great.
Why I love the film: I'm not a fan of Catherine Zeta-Jones, but I really liked this film. It's a very well done historical epos with great costumes, great acting, and a storyline that never gets boring. Paul is fantastic as Catherine's lover and advisor Potemkin, and another highlight of the film is that Paul's brothers Mark and Stephen play the Orlov brothers, his direct rivals for Catherine.
Title: Hornblower
Year: 2001 - 2003
Paul plays: William Bush
Other notable cast members: Ioan Gruffudd, Robert Lindsay, David Warner, Jamie Bamber, Philip Glenister, Paul Copley, Sean Gilder, Greg Wise, Jonathan Forbes, Christian Coulson
Summary: A film series based on the books by C. S. Forester about the life and career of the Naval officer Horatio Hornblower before, during and after the Napoleonic Wars.
Why I love the film: Firstly because it's about the Age of Sail, has tons of gorgeous ships, and portrays the atmosphere of the era perfectly. The cast is great, the story is interesting and absorbing, and especially the chemistry between Hornblower and Bush was portrayed wonderfully.
Title: Poirot: Sad Cypress
Year: 2003
Paul plays: Dr. Peter Lord
Other notable cast members: David Suchet, Rupert Penry-Jones, Kelly Reilly
Summary: Elinor Carlisle seems to be the obvious murderer of her ailing aunt and the beautiful romantic rival who broke up her engagement, but Poirot uncovers darker motives.
Why I love the film: Because it's one of the most faithful Agatha Christie adaptions that I know. The story is true to the book in every important aspect, and the only major difference I can think of right now is that Dr. Lord, Paul's character, has a bigger part in the film than in the book. Also, it's a very ingenious, absorbing story. Every clue points to Elinor Carlisle as the murderer of her aunt, but Poirot thinks otherwise, and it's incredibly interesting to watch the events unfold.
Other Paul films I've seen but didn't include in the list:
» The Rainbow (1989): I only watched the film because of Paul, and Paul will remain the only reason for me owning it. The girl in the film is an annoying spoiled brat, and she's not even tolerable when she's in a lesbian relationship (though usually things like that improve a film for me XD), and the only true highlight is the scene in which she and Paul's character Anton are running naked over fields and plains - it's a D. H. Lawrence adaption, after all. ;)
» Queen of the Damned (2002): I've seen it already but I can't remember much of it, so I must watch it again before I can write a proper review. I do remember, though, that the film isn't as good as Interview with the Vampire.
Paul also played alongside Robert Lindsay in the TV series "Give Us A Break", but so far I haven't managed to find a DVD. I've seen a couple of episodes, though, and it's a lot of fun!
What do you think? Have you seen any of these? Did you like them? Have you seen any that I haven't seen? I want to know everything! XD