Drama (Hugo Guiler)

Set in Paris, circa 1931, this is a film adaptation of Anais Nin’s diaries. REG plays Hugo, Anais’ husband who tolerates her affair with playwright Henry Miller, and also with Henry’s girlfriend June (played by Uma Thurman). It is quite an erotic film and the bohemian lifestyle of these authors and poets is captured beautifully.

Best REG line: Pussywillow!!!

Drama (Harthouse)

HARD TIMES was a TV-movie made for BBC Schools. The films in this series are first shown on educational channels and are part of the national school curriculum.

REG plays Harthouse, some-time politician and full-time lounge lizard, whose actions expose the flimsy pretences which govern the daily lives of the Bounderby and Gradgrind households. A chain of events leads to tragedy, humiliation and retribution, and force Gradgrind to realise the folly of his approach to life and learning.

Here is Chris’ review:

Thank you Nicola for making me go out and rent Hard Times, and thank you to my local library for having it.

You wanted to know more about this BBC Dickens’ classic. Stats first – lasts about 102 minutes and REG appears in the middle 40 minutes and is on screen for approximately 21 of those.

He plays James Harthouse a languid dissipated cad or bounder a true Victorian playboy who cares for nothing and nobody except himself. I must admit that Hard Times is one of only four Dickens novels that I have not read, but I have already retrieved it from the bookcase in order to see how Dickens himself describes Harthouse. (Book 2 chapter 1 – book 3 chapter 3.)

I think that REG has given a great performance, but I only came to that conclusion on his exit. His character arrives at the Bounderby household with a letter of introduction from a Mr Gradgrind. Mr Bounderby is married to Mr Gradgrind’s daughter. Mr Gradgrind, a philanthropist of the type only found in Victorian England, is the local MP for a northern mill town and Harthouse is being groomed to be his successor, hence his visit. The daughter Louisa has reluctantly married Bounderby and of course falls for Harthouse, who we assume is reciprocating these feelings. However, watching REG play this part I felt that he wasn’t making the most of it, that he appeared bored with the whole thing, I almost felt embarrassed for him as his acting appeared so bad. Until his exit, when I realised that this was him playing to character PERFECTLY. In fact his final scene is 43 seconds of PURE BRILLIANCE. Only a great actor can make you believe that he is acting badly when in reality he is acting superbly. See it, every moment that he is on screen is a gem!!

Best REG line: I left my servant at the station with the rest of my luggage.

Comedy/Mystery/Drama (George – First Footman)

Multiple storylined drama set in 1932, showing the lives of upstairs guest and downstairs servants at a party in a country house in England.

Violence, mystery, sex, and murder, Gosford Park has it all. Director Robert Altman once again takes the Hollywood formula and gives a unique twist.

The story begins when aristocrats during 1932 gather at Sir William McCordle’s (Michael Gambon) estate for a shooting party. The guests are wealthy people with their trusty servants. People arrive at the McCordle estate two by two and the traditions begin. The servants set up dinner for their masters and the aristocrats begin their personal routines.

The story moves on as the characters begin to establish their names and the audience learns their varying social status. The intertwining stories among the guests begin to surface and the audience begins to realize there is much more in this house than what meets the eye.

During the night one member of the elite group is killed. None of the guests seemed to be fazed by this event and are only upset by the inconvenience it sets up for their lives.

The only one troubled is Constance, Countess of Trentham’s maid, Mary (Kelly McDonald). The story begins to focus on Mary, who discovers secrets among the visitors and leads the audience to solve the mystery.

Best REG line:

Comedy (Alex Salmon)

Frustrated with his job, Alex (Richard E. Grant) is determined to reunite a group of college friends with whom he staged a play fifteen years ago. Longing for a time when life was simple and romance was plentiful, Alex embarks on a quest to recreate his carefree youth.

But the past is not that easy to recapture and nothing involving relationships goes according to plan. However, the stage is set for a warm and funny performance that will change the players’ lives forever.

Best REG quote:

Animated TV series (Captain Jim Star – Voice)

An hilarious animated TV series, based on the cartoons of Steven Appleby. REG stars as the voice of rocketship captain Jim Star, an intergalactic salesman and the greatest hero the Universe has ever known. He also has a fondness for tomatoes. He and his crew journey through the vast reaches of space on their ship “the Boiling Hell”, discovering new planets and naming them all after Captain Star, then attempting to sell pointless things to the inhabitants.

Star is vain, arrogant and paranoid and feels his talents are being wasted, especially as they await orders from mission control on the edge of the universe and none come. Adrian Edmondson provides the voice of Atomic Engine Stoker “Limbs” Jones, who is a mutant with nine heads and six arms.

Best REG line: I think I can resist the blandishments of any carpet, Scarlette.