Projects matching: Simon Callow

Synopsis

Sami, a Syrian refugee in the UK, and Bryony, an aimless young librarian, embark on a highly personal quest to preserve a bell from a demolished Christian church. What begins as a civic protest quickly becomes a criminal case when they accidentally near fatally injure a security guard, and find themselves on the run from the police. However, our accidental heroes’ fate is sealed by a kindly police sergeant who is moved by their mission, and our odd-couple achieve their goal of saving the bell and reminding the town they both call home about the importance of remembering its own story.

Synopsis

Rock band Stack of Corpses need a hit song and everyone thinks they know how to get one. Band members Bass and Drums hatch a plan to steal a dead rock star’s song from under his widow’s nose. Lead singer Brian and manager Larry think they have the answer too – turning to a Russian gangster for help. Caught in the middle is Keys, a classical pianist who literally fights off the competition to join the band before realising how lazy and feckless they all are. Through six chapters, interspersed with advice from rock legend Richard O’Keefe, the band go from nobodies to superstars. But can they really hold onto their fame and how far are they willing to go to keep their secrets from coming out?

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A broke and frustrated IT technician decides to embark on a one-woman heist to steal valuable data worth millions on the black market.

Synopsis

The journey that led to Charles Dickens' creation of "A Christmas Carol," a timeless tale that would redefine the holiday.

Synopsis

The tall, handsome Abdul Karim was just twenty-four years old when he arrived in England from Agra to wait at tables during Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. An assistant clerk at Agra Central Jail, he suddenly found himself a personal attendant to the Empress of India herself. Within a year, he was established as a powerful figure at court, becoming the queen's teacher or Munshi, and instructing her in Urdu and Indian affairs. Devastated by the death of John Brown, her Scottish ghillie, the queen had at last found a replacement. But her intense and controversial relationship with the Munshi led to a near revolt in the royal household. A tender love story between an ordinary Indian and his elderly queen, a relationship that survived the best attempts to destroy it. Based on the book 'Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closet Confidant' by Shrabani Basu. Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2017 - Special Presentations

Synopsis

Hampstead Village, London, is famous for its beautiful and much-loved Heath; a piece of quiet countryside in a vast metropolis. Living on the edge of the Heath is American widow Emily Walters, who can't quite focus on the things that need attention since her husband’s death; like her crumbling old apartment, diminishing finances and even her son, Philip. One day while looking out across the Heath from her attic window, Emily spies a ramshackle hut, which appears to be inhabited by an unkempt man. After witnessing him being attacked by a group of professional thugs, she calls the police and watches through her binoculars as help arrives. The next day she ventures into the woods in search of him. The man, Donald has lived quietly and harmoniously on the edge of the Heath for 17 years but his lifestyle is under threat - his home is the target of property developers who’ve started using heavy-handed tactics to remove him. He is naturally suspicious of Emily and politely rebuffs her attention, but despite his gruff exterior, there is something gentle and alluring about him. When Emily discovers that her friend Fiona is leading a community initiative in support of the developers, she bravely steps up to take Donald's side in the escalating battle to save his peaceful Heath dwelling. Though her son Philip tries to persuade her to retire gracefully to the country, she is determined to defend the emotional and physical livelihood of this quiet and unusual man - a man who might just be the person to sweep her off her feet. Inspired by a true story, a charming and funny life-affirming tale about how love can be found in the most unexpected places, and that age is no barrier to second chances.

Synopsis

Viceroy’s House in Delhi was the home of the British rulers of India. After 300 years, that rule was coming to an end. For 6 months in 1947, Lord Mountbatten, great grandson of Queen Victoria, assumed the post of the last Viceroy, charged with handing India back to its people. The film’s story unfolds within that great House. Upstairs lived Mountbatten together with his wife and daughter; downstairs lived their 500 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh servants. As the political elite; Nehru, Jinnah and Gandhi, converged on the House to wrangle over the birth of independent India, conflict erupted. A decision was taken to divide the country and create a new Muslim homeland: Pakistan. It was a decision whose consequences reverberate to this day. The film examines these events through the prism of a marriage - that of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten, and a romance, that between a young Hindu servant, Jeet, and his intended Muslim bride, Aalia. The young lovers find themselves caught up in the seismic end of Empire, in conflict with the Mountbattens and with their own communities, but never ever giving up hope. Official Selection Berlinale 2017 - Out of Competition - World premiere

Synopsis

Based on August Strindberg's 1888 play, "Creditors" is a modern re-telling of Strindberg's story of love, betrayal, revenge and psychological manipulation, which he considered to be his one true masterpiece. Grant Pierce (Christian McKay) arrives from London into Madrid, Spain, hoping to be given the chance to meet his favourite painter, American Freddie Lynch (Ben Cura), who is currently staying at a private hotel in an unassuming location outside the city. As Grant steps into the main building of "El Madroño", he troublingly finds Lynch a crippled man whom, he soon reveals, has been unable to actually paint for the better part of a year. As the two men get to know each other under the watchful eye of one of the owners of the hotel, Michael Redmane (Tom Bateman), they start to piece together the disturbing picture of Freddie's marriage to beautiful writer Chloe Fleury (Andrea Deck) which harbours secrets that will reveal much more than Freddie's recent creative emaciation and clearly defined obsession with her ex-husband. At times disturbingly funny and cruelly bleak, "Creditors" deals with the most private aspects of human relationships.

Synopsis

Washed-up actor Richard Thorncroft peaked with hit 1980s detective show 'Mindhorn', playing the titular Isle of Man sleuth with a rather unique ability. As a captured MI5 Special Operative, Bruce Mindhorn's eye was replaced by a super-advanced optical lie detector, which meant he could literally 'see the truth'. Mindhorn escaped and fled to the Isle of Man, to recuperate in the island’s temperate microclimate, and became the best plain-clothes detective the island had ever seen... Decades later, when a deranged Manx criminal demands Mindhorn as his nemesis, Thorncroft returns to the scene of his greatest triumphs for one last chance to reignite his glory days, professional credibility and even romance with former co-star/paramour Patricia Deville. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2016 - Laugh Strand - World premiere

Synopsis

Fate, the pensions crisis and a steadfast refusal to accept the injustice of old age have contrived to force law abiding, retired couple, Arthur and Martha Goode into a life of crime. Refusing to take the loss of their pensions lying down and to fade away into their declining years, Arthur and Marta decide to fight back. They decide to take back what was theirs in the first place. They decide to start robbing banks.

Synopsis

Sir Simon Loveit, a widower, wishes to marry Miss Biddy. His son, Captain Bob, however has already won her heart under the alias of Rhodophil, before he went to war in Flanders. On his return, Captain Bob discovers, courtesy of his manservant Puff, that Miss has two other suitors, Captain Flash and Mr. Fribble. Puff also discovers that his wife, Tag, who he deserted six months ago, has been having an affair with Sir Simon's manservant, Jasper. After coercing Flash and Fribble into a duelling stand-off, Miss Biddy and Tag watch the ensuing chaos with glee as Captain Bob chases off his rivals. Sir Simon relinquishes his attachment to Miss Biddy, leaving true love to win the day.

Synopsis

Alarm salesman Vic Timms heads for a two-day motivational sales course entitled Win Only Win in the hope that the programme will help turn his fortunes around. God - operating under the name Godfrey - decides to manipulate fate and throw Vic into the path of serial man-eater Mary Macdallen. It's a risky strategy and despite Godfrey's divine intervention, love doesn't blossom as expected.