Image credit: Focus Features, SPE, Summit Entertainment, Warner Bros., Miramax, Fox Searchlight, The Weinstein Company
It's high time we discuss some movies Tom Wilkinson's been in that deserve a lot more attention.
We're skipping over the big names — yeah, Batman, I'm looking at you — and going straight for the lesser-known movies you might have missed.
1. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004) Joel and Clementine, madly in love once but now estranged, undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories.
The entire story is told backward, as Joel is reliving his memories with Clementine while they're being erased. He starts having second thoughts halfway through and tries to "hide" Clementine in unrelated memories, but no dice. The erasing process is thorough.
2. "The Ghost Writer" (2010) Ewan McGregor plays a ghostwriter hired to pen the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, played by Pierce Brosnan. But here's the twist: the previous ghostwriter mysteriously drowned. McGregor's character starts digging and finds clues indicating the PM might be a war criminal.
What starts as a writing gig turns into a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game. Tom Wilkinson plays a professor who helps uncover the secret, but gets stuck in this treacherous mess.
3. "Michael Clayton" (2007) We've got George Clooney playing Michael Clayton, a "fixer" at a prestigious law firm. When one of the firm's top litigators goes rogue, it's Clayton's job to reign him in. But the rabbit hole goes much deeper, as Clayton realizes the case the litigator was working on involves a toxic pesticide cover-up. Clayton himself becomes a target when he tries to expose the truth.
High-stakes lawyering has never been so intense, and Wilkinson's character ends up being a key part of the dominoes that fall.
4. "In the Bedroom" (2001) Matt and Ruth Fowler are a couple dealing with the violent death of their son, who was having an affair with an older woman. Ruth blames the woman for their son's death, leading to a fracture in their relationship. The tension keeps building, especially when the son's killer is released on bail.
5. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (2014) The plot follows the escapades of Gustave, a concierge at a grand hotel, and his young protégé Zero. After a wealthy guest passes away, Gustave is accused of murder. Cue a madcap adventure complete with stolen paintings, a prison break, and a secret society of hotel concierges.
6. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (2011) A bunch of British retirees decide to "outsource" their retirement to India. They end up at the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in Jaipur, which, despite its name, is far from luxurious. Each retiree has their own reason for making the journey and their own set of challenges to navigate.
To make things even more complicated, the hotel is on the brink of financial ruin.
7. "The Full Monty" (1997) Stripping? In Sheffield? This British comedy follows a group of unemployed steelworkers who decide to form a male striptease act to make some cash. As they rehearse, and quite terribly at first, they realize the endeavor is not just about the money; it's a way to regain their self-respect and confront their insecurities.
Spoiler alert: They do go the "full monty," and it's as hilarious as it sounds.
8. "Cassandra's Dream" (2007) Two London brothers are desperate for money, and guess who comes to their rescue? Their rich Uncle Howard. But hold on, there's a catch. Uncle Howard wants them to commit murder as a return favor. As they debate whether or not to go through with it, tensions rise, and loyalties are tested.
9. "RocknRolla" (2008) If you're into British gangster films, you can't miss this one. When a Russian mobster makes a crooked land deal, everyone wants a slice of the action, including a bunch of small-time crooks. What ensues is a whirlwind of double-crossing, shady negotiations, and, of course, rock 'n roll.
10. "The Green Hornet" (2011) Seth Rogen plays Britt Reid, a spoiled rich guy who teams up with his late father's mechanic to become masked crimefighters. They take on the alias of The Green Hornet and Kato, fighting crime while posing as criminals themselves. They have a super tricked-out car loaded with gadgets for their nightly escapades.
