The Revengers' Comedies (1998)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Malcolm Mowbray

Writers:

Alan Ayckbourn (play)
Malcolm Mowbray (writer)

Release Date:

19 June 1998 (Brazil)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Getting Even... Just Got Even Funnier!

Plot:

Depressed businessman Henry Bell and aristocrat Karen Knightly save each other's lives one night when they are ready to jump off London's Tower Bridge...

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | London | Country House | Arson | Disguise

Cast

Sam Neill	...	Henry Bell
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Karen Knightly
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Imogen Staxton-Billing
Rupert Graves	...	Oliver Knightly
Martin Clunes	...	Anthony Staxton-Billing
Steve Coogan	...	Bruce Tick
John Wood	...	Col. Marcus
Liz Smith	...	Winnie
Anita Dobson	...	Daphne Teal
Charlotte Coleman	...	Norma
Adrian Scarborough	...	Percy Cutting
Sandra Reinton	...	Hilary Tick
Zoe Hilson	...	Lydia
Jamie O'Brien	...	Damien Tick
François Domange	...	Wine Waiter
Dicken Ashworth	...	Lorry Driver

Directed by
Malcolm Mowbray

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Alan Ayckbourn		play
Malcolm Mowbray		writer

Produced by
Georges Benayoun	....	co-producer
Simon Bosanquet	....	producer
Marina Gefter	....	executive producer
Julia Palau	....	executive producer
Michael Ryan	....	executive producer
Mark Shivas	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Alexandre Desplat

Cinematography by
Romain Winding

Film Editing by
Barrie Vince

Casting by
Michelle Guish

Production Design by
Stuart Walker

Art Direction by
Charmian Adams
Diane Dancklefsen

Set Decoration by
Liz Griffiths

Costume Design by
Anushia Nieradzik

Makeup Department
Nuala Conway	....	hair stylist: Sam Neill
Nuala Conway	....	makeup artist: Sam Neill
Sallie Jaye	....	key makeup artist
Norma Webb	....	chief hair stylist

Production Management
Mark Huffam	....	production supervisor
Alison Odell	....	post-production supervisor
Kathy Sykes	....	production supervisor: new scenes

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Konrad Jay	....	assistant director
Richard Styles	....	second assistant director
Lizzie Turvey	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Joe Alley	....	carpenter
Lawrie Ayres	....	dressing props
Will Ayres	....	dressing props
Roy Biggs	....	stand-by stagehand
Darryl Carter	....	stand-by carpenter
Jack Carter	....	construction manager
Mick Crowley	....	props runaround
Trevor Dyer	....	chargehand supervisor
Tom Early	....	storyboard artist
Liz Griffiths	....	production buyer
Kate Grimble	....	art department assistant
Robert Harper	....	supervising painter
Kevin Herbert	....	stand-by props
Jim Hogan	....	prop storeman
John Hogan	....	property master
Kenneth Langridge	....	chargehand stagehand
Neil Murrum	....	stand-by props
Tom Read	....	dressing props
Lee Shelley	....	painter
Jeff Sullivan	....	stand-by painter

Sound Department
Alan Bell	....	supervising sound editor
Roy Birchley	....	assistant sound editor
Tim Cavagin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sarah Ellis	....	assistant sound editor
Graham Farrow	....	assistant sound editor
Stephen Gilmour	....	sound maintenance
Peter Glossop	....	production sound mixer
Tim Hands	....	sound editor
Gerry Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gerard McCann	....	sound editor
Tony Message	....	foley editor
Hugo Middleton	....	sound editor
Shaun Mills	....	boom operator
Shirley Shaw	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Kevin Draycott	....	special effects supervisor
Manex Efrem	....	special effects technician
Jody Taylor	....	special effects assistant
Joss Williams	....	lead special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Martin Body	....	optical cameraman
John Swinnerton	....	optical camera operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Helen Caldwell	....	stunt double
Mark Lisbon	....	stunt double
Lee Millham	....	utility stunts
Greg Powell	....	stunt coordinator
Mark Southworth	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Danny Cohen	....	focus puller: second unit
Tim Cousins	....	crane operator
Dominique Dehoua	....	gaffer
Rickie Gauld	....	camera operator: second unit
Robert Gurney	....	rigger
Elly Harrowes	....	focus puller: second unit (as Ellie Harrows)
Sid Hinson	....	stand-by rigger
Julie Lemasson	....	camera trainee
Liam McGill	....	best boy
Simon Mein	....	still photographer
Stephen Sadler	....	clapper loader
Mel Sansom	....	chargehand rigger
Ronnie Savory	....	generator operator (as Ron Savory)
Kim Seber	....	focus puller
Colin Strachan	....	grip
Derek Strachan	....	crane grip
Nick Wall	....	still photographer
John Ward	....	Steadicam operator
Martyn Welland	....	electrician
Iwan Williams	....	electrician

Casting Department
Julia Gale	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Heather Howell	....	wardrobe mistress
Kimberley Phillips	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Jeremy Gibbs	....	associate editor
Jon Hammond	....	assembly editor
Kelly Messias	....	post-production secretary
Sophia Wellington	....	assistant editor
Barbara Zosel	....	editor trainee
Simon Astbury	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Alexandre Desplat	....	orchestrator
Bernard Gérard	....	additional orchestrator (as Bernard Gerard)
Jan Piepenstock	....	assistant music engineer
Phil Rowlands	....	assistant music engineer
Shari Schwartz	....	music editor
Paul Talkington	....	orchestra manager
John Timperley	....	music recording engineer
Ray Williams	....	executive music producer

Transportation Department
Gary Birmingham	....	transportation coordinator
Mark White	....	transportation

Other crew
David Boardman	....	location manager
Chris Brock	....	additional location manager
Peta Browne	....	publicist
Hazel Crombie	....	production accountant
Steve Dent	....	horse master
Lil Heyman	....	production coordinator
Maurice Landsberger	....	assistant production accountant
Susanna Lenton	....	script supervisor
Marshall Leviten	....	director's production assistant
Lulu Morgan	....	assistant production coordinator
Alex Oakley	....	floor runner
Roger Phillips	....	title designer
Emma Pill	....	assistant location manager
Flore Rougier	....	production assistant
Claudia Schon Maier	....	assistant to producer (as Claudia Schön-Maier)
Isobel Thomas	....	production runner
Julia Wilson Dickson	....	dialogue coach (as Julia Wilson Dixon)

Production Companies

• Artisan Films
• Arts Council of England
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Canal+
• France 2 Cinéma
• IMA Productions
• J&M Entertainment
• Sofica Créations
• Sofinergie 4

Distributors

• J&M Entertainment (1998) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (Switzerland)
• Buena Vista Home Video
• Home Box Office (HBO)
• Miramax Films
• Showtime Networks
• VPS Film-Entertainment GmbH

Other Companies

• Angel Recording Studios  additional music recorded at
• Angels & Bermans  costumes
• Animals Okay  animals supplied by
• Banque Internationale A Luxembourg S.A.  banking finance provided by
• Bavaria Musik-Studios  music recorded at
• Cinesite  opticals
• F.I.L.M.S.  banking finance arranged by
• Jonathan Boreham & Associates  action vehicles
• Lays International  equipment vehicles
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• London Editing Machines Ltd.  editing equipment
• Panavision UK  camera equipment
• Peerless Camera Company  opticals
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script
• Twickenham Film Studios  adr recorded at
• Twickenham Film Studios  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

Amour, vengeance et trahison (France)
Sweet Revenge (USA) (cable TV title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some language, sex-related material, and violence.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:LH | France:U | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Tower Bridge, London, England, UK

Company:

Artisan Films

Trivia:

This movie counts the second time Helena Bonham Carter and Rupert Graves have played sister and brother. They previously portrayed siblings 'Lucy and Freddy Honeychurch' in 'A Room with a View'(1986).

Movie Connections:

References Strangers on a Train (1951)

Soundtrack:

Relax

Bitter Sweet

Like Harvey Fierstein's TORCH SONG TRILOGY, this two-part play almost demanded a name change before lensing, but all except the US market chose to do so (SWEET REVENGE, to us Yanks). Alan Ayckbourn's cutting comic caper concerns two desperate losers who opt for revenge instead of a midnight dive into the Thames. Fine Britress Helena Bonham Carter is the controlling "she" while sedate Ozian Sam Neil is the duller "he". Stick insect Kristin Scott Thomas replaces the much-missed Joanna Lumley from the stage version while a mopey Rupert Graves is serviceable as the wayward brother. This is only one of three Ayckbourn plays (out of 69) to make it to the big screen (A CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL and SMOKING/NO SMOKING, the other two) and it's compression proves it's failing. The quaint Liz Smith is antic as the doddering maid. In the end, though, the fabric has been sliced and mended till the narrative is less than satisfying.