Carol Reed followed the success of Odd Man Out (1947) with this adaptation of Graham Greene’s short story, The Basement Room. Young Felipe (a revelatory Bobby Henrey) is a son of a diplomat who is never around, who instead forms a friendship with his butler Baines (Ralph Richardson). Baines impresses the young child with tales of his heroic past in Africa and ongoing adventures – when, in fact, he leads a mundane life in a loveless marriage. After believing he witnesses Baines committing a violent act, Felipe does his best to protect his older friend from danger, in Reed’s emotional drama about the loss of childhood innocence.
Up Next in Drama
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Eclipse
A remote cliff-side house on the Scottish coast is the setting for Simon Perry’s atmospheric psychological thriller, barely seen since it was first screened. Tom Conti plays a bereaved brother troubled by memories of his deceased twin. A Christmas celebration with his brother’s widow and her son ...
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Henry VIII and His Six Wives
With his reign coming to an end, a dying Henry VIII looks back on his life and the six marriages that would go on to define him. The film looks back with the King, following his life from his marriage to a Spanish princess to the foundation of Protestantism, to the beheadings and divorces that wo...
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Human Traffic
Looking for an escape from boring nine-to-five jobs, bad relationships and dysfunctional families, five Cardiff friends plan a night out to remember, dominated by clubs, drugs, pubs and parties. Journey with them through the highs and lows of the weekend, wild escapades and unexpected epiphanies....
