Londinium

RUN TIME: 88 Minutes	AKA: Love Affairs - Germany Love Affairs - Nimm am besten was Du kriegst - Germany Nelinpeli - Finland Fourplay - USA DVD

FILMING LOCATIONS: London, England, UK Regent's Park, Grand Union Canal, Serpentine Waterway in Hyde Park,, Waterloo Station, South Bank Arts Complex, British Museum Primrose Hill, London, England, UK 101 Restaurant, Knightsbridge, London, England, UK Hackney Empire Theater, Hackney, London, England, UK Langham Hilton, Westminster,London, England, UK Hyde Park Residence, Mayfair, London, England, UK

DIRECTOR: Mike Binder	WRITER: Mike Binder
PRODUCER: Sharon Bialy, Jack Binder, Keith Hayley	CINEMATOGRAPHER: Sue Gibson

Cast - in credits order Mike Binder ... Ben Greene Colin Firth ... Allen Portland Mariel Hemingway ... Carly Matthews Portland Irene Jacob ... Fiona Delgrazia Jack Dee ... Glen Stephen Fry ... Nigel Steele (Therapist) Stephen Marcus ... Davey Christopher Lawford ... Davis Kate Magowan ... Claudia Michael Meader ... Sitcom Husband David Read ... Assistant Director Fabien Riggall ... Sitcom Son Gordon Sterne ... "Colour of my Life" Actor Kerry Appleyard ... Ben's Assistant Tony Allen ... Rabbi Michael Deaton ... Minister Sally Thompson ... Woman in Church Jeanne Mockford ... Miss Daniels Tim Briggs ... Stage Actor Debbie Wiseman ... Pianist Charlie Gardner Jol Scott Diego Mancini Rod K Brakes ... Rock Band in Park "Carbon"	Production Companies Sunlight Productions Other Companies Lee Lighting Ltd. ... lighting Technical Specifications Color info: Color Sound mix: Stereo Negative format: 35 mm Printed format: 35 mm

MUSIC: My Love Went To London - Tony Bennett Westminster Waltz - Farnon Little Miss Molly - Farnon Melody Fair - Farnon Nothing's Fair - Carbon On A Spring Note - Torch Miss Melanie - Binge Sailing By - Binge Sanctuary Of The Heart - Ketelby Vanity Fair - Collins Little Serenade - Tomlinson Elizabethan Masque - Bayco Lullaby For Penelope - Osborne Siciliano - Dexter Beachcomber - Richardson

"Londinium" is a romantic comedy about love, marriage and commitment.
Ben is an American brought to London to be the writer on the popular sitcom "Tedford Gate". The star of the show is Carly, an attractive American actress who has created a successful new life for herself in England after being rejected by Hollywood. Her husband Allen is the producer of the show and is the archetypal proper English gentleman.
Fiona, the pretty French make-up artist on the program, is selected by Carly as the ideal wife for Ben even though she has a crush on him herself. Fiona's European charms quickly turn Ben's bachelor head and a romance begins.
Over sumptuous picnics in the park and stolen moments at the production offices, the crush grows stronger between Carly and Ben and the admiration and intellectual attraction between Fiona and Allen is unmistakable. The culmination of the criss-crossing affections takes place in "a proper English fashion" at a seaside hotel and leaves everyone involved satisfied and happy, for the time being...
Allen and Fiona are forced to question their commitment to each other when Fiona is offered work in Rome which would require Allen to part with his beloved England to follow her. Ben sacrifices artistic integrity to let Carly act and sing on the stage of his new West End drama but that doesn't seem to be enough. She eventually runs away with Ben's L. A. agent who offers her the Hollywood glitz and glamour that Ben no longer knows or wants.
A story of "the grass is always greener" which explores ideas of compatibility and fidelity in relationships through hilarious and romantic episodes to a rather more thoughtful and bittersweet end.

Comment to Londinium

This movie is just crap!
It's pointless, it isn't funny.

I just finished watching and write this in very fresh memory of this disappointing experience. Not even Colin Firth manages to rescue some part of it. And since I'm a complete Firth-Lunatic, that's a weighty conclusion. I can't even finally decide which movie is worse: Playmaker or Londinium. Playmaker had at least the comfort of some very hot scenes under the shower which saved some of it. But this movie lacks any comfort of any kind. And since, in Germany, you can only get it dubbed you cannot even listen to his beautiful voice but get this silly boyish dubbing voice.

The only slightly amusing scenes are those where Fiona and Allen try to solve their problems by consulting a therapist (Stephen Fry). Well, actually it had some unintentional irony in it when Ben sees his play ruined by Carly (with the dying scene which was just illogical and silly). It was like "art imitating art" if this comparison might be allowed.. Though "art" might not be the right word for it.....

This movie is an utterly useless and completely unsuccessful attempt to do a Woody Allen Movie without the spirit, the wit and the timing of Woody Allen. Over and over again I was just asking myself "WHAT??? You can't possibly be serious!!!" Could anyone just explain to me PLEASE why those sudden outbreaks of violence by Allen (beating up everybody every time outside the pub without any reason and doing innocent small talk during and after the act) are supposed to be funny???? That's not even weird, it's just stupid, silly, idiotic..... and quite disgusting really.

Dear Fellow-Firthies, I know we all want to watch every movie of Colin's, but I sincerely recommend to leave this one to the very last, when there is no other Firth-movie left to watch (which I pray will never be!). If curiosity overcomes you and you have to watch it before nevertheless be prepared and do have some good Colin moments at hand to soothe the stale aftertaste....