Pascali's Island (1988)
-
64% of critics liked it
(11 reviews) -
78% of users liked it
(248 ratings)
The year is 1908; after centuries of unchecked power, the Ottoman empire is rapidly crumbling. As a result, Turkey's secret agents--those that haven't already been eliminated by downsizing or death--operate in a vacuum, their superiors knowing little and caring less about their activities.… More The year is 1908; after centuries of unchecked power, the Ottoman empire is rapidly crumbling. As a result, Turkey's secret agents--those that haven't already been eliminated by downsizing or death--operate in a vacuum, their superiors knowing little and caring less about their activities. One such spy is Ben Kingsley, a minor bureaucrat of no ambition. When ordered to help disreputable English citizens Charles Dance and Helen Mirren in the theft of a precious Greek artifact, Kingsley goes along without question. He is even prepared to follow orders and double-cross Dance the moment the robbery is pulled off. But as the film progresses, Kingsley becomes less and less of a by-the-book government functionary and more and more of an enigma--to Dance, to Mirren, to his country, to himself. More than your usual "caper" film, Pascali's Island has more layers than an artichoke. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- James Dearden
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Drama
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- Aug 1, 1988 Wide
- Studio
- Live Home Video
Critic Reviews
-
Variety Staff, Variety
Despite an eye-catching but mannered central performance from Ben Kingsley, looms as too languid and remote to make much impact.
-
Derek Adams, Time Out
The milieu may seem remote but the performances illuminate, and the story has an originality that compensates for the modest budget.
-
Caryn James, New York Times
Slow and stately, Pascali's Island never gets beneath its own superficial gentility.
-
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
A literary adaptation that takes itself so seriously one longs for Gilligan and the Skipper.
-
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
It is a mood piece, meditative, in which even the melodrama of the plot grows out of the flawed souls of the characters. Everything in a film like this depends on performance, and it is hard to imagine how it could have been better cast.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
Ben Kingsley
as Basil Pascali
-
Charles Dance
as Anthony Bowles
-
Helen Mirren
as Lydia Neuman
-
George Murcell
as Herr Gesing
-
Sheila Allen
as Mrs. Marchant
-
Nadim Sawalha
as Pasha
-
Stefan Gryff
as Izzet Effendi
-
Vernon Dobtcheff
as Pariente
-
T.P. McKenna
as Dr. Hogan
-
Danielle Allan
as Mrs. Hogan
-
Nick Burnell
as Chaudan
-
Josh Losey
as Turkish Soldier
-
Kevork Malikyan
as Mardosian
-
Brook Williams
as Turkish Officer
-
Ali Abatsis
as Boy in Bath
-
Alistair Campbell
as Captain
-
George Ekonomou
as Greek Rebel
