query: No Reservations got a mixed reception from critics.

pos: No Reservations (film) No Reservations is a 2007 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Scott Hicks . Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones , Aaron Eckhart and Abigail Breslin , the screenplay by Carol Fuchs is an adaptation of an original script by Sandra Nettelbeck , which served as the basis for the 2001 German film Mostly Martha , and revolves around a hard-edged chef whose life is turned upside down when she decides to take in her young niece following a tragic accident that killed her sister . Patricia Clarkson , Bob Balaban and Jenny Wade co-star , with Brían F. O'Byrne , Lily Rabe , and Zoe Kravitz -- appearing in her first feature film -- playing supporting roles .   The film received a mixed reception by critics , who found it `` predictable and too melancholy for the genre '' , resulting in a 41 % overall approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes . Upon its opening release on July 27 , 2007 in the United States and Canada , No Reservations became a moderate commercial success : The film grossed $ 12 million in its opening weekend , eventually grossing over $ 43 million at the domestic box-office and over $ 92 million worldwide . Breslin was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her performance .

neg: Cultural assimilation of Native Americans The cultural assimilation of Native Americans was an assimilation effort by the United States to transform Native American culture to European -- American culture between the years of 1790 -- 1920 . George Washington and Henry Knox were first to propose , in an American context , the cultural transformation of Native Americans . They formulated a policy to encourage the `` civilizing '' process . With increased waves of immigration from Europe , there was growing public support for education to encourage a standard set of cultural values and practices to be held in common by the majority of citizens . Education was viewed as the primary method in the acculturation process for minorities .   Americanization policies were based on the idea that when indigenous people learned United States ( American ) customs and values , they would be able to merge tribal traditions with American culture and peacefully join the majority of the society . After the end of the Indian Wars , in the late 19th and early 20th centuries , the government outlawed the practice of traditional religious ceremonies . It established Native American boarding schools which children were required to attend . In these schools they were forced to speak English , study standard subjects , attend church , and leave tribal traditions behind .   The Dawes Act of 1887 , which allotted tribal lands in severalty to individuals , was seen as a way to create individual homesteads for Native Americans . Land allotments were made in exchange for Native Americans ' becoming US citizens and giving up some forms of tribal self-government and institutions . It resulted in the transfer of an estimated total of 93 e6acre from Native American control . Most was sold to individuals or given out free through the Homestead law , or given directly to Indians as individuals . The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 was also part of Americanization policy ; it gave full citizenship to all Indians living on reservations . The leading opponent of forced assimilation was John Collier , who directed the federal Office of Indian Affairs from 1933 to 1945 , and tried to reverse many of the established policies .

neg: Romantic racism Romantic racism is a form of racism in which members of a dominant group project their fantasies onto members of oppressed groups . Feminist scholars have accused Norman Mailer , Jack Kerouac , and other Beatnik authors of the 1950s of romantic racism . They maintain that the dominant mainstream culture of the 1950s in the United States stressed conformity and held up middle-class suburban families as the cultural ideal , and that it was indifferent to art and literature , upheld racial segregation , and despised or ignored black achievements , such as jazz . Those , like the novelist Norman Mailer , who felt limited by or alienated from mainstream culture , sought out influences from other cultures as form of rebellion . Mailer , a great fan of jazz music , created his concept of what it meant to be `` hip , '' or a member of the white urban counterculture , largely on his perception of the culture of urban African-Americans ( with whom the expression `` hip '' , meaning `` in the know '' , originated ) and articulated his vision in his essay `` The White Negro . '' Mailer , who considered himself an opponent of Victorian sexual repression and regimentation , idealized what he saw as the sexual and other freedoms of minority and other counter-cultural groups , overlooking the fact that in these groups sexual exploitation of women sometimes occurred.These critics consider his depictions of what he imagines African-American life to be like as an instance of what they call `` romantic racism '' , contending that he implies that in urban ghettoes -- filled with sex , drugs , and violence -- life is somehow enriched , rather than hurt , by poverty and crime . Mailer 's essay has also been criticized for spreading the stereotype of African-American men as hypermasculine and hypersexual .

neg: Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John Lennon Nowhere Man : The Final Days of John Lennon , first published in 2000 and written by New York journalist Robert Rosen , who in 1981 had access to John Lennon 's diaries , is a controversial account of the ex-Beatle 's last five years . The book disputes the official view of Lennon as a contented househusband raising his son Sean and baking bread while Yoko ran the family business . Instead , Nowhere Man portrays Lennon 's daily life at the Dakota as that of a `` tormented superstar , a prisoner of his fame , locked in his bedroom raving about Jesus Christ , while a retinue of servants tended to his every need . ''   Rosen says that he used his memory of Lennon 's diaries as `` a roadmap to the truth . ''   The final part of the book , The Coda , focuses on the mental disintegration of Lennon 's assassin , Mark David Chapman , and includes Chapter 27 , the so-called missing chapter of J.D. Salinger 's classic novel of disaffected youth , The Catcher in the Rye , that `` inspired '' Chapman to murder Lennon . It was Chapman 's goal , according to Rosen , to write Chapter 27 `` in Lennon 's blood . ''   Originally written in 1982 , the manuscript remained unpublished for 18 years . Soft Skull Press acquired the rights to the book in 1999 and brought out the hardcover edition the following year . Quick American Archives then picked up the rights and published the paperback edition in 2002 .   Nowhere Man was a bestseller in the United States ( Los Angeles Times , September 3 , 2000 ) , England ( Mojo , October 2000 ) , and Japan ( Amazon.co.jp , October 2000 ) . In 2003 , Random House Mondadori brought out a Spanish-language edition in Latin America . The book received extensive coverage and was excerpted in such publications as Proceso , La Jornada , El Universal , Reforma , Semana , Gatopardo , Soho , El Heraldo , El Mercurio , La Tercera , Las Últimas Noticias , and The Clinic . Nowhere Man appeared on bestseller lists in Mexico and Colombia .   The other foreign editions were published by DHC ( Japan , 2000 ) , Fusion Press ( UK , 2000 ) , Hannibal ( Germany , 2001 ) . and Coniglio ( Italy 2011 ) .   The title of the book refers to The Beatles ' song `` Nowhere Man '' ( which was written and sung primarily by Lennon ) .

neg: We Have Never Been Modern We Have Never Been Modern is a 1991 book by Bruno Latour , originally published in French as Nous n'avons jamais été modernes : Essai d'anthropologie symétrique ( English translation : 1993 ) .   The book is an `` anthropology of science '' that explores the dualistic distinction modernity makes between nature and society . Pre-modern peoples , argues Latour , made no such division . Contemporary matters of public concern such as global warming , the HIV/AIDS pandemic and emerging biotechnologies mix politics , science , popular and specialist discourse to such a degree that a tidy nature/culture dualism is no longer possible . This inconsistency has given rise to post-modern and anti-modern movements . Latour attempts to reconnect the social and natural worlds by arguing that the modernist distinction between nature and culture never existed . He claims we must rework our thinking to conceive of a `` Parliament of Things '' wherein natural phenomena , social phenomena and the discourse about them are not seen as separate objects to be studied by specialists , but as hybrid made and scrutinized by the public interaction of people , things and concepts .

neg: Lannan Literary Awards The Lannan Literary Awards are a series of awards and literary fellowships given out in various fields by the Lannan Foundation . Established in 1989 , the awards are meant `` to honor both established and emerging writers whose work is of exceptional quality '' , according to the foundation . The foundation 's awards are lucrative relative to most awards in literature : the 2006 awards for poetry , fiction and nonfiction each came with $ 150,000 , making them among the richest literary prizes in the world .   The awards reflect the philosophy governing the Lannan Foundation , a family foundation established by J. Patrick Lannan , Sr. in 1960 . It describes itself as `` dedicated to cultural freedom , diversity and creativity through projects which support exceptional contemporary artists and writers , as well as inspired Native activists in rural indigenous communities . ''   Awards have been made to acclaimed and varied literary figures such as David Foster Wallace , William Gaddis , Lydia Davis , William H. Gass , Steve Erickson and W.S. Merwin . The foundation has also recognized people known as much for their public intellectual activities as for their literary talents , such as Barbara Ehrenreich and Edward Said .   The foundation also gives a `` Cultural Freedom Prize '' for the stated purpose of recognizing `` people whose extraordinary and courageous work celebrates the human right to freedom of imagination , inquiry , and expression . '' Prize winners include Elouise P. Cobell , Robert Fisk , Eduardo Galeano , , Mahmoud Darwish , Arundhati Roy , Helen Caldicott and Cornel West .   The foundation does not accept applications for awards or fellowships . Candidates are suggested anonymously `` by a network of writers , literary scholars , publishers , and editors , '' with the foundation 's literary committee making the final determination .   The foundation also `` provides financial assistance to tribes and nonprofits that serve Native American communities ... '' For instance , it gave more than $ 7 million in grants to the Blackfeet Reservation Development Fund from 1998 to 2009 , to support litigation on behalf of Native Americans with interests in trust lands . This nonprofit was created by Elouise P. Cobell and her legal team to bring claims against the United States for mismanaging lands held in trust for Native Americans . The Cobell v. Salazar case was filed in 1996 and settled in 2009 .

neg: Climate change denial Climate change denial , or global warming denial , is part of the global warming controversy . It involves denial , dismissal , unwarranted doubt or contrarian views which strongly depart from the scientific opinion on climate change , including the extent to which it is caused by humans , its impacts on nature and human society , or the potential of adaptation to global warming by human actions . Some deniers do endorse the term , but others often prefer the term climate change skepticism , although this is a misnomer for those who deny anthropogenic global warming . In effect , the two terms form a continuous , overlapping range of views , and generally have the same characteristics : both reject , to a greater or lesser extent , mainstream scientific opinion on climate change . Climate change denial can also be implicit , when individuals or social groups accept the science but fail to come to terms with it or to translate their acceptance into action . Several social science studies have analyzed these positions as forms of denialism .   Campaigning to undermine public trust in climate science has been described as a `` denial machine '' of industrial , political and ideological interests , supported by conservative media and skeptical bloggers in manufacturing uncertainty about global warming . In the public debate , phrases such as climate skepticism have frequently been used with the same meaning as climate denialism . The labels are contested : those actively challenging climate science commonly describe themselves as `` skeptics '' , but many do not comply with common standards of scientific skepticism and , regardless of evidence , persistently deny the validity of human caused global warming .   Although scientific opinion on climate change is that human activity is extremely likely to be the primary driver of climate change , the politics of global warming have been affected by climate change denial , hindering efforts to prevent climate change and adapt to the warming climate . Those promoting denial commonly use rhetorical tactics to give the appearance of a scientific controversy where there is none .   Of the world 's countries , the climate change denial industry is most powerful in the United States . Since January 2015 , the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works has been chaired by oil lobbyist and climate change denier Jim Inhofe . Inhofe is notorious for having called climate change `` the greatest hoax ever perpetrated against the American people '' and for having claimed to have debunked the alleged hoax in February 2015 when he brought a snowball with him in the Senate chamber and tossed it across the floor . Organised campaigning to undermine public trust in climate science is associated with conservative economic policies and backed by industrial interests opposed to the regulation of emissions . Climate change denial has been associated with the fossil fuels lobby , the Koch brothers , industry advocates and libertarian think tanks , often in the United States . More than 90 % of papers sceptical on climate change originate from right-wing think tanks .  The total annual income of these climate change counter-movement-organizations is roughly $ 900 million . Between 2002 and 2010 , nearly $ 120 million ( # 77 million ) was anonymously donated via the Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund to more than 100 organisations seeking to undermine the public perception of the science on climate change . In 2013 the Center for Media and Democracy reported that the State Policy Network ( SPN ) , an umbrella group of 64 U.S. think tanks , had been lobbying on behalf of major corporations and conservative donors to oppose climate change regulation .   Since the late 1970s , oil companies have published research broadly in line with the standard views on global warming . Despite this , oil companies organized a climate change denial campaign to disseminate public disinformation for several decades , a strategy that has been compared to the organized denial of the hazards of tobacco smoking by tobacco companies .

neg: Hellgate treaty The Treaty of Hellgate was signed in Hellgate on July 16 , 1855 between Indian commissioner Isaac Stevens and the Native American tribes located in western Montana . The treaty was ratified by Congress , signed by President James Buchanan , and proclaimed on April 18 , 1859 .   The tribes involved in the signing of the treaty entailed the Bitterroot Salish , Pend d'Oreille , and the Kootenai . The tribes negotiated the Hellgate treaty with the United States in 1855 . From the start , treaty negotiations were plagued by serious translation problems . A Jesuit observer , Father Adrian Hoecken , said that the translations were so poor that `` not a tenth of what was said was understood by either side '' . But as in the meeting with Lewis and Clark , the pervasive cross-cultural miscommunication ran even deeper than problems of language and translation . Tribal people came to the meeting assuming they were going to formalize an already-recognized friendship . Non-Indians came with the goal of making official their claims to native lands and resources . Isaac Stevens , the new governor and superintendent of Indian affairs for Washington Territory , was intent on obtaining cession of the Bitterroot Valley from the Salish . Many non-Indians were already well aware of the valley 's potential value for agriculture and its relatively temperate climate in winter . Due to the resistance of Chief Victor ( Many Horses ) , Stevens ended up inserting into the treaty complicated ( and doubtless poorly translated ) language that defined the Bitterroot Valley south of Lolo Creek as a `` conditional reservation '' for the Salish . Victor put his X mark on the document , convinced that the agreement would not require his people to leave their homeland . No other word came from the government for the next fifteen years , so the Salish assumed that they would indeed stay in their Bitterroot Valley forever .   Based on the terms of the accord , the Native Americans were to relinquish their territories to the United States government in exchange for payment installments that totaled $ 120,000 dollars . The territories in question entailed everything from the main ridge of the Rocky Mountains at the 49th parallel to the Kootenai River and Clark Fork to the divide between the St. Regis River and the Coeur d'Alene River . From there , the ceded territories also extend to the southwestern fork of the Bitterroot River and up to Salmon River and Snake River . The treaty was ratified on March 8 , 1859 .

neg: National Hotel, Toronto The National Hotel was a hotel built on the southeast corner of King and Sherbourne streets , in Toronto , Ontario , Canada . Under pressure for condominium apartment redevelopment , the City of Toronto attempted to preserve the building , designating it a heritage site in 2009 , but the building was eventually torn down in 2013 . The hotel 's north and west facades were preserved as part of the new condominium development , examples of `` facadism '' in Toronto .   The hotel was originally called the `` British Exchange Inn '' when it was run by its first proprietor George Ross . The hotel was listed in the 1856 Boulton Atlas . In 1861 , tax records show it was a three story brick building .   In 1868 , the hotel was rebuilt and renamed the Grand Central Hotel and was managed by a William Burke , who expanded the building east -- `` likely in response to legislation enacted under pressure from the temperance movement '' . Hotels needed to offer a certain number of rooms to rent before they were entitled to a liquor license . Charles Brewer , the owner in 1905 , further expanded the structure to the south . The architect responsible for the 1905 expansion was Henry Simpson , a protege of E.J. Lennox , whose design was in the Richardsonian Romanesque style . The `` Terry Museum '' , one of Toronto 's first museums , was housed in the hotel from 1874 to 1878 .   The property was listed on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties in 1973 . Despite this , in 2009 Ram 's Head Development , the building 's owners , announced plans to replace the building with an 18-storey high-rise . The plan stirred controversy and the City of Toronto applied to have the property designated under the Ontario Heritage Act . The building was protected under the heritage act on October 27 , 2009 . This was appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board ( OMB ) . The OMB ordered the City of Toronto to approve the development with the retention of the north and west facades . Demolition proceeded in 2013 . The `` King + '' condominium development opened in 2015 .

neg: An Experiment in Criticism An Experiment in Criticism is a 1961 book by C. S. Lewis in which he proposes that the quality of books should be measured not by how they are written , but by how they are read . To do this , the author describes two kinds of readers . One is what he calls the `` unliterary '' , and the other the `` literary '' . He proceeds to outline some of the differences between these two types of readers . For example , one characterization of an unliterary reader is that the argument `` I 've read it before '' is a conclusive reason not to read a book . In contrast , literary readers reread books many times , savoring certain passages , and attempting to glean more from subsequent readings .   Lewis also argued that judging books by whether they are `` lowbrow '' or `` highbrow '' is not necessarily fruitful ; many `` lowbrow '' books prove to be valuable to a literary reader willing to approach without prejudgment . He noted that books classified as `` lowbrow '' , such as science fiction , are also capable of inducing a passion to re-read and imparting experience which changes reader 's worldview . Lewis suggests that books which are capable of doing this may prove to have enduring merit regardless of their genre of origin . He suggested that attempting to judge the literary merit of books based on traditional criteria may not prove fruitful .   Thus , Lewis suggests that a quality book is one that someone , anyone will re-read . A highbrow view that such a book is poor quality has failed to appreciate whatever qualities merit re-reading by someone .

neg: Minaki Lodge Minaki Lodge ( -LSB- mɪˈnæki -RSB- ) , formerly part of the chain of Canadian National Hotels , was originally built in 1914 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway ( GTPR ) . Located on the route of the National Transcontinental Railway ( NTR ) at Minaki , Ontario , between Sioux Lookout and Winnipeg , where the railway crosses the Winnipeg River , this rustic resort hotel named Minaki Lodge and the railway station also called Minaki , is an Ojibwa word that has been variously translated as Beautiful Water or Good Land .   The NTR and GTPR went bankrupt and were nationalized as part of the Canadian National Railways . CNR president Sir Henry Thornton rebuilt the hotel on a more lavish scale , but it burned down as it was about to open in 1925 . Undaunted , he rebuilt it on an even more lavish scale using Scottish stonemasons , Swedish lot cutters and English gardeners to build and landscape a soaring granite and log building that opened in 1927 . Thirty trainloads of soil were brought from a farm in Manitoba to build a golf course on the rock of the Canadian Shield .   Minaki Lodge remained a luxurious resort until after the Second World War , but travel patterns changed and the railway , emphasizing freight and no longer interested in attracting passenger traffic , sold it in the early 1950s . Over the next 50 years the hotel passed through many hands and many renovations . The Ontario government owned it for some years and spent an estimated $ 50-million on upgrading it , only to sell it to a hotel chain for $ 4-million . The Conservative government that spent most of the money called the resort The Jewel of the North . Opposition Liberal and New Democratic Party politicians called it a boondoggle and a sinkhole . Owners since then have included a nearby Indian band , a Texan speculator and a Calgary , Alberta , real estate developer . The main building , which was not insured , burned to the ground in a spectacular fire in October , 2003 , and the resort has not operated since . The resort 's 9-hole golf course has been tended only sporadically in recent years .   In 2012 , former Manitoba cabinet minister Bob Banman and real estate developer Bob Schinkel submitted a plan to redevelop the former site of the lodge as condominium apartments and individually-owned cottages . The local cottagers ' association opposes the development , expressing concerns about the project 's sewage treatment facilities .

neg: Dawes Act The Dawes Act of 1887 ( also known as the General Allotment Act or the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 ) ,  adopted by Congress in 1887 , authorized the President of the United States to survey American Indian tribal land and divide it into allotments for individual Indians . Those who accepted allotments and lived separately from the tribe would be granted United States citizenship . The Dawes Act was amended in 1891 , in 1898 by the Curtis Act , and again in 1906 by the Burke Act .   The Act was named for its creator , Senator Henry Laurens Dawes of Massachusetts . The objectives of the Dawes Act were to lift the Native Americans out of poverty , to stimulate assimilation of them into mainstream American society , and to transfer lands under Indian control to white settlers . Individual household ownership of land and subsistence farming on the European-American model was seen as an essential step . The act provided that the government would classify as `` excess '' those Indian reservation lands remaining after allotments , and sell those lands on the open market , allowing purchase and settlement by non-Native Americans .   The Dawes Commission , set up under an Indian Office appropriation bill in 1893 , was created to try to persuade the Five Civilized Tribes to agree to allotment plans . ( They had been excluded from the Dawes Act by their treaties . ) This commission registered the members of the Five Civilized Tribes on what became known as the Dawes Rolls .   The Curtis Act of 1898 amended the Dawes Act to extend its provisions to the Five Civilized Tribes ; it required abolition of their governments , allotment of communal lands to people registered as tribal members , and sale of lands declared surplus , as well as dissolving tribal courts . This completed the extinguishment of tribal land titles in Indian Territory , preparing it to be admitted to the Union as the state of Oklahoma .   During the ensuing decades , the Five Civilized Tribes lost 90 million acres of former communal lands , which were sold to non-Natives . In addition , many individuals , unfamiliar with land ownership , became the target of speculators and criminals , were stuck with allotments that were too small for profitable farming , and lost their household lands . Tribe members also suffered from the breakdown of the social structure of the tribes .   During the Great Depression , the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration supported passage on June 18 , 1934 of the US Indian Reorganization Act ( also known as the Wheeler-Howard Law ) . It ended land allotment and created a `` New Deal '' for Indians , renewing their rights to reorganize and form their self-governments .

neg: Houston Film Critics Society Awards 2010 The 4th Houston Film Critics Society Awards were presented on December 18 , 2010 . These awards for `` extraordinary accomplishment in film '' are presented annually by the Houston Film Critics Society ( HFCS ) based in Houston , Texas . The organization , founded in 2007 , includes 22 film critics for print , radio , television , and internet publications in the greater Houston area . The awards are co-sponsored by the Houston Film Commission , Southwest Alternate Media Project , Women in Film and Television/Houston , WorldFest , and the Houston Cinema Arts Society .   The nominations for the 2010 awards were announced on December 12 , 2010 . Eligible films do not need to have played or opened in a Houston film theater prior to the nomination deadline , merely made available to the HFCS membership at a screening or on DVD . Along with the 13 `` best of '' category awards , this year also saw the introduction of a new category for `` Worst Movies of the Year '' . The Social Network , True Grit , and 127 Hours each received six nominations , all including the Best Picture , Actor , Direction , and Original Score categories .   The Social Network was the HFCS 's most awarded film of 2010 taking top honors in the Best Picture , Best Director ( David Fincher ) , Best Actor ( Jesse Eisenberg ) , and Best Screenplay ( Aaron Sorkin ) categories . Inception was the only other film to garner multiple awards , winning both the Best Original Score ( Hans Zimmer ) and Best Cinematography ( Wally Pfister ) prizes . The other acting awards went to Natalie Portman as Best Actress for Black Swan , Hailee Steinfeld as Best Supporting Actress for True Grit , and Christian Bale as Best Supporting Actor for The Fighter . The remaining film honors went to Toy Story 3 as Best Animated Film , Restrepo as Best Documentary , and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as Best Foreign Language Film . `` We Are Sex Bob-Omb '' by Beck from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was named the Best Original Song . The HFCS 's first-ever award for `` Worst Picture '' was given to Jonah Hex starring Josh Brolin .   In addition to the category awards , the HFCS presented their annual Lifetime Achievement Award to Sissy Spacek and its Humanitarian Award to George Clooney . Clooney was selected for `` selflessly using his celebrity for greater good '' . The HFCS award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema awards were presented to Charles Dove , director of the Rice University Media Center , and Hector Luna , the founder and editor of C-47 Houston .

neg: While Europe Slept While Europe Slept : How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within is a 2006 book by Bruce Bawer . It was Bawer 's second book dealing with the issue of religious fundamentalism , following his earlier Stealing Jesus : How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity , a critique of fundamentalist Christianity published in 1998 .   While Europe Slept argues that Europe 's democratic traditions and open society face a growing demographic and cultural threat from Europe 's Muslim immigrant communities , who according to Bawer reject Enlightenment values and resist integration . Bawer blames this trend primarily on an alleged `` self-destructive passivity '' among Europeans , whom he regards as `` appeasing '' essentially incompatible philosophies like radical Islam in the name of religious tolerance . Bawer compares this approach unfavorably with what he sees as a more robust American tradition which proudly asserts its values and expects immigrants to adopt them .   The book received mixed reviews , with some strongly supporting its arguments while others rejected or even ridiculed them . Some felt the book raised important questions but failed to adequately make its case .   The book received a 2006 nomination in the `` Criticism '' category from the National Book Critics Circle , a choice which was met with condemnation from two former members of the organization .

neg: List of accolades received by 127 Hours 127 Hours is a 2010 British independent biographical adventure film directed by Danny Boyle . It stars James Franco in the principal role as real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston , whose hand was trapped under a boulder in a Utah ravine for more than five days in April 2003 . Adapted from Ralston 's autobiography Between a Rock and a Hard Place , 127 Hourss screenplay was written by Boyle and Simon Beaufoy . Distributors Fox Searchlight and Pathé gave the feature limited releases in the United States and United Kingdom on 5 November 2010 and 7 January 2011 , respectively . It grossed # 35.8 million at the box office by the end of its worldwide theatrical run . Rotten Tomatoes , a review aggregator surveyed 215 reviews and judged 93 % to be positive .  Additionally , 127 Hours appeared on more than two dozen movie reviewers ' Top Ten lists for the best movies of 2010 .   The film has received honors for its direction , music , cinematography and writing , as well as for the lead performance by Franco . At the 68th Golden Globe Awards ceremony , 127 Hours earned three nominations : for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Drama , Best Original Score and Best Screenplay . The picture was nominated in nine Satellite Award categories , including direction , score , sound , original song and visual effects . It also received nine nominations from the Broadcast Film Critics Association . The 64th British Academy Film Awards nominated it for eight of their awards , including Best Director , Best Editing , Best Music and Best Sound . Additionally , 127 Hours was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Film , but lost to The King 's Speech . It performed similarly at the 83rd Academy Awards , where it was nominated in six categories : Best Actor , Best Adapted Screenplay , Best Film Editing , Best Original Score , Best Original Song ( for `` If I Rise '' ) and Best Picture , but lost respectively in all categories to The King 's Speech , The Social Network , and Toy Story 3 .   Franco was named Best Actor by the New York Film Critics Online and 2010 Independent Spirit Awards . He also received recognition from the Screen Actors Guild , at their 17th annual ceremony . Franco 's arm amputation scene towards the end of 127 Hours was nominated at the viewer-voted 2011 MTV Movie Awards . Boyle 's and Beaufoy 's efforts on the movie 's script earned them nominations from the Writers Guild of America and Evening Standard British Film Awards . Along with producer Christian Colson , Boyle garnered another nomination , this time from the Producers Guild of America . The Detroit Film Critics Society honored Boyle as Best Director . Suttirat Larlarb 's input on the movie 's production design earned her one nomination from the Art Directors Guild . The film 's cinematography garnered nominations at the 2010 Houston Film Critics Awards and the 2010 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards . The American Film Institute listed 127 Hours as one of the ten best movies of 2010 .

neg: No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim , California , that formed in 1986 . Since 1994 , the group has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani , bassist and keyboardist Tony Kanal , guitarist and keyboardist Tom Dumont , and drummer Adrian Young . Since the mid-1990s in live performances and the studio , they have been supported by keyboardist and trombonist Gabrial McNair and keyboardist and trumpeter Stephen Bradley .   The ska sound of their song `` Trapped in a Box '' ( 1992 ) that was featured on their first album No Doubt ( 1992 ) failed to make an impact . The Beacon Street Collection ( 1993 ) is a raw expression of their sound , inspired by ska punk and released independently by the band under their own record label . The album sold over 100,000 copies in 1995 , over three times as many as their first album . The band 's diamond-certified album Tragic Kingdom ( 1995 ) helped launch the third-wave ska revival of the 1990s , and `` Do n't Speak '' , the third single from the album , set a record when it spent 16 weeks at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart .   The group 's next album , Return of Saturn ( 2000 ) , despite its Top 40 hit single `` Simple Kind of Life '' , did not match the success of their previous album but received critical praise and was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 43rd Grammy Awards . Fifteen months later , the band reappeared with Rock Steady ( 2001 ) , which incorporated reggae and dancehall music into their work . The album was primarily recorded in Jamaica and featured collaborations with Jamaican artists Bounty Killer , Sly and Robbie , and Lady Saw . The album produced two Grammy-winning singles , `` Hey Baby '' and `` Underneath It All '' . Hella Good was also nominated for a Grammy award . On 22 November 2002 , No Doubt received the Key to the City of Anaheim , given by the Mayor of Anaheim , Tom Daly , in Disneyland during the band 's appearance on ` Breakfast with Kevin and Bean ' ( KROQ-FM ) where they performed five songs . After a 2004 tour the band embarked on solo projects , with Stefani releasing two successful solo albums Love . Angel . Music . Baby . ( 2004 ) and The Sweet Escape ( 2006 ) while Tom Dumont released his own solo music project , Invincible Overlord . In 2008 , the band resumed working slowly on their sixth effort , titled Push and Shove ( 2012 ) , and released their single `` Settle Down '' . They have sold over 33 million records worldwide .

neg: Conservatism Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes retaining traditional social institutions in the context of culture and civilization . By some definitions , conservatives have variously sought to preserve institutions including religion , monarchy , parliamentary government , property rights and the social hierarchy , emphasizing stability and continuity , while the more extreme elements called reactionaries oppose modernism and seek a return to `` the way things were '' . The first established use of the term in a political context originated with François-René de Chateaubriand in 1818 , during the period of Bourbon restoration that sought to roll back the policies of the French Revolution . The term , historically associated with right-wing politics , has since been used to describe a wide range of views .   There is no single set of policies that are universally regarded as conservative , because the meaning of conservatism depends on what is considered traditional in a given place and time . Thus conservatives from different parts of the world -- each upholding their respective traditions -- may disagree on a wide range of issues . Edmund Burke , an 18th-century politician who opposed the French Revolution but supported the American Revolution , is credited as one of the main theorists of conservatism in Great Britain in the 1790s . According to Quintin Hogg , the chairman of the British Conservative Party in 1959 , `` Conservatism is not so much a philosophy as an attitude , a constant force , performing a timeless function in the development of a free society , and corresponding to a deep and permanent requirement of human nature itself '' . In contrast to the tradition-based definition of conservatism , political theorists such as Corey Robin define conservatism primarily in terms of a general defense of social and economic inequality . From this perspective conservatism is less an attempt to uphold traditional institutions and more `` a meditation on -- and theoretical rendition of -- the felt experience of having power , seeing it threatened , and trying to win it back . ''

neg: Art film An art film is typically a serious , independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience . An art film is `` intended to be a serious artistic work , often experimental and not designed for mass appeal '' ; they are `` made primarily for aesthetic reasons rather than commercial profit '' , and they contain `` unconventional or highly symbolic content '' .   Film critics and film studies scholars typically define an art film as possessing `` formal qualities that mark them as different from mainstream Hollywood films '' , which can include , among other elements , a sense of social realism ; an emphasis on the authorial expressiveness of the director ; and a focus on the thoughts , dreams , or motivations of characters , as opposed to the unfolding of a clear , goal-driven story . Film scholar David Bordwell describes art cinema as `` a film genre , with its own distinct conventions '' .   Art film producers usually present their films at specialty theatres ( repertory cinemas , or , in the U.S. , `` arthouse cinemas '' ) and film festivals . The term art film is much more widely used in the United States , the UK and Australia than in Europe , where the term is more associated with `` auteur '' films and `` national cinema '' ( e.g. , German national cinema ) . Because they are aimed at small niche market audiences , they can rarely get the financial backing that will permit large production budgets , expensive special effects , costly celebrity actors , or huge advertising campaigns , as are used in widely released mainstream blockbuster films . Art film directors make up for these constraints by creating a different type of film , which typically uses lesser-known film actors ( or even amateur actors ) and modest sets to make films that focus much more on developing ideas or exploring new narrative techniques or film-making conventions .   A certain degree of experience and knowledge are required to fully understand or appreciate such films . One mid-1990s art film was called `` largely a cerebral experience '' that one enjoys `` because of what you know about film '' . This contrasts sharply with mainstream `` blockbuster '' films , which are geared more towards escapism and pure entertainment . For promotion , art films rely on the publicity generated from film critics ' reviews , discussion of their film by arts columnists , commentators and bloggers , and `` word-of-mouth '' promotion by audience members . Since art films have small initial investment costs , they only need to appeal to a small portion of the mainstream viewing audiences to become financially viable .

neg: No Colour Bar No Colour Bar : Black British Art in Action 1960 -- 1990 is a major public art and archives exhibition , the first of its kind in the UK , held at the Guildhall Art Gallery , City of London , over a six-month period ( 10 July 2015 -- 24 January 2016 ) , with a future digital touring exhibition , and an associated programme of events . No Colour Bar took its impetus from the life work and archives of Jessica Huntley ( 23 February 1927 -- 13 October 2013 ) and Eric Huntley ( born 25 September 1929 ) , Guyanese-born campaigners , political activists and publishers , who founded the publishing company Bogle-L'Ouverture Publications and the associated Walter Rodney Bookshop .   Comprising contemporary fine art combined with archive materials , the multi-media exhibition features the work of seminal Black British artists and historically significant activists , and was described by Colin Prescod ( chair of the Institute of Race Relations ) as an `` exposition of startling and radical imaginative works , addressing grand British cultural and historical matters , and touching on themes of existential and social restlessness '' . Participants in the Caribbean Artists Movement , such as Winston Branch , Aubrey Williams , Ronald Moody and Errol Lloyd , are featured together with other prominent artists , including Eddie Chambers , Sonia Boyce , Sokari Douglas Camp , Denzil Forrester and Chila Kumari Burman , with works on display across all media : painting sculpture , painting , drawing , illustration , photography and film . In conjunction with the art and archives , panels and talks led by the exhibition curators , Makeda Coaston and Katty Pearce , and featuring individual artists , writers and publishers , including Eddie Chambers , Errol Lloyd , Denzil Forrester , Fowokan , Donald Hinds , Kadija George , Dorothea Smartt , Arif Ali , Sarah White , as well as Eric Huntley himself , were programmed .   Within the exhibition is a purpose-built interactive installation by Michael McMillan , in conjunction with sound and visual specialists Dubmorphology , that recreates the famed Walter Rodney Bookshop , which was formerly located in West Ealing , functioning as a cultural hub of the community until it closed at the beginning of the 1990s .

neg: Roger Bennett (playwright) Roger Bennett ( 1948 -- 1997 ) was an Arrernte man from Central Australia , an actor , and a playwright . His best known works are Up the Ladder and Funerals and Circuses .   His works dealt with his life experiences , particularly the travelling boxing tents , where his father , Elley Bennett was a boxing champion during the 1940s and 1950s . Roger himself had also fought in the travelling tents .   Up the Ladder was first performed at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 1990 , in a production directed by Bob Maza . The play subsequently moved to Melbourne , 1995 , for a long stint at the Melbourne Workers Theatre and came to Sydney in 1997 for the Festival of the Dreaming . According to the Sydney Morning Herald ,  Up the Ladder takes the audience right inside the spangled , sweaty , tatty and deceptive world of the travelling sideshow carnival , from tawdry fake snake charmers to the sawdust of the boxing ring . -LSB- co-director -RSB- Enoch says the Aboriginal culture comes through in the play 's physicality , mocking humour and the sparse nature of the dialogue . Critics have hailed it as a `` feel-good show '' , `` full of fun and good humour '' .  The fact that the play emphasizes positive aspects of the Aboriginal experience in travelling shows led at least one reviewer to criticize it as apolitical . Wesley Enoch `` however argues that any play about Aboriginal people is political , '' stating that  Having black people on stage punching the shit out of each other is political . But this is not agit prop . I think we are entering into a phase - culturally , artistically , politically - where it is actually about the nuance of racism .   In 2003 , the play travelled to Tokyo . Staged by the Rakutendan Theatre Company and directed by Enoch ( Ilbijerri Theatre Cooperative ) , the play used many Japanese actors .   In Funerals and Circuses , first performed at the Adelaide Festival in 1992 , Bennett dealt with issues of racism and inter-racial relationships in a small , racially tense town in South Australia . The music of Paul Kelly was used in this production .   Bennett was an actor as well as a playwright . He served as writer in residence at the Araluen Centre for Arts and Entertainment in Alice Springs and at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute in Adelaide .   Bennett 's works are often studied in Australian high schools , including the New South Wales Higher School Certificate , for the issues they tackle .

neg: The Critic The Critic is an American prime time animated series revolving around the life of New York film critic Jay Sherman , voiced by actor Jon Lovitz . It was created by writing partners Al Jean and Mike Reiss , who had previously worked as writers and showrunners ( seasons 3 and 4 ) on The Simpsons . The Critic had 23 episodes produced , first broadcast on ABC in 1994 , and finishing its original run on Fox in 1995 . According to PopMatters , `` the creators -LSB- said -RSB- they intended the series as their ` love letter to New York . ' ''   Episodes featured movie parodies with notable examples including a musical version of Apocalypse Now , Howard Stern 's End ( Howards End ) , Honey , I Ate the Kids ( Honey , I Shrunk the Kids/The Silence of the Lambs ) , The Cockroach King ( The Lion King ) , Abe Lincoln : Pet Detective ( Ace Ventura : Pet Detective ) , Scent of a Jackass and Scent of a Wolfman ( Scent of a Woman ) . The show often referenced popular movies such as Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and The Godfather , and routinely lampooned actor Marlon Brando and actor/director Orson Welles . They also spoofed Dudley Moore , usually as his character Arthur Bach from the 1981 film Arthur .   Despite the ratings improving , The Critic was cancelled after two seasons . It continued to air through reruns on Comedy Central and then on Locomotion . From February 1 , 2000 to 2001 , ten webisodes were later produced using Adobe Shockwave , and were broadcast on AtomFilms.com and Shockwave.com . In 2004 , the DVD box set was released , which includes all 23 TV episodes ( in their original production order ) and the webisodes .   In the late 2000s , reruns of the show aired again on ReelzChannel in the US and on Teletoon 's programming block Teletoon at Night in Canada . As of 2016 , the first season can be viewed for free on Crackle .


query: Claire Danes is wedded to an actor from England.

pos: Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes ( born April 12 , 1979 ) is an American actress . She is the recipient of three Emmy Awards , four Golden Globe Awards , and two Screen Actors Guild Awards . In 2012 , Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world , and she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015 .   Danes gained recognition with her role as Angela Chase in the acclaimed 1994 teen drama series My So-Called Life . The role won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series . She made her film debut the same year in Little Women ( 1994 ) . Her other films include Romeo + Juliet ( 1996 ) , The Rainmaker ( 1997 ) , Les Misérables ( 1998 ) , Brokedown Palace ( 1999 ) , the 1999 English dub of Princess Mononoke ( 1997 ) , Igby Goes Down ( 2002 ) , The Hours ( 2002 ) , Terminator 3 : Rise of the Machines ( 2003 ) , Shopgirl ( 2005 ) and Stardust ( 2007 ) .   From 1998 to 2000 , Danes attended Yale University before dropping out to return to acting . She appeared in an Off-Broadway production of The Vagina Monologues in 2000 , and made her Broadway debut playing Eliza Doolittle in the 2007 revival of Pygmalion . In 2010 , she portrayed Temple Grandin in the highly acclaimed HBO TV film Temple Grandin , which won her a second Golden Globe and her first Primetime Emmy Award for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie . Since 2011 , she has starred as Carrie Mathison in the Showtime drama series Homeland , for which she has won two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series , two Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Television Series Drama , and the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama . She is married to actor Hugh Dancy , with whom she has one child .

pos: Hugh Dancy Hugh Michael Horace Dancy ( born 19 June 1975 ) is an English actor and model . He is best known for his roles as Will Graham in the television series Hannibal for which he was nominated for two Critics ' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series and as Prince Charmont in Ella Enchanted . In 2006 , he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his portrayal of the Earl of Essex in the Channel 4 miniseries Elizabeth I.

neg: Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant ( born 9 September 1960 ) is an English actor and film producer . Grant has received a Golden Globe , a BAFTA , and an Honorary César for his work . His films have earned more than US$ 2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide . Grant first received attention after earning the Volpi Cup for his performance in James Ivory 's Maurice ( 1987 ) but achieved international success after appearing in the Richard Curtis-scripted Four Weddings and a Funeral ( 1994 ) . Grant used this breakthrough role as a frequent cinematic persona during the 1990s , delivering comic performances in films such as Mickey Blue Eyes ( 1999 ) and Notting Hill ( 1999 ) . One of the best known figures in 1990s British popular culture , Grant was in a high-profile relationship with Elizabeth Hurley , which was the focus of much attention in the British and international media .   By the turn of the 21st century , Grant had established himself as a leading man , skilled with a satirical comic talent . Grant has expanded his oeuvre with critically acclaimed turns as a cad in Bridget Jones 's Diary ( 2001 ) , About a Boy ( 2002 ) , and American Dreamz ( 2006 ) . Grant later played against type with multiple cameo roles in the epic sci-fi drama film , Cloud Atlas ( 2012 ) . He 's also known for appearing in period pieces such as The Remains of the Day ( 1993 ) , Sense and Sensibility ( 1995 ) and Florence Foster Jenkins ( 2016 ) .   Within the film industry , Grant is cited as an anti-star who approaches his roles like a character actor , and attempts to make his acting appear spontaneous . Hallmarks of his comic skills include a nonchalant touch of irony/sarcasm and studied physical mannerisms , as well as his precisely-timed dialogue delivery and facial expressions . The entertainment media 's coverage of Grant 's life off the big screen has often overshadowed his work as an actor . Grant has been outspoken about his antipathy towards the profession of acting , and in his disdain towards the culture of celebrity and hostility towards the media . In a career spanning 30 years , Grant has repeatedly claimed that acting was not his true calling , but rather a career that unintentionally developed by happenstance .

neg: Matthew Wolfenden Matthew Wolfenden ( born 5 May 1980 ) is an English actor best known for his role as David Metcalfe in the British soap opera Emmerdale .

neg: Herbert Marshall Herbert Brough Falcon Marshall ( 23 May 1890 -- 22 January 1966 ) was an English stage , screen and radio actor who , in spite of losing a leg during the First World War , starred in many popular and well-regarded Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s . After a successful theatrical career in the United Kingdom and North America , he became an in-demand Hollywood leading man , frequently appearing in romantic melodramas and occasional comedies . In his later years , he turned to character acting .   The son of actors , Marshall is best remembered for roles in Ernst Lubitsch 's Trouble in Paradise ( 1932 ) , Alfred Hitchcock 's Murder ! ( 1930 ) and Foreign Correspondent ( 1940 ) , William Wyler 's The Letter ( 1940 ) and The Little Foxes ( 1941 ) , Albert Lewin 's The Moon and Sixpence ( 1942 ) , Edmund Goulding 's The Razor 's Edge ( 1946 ) , and Kurt Neumann 's The Fly ( 1958 ) . He appeared onscreen with many of the most prominent leading ladies of Hollywood 's Golden Age , including Greta Garbo , Marlene Dietrich and Bette Davis .   From 1944 to 1952 , Marshall starred in his own radio series , The Man Called ` X ' . Often praised for the quality of his voice , he made numerous radio guest appearances and hosted several shows . He performed on television as well . The actor , known for his charm , married five times and periodically appeared in gossip columns because of his sometimes turbulent private life . During the Second World War , he worked on the rehabilitation of injured troops , especially aiding amputees like himself . Marshall received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 .

neg: Claire King Claire King ( born Jayne Claire Seed on 10 January 1963 ) is an English actress . She is best known for playing the role of Kim Tate in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale and Karen Betts in Bad Girls . She has appeared in the fourth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2006 , Safari School in 2007 , and Celebrity Big Brother 14 in 2014 . She currently plays Erica Holroyd in Coronation Street .

neg: John Bowe (actor) John Bowe ( born 1 February 1950 ) is an actor best known for his television roles . He is married and has six children .   Bowe was born in Greasby , on the Wirral in Merseyside , England . His highest profile role was probably that of George Marlow in the first Prime Suspect serial in 1991 . He also played Duggie Ferguson in Coronation Street from 1999 to 2002 , having previously appeared in another of Granada TV 's soap operas ; Families .   Other TV credits include : Warship , Secret Army , Boon , The New Statesman , Capital City , Class Act , Lovejoy , Silent Witness , The Royal , Dalziel and Pascoe , Cleopatra and Einstein and Eddington , Tipping the Velvet , The Hour and DCI Banks . Film credits include The Living Daylights ( 1987 ) , Resurrected ( 1989 ) , County Kilburn ( 2000 ) and Gozo ( 2015 ) .   In 2007 , Bowe played Dr Morgan in the BBC series Cranford .   In April 2010 , Bowe joined the cast of London 's West End production Priscilla Queen of the Desert -- The Musical , playing the part of Bob . In September 2011 , he appeared as Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd at Chichester , a role he continued in the West End transfer .   In September 2014 , Bowe joined the cast of Emmerdale , playing Lawrence White , the former lover of Harold Birch , the husband of Edna Birch ( Shirley Stelfox ) . He arrived with his daughter Chrissie ( Louise Marwood ) , his grandson Lachlan ( Thomas Atkinson ) and Chrissie 's fiancé , Robert Sugden ( Ryan Hawley ) , who he openly despises . Bowe will leave Emmerdale in 2017 after it was revealed he had been axed from the show .

neg: Claire Foy Claire Foy ( born 16 April 1984 ) is an English actress . She studied drama and screen studies at Liverpool John Moores University and trained at the Oxford School of Drama , where she appeared in four plays , including Watership Down . She made her screen debut in the pilot episode of Being Human ( 2008 ) and in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors ( 2008 ) . Following her professional stage debut at the Royal National Theatre , she played the title role in the BBC One production of Little Dorrit , ( 2008 ) , and made her film debut as Anna in Season of the Witch ( 2011 ) .   She had main roles as Erin Matthews in the Channel 4 series The Promise ( 2011 ) and several other television films and miniseries , including as Kate Balfour in the NBC series Crossbones ( 2014 ) . She received unanimous praise for her performance as Anne Boleyn in BBC2 's Wolf Hall ( 2015 ) , for which she was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress and the Critics ' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries . Since 2016 , she has portrayed the young Queen Elizabeth II on the Netflix series The Crown , a role for which she has received critical acclaim and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Drama and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series , and was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress .

neg: James Wilby James Jonathon Wilby ( born 20 February 1958 ) is an English film , television and theatre actor .

neg: Claire Fraser (character) Claire Fraser is a fictional character in the Outlander series of multi-genre novels by American author Diana Gabaldon , and its television adaptation . In the series , Claire is a married World War II nurse visiting Scotland who finds herself transported from 1945 back to 1743 . There she finds adventure , war and romance with the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser . Smart , stubborn and willful , Claire uses her wits , practical medical skills and knowledge of the future to survive in the 18th century .   Claire is portrayed by Irish actress Caitriona Balfe in the Starz television series Outlander . Balfe won a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television in 2015 and 2016 , and a People 's Choice Award for Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress in 2016 . She also received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Television Series Drama in 2015 and 2016 .

neg: Garey Bridges Garey Bridges ( born 11 August 1969 in London , England ) is a British actor , best known for playing the role of Lloyd Tavernier in the BBC soap opera EastEnders .

neg: Richard Wilson (Australian actor) Richard Wilson ( born 23 October 1984 in Leicester , Leicestershire , England ) is a British-born Australian actor .

neg: John Justin John Justin ( 24 November 1917 -- 29 November 2002 ) was a British stage and film actor .   John Justinian de Ledesma was born in London , England , the son of a well-off Argentine rancher . Though he grew up on his father 's ranch , he was educated at Bryanston School in Bryanston , Dorset . He developed an interest in flying and became a qualified pilot at the age of 12 , though he was not allowed to fly solo at the time because of his age .   He became interested in acting at a young age . By the age of 16 , he had joined the Plymouth Repertory . In 1937 , he briefly trained with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , but did not like it and soon joined the repertory company of John Gielgud . In 1938 , he auditioned for and won the role for which he is perhaps best remembered , Ahmad in the 1940 version of The Thief of Bagdad , opposite Sabu .   The Second World War broke out during the film 's production . After completing the picture , Justin joined the Royal Air Force , serving as a test pilot and flying instructor . He also worked on two films , The Gentle Sex ( 1943 ) with Leslie Howard , and Journey Together ( 1944 ) , an RAF feature film with a cast led by Richard Attenborough , Jack Watling and David Tomlinson ; with a special appearance by the American film star , Edward G. Robinson . Legendary silent film star Bessie Love also appeared in the cast .   With the war 's end , Justin returned to acting . He made more films , such as David Lean 's The Sound Barrier ( 1952 ) , Island in the Sun ( 1957 ) and Lisztomania ( 1975 ) , but his strong preference was for the stage . He became a member of the Old Vic company in 1959 . He made his Broadway debut in 1960 in the play Little Moon of Alban . In 1979 , he played the ghoulish lover in the BBC 's dramatisation of Le Fanu 's Strange Incident in the Life of Schalcken the Painter , one of its Christmas ghost stories .   In 1968 , he played Thorin Oakenshield in the BBC Radio adaptation of The Hobbit .   Justin was married three times , first to dancer and choreographer Pola Nirenska . His second marriage , to actress Barbara Murray , lasted from 1952 to 1964 ; they had three daughters . From 1970 to his death in 2002 , he was married to Alison McMurdo .

neg: Julian Holloway Julian Holloway ( born 24 June 1944 ) is an English actor now based in Hollywood , California , United States . He is the son of the comedy actor and singer Stanley Holloway and former chorus dancer and actress Violet Lane . He is the father of the author and former model , Sophie Dahl .

neg: Paul Ronan Paul Anthony Ronan ( born 21 March 1965 ) is an Irish actor . He has been a regular performer in TV and films since the mid - '90s , notably as Edso Dowling in the Ballykissangel TV series ; other TV appearances include Rebel Heart and The Tudors . He is the father of actress Saoirse Ronan .

neg: Ben Chaplin Ben Chaplin ( born Benedict John Greenwood ; 31 July 1969 ) is an English actor .

neg: Donald Sumpter Donald Sumpter ( born 13 February 1943 ) is an English actor , known for his work in film and television since the mid-1960s .

neg: Rupert Everett Rupert James Hector Everett ( -LSB- ˈɛvərɪt -RSB- born 29 May 1959 ) is an English actor and writer . He first came to public attention in 1981 , when he was cast in Julian Mitchell 's play and subsequent film Another Country ( 1984 ) as an openly gay pupil at an English public school in the 1930s ; the role earned him his first BAFTA Award nomination . He went on to receive a second BAFTA Award nomination and his first Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in My Best Friend 's Wedding ( 1997 ) , followed by a second Golden Globe nomination for An Ideal Husband ( 1999 ) .   Everett has performed in many other prominent films , including The Madness of King George ( 1994 ) , Shakespeare in Love ( 1998 ) , Inspector Gadget ( 1999 ) , A Midsummer Night 's Dream ( 1999 ) , The Next Best Thing ( 2000 ) , The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe ( 2005 ) , Stardust ( 2007 ) and the Shrek sequels . He co-starred with Eva Green in Tim Burton 's film Miss Peregrine 's Home for Peculiar Children ( 2016 ) .

neg: Patricia Potter Patricia Caroline Potter ( born 3 March 1975 ) is an English actress . Best known for her role as Diane Lloyd in the popular BBC medical drama Holby City , Potter has acted on stage , television , and in film . She married her partner , doctor Jim Down , in May 2007 .

neg: Christopher Neame Christopher Neame ( born 12 September 1947 , London ) is an English actor now moved to the United States .

neg: Robert Hardy Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy , CBE , FSA ( born 29 October 1925 ) is an English actor with a long career in the theatre , film and television .

neg: Ian Hallard Ian Christopher Hallard ( born 9 November 1974 ) is an English actor .


query: Dangerous Liaisons is based on Christopher Hampton's novel.

pos: Dangerous Liaisons Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 American historical drama film based upon Christopher Hampton 's play Les liaisons dangereuses , which in turn was a theatrical adaptation of the 18th-century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos .   The film was directed by Stephen Frears . The performances of Glenn Close , John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer , the cinematography of Philippe Rousselot , the costume design by James Acheson , and the screenplay by Christopher Hampton , garnered critical acclaim . Swoosie Kurtz , Mildred Natwick and Peter Capaldi appeared in supporting roles , as did the young , and then-relatively unknown , actors Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman .   The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards , including Best Picture ; it won those for Best Adapted Screenplay , Best Costume Design , and Best Art Direction .

neg: An Englishman Abroad An Englishman Abroad is a 1983 BBC television drama film , based on the true story of a chance meeting of actress Coral Browne , with Guy Burgess ( Alan Bates ) , a member of the Cambridge spy ring who spied for the Soviet Union while an officer at MI6 . The production was written by Alan Bennett and directed by John Schlesinger ; Browne stars as herself .   The film is set is Moscow in 1958 , after Burgess had defected to the Soviet Union in 1951 with Donald Maclean when it became apparent that Maclean was about to be investigated by British intelligence . Burgess barges into Browne 's dressing room in the interval of a touring Shakespeare Memorial Theatre ( which became one of the bases of the Royal Shakespeare Company ) production of Hamlet , in which she portrayed Gertrude , and charms her . Later on she is invited to his Moscow flat , finding it with some difficulty , to measure him for a suit that he would like ordered from his London tailor .   Several plot changes were made from the true story told by Browne to Bennett . Burgess in fact threw up in the dressing room of Michael Redgrave , who asked for Browne 's help . Redgrave documented the incident in his biography . The play also contained scenes in Moscow 's British Embassy and in London shops where Browne encountered resistance to helping Burgess , none of which happened in reality .   Rather than film in the Soviet Union , Schlesinger used several locations in Scotland . The Caird Hall and Whitehall Theatre in Dundee stood in for the Moscow theatre , and the grand marble staircase of Glasgow City Chambers played the part of the British Embassy . Additional filming was done at Glasgow 's St. Andrew 's Suspension Bridge ( `` luckily , in a snowstorm '' Bennett later wrote ) and the Moss Heights flats in Cardonald , which represented Burgess ' Moscow apartment .   Both Browne and Bates were winners of the BAFTA awards for acting for their roles in this production .   Bennett gives the date of Browne 's meeting with Burgess as 1958 in the introduction to his Single Spies , which contains the text of An Englishman Abroad in the stage play version and the text of A Question of Attribution about Anthony Blunt .   The play was also adapted for radio on the BBC World Service in 1994 starring Michael Gambon as Burgess and Penelope Wilton as Coral Browne . It was subsequently re-broadcast on BBC Radio 7 and BBC Radio 4 Extra , most recently in 2013 as part of BBC Radio 4 Extra 's Cambridge Spies season .   On the BFI TV 100 , a list compiled in 2000 by the British Film Institute ( BFI ) , chosen by a poll of industry professionals , to determine what were the greatest British television programmes of any genre ever to have been screened , An Englishman Abroad was listed at no. 30 on the list .

neg: London (novel) London is a historical novel by Edward Rutherfurd published in 1997 , which charts the history of London from 54 B.C. to 1997 . The novel begins with the birth of the River Thames and moves to 54 B.C. , detailing the life of Segovax , a curious character with slightly webbed hands and a flash of white hair . Seqovax becomes the ancestor of the Ducket and Dogget families , prominent fictional families woven into the novel .   Historical figures , such as Julius Caesar , Geoffrey Chaucer , William Shakespeare , and Pocahontas , make appearances alongside fictional characters and historical kings and queens of England .

neg: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 film) The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1959 British gothic horror and mystery film , directed by Terence Fisher and produced by Hammer Film Productions . It is based on the novel of the same name by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle . It stars Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes , Sir Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville and André Morell as Doctor Watson .   It is the first film adaptation of the novel to be filmed in colour . It is one of the most critically acclaimed films in Hammer Film Productions ' history .

neg: The Dangerous Liaisons The Dangerous Liaisons is an opera in two acts and eight scenes , with music by Conrad Susa to an English libretto by Philip Littell . It is based on the novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos . The opera received its first performance by the San Francisco Opera on 10 September 1994 , with stage direction by Colin Graham and Donald Runnicles as the conductor . The world-premiere cast included Thomas Hampson as Valmont , Frederica von Stade as Merteuil , David Hobson as Chevalier de Danceny , Renée Fleming as Tourvel and Mary Mills as Cécile de Volanges . The opera was performed at Washington Opera in March 1998 .   The opera has set numbers with recitative and spoken dialog . It is set in France in the 18th century and was also aired on the American PBS television network , a video recording of which was also made .

neg: Christopher Wood (writer) Christopher Hovelle Wood ( 5 November 1935 -- 9 May 2015 ) was an English screenwriter and novelist best known for the Confessions series of novels and films which he wrote as Timothy Lea . Under his own name , he adapted two James Bond novels for the screen : The Spy Who Loved Me ( 1977 , with Richard Maibaum ) and Moonraker ( 1979 ) .   Wood 's many novels divide into four groups : semi-autobiographical literary fiction , historical fiction , adventure novels , and pseudonymous humorous erotica .

neg: I, Tituba: Black Witch of Salem Moi , Tituba , Sorciere ... Noire de Salem ( 1986 ) ( also known as I , Tituba , Black Witch of Salem ) is a French novel by Maryse Condé . It won the French Grand Prix award for women 's literature .   The novel was translated into English in 1992 by Richard Philcox and published under the title above . The English translation includes a foreword by activist Angela Davis , who calls the book an `` historical novel about the black witch of Salem '' . While related to the Salem witch trials , Conde 's novel is a work of fiction , including Tituba 's race .

neg: From a View to a Death From a View to a Death is the third novel by the English writer Anthony Powell . It combines comedy of manners with Powell 's usual interest in the subtleties of British 20th-century society in a bitterly funny narrative . Here , Powell begins to write in the mode that he would perfect in A Dance to the Music of Time .   Published in 1933 , the novel is set largely in and around Passenger Court , the country seat of the Passenger family . In its depiction of village pageants , churchgoing , village idiots and eccentrics , and , above all , the hunt , From a View to a Death is Powell 's most rural novel . Change in setting notwithstanding , Powell 's habitually Burtonesque laughter at human foibles remains consistent .   The novel focuses on the inevitable conflict occurring when two men , each considering himself a Nietzschean Übermensch , collide . Other conflicts involve shooting rights , parent-child tensions , and , as always in Powell 's work , the dissatisfactions of romance and sex , this time including cross-dressing . Though some interpret the novel as a reaffirmation of traditional English values , no character -- whether for reason of class , place of residence , intelligence , or gender -- escapes Powell 's increasingly subtle critical examination of human life .

neg: Philip Hampton Philip Roy Hampton ( born 5 October 1953 ) is a British businessman , the chairman of GlaxoSmithKline . Originally he joined RBS as the deputy chairman on 19 January 2009 and was promoted to chairman on 3 February the same year . He has previously held the chairman role at J Sainsbury plc , parent company of the Sainsbury 's chain of supermarkets , and the role of group finance director of a number of blue chip companies including  Lloyds Banking Group plc , BT Group plc , BG Group plc , British Gas plc and British Steel plc. before becoming the first chairman of UK Financial Investments Limited in 2008 , the post he left to join RBS .

neg: Christopher Priest (novelist) Christopher Priest ( born 14 July 1943 ) is a British novelist and science fiction writer . His works include Fugue for a Darkening Island , Inverted World , The Affirmation , The Glamour , The Prestige and The Separation .   Priest has been strongly influenced by the science fiction of H. G. Wells and in 2006 was appointed Vice-President of the international H. G. Wells Society .

neg: A Delicate Truth A Delicate Truth is a 2013 spy novel by John le Carré . Set in 2008 and 2011 , the book features a British/American covert mission in Gibraltar and the subsequent consequences for two British civil servants .   Le Carré describes this as not only his most British novel but also his most autobiographical work in years . The author told The Daily Telegraph that he has based two of the book 's characters on himself . Le Carré sees Toby Bell as `` the thirty-something rising star of Her Majesty 's Foreign Service ... the striving ambitious fellow I fancy myself to have been at much the same age . `` whereas Sir Christopher ( `` Kit '' ) Probyn is `` a retired Foreign Office civil servant , who lives in rural Cornwall . `` the author has `` lived in a clifftop house outside St Buryan , near Land 's End , for more than 40 years . ''   The novel may be loosely based on Operation Flavius , the 1988 operation during which three members of the Provisional IRA were shot dead by the British SAS in Gibraltar .

neg: A Dream of Wessex A Dream of Wessex is a 1977 science fiction novel by Christopher Priest . In the United States it was released under the title The Perfect Lover .

neg: Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness ( 1899 ) is a novella by Polish-British novelist Joseph Conrad , about a voyage up the Congo River into the Congo Free State , in the heart of Africa , by the story 's narrator Marlow . Marlow tells his story to friends aboard a boat anchored on the River Thames , London , England . This setting provides the frame for Marlow 's story of his obsession with the ivory trader Kurtz , which enables Conrad to create a parallel between London and Africa as places of darkness .   Central to Conrad 's work is the idea that there is little difference between so-called civilised people and those described as savages ; Heart of Darkness raises questions about imperialism and racism .   Originally published as a three-part serial story in Blackwood 's Magazine to celebrate the 1000th edition of the magazine , Heart of Darkness has been variously published and translated into many languages . In 1998 , the Modern Library ranked Heart of Darkness as the sixty-seventh of the hundred best novels in English of the twentieth century .

neg: Isle of Canes Isle of Canes ( ISBN 1-59331-306-3 ) , a novel by Elizabeth Shown Mills , follows an African family from its importation and enslavement in 1735 through four generations of freedom in Creole Louisiana to its re-subjugation by Jim Crow at the close of the nineteenth century . Mills explores the family 's `` struggle to find a place in -LSB- a -RSB- tightly defined world of black and white '' -- a world made more complex by the larger struggle of Louisiana 's native ancien regime to preserve its culture amid the Anglo-Protestant `` invasion '' that followed the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and the resulting battle for political and social hegemony . Isle 's central theme is the ambiguous lives of those who escaped colonial slavery only to find they could not survive as free without complicity in the slave regime .   The novel 's subject-family is one that has been both romanticized and excoriated by journalists , academics , descendants , and current websites over the past half-century . Isle 's interpretation of their controversial role is based heavily on the author 's original research across three decades in the archives of six nations , and actual documents are interspersed throughout the novel . The author 's research began in 1972 when she was employed by a preservation society to document the history of one Isle landmark , Melrose Plantation .   Critical assessments of Isle of Canes focus on its upturning of stereotypes . Contemporary Lit describes the focus as `` Gone with the Wind from a vastly different , more important perspective ... not that of the plantation owner or the poor white ... but homme de couleur libre and slave ... capturing the agonizing decisions which tore families and communities apart . '' Historical Novels Review similarly observes , `` The Metoyers , a historical family both black and white and yet neither , challenge all perceptions of racial boundaries . You may never look at American History the same way again . ''   The Isle community is also the focus in Lalita Tademy 's Oprah Book Club pick , Cane River . Mills 's Isle explores the colonial roots of the community and the experience of slaves who achieved freedom prior to the onset of Louisiana 's Creole-Anglo conflict . Tademy 's story , whose earliest slave generations are based upon research by Mills and her daughter , portrays the mid-nineteenth -- and early-twentieth-century experiences of the community 's slave families who envied , respected , and resented the free status of the Isle 's Creoles de couleur libre -- some of whose blood they shared .   A third , much older novel , Lyle Saxon 's Children of Strangers , depicts the state of servitude into which the Islanders were subjected by the early twentieth-century . Saxon 's era was one in which the chatelaine of the family 's last remaining manor house ( Melrose Plantation , a National Historic Landmark since 1976 ) was an Anglo patroness of the arts , who encouraged Saxon to visit and `` observe '' the community first hand . Saxon 's portrayal captures the mindset of that era 's white population , who vacillated between economic exploitation of the Islanders , sexual attraction to their women , and a paternalistic view of the multiracial Creoles as `` simple people , but our people . ''   Historians struggle to understand the complexities of the Peculiar Institution -- particularly the motivation that compelled a significant number of freed American slaves to purchase other humans once free to do so . Edward P. Jones lays out one psychological path in The Known World creating a fictional anti-hero , the Black Virginian Henry Townsend , who is consumed by his self-centered ambition . Isle of Canes reconstructs the world of an actual family to define a radically different but equally uncomfortable trajectory by which more than a few ex-slaves survived a status many historians consider `` neither slave nor free . ''

neg: Christopher Tookey Christopher Tookey ( born 9 April 1950 ) is an award-winning English film critic . He has written for both The Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Mail . He has presented the Radio 4 programmes The Film Programme and Back Row . In 2013 , he won the award as `` Arts Reviewer of the Year '' from the London Press Club .   At Oxford University he was president of the Oxford Union , Editor of Isis , President of the Etceteras and Musical Director of Oxford Theatre Group . Tookey was elected chairman of The Critics ' Circle in 1995 , but his bid to become vice-president floundered due to the position he took on the 1996 film Crash . Tookey campaigned for the film to be banned , writing that `` Crash is the point at which even a liberal society should draw the line . '' The Observer film critic Philip French wrote that Tookey 's `` campaigning was thought to be in breach of the Critics ' Circle 's objects of promoting the art of criticism and supporting the advancement of the arts . '' Tookey wrote a series of critical articles for the Mail regarding the film which saw Jonathan Coe of the New Statesman describe him as `` the real architect of the antiCrash campaign '' . Tookey called for readers to boycott the products of distributor Sony , and questioned the suitability to the role of the then director of the British Board of Film Classification . Tookey denied charges that he was in favour of blanket censorship , writing in a letter to The Guardian that he has `` frequently written and spoken against censorship and jumped to the defence of films ( such as Pulp Fiction , Reservoir Dogs and The Life Of Brian ) which struck me as victims of unjust repression in the past . '' He wrote in an article for Prospect magazine that his campaign against Crash was motivated by the fear that `` Cronenberg 's film might well have a `` copycat effect '' on a few unstable individuals '' and could `` also have a far more insidious longterm effect by eroticising sado-masochism and orthopaedic fetishism for people previously unaware of being turned on by acts of mutilation . '' Tookey was also concerned at the precedent set by releasing such a film with an 18 certificate .   In 2000 Tookey directed and co-produced the musical Hard Times , based on the Charles Dickens novel of the same name , which opened to mixed reviews at the Theatre Royal , Haymarket and closed the same year .   Tookey also witnessed a man bleed to death from a stabbing in 1997 , and his reaction troubled him : `` It has brought home to me that I have seen so much violence on screen ( the latest film is Crash ) that I have become desensitised . Talking with the others on the street , I was noticeably less affected by the sight of this guy bleeding to death . After the killing , a number of people had nightmares . Should n't I have ? It was my lack of reaction that was so chilling . ''   In August 2013 the Daily Mail decided to not renew Tookey 's contract which expired on 1 December 2013 .

neg: Colin Graham Colin Graham OBE ( 22 September 1931 , Hove , England -- 6 April 2007 , St. Louis , Missouri ) was a stage director of opera , theatre , and television .   Graham was educated at Northaw School ( Hertfordshire ) , Stowe School and RADA . Early in his career , he began a long association with Benjamin Britten , for whom he directed all but one of the composer 's stage works , including all of the world premieres after 1954 . He became associated with the English Opera Group in 1953 . In the 1950s , he also worked for the Royal Opera House , Covent Garden in London and later at Glyndebourne and at the English National Opera in the 1970s . In the late 1950s and early 1960s , Graham was associated with several recordings of Gilbert and Sullivan operas conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent with the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus and principals including George Baker . He enhanced these recordings with movement for the performers that makes the recordings sound more like a live staged performance .   Graham made his American debut as a stage director at Santa Fe Opera in 1974 with his staging of Britten 's Owen Wingrave . Graham later became Director of Productions for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis ( OTSL ) in 1978 , until 1985 , when he became OTSL 's Artistic Director . He held this position until his death .   Graham directed the world premieres of John Corigliano 's opera , The Ghosts of Versailles , for the Metropolitan Opera ; The Dangerous Liaisons and André Previn 's A Streetcar Named Desire for San Francisco Opera ; The Song of Majnun for Lyric Opera of Chicago ; and a series of three operas by Miki Minoru . In addition , he directed productions for the Santa Fe Opera , notably Bright Sheng 's Madame Mao in 2003 , continuing his association with general director Richard Gaddes , which had begun during the latter 's tenure at OTSL . Collectively , he directed 55 world premieres of operas .   Graham also wrote libretti for several operas , including :  Benjamin Britten , The Golden Vanity  Richard Rodney Bennett , Penny for a Song  Stephen Paulus , The Postman Always Rings Twice , 1982  Minoru Miki , Joruri  Minoru Miki , The Tale of Genji , 1999  Bright Sheng , Madame Mao , 2003  David Carlson , Anna Karenina , 2007   In the US , Graham studied theology and became a minister in 1987 , and ultimately took US citizenship . He received the Order of the British Empire in 2002 . At the time of his death , Graham was at work on the premiere production of Anna Karenina for Florida Grand Opera and OTSL . He left no survivors .

neg: A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia A Dangerous Man : Lawrence After Arabia is a British television film of 1992 depicting the experiences of T. E. Lawrence and Emir Feisal of the Hejaz at the Paris Peace Conference after the end of the First World War . One of the conference 's many concerns was determining the fates of territories formerly under the rule of the defeated Ottoman Empire . The film stars Ralph Fiennes ( in his first film role ) as T. E. Lawrence , Alexander Siddig ( then credited as Siddig El-Fadil ) as Faisal , Denis Quilley as Lord Curzon , and Nicholas Jones as Lord Dyson . It was made by Anglia Films and Enigma Television , and was first screened on 18 April 1992 on the ITV network .   The film was produced in 1990 , a year after David Lean 's film epic , Lawrence of Arabia ( 1962 ) , was re-released to cinemas . It serves as an unofficial sequel to that earlier film , as it depicts events that happened after the Great War .   The film 's screenplay was written by Tim Rose Price . Christopher Menaul directed the film .   The film goes further than its predecessor in reflecting the work of contemporary historians . It demonstrates contemporary concerns about British and international politics and ethnic conflict . It also explores further Lawrence 's enigmatic personality and suggests more openly his alleged homosexuality .

neg: Agents and Patients Agents and Patients is the fourth novel by the English writer Anthony Powell . It combines two of the aspects of 1930s life , film and psychoanalysis . In what Powell himself has acknowledged is a roman a clef of sorts ( Anthony Powell , Journals 1987-1989 , 121 ) , a comically critical eye is cast across entre deux guerres society and its often self-indulgent , usually unsatisfied quest for contentment .   Published in 1936 , the novel reflects some of Powell 's recent experience scriptwriting for Warners in London . The epigraph from John Wesley which gives the novel its title distinguishes between actors and those acted upon , equating freedom with the condition of ` agency . ' Powell 's fourth novel illustrates the painstaking , sometimes painful , process by which one young man recognizes the truth of Wesley 's assertion in his own life , thereby , perhaps , reaching a change in his status as the novel ends .   As is usual in Powell 's fiction , the settings are often restaurants , parties , and private apartments ( though a Berlin film studio also figures significantly ) , with social behaviour in such surroundings the sustained focus of comically critical and detailed attention . Of Powell 's pre-war novels , Agents and Patients is most insistently focused on the questions of what one wants from life and how one might recognize moments when such desires have been achieved , even when the results are unexpected . The novel continues Powell 's evolution of the style and technique he will employ in A Dance to the Music of Time .

neg: Les Liaisons dangereuses Les Liaisons dangereuses ( -LSB- le ljɛ.zɔ̃ dɑ̃.ʒə.ʁøz -RSB- ; Dangerous Liaisons ) is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos , first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu from March 23 , 1782 .   It is the story of the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont , two rivals ( and ex-lovers ) who use seduction as a weapon to humiliate and degrade others , all the while enjoying their cruel games and boasting about their manipulative talents . It has been claimed to depict the decadence of the French aristocracy shortly before the French Revolution , thereby exposing the perversions of the so-called Ancien Régime . However , it has also been described as an amoral story .   As an epistolary novel , the book is composed entirely of letters written by the various characters to each other . In particular , the letters between Valmont and the Marquise drive the plot , with those of their victims and other characters serving as contrasting figures to give the story its depth .   It is often claimed to be the source of the saying `` Revenge is a dish best served cold '' , a paraphrased translation of `` La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid '' ( more literally , `` Revenge is a dish that is eaten cold '' ) . However , the expression does not actually occur in the original novel in any form .

neg: Angélique (film) Angélique is a 2013 French costume drama and adventure film loosely based on the novel Angélique , the Marquise of the Angels by Anne Golon .

neg: Imagining Argentina (film) Imagining Argentina is a 2003 drama historical film written and directed by Christopher Hampton and starring Antonio Banderas , Emma Thompson , Leticia Dolera and Rubén Blades . It is based on the award-winning homonymous novel by Lawrence Thornton . It was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 2003 Venice Film Festival .   The film , centered on a couple living through the ominous last military dictatorship in Argentina ( 1976-1983 ) , depicts graphic images of suffering , such as rape and torture . The closing caption states that around 30,000 Argentines disappeared during the beginning and end of the regime .