Desperate Remedies

Desperate Remedies

Colonial romancing and complicating...

1993 · 93 min · ★ 5.6 · Drama

In a town called Hope on the edge of Britain's empire, desperations clash: the beautiful Dorothea Brook is desperate to free her pregnant sister Rose from the clutches of Fraser, a fortune hunter. A local politician, William Poyner, is desperate for cash and thinks marriage to Dorothea will save him. Dorothea hires Lawrence Hayes, a rough but handsome Argonaut, to bribe Fraser with jewels and to marry Rose; Hayes desperately loves Dorothea and may marry Rose to stay close to her. But Dorothea has a lover, the ravishing Anne Cooper, who encourages the match with Poyser to give the lovers cover. Are these remedies, each desperate in its turn, going to make anyone happy?

Directed by Stewart Main · Written by Peter Wells

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

2h 3m together

Desperate Remedies

My First Suit

Both from Stewart Main.

More from Stewart MainSee all →

Xena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior Princess · 1995
Xena: Warrior Princess
★ 7.51995
SeriesDramaAction & Adventure
Xena is an infamous warrior on a quest to seek redemption for her past sins against the innocent. Accompanied by her comrade-in-arms Gabrielle, the campy couple use their formidable fighting skills to help those who are unable to defend themselves.
Hercules: The Legendary JourneysHercules: The Legendary Journeys · 1995
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
★ 6.91995
SeriesAction & AdventureDrama
The legendary son of Zeus journeys across the earth fighting monsters and helping people.
Smash PalaceSmash Palace · 1981
Smash Palace
★ 6.31981
MovieDramaThriller
Al Shaw's life revolves around motor racing and his back country junkyard, the "Smash Palace". His French wife, Jacqui, doesn't appreciate the lack of attention due to Al's obsession with cars. When Al finds her in the arms of another man, he takes his daughter, Georgie and heads for the bush, desperately hoping to hold on to the only family he has left.
My First SuitMy First Suit · 1985
My First Suit
★ 6.21985
MovieComedyDrama
14-year old Steve is caught between creatures he does not fully understand: two parents with very different ideas about the suit he should wear to his first school dance. Meanwhile everywhere he seems to look, images of men are taking control of his imagination. In Stewart Main's comical coming of age story Steve escapes his parents' good wishes, to discover his true desires. They aren't quite what his no-nonsense father had in mind.
Sleeping DogsSleeping Dogs · 1978
Sleeping Dogs
★ 5.81978
MovieActionDrama
Recluse Smith is drawn into a revolutionary struggle between guerrillas and right-wingers in New Zealand. Implicated in a murder and framed as a revolutionary conspirator, Smith tries to maintain an attitude of non-violence while caught between warring factions.
Twilight of the GodsTwilight of the Gods · 1996
Twilight of the Gods
★ 5.61996
MovieDramaWar
A Maori warrior comes upon the aftermath of a battle and finds that the only survivor is a wounded enemy soldier. He desires to avenge his fallen countrymen by finishing off this helpless enemy, but the gods won't allow it. Anguished that he must instead treat the soldier's wounds, he's further repelled by the soldier's incessant homosexual advances. Slowly and surprisingly, a change comes over the warrior to accept the soldier's advances, but the war all too soon intrudes upon them.
50 Ways of Saying Fabulous50 Ways of Saying Fabulous · 2005
50 Ways of Saying Fabulous
★ 5.52005
MovieDrama
Sweet, chubby, theatrical Billy was never cut out to be a farmer or a rugby player, but as the only son of a ‘good kiwi bloke’ he’s obliged to try. The cows are stubborn and the chores gruelling but Billy finds escape in a fantasy world playing Lana, heroine of his favourite TV show Adventures in Space. Not everyone approves of Billy's transformation. On the brink of adolescene, he discovers growing up is more complicated than he could ever have imagined.
One of Them!One of Them! · 1998
One of Them!
★ 4.51998
MovieDrama
One of Them! was one of two dramas (alongside Niki Caro movie Memory and Desire) inspired by short stories collected in Peter Wells' 1991 book Dangerous Desires. It was made for TV One as a Montana Sunday drama. Set in Auckland, 1965, One of Them! follows Lemmy and Jamie, two teenage boys coming to terms with their sexuality. In the dark days before gay liberation, bullying and intimidation was rife, and while the boys flaunt their sissyness, their internalized homophobia wreaks havoc on their emotional lives — until they can admit to being "one of them".
Boys in LoveBoys in Love · 1996
Boys in Love
★ 3.31996
MovieDrama
The Best of Boys in Love is a wildly diverse collection of films that mixes styles, settings, and stories ranging from "elegant gay romance" (Frontiers), to a musical send-up of Hollywood, to an "exquisite period piece" (Village Voice) set in New Zealand. The DVD features seven audience favorites selected from our collection of award-winning gay short films.

More Like This

Dazed and ConfusedDazed and Confused · 1993
Dazed and Confused
★ 7.31993
MovieComedyDrama
The adventures of a group of Texas teens on their last day of school in 1976, centering on student Randall Floyd, who moves easily among stoners, jocks and geeks. Floyd is a star athlete, but he also likes smoking weed, which presents a conundrum when his football coach demands he sign a "no drugs" pledge.
GladiatorGladiator · 2000
Gladiator
★ 8.22000
MovieActionDrama
After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus, one of Rome's most capable generals who Marcus preferred. Eventually, Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and battle to the death against other men for the amusement of paying audiences.
The World Will TrembleThe World Will Tremble · 2025
The World Will Tremble
★ 7.52025
MovieDramaWar
The incredible, untold true story of how a group of prisoners attempt a seemingly impossible escape from the first Nazi death camp in order to provide the first eyewitness account of the Holocaust.
The AviatorThe Aviator · 2004
The Aviator
★ 7.22004
MovieDrama
A biopic depicting the life of filmmaker and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes from 1927 to 1947, during which time he became a successful film producer and an aviation magnate, while simultaneously growing more unstable due to severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.
An Angel at My TableAn Angel at My Table · 1990
An Angel at My Table
★ 7.01990
MovieDramaHistory
Based on the autobiographical work of New Zealand writer Janet Frame, this production depicts the author at various stage of her life. Afflicted with mental and emotional issues, Frame grows up in an impoverished family and experiences numerous tragedies while still in her youth, including the deaths of two of her siblings. Portrayed as an adult by Kerry Fox, Frame finds acclaim for her writing while still in a mental institution, and her success helps her move on with her life.
Remember the TitansRemember the Titans · 2000
Remember the Titans
★ 7.72000
MovieDrama
After leading his football team to 15 winning seasons, coach Bill Yoast is demoted and replaced by Herman Boone – tough, opinionated and as different from the beloved Yoast as he could be. The two men learn to overcome their differences and turn a group of hostile young men into champions.
A Night to RememberA Night to Remember · 1958
A Night to Remember
★ 7.71958
MovieDramaAction
The sinking of the Titanic is presented in a highly realistic fashion in this tense British drama. The disaster is portrayed largely from the perspective of the ocean liner's second officer, Charles Lightoller. Despite numerous warnings about ice, the ship sails on, with Capt. Edward John Smith keeping it going at a steady clip. When the doomed vessel finally hits an iceberg, the crew and passengers discover that they lack enough lifeboats, and tragedy follows.
Out of the BlueOut of the Blue · 2006
Out of the Blue
★ 6.42006
MovieDramaCrime
Ordinary people find extraordinary courage in the face of madness. On 13–14 November 1990 that madness came to Aramoana, a small New Zealand seaside town, in the form of a lone gunman with a high-powered semi-automatic rifle. As he stalked his victims the terrified and confused residents were trapped for 24 hours while a handful of under-resourced and under-armed local policemen risked their lives trying to find him and save the survivors. Based on true events.
Eye of the NeedleEye of the Needle · 1981
Eye of the Needle
★ 6.71981
MovieDramaThriller
Great Britain, 1944, during World War II. Relentlessly pursued by several MI5 agents, Henry Faber the Needle, a ruthless German spy in possession of vital information about D-Day, takes refuge on Storm Island, an inhospitable, sparsely inhabited island off the coast of northern Scotland.
The New WorldThe New World · 2005
The New World
★ 6.52005
MovieDramaHistory
A drama about explorer John Smith and the clash between Native Americans and English settlers in the 17th century.
The Dark HorseThe Dark Horse · 2014
The Dark Horse
★ 6.32014
MovieDramaHistory
One-time Maori speed-chess champ, Genesis Potini, lives with a bi-polar disorder and must overcome prejudice and violence in the battle to save his struggling chess club, his family and ultimately, himself.
The Count of Monte CristoThe Count of Monte Cristo · 2002
The Count of Monte Cristo
★ 7.72002
MovieAdventureDrama
Young sailor Edmond Dantès is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes, finds treasure, and reinvents himself as the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo to exact revenge on those who betrayed him.
Coco Before ChanelCoco Before Chanel · 2009
Coco Before Chanel
★ 6.92009
MovieDramaHistory
Several years after leaving the orphanage, to which her father never returned for her, Gabrielle Chanel finds herself working in a provincial bar. She's both a seamstress for the performers and a singer, earning the nickname Coco from the song she sings nightly with her sister. A liaison with Baron Balsan gives her an entree into French society and a chance to develop her gift for designing.
The Last SamuraiThe Last Samurai · 2003
The Last Samurai
★ 7.62003
MovieDramaAction
Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter