British actor Matthew Goode has joined the cast of Cemetery Junction, a film co-written and to be co-directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Gervais and Merchant previously collaborated on the TV shows The Office and Extras. Goode is best known for his roles in Watchmen, Brideshead Revisited,

British author John Mortimer, likely known best for writing the TV series Rumpole of the Bailey, has died at the age of 85, his agent says. Agent Anthony Jones said Mortimer died Friday of unspecified causes in Buckinghamshire county following a bout of poor health, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday. Mortimer's personal training as a lawyer likely helped him create the title lawyer character of Rumpole, which was adapted for short stories and the radio following its TV run.

By Sarah Freeman It seems Andrew Davies is human after all.

THE WORD ON... "What we crave here is subtlety, a more nuanced approach to such complex subjects. Instead, we must make do with dreamy portraits of the English landscape, and a clutch of beautiful young things." www.

The House BUNNY (12A) Blessed with a tour-de-force performance from Anna Faris as a Playboy bunny with a heart of gold, Fred Wolf's feel-good comedy promotes messages of solidarity and individualism in the face of peer pressure.