Bad Company 1999 N/R, 98 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama / Romance aka: Mauvaises Frequentations
Director: Jean-Pierre Ameris Cast: Maud Forget, Lou Doillon, Robinson Stevenin, Maxime Mansion, Delphine Rich, Francois Berleand, Micheline Presle, Cyril Cagnat, Ariane Ascaride, Martine Gautier, Daniel Martin, Bruno Esposito, Brigitte Jouffre, Dominique Laidet, Eric Theobald
Impressionable 14-year-old Delphine (Maud Forget) falls under the influence of her new best friend, Olivia (Lou Doillon). Olivia takes Delphine to a local nightclub, and Delphine meets and falls for Laurent (Robinson Stevenin), while Olivia is attracted to Laurent's friend Alain (Maxime Mansion). When Laurent and Alain plan a trip to Jamaica, they try to convince Delphine and Olivia to prostitute themselves as the means of getting their hands on the needed cash. Olivia rebels, but Delphine wants to do what Laurent desires, and prostitution ultimately becomes the route she follows.
|  | |
Capitaine Conan 1996 N/R, 130 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Bertrand Tavernier Cast: Philippe Torreton, Samuel Le Bihan, Bernard Le Coq, Catherine Rich, Francois Berleand, Claude Rich, Laurent Schilling, Jean-Yves Roan
Based on Roger Veral's 1939 novel, this excellent film poses the question: "What do trained warriors do when the fighting ends?" Conan (Philippe Torreton) led a band of ruthless French warriors during World War I and now, in peacetime, he tries to protect them from themselves.
|  | |
Comedy of Power 2006 N/R, 110 min. Genre: Foreign / Comedy / Drama
Director: Claude Chabrol Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Francois Berleand, Patrick Bruel, Robin Renucci, Marilyne Canto, Thomas Chabrol, Jean-Francois Balmer, Pierre Vermier, Jacques Boudet, Philippe Duclos, Jean-Christophe Bouvet, Roger Dumas, John Arnold, Yves Verhoeven
Jeanne Charmant-Killman (Isabelle Huppert) is a French judge whose relentless efforts to prosecute a large corporation C.E.O. Michel Humeau (Francois Berleand) lead to uncovering criminal activity in high levels of government. Notoriety in the case results in Jeanne's celebrity status, but along with new-found fame comes an attempt on her life, and her husband Philippe (Robin Renucci) resents all the media attention the case has brought into their lives.
|  | |
Le Grand Role 2004 N/R, 89 min. Genre: Foreign / Comedy
Director: Steve Suissa Cast: Stephane Freiss, Berenice Bejo, Peter Coyote, Lionel Abelanski, Laurent Bateau, Sephen Guerin-Tillie, Francois Berleand, Olivier Sitruk, Valerie Benguigui, Rufus, Clement Sibony, Steve Suissa
The same day he learns his wife, Perla (Berenice Bejo), has terminal cancer, film director Maurice Kurtz (Stephane Freiss) thinks he has nailed an acting role in an upcoming film. He reports the news to Perla and later learns that the role is awarded, instead, to a famous actor. Determined to keep bad news from Perla, Maurice gets help from his friends to make Perla believe he is acting in the film. But the deception backfires, and comedy mixes with pathos in the lives of Maurice and Perla.
|  | |
Les Choristes 2004 PG-13, 96 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama aka: The Chorus
Director: Christophe Barratier Cast: Gerard Jugnot, Jacques Perrin, Jean-Paul Bonnaire, Marie Bunel, Kad Merad, Francois Berleand, Jean-Baptiste Maunier, Didier Flamand, Paul Charieras, Carole Weiss, Philippe Du Janerand
Clement Mathieu (Gerard Jugnot) bonds with his students through the music he teaches at their unruly reform school and, in the process, enriches their lives. The film received two Academy Award nominations, including Best Foreign Language Film.
|  | |
Place Vendome 1998 R, 117 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Nicole Garcia Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Pierre Bacri, Emmanuelle Seigner, Jacques Dutronc, Bernard Fresson, Francois Berleand, Dragan Nikolic, Otto Tausig, Laszlo Szabo, Philippe Clevenot
Catherine Deneuve won the award for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her portrayal of Marianne, an alcoholic at a crossroads in her life. She has become widowed and, now, attempts to pull her financial life together with seven magnificent diamonds her husband had hidden in a secret compartment.
|  | |
Romance 1999 N/R, 95 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Catherine Breillat Cast: Caroline Ducey, Sagamore Stevenin, Francois Berleand, Rocco Siffredi, Fabien de Jomaron, Emma Colberti, Ashley Wanninger, Reza Habouhossein, Carla, Pierre Maufront
Marie (Caroline Trousselard) is both victim and aggressor in this French porn flick about how one schoolteacher handles a crisis in the failing relationship with her boyfriend, Paul (Sagamore Stevenin).
|  | |
The School of Flesh 1998 R, 102 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Benoit Jacquot Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Martinez, Vincent Lindon, Marthe Keller, Francois Berleand, Daniele Dubroux, Bernard Le Coq, Roxane Mesquida, Jean-Louis Richard, Jean-Claude Dauphin
This delicate handling of the older woman Dominique (Isabelle Huppert)/younger man Quentin (Vincent Martinez) relationship provides excellent viewing. Yukio Mishima's novel is deftly adapted for the screen by director Benoit Jacquot. This is a "don't miss."
|  | |
A Self-Made Hero 1996 N/R, 105 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Jacques Audiard Cast: Mathieu Kassovitz, Anouk Grinberg, Sandrine Kiberlain, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Albert Dupontel, Nadia Barentin, Bernard Bloch, Francois Chattot, Philippe Duclos, Daniele Lebrun, Francois Berleand
For his entire life, Albert Dehousse (Mathieu Kassovitz) has always lived in a life of make-believe. Now, during World War II, Albert heads for Paris where he invents a new identity and becomes a hero as a resistance fighter.
|  | |
Seventh Heaven 1997 N/R, 88 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Benoit Jacquot Cast: Sandrine Kiberlain, Vincent Lindon, Francois Berleand, Francine Berge, Pierre Cassignard, Leo Le Bevillon, Sylvie Loeillet, Florence Loiret, Philippe Magnan, Anne Fassio, Eriq Ebouaney, Marc Rioufol
Mathilde (Sandrine Kiberlain) appears to have a nice life–attentive husband, one child, nice Paris apartment, good job–but she has been depressed recently. She even has been shoplifting toys, until she meets a man who turns out to by a hypnotherapist. He seems to cure her, and the emphasis shifts to her husband (Vincent Lindon) who has trouble communicating with her. A good job by the two stars.
|  | |
The Transporter 2 2005 PG-13, 88 min. Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller
Director: Louis Leterrier Cast: Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Kate Nauta, Matthew Modine, Jason Flemyng, Keith David, Hunter Clary, Shannon Briggs, Francois Berleand, Jeff Chase, Raymond Tong, Jeff Chase, Gregg Weiner, Gregg Davis
Transporter-for-hire Frank Martin (Jason Statham) has taken the job of chauffeuring young Jack (Hunter Clary), who is the son of Drug Enforcement Chief Billings (Matthew Modine), and his wife, Audrey (Amber Valletta). When Jack is kidnapped, Frank leaps into action to rescue him and, in the process, solves a biological crime involving a deadly virus.
|  | |
Transporter 3 2008 PG-13, 103 min. Genre: Action / Thriller
Director: Olivier Megaton Cast: Jason Statham, Natalya Rudakova, Francois Berleand, Jeroen Krabbe, Robert Knepper, Alex Kobold, David Atrakchi, Yann Sundberg, Eriq Ebouaney, David Kammenos, Silvio Simac, Oscar Relier, Timo Dierkes, Paul Barrett, Igor Koumpan
Transporter-for-hire Frank (Jason Stratham) is back, and this time he has been pressured to keep Valentina (Natalya Rudakova) safe. She has been kidnapped, and Frank travels across Europe escaping a number of life-threatening situations with Valentina in tow while awaiting the delivery of the ransom.
|  | |
The Transporter 2002 PG-13, 92 min. Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller
Director: Corey Yuen Cast: Jason Statham, Qi Shu, Matt Schulze, Francois Berleand, Ric Young, Doug Rand, Didier Saint Melin, Tonio Descanvelle, Matthieu Albertini, Laurent Desponds, Vincent Nemeth, Adrian Dearnell, Jean-Yves Bilien, Jean-Marie Paris, Alfred Lot
Frank's (Jason Statham) job is that of a transporter who moves goods without asking questions. But on this job, while driving around in France, Frank breaks the rules by opening the package in his trunk and discovering a beautiful Asian, Lai (Qi Shu), who has her own axe to grind–and she does, with Frank's help.
|  | |
| 1. Bad Company (1999) aka: Mauvaises Frequentations
2. Capitaine Conan (1996)
3. Comedy of Power (2006)
4. Le Grand Role (2004)
5. Les Choristes (2004) aka: The Chorus
6. Place Vendome (1998)
7. Romance (1999)
8. The School of Flesh (1998)
9. A Self-Made Hero (1996)
10. Seventh Heaven (1997)
11. The Transporter 2 (2005)
12. Transporter 3 (2008)
13. The Transporter (2002)
In The News
|