Eva Simonet Movies
- 1987
- R
Veteran French director Agnes Varda's Le Petit Amour is based on a short story by actress/songstress Jane Birkin. Birkin herself plays the main character, a loving but lonely 40-year-old divorcee. Her life is brightened a bit by the presence of a handsome 15-year-old, played by Mathieu Demy. Their romance forms the basis of this "petit" Varda effort, which is also known as Kung Fu Master (now you'll have to see it for yourself!). Shortly after the release of Le Petit Amour, Agnes Varda directed a documentary centering upon Jane Birkin, Jane B par Agnes V. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jane Birkin, Mathieu Demy, (more)
- 1977
A 20-minute, César-winning short film from Chilean expatriate director Raul Ruiz, Colloque de Chiens (in English, Dog's Dialogue) takes its title from a series of barking dogs who reappear throughout the film, one of several motifs used to add unexpected depth to a purposefully melodramatic narrative. The film begins by centering on Monique, a young woman who descends into the world of prostitution; when she falls in love and attempts to leave behind her past, she sets off a series of events leading to betrayal, tragedy, and murder. This story is told through a combination of voice-over narration and still photographs, occasionally punctuated by moving images, a style meant to recall and parody Latin American "photo-novels." This technique becomes a way to explore the ambiguous nature of images and language, as certain sentences and still pictures repeat several times, taking on widely varied meanings based on their surrounding context while simultaneously creating a sense of fate and eternal recurrence. Director Ruiz also uses this technique for humor, contrasting the deadpan narration and iconic imagery with the sensationalistic, exaggerated plot, reportedly inspired by phrases cut out of a story in a popular crime magazine. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- 1974
The young people in this French film enjoy a good fight, and the trouble which follows afterward is just part of the fun. When they hop on their motorcycles and into their cars and head for Paris, a melée of some sort is a sure bet. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roger Mirmont, Anne Jousset, (more)
- 1971
Unhappy women are being murdered by Emile (Jacques Perrin), a psychotic young man suffering from the delusion that his acts are mercy killings. The detective (Julien Guiomar) assigned to track down the killer resorts to seriously unorthodox and even unethical methods to get his man. In one instance, he impersonates a psychologist on a TV show he and Emile appear on together and attempts to provoke Emile into revealing himself. This film's cinematic style may be a kind of homage to the classic Fritz Lang thriller, M. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jacques Perrin, Julien Guiomar, (more)
Z is one of the most politically insightful films ever made, exposing government hypocrisy and cover-up in the wake of a political assassination. Zei (Yves Montand) is a scientist who is scheduled to give a speech against the use of the atomic bomb. On the way to the event, he is attacked outside the auditorium by a group of right-wing extremists with political ties to the government as the police stand by and do nothing to intervene. He recovers long enough to make the speech but is later clubbed again and must undergo several surgeries, then dies during one of the procedures. A newspaper reporter finds a witness to the event and a judge willing to hear the case despite government protests. The ensuing trial reveals a government conspiracy, but the results of the trial are thrown out when a new government is formed by a military coup, which results in the intolerance that outlaws long hair, the Beatles, and any peaceful protests. Director Costa-Gavras used actual trial transcripts of the investigation into the May 22, 1963, assassination of Greek pacifist leader Gregoris Lambrakis, which proved a government conspiracy in his death. Yves Montand gives the best dramatic performance of his life, and Irene Papas stars as his wife, Helena. Z won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film of 1969, was 14th in terms of box-office success, and hit an international nerve in the age of social unrest, government cover-up, and political assassinations. All those involved worked on the film for a reduced rate with an option for royalties based on earnings at the theater window. The letter Z in the Greek alphabet means "he is alive." ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Yves Montand, Irene Papas, (more)
