Henri Czarniak Movies

Unicorn (Jean Claudio), a top enemy agent, is accidentally killed by his own comrades during a shootout. To fool the Other Side, the New Avengers arrange an elaborate hoax to make it appear as though Unicorn is still alive. Unfortunately, the villains have captured a foreign Prince in hopes of exchanging him for Unicorn--and the Prince has been wired to explode in case the exchange goes awry. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Dear Inspector and Dear Detective were the English-language titles of Philippe De Broca's Tendre Poulet. Annie Girardot plays the old flame of Greek professor Philippe Noiret. The prof tries to rekindle the flames of passion, but Girardot seems curiously preoccupied. It turns out that she's a detective on the trail of a murderer. The film served as the basis for the 1979 American made-for-TV movie Dear Detective, starring Brenda Vaccaro and Arlen Dean Snyder. A DeBroca-directed sequel, Jupiter's Thigh, was filmed in 1979, again with Annie Girardot and Philippe Noiret. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The first of many sequels to the original, X-rated, soft-core pornographic drama Emmanuelle (1974), this follow-up once again stars Sylvia Kristel in the title role of the beautiful, sexually adventurous model. Emmanuelle sails home from Thailand to Hong Kong and her ambassador husband Jean (Umberto Orsini), with whom she has an open marriage. She finds that Jean has invited a handsome American named Christopher (Frederic Lagache) to stay with them, and she tries to seduce the houseguest, who demurs, preferring the company of Asian women. Jean, meanwhile, has been having an affair with Laura (Florence Lafuma). Both Laura and Christopher find the sexual liberation of Jean and Emmanuelle's marriage surprising, but eventually, Emannuelle and Christopher consummate their desire. Later, during a trip to Bali, Jean and his amorous wife sexually initiate Laura's stepdaughter Anna-Maria (Catherine Rivet). Like most of the subsequent films in the Emmanuelle series, Emmanuelle L'Antivierge is highly episodic in form and remarkably well-photographed. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Imagine, for a moment, that a town in the American Old West was founded by and for French people, and that two of the sexiest women in modern times were rivals for control of that town. In Les Petroleuses, Frenchy (Brigitte Bardot) and Maria (Claudia Cardinale) are at war over an oil lease. Maria and her gang of train-robbing brothers got a poor haul on their last robbery. The only thing they found was one measly case with a geological map indicating that a nearby farm was a likely oil-drilling site. It's too bad for Maria that Frenchy has the deed to the farm. While the two of them feud over this and other issues, the bumbling local sheriff is desperately trying to learn French, so that he can woo one of these extraordinary dames. This film sounds as though it was intended as a comedy, but it was made as a perfectly straightforward, serious Western. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Also known as La Fiancée du Pirate and Dirty Mary, this French comedy noir stars Bernadette Lafont as Marie, the title character. Early in the game, Marie learns how to use sex as a means to an end. She enjoys the favors of several of her town's leading citizens, not-too-subtly suggesting that her silence can be bought. Nearly driven out of town by the local moral arbiters, Marie strikes a blow against hypocrisy with a deliciously creative revenge. A Very Curious Girl is the sort of harmless French fare that used to pop up on your local Late Late Late Show in-between the Vegomatic ads and the "Live Better Electrically" public-service spots. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This sexual psychodrama was the first film to receive an X-rating in the US. Written and directed by Romain Gary and starring his wife Jean Seberg, it is the chronicle of a nymphomaniac who feels compelled to have sex with every man she meets. As the sordid tale begins she is engaged in group sex with Peruvian Carnival participants. Other sexploits with men, and women ensue and as she goes from encounter to encounter, the true tragic nature of her insane obsession is revealed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi