Bruno Putzulu Movies

Best known for their historical epics that examine class and social issues in British life through a thick lens of tasteful production design and good manners, director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant set their sights on an American protagonist for a change with Jefferson in Paris. As the title suggests, Jefferson in Paris deals with the five years that Thomas Jefferson (Nick Nolte) spent as U.S. ambassador to France prior to the French Revolution; while Jefferson is sympathetic to the revolutionary forces in France, he's become well enough acquainted with the ruling aristocracy that he finds himself torn between the two sides of the issue. Jefferson, a recent widower, also becomes friends with Maria Cosway (Greta Scacchi), who is married to a foppish British artist; while it's obvious the two are in love, neither is in a position to do anything about their infatuation. And while Jefferson's daughter Patsy (Gwyneth Paltrow) loves her father, she's very upset with him when he sends her to a convent school. In this midst of this personal turmoil, Jefferson's younger daughter Polly (Estelle Eonnet) arrives in Paris, with her slave Sally Hemmings (Thandie Newton) in tow. Attractive and bright (if uneducated), Sally catches Jefferson's eye, and a friendship develops that grows into something deeper; in time, Sally becomes pregnant, and her family claims that Jefferson is the father. At the time Jefferson In Paris was released, the question of Sally Hemmings' relationship with Thomas Jefferson was a matter of lively historical debate; since then, genetic evidence has shown that, while Jefferson's paternity can't be proved beyond a doubt, it is likely that he did father children with Hemmings. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Serge Perrin is 23 and unusually happy at the prospect of spending the rest of his life in jail for a series of crimes he did not commit. This black French comedy attempts to explain via flashback the twisted reasons why an innocent youth would so cavalierly throw away his freedom. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Olivier Peray made his directorial debut with this French-Swiss-Spanish co-production reminiscent of Eric Rohmer romances. At a roadside cafe, Sophie (Sarah Grappin) listens while Alain (Vincent Elbaz) tells her a story about Lionel (Bruno Putzulu), seen sitting elsewhere in the cafe. As the tale progresses, the film does a four-year flashback: Alain and Lionel are both employed at a publishing firm where Lionel gains such a rep as a "sex machine" that Alain bets him he can't spend a night with a woman without having sex. Lionel agrees to this bet and chooses to hit on Claire (Smadi Wolfman), a travel agent who initially gives him a false name and address and then later tells him she's married. After much sex-slanted repartee, the two have sex. The movie might end right here (at the 40-minute mark) -- except that Alain reveals to Sophie that he has not related a true account of the actual events. He then launches into a totally different version of what transpired. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

The thoughts and dreams of a group of people riding a subway in Paris provides the springboard for Jean-Claude Guiguet's drama Les Passagers/The Passengers. As the train rolls along, various characters either talk among themselves or address the camera on a variety of subjects. A mathematician (Bruno Putzulu) speaks with one of his students (Stephane Rideau) about the statistical implications of the spread of AIDS. A nurse (Fabienne Babe) meets with a security guard she's infatuated with (Philippe Garziano), while her friend enjoys a daydream about the joys of life as a rural housewife. A man rants about problems with sex and the virtues of masturbation, while another person debates the relative merits of the films Savage Nights and The Mother and The Whore. Les Passagers/The Passengers was screened as part of the "Un Certain Regard" series at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The first time directorial effort of Ronan Girre, who previously composed scores for two Eric Rohmer films, Virilite et Autres Sentiments Modernes is a social comedy about power and the struggle between the sexes. Shy, underachieving Alexis (Bruno Putzulu) is a 30-year-old night watchman who watches horror movies and does the occasional acting or voice-over job. One day, Alexis' friend Mathilde (Emmanuelle Meyssignac) sets him up with Laura (Estelle Skornik), a successful and highly ambitious businesswoman who happens to literally breathe fire when she gets overly angry. Laura encourages Alexis to embrace his inner megalomaniac, and, realizing his inner potential, he does, and creates quite a sensation. Caught up in his new success, Alexis foolishly believes that he has only himself to thank for it, until Laura teaches him a well-deserved lesson. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

Cinematic iconoclast Jean-Luc Godard returns to the front ranks of contemporary filmmaking while embracing the digital video revolution (no great surprise, given his eager and early embrace of video technology in the 1970s) with this drama. In the first part of the film, shot on 35 mm black-and-white film, a filmmaker named Edgar (Bruno Putzulu) is in the midst of a casting session with his producers, looking for the leading lady for his next film. More interested in discussing philosophy than in the nuts and bolts of the character, Edgar speaks with a number of actresses before he encounters Elle (Cecile Camp); he's fascinated by her, and is certain he's met her somewhere before, but can't tell where or when. Eventually, Edgar decides Elle is the right person for the role, but he then discovers she has died. In the second part of the film, produced using color digital video equipment, Edgar flashes back to the moment when he first met Elle -- he's meeting with an elderly couple who survived the Holocaust and have sold their life story to a Hollywood movie producer. While meeting the couple as a guest of an old friend and historian (Jean Lacouture) interested in their story, he's introduced to the couple's granddaughter, a law student who has offered to take a look at their contract -- Elle. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Irene (Cecile de France) is a cute but klutzy thirtysomething who hasn't had a romantic relationship in four years. Tired of circumstantial celibacy, the paralegal consistently finds herself drawn to unavailable men, particularly her co-worker Luca (Olivier Sitruk). Her friends, all passionately single, offer no support to Irene's plight. Meanwhile, Francois (Bruno Putzulu), an easygoing handyman Irene had hired to paint her apartment, turns out to be her perfect match. Though it looks like Irene may be too wrapped up in translating the signals sent to her from various male co-workers to notice Francois, she eventually comes to see what has been in front of her all along. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Antoine de Caunes' second feature, Monsieur N. is a historical mystery thriller about Napoleon. Sir Hudson Lowe (Richard E. Grant) is assigned to guard Napoleon (Philippe Torreton) while the latter is in exile in Saint Helena. A local girl, Betsy (Siobhan Hewlett), has a crush on the exiled leader. This, along with the fact that keeping Napoleon on the island is costing the British a great sum of money, leads Lowe to consider drastic action. Monsieur N. was screened at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi