Patrick Dewaere Movies

The Breton-born French actor Patrick Dewaere (1947-1982) was acclaimed as one of the two best actors of his generation, along with Gerard Depardieu, before his death by suicide at age 35. This documentary is an exploration of the man's life and work, featuring clips from his many films and interviews with some of his friends and relatives. Notably absent is any appearance by his friend and rival Depardieu. In addition to celebrating his gifts, the documentary explores the state of mind which led to the gifted actor's death at the height of his thirty-year career. Apparently, no one appreciated that this handsome man's gift for playing troubled losers had a profound basis in his offscreen life. This film was first shown at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, which had instituted a special acting prize in Dewaere's name the year after his death, in 1983. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

The cartoonist Gerard Lauzier wrote this satire of psychologists, their practice, and the whole idea of group therapy, around Marc (Patrick Dewaere), a psychologist who may need more help than he gives. Right now, Marc is living in the countryside with Colette (Anny Duperey), but not without difficulties. He plans to conduct a group therapy session at his home one week-end, something that soon unravels because of the sudden arrival of Marc's former girlfriend and her lover. Several years ago, the lover was Marc's trusted friend, until he not only stole Marc's girlfriend, but also his car, and his money. The former girlfriend and former buddy, and their partner in crime are hiding out from the police, and intent on using Marc's property until they are safe. Group therapy, Marc, and Colette will never be the same by the time the week-end is concluded. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The beautiful Helene (Catherine Deneuve) works in a hospital as an anesthesiologist and so when she accidentally hits Gilles (Patrick Dewaere) while driving her car, she can jump out and know exactly what to do to make sure he is not seriously hurt. The two start off a relationship based on this "chance" meeting, though the inauspicious beginning should have served as a warning. Gilles does not do very much except live in a room in his family's hotel and hang out. His lethargic approach to life is an anesthetic in itself, and since Helene is still mourning the death of her former lover a few years before, she is not overly anxious to start a new romance. The two of them go back and forth in a cat-and-mouse game until Helene tires of going nowhere and decides to leave for Paris. Considering how difficult it is for Gilles to rise to any action, it seems that Helene may remain alone unless she runs into someone else. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In his final film before taking his own life, Patrick Dewaere stars as Serge, a writer whose life is disrupted by an affair with the enigmatic Carol (Clio Goldsmith). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

A large international cast takes part in this comedy in which the stories of numerous individuals whose cars are stalled in a massive Roman traffic jam are told. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

The title Serie Noire refers to a popular French mystery series, and literally means "Black Series." The story is based on American author Jim Thompson's hardboiled detective story A Hell of a Woman, and is close in spirit to the U.S. film noir mysteries of the 1940s. Frank Poupart (Patrick Dewaere) is a 30-year-old loser, a salesman who is barely scraping by, whose wife has just left him "just to think things over." He meets Mona (Marie Trintignant), a quiet, dreamy 15-year-old girl whose aunt has offered her to him for his sexual pleasure in return for a sweater. They become lovers, and both of them see a way out of their impoverished dead-end existence when Mona tells him that her aunt (who is also her landlady) has a large stash of money hidden away. They decide to kill her, and also kill a Greek boxer who owes Frank money, making it look like a murder/suicide. When Frank's wife returns to him, eager to begin their marriage again, he kills her out of sheer frustration. Later he is blackmailed by Staplin (Bernard Blier), his employer, and is left with no loot, no wife, three heinous crimes on his hands, and a clueless adolescent girlfriend. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Like other young men in his soccer-obsessed town, a belligerent and rebellious factory worker Francois Perrin plays on a local team. His obnoxious tendencies endear him to no one. Trouble brews when a woman cries rape and the team's star player becomes the chief suspect. To protect the valued kicker, the team owners decide to frame the boorish Francois for the crime. As a result, he loses his job, gets booted from the team and tossed into jail. Shortly thereafter, the team is en route to a key match and their bus gets into an accident (in one of the story's comical highlights) that disables half the team. Now desperate for players, the owners arrange to get Francois temporarily released. The rest of this lively French farce follows Francois as he gets sweet revenge upon all those who wronged and rejected him. The screenplay was penned by distinguished writer/director Francis Veber, who is best known for writing La Cage aux Folles. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Fayard (Patrick Dewaere) is a magistrate of the French courts, who is unusually enthusiastic in seeking justice. For instance, when his girlfriend is trapped in a store-front bordello, he has no qualms about arranging (and joining) a police raid on the place. This stunt earned him the nickname "the Sheriff." However, this otherwise shy and diminutive fellow has made many enemies, both in the bureaucracy and among the criminal classes, and before long they catch up to him. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Patrick Dewaere plays Andre, a hot-tempered young man who whiles away his spare time by fantasizing about the action films of Douglas Fairbanks. For years, a relative of his has promised him a job. For years, he has waited for the job, but to no avail. Finally too frustrated to stand it any more, Andre beats up the relative's boss. Then his girlfriend (Miou-Miou), tired of his tantrums, refuses to see him any more. This prompts even more extreme behavior on his part, though he harms no one but himself this time. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Also known as The Best Way to Walk, this film was originally released in France as La Meilleure Façon de Marcher. It was the first feature-length effort of François Truffaut associate/disciple Claude Miller. Patrick Dewaere and Patrick Bouchitey head the cast as a pair of teenage summer-camp counselors. Despite their late-adolescent rivalries and sexual confusion, each of them achieves some sort of awakening. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Into a timeless, pastoral community, which lies along the river Fango, come two restless men on horseback, their heads filled with citified ideas and schemes. The men encounter the simple folk of the place, and start to make some friendships. However, when one of them wants to run off with a local girl, it causes big problems for them both. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Jane Birkin stars in this sex farce as a young British prostitute in Paris who, after her soft-core business fails, decides to go big-time and incorporate herself, selling stock to four disparate investors. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

The line between fantasy and reality is once more blurred in this Belgian/French drama about a professor of literature who develops an obsession with a beautiful woman he meets (or imagines meeting) in the woods. He has an affair with this woman, but before he can run off with her, his daughter, who is an object of his incestuous desire (as several daydream sequences make clear), kills the stranger. Perhaps, though, his daughter only kills his daydreams when she gets married. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide