Zabou Breitman Movies

A career politician walks a tightrope between ethics and ambition in this drama from filmmaker Pierre Schoeller. Bertrand Saint-Jean (Oliver Gourmet) is the French Minister of Transportation, a man who entered his career in public service as an idealist intending to use his position to help others and serve the people with honor. Years later, Saint-Jean has come to view politics as a matter of image and gamesmanship, and while he strives to rise above the more corrupt aspects of his profession, he's a man who often looks to how an action will benefit himself rather than the people. As Saint-Jean deals with the day-to-day particulars of his job, he's facing a larger issue -- a campaign to privatize France's train stations is afoot, and while Saint-Jean is convinced it's a bad idea that would have a negative impact for nation's rail system, he also believes who is perceived as the "winner" is just as important as what's the right thing to do. As Saint-Jean wrestles with the privatization issue, he's also reminded that he's neglecting his family as he confers with his assistant (Michel Blanc) and his working-class chauffeur (Sylvain Deble). The Minister (aka L'Exercice de l'Etat) received its world premiere at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

An unabashed paean to the pleasures of an illicit, adulterous love affair, this melodrama stars Gallic screen legend Daniel Auteuil (Sostiene Pereira) as Pierre, an elderly Frenchman. At the outset of the tale, Pierre's son, Adrien (Antonin Chalon) leaves wife Chloe (Florence Loiret-Caille) and their two daughters following an ongoing affair with a mistress. In response, Pierre whisks Chloe and the girls away to a cabin for a few days of consolation, then sits down with his daughter-in-law and recounts a series of events from his past. The film flashes back in time to Pierre's middle-aged years, when as a businessman he attempted to close a deal with a cadre of Chinese executives but couldn't quite manage to do so, given his constant distraction by the gorgeous (and much younger) translator at the meeting, Mathilde (Marie-Josee Croze). Though married, Pierre fell instantly into love and lust, and consented to a series of encounters with Mathilde that witnessed the partners meeting up in hotels around the globe, over the years, whenever time and circumstance permitted a convenient liaison. Unsurprisingly, this only prompted rage and sorrow from Pierre's abandoned wife (Christiane Millet), but it instilled little if any regret in Pierre, who still perceives his relationship with Mathilde as the greatest love story he has ever personally known. The passion-imbued recollections ultimately force the indignant Chloe to step back from her familial situation and reconsider Adrien's actions from a different angle. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Five random days in the lives of a French family, spread out over a dozen years, paint a telling picture of the ups and downs of human relationships in this comedy-drama from France. Robert Duval (Jacques Gamblin) is a taxi driver who is married to Marie-Jeanne (Zabou Breitman), who has shed the bohemian ways of her youth with the passage of time. Robert's father (Roger Dumas) has been generous enough to give his son the comfortable home he shares with Marie-Jeanne and their children, but that doesn't mean there's always a genuine respect between them. Robert and Marie-Jeanne have three children -- their eldest Albert (Pio Marmai) is struggling with the rigors of medical school when we first meet him, while Raphael (Marc-Andre Grondin) is a teen trying to decide what to do with his life and Fleur (Deborah Francois) is still learning to be comfortable with her femininity. Between 1988 and 2000, the Duval family finds themselves dealing with the sort of life changes that affect most families, seeming both typical and revelatory at the same time. Le Premier Jour Du Reste De Ta Vie (aka The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life) was the first French feature for writer and director Remi Bezancon after making his debut with the Quebecois picture C.R.A.Z.Y. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

An idyllic family vacation is unexpectedly thrown into jeopardy with the arrival of an amiable visitor whose casual disregard for the family mold causes a notable rift in the once-happy household in director Zabou Breitman's assured sophomore feature. Frédéric (Bernard Campan) is a middle-class father whose deep love for both his beautiful wife Frédérique (Léa Tucker) and their energetic son makes the perfect snapshot of modern contentment. Each day of their sun-soaked vacation seems to pass with the gentle flow of a refreshing breeze as the carefree trio swims, dines on the terrace, and simply enjoys their time together. When recently arrived neighbor Hugo (Charles Burling) drops by for a visit, good natured Frédéric generously invites the man to join his family for dinner. Their casual dinner conversation soon leading to the revelation that Hugo is gay, Frédéric and Hugo subsequently develop a warm friendship despite their drastically different lifestyles. In the days that follow, the deeply personal conversations between longtime monogamist Frédéric and free-thinking Hugo send the once-lazy family vacation into unexpectedly introspective territory as the sexually static father and husband gradually begins to question his longstanding beliefs about human relationships. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Two people looking for an answer to their problems with memory loss find love along the way in this comedy-drama from France. Claire (Isabelle Carre) is a woman in her early '30s whose mother recently passed on due to Alzheimer's Syndrome; in a bitterly ironic twist of fate, Claire was struck by lightning, and ever since her memory has begun to fade away. Needing help for her condition, Claire enters a special clinic for people with memory-loss problems. Located in a large house in the country, the clinic is supervised by Dr. Christian (Bernard Le Coq), a quirky physician who thinks none of his patients can tell he's having an affair with one of his assistants, Marie (Zabou Breitman). While at the clinic, Claire meets Philippe (Bernard Campan), a noted wine expert whose memory has begun to fail him. Claire and Philippe become infatuated with one another while at the clinic, and when the two are released, they decide to move in together. As they try to set up housekeeping, it becomes obvious that while Claire and Philippe have refused to give in to their condition, it is still having an unavoidable impact on their lives. Se Souvenir Des Belles Choses was the first feature film directed by noted actress Zabou Breitman, who also appears as Marie. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi