Noémie Lenoir Movies
Like many others before her -- from Elle MacPherson to Gisele Bündchen -- French supermodel Noémie Lenoir took the leap from modeling to acting after gracing innumerable magazine spreads and European catwalks. Lenoir is of Malagasy descent; her mother hailed from the island of Réunion in the West Indian Ocean -- which accounts for the actress-model's dark-skinned complexion and slightly exotic look. One of her first significant film outings consisted of a small role the Gallic adventure sequel Astérix et Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre (2002). Lenoir achieved recognition among U.S. audiences with the 2007 action comedy Rush Hour 3, thanks in no small part to the film's Parisian setting; in that Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker vehicle, she played Genevieve, the star attraction at a French nightclub. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
In this third installment of the popular action comedy franchise, LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) and Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) book a flight for Europe and prepare to clean up the streets of Paris after discovering that Chinese triads have extended their criminal influence to the City of Lights. Chinese Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma) is in Los Angeles and about to reveal the details of a clandestine triad conspiracy to the World Criminal Court when an assassin takes aim and pulls the trigger. Though Carter has been demoted to directing traffic at the time of the shooting, Lee is acting as a bodyguard to Han when the bullets begin to fly. Lee quickly gives chase, but hesitates when he realizes that the gunman is Kenji (Hiroyuki Sanada), his old friend from the orphanage. When triads steal an envelope containing vital information regarding the conspiracy from Soo Yung's (Zhang Jingchu) Chinatown kung fu studio, Carter and Chief Inspector Lee race to reach Genevieve (Noémie Lenoir), an underground entertainer who could prove the key to bagging the bad guys. During the course of their investigation, however, triads clash with the French police, threatening to turn the romance capitol of Europe into an explosive hotbed of crime and violence. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, (more)
- 2002
Based on the original '60s French comic books by René Goscinny, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre is the big-budget sequel to the 1999 box-office hit Astérix and Obélix vs. Caesar. Empress Cleopatra (Monica Bellucci) makes a wager with Julius Caesar (played by writer/director Alain Chabat) that her people can build a beautiful palace in three months. She chooses architect Numerobis (Jamel Debbouze) for the project, which must be completed in time or he will be fed to the crocodiles. Numerobis travels to Gaul to get help from the superpowered Panoramix (Claude Rich) and the warriors Astérix (Christian Clavier) and Obélix (Gérard Depardieu), along with their faithful pet Dogmatix. They use their magic potion to make the Egyptian slave-labor population into superheroes, thereby building the palace in no time. Meanwhile, the angry architect Amonbofis (Gérard Darmon) and Julius Caesar don't want to see them succeed. At the time of its release, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre was the most expensive French film ever made, with a budget of $50 million. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Christian Clavier, (more)
