Guillaume Gallienne Movies
Abandoned by the world and left to fend for himself as the Nazis continue their march across Europe, one-time bohemian turned Catholic convert Max Jacob finds help coming from the most unlikely of places as he awaits the train that will take him to a Concentration camp. The year is 1944, and as the Gestapo storm the abbey of Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire to arrest the Max Jacob (Jean-Claude Brialy), it appears as if the homosexual Jew who had previously rubbed elbows with Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau during the Bateau-Lavoir years will now become just another victim of Hitler's murderous regime. Later, as Jacob sits in Drancy awaiting deportation, a young orphan whom he had once saved from the streets sets out to return the favor by any means necessary. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Claude Brialy, Dominique Blanc, (more)
A lonely orphaned princess makes the acquaintance of a kindly unicorn whose friendship helps the struggling girl to finally realize what true happiness is all about in this animated children's fantasy from premiere French children's author Grégoire Solotareff and filmmaker Serge Elissalde. Mona (Isild Le Besco) lives a lonely existence in a crumbling castle on the shores of the sea -- where she is cruelly mistreated by a pair of bullying rats. Just as it seems that Mona will never find her place in the world, a coltish unicorn named U (Vahina Giocante) appears before her and claiming that it is her duty to set Mona down the path of happiness. Over the course of the next few years, Mona and U become the very best of friends. When Mona blossoms into a charming preteen and U returns home one day with a playful lizard named Lazare (Guillaume Gallienne), Mona fast becomes friends with both the congenial reptile and his family -- a boisterous group of musicians who reside in a nearby tree. When the rats voice their displeasure at the company of Mona's new guests and the newly empowered princess finally stands her ground against the tyrannical rodents, the once quiet castle soon becomes a place of happiness and merriment. As love begins to blossom between Mona and guitarist Kulka, U ponders an uncertain future now that her selfless mission in life is finally complete. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vahina Giocante, Isild Le Besco, (more)
A fresh-faced orphan from the provinces labors away at the last old-fashioned café on Avenue Montaigne as the Paris theater elite prepare for the biggest night of the year in Jet Lag director Danièle Thompson's whirlwind comedy of intersecting lives. Jessica (Cécile De France) may have been orphaned at the tender age of four, but her doting grandmother (Suzanne Flon) did her best to bring the motherless girl up right. A one-time ladies' room attendant at The Ritz, Jessica's grandmother was a woman well known for her extraordinary taste. Upon arriving in Paris to work as a waitress at a modest café nestled between a renowned concert hall, a venerable theater, and a high-profile auction house, Jessica soon finds herself interacting with a curious cross section of the thriving entertainment industry. As rehearsals for the upcoming shows get under way and Jessica is assigned the task of delivering food to the hardworking actors and low-earning stagehands, she soon discovers that even the most famous of people are often forced to make difficult decisions in life.
Jean-François Lefort (Albert Dupontel) is a classical pianist whose devoted wife has him booked at venues across Europe for the next six years. As the free-spirited musician struggles to eschew the formality of his upcoming concert appearance, self-made businessman Jacques Grumberg (Claude Brasseur) takes time out from his May-December romance and his stressful medical treatment in order to auction off a collection that he has been building his entire life and reach out to his estranged intellectual son, Frédéric (Christopher Thompson). Meanwhile, back on the theater front, popular television actress Catherine Versen (Valérie Lemercier) prepares to star in a farcical play, a famous American film director (Sydney Pollack) begins auditioning actors for an upcoming film about Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, and a cheerful concierge on the verge of retirement (Dani) enjoys her final stint rubbing elbows with the biggest and brightest stars in Paris. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Jean-François Lefort (Albert Dupontel) is a classical pianist whose devoted wife has him booked at venues across Europe for the next six years. As the free-spirited musician struggles to eschew the formality of his upcoming concert appearance, self-made businessman Jacques Grumberg (Claude Brasseur) takes time out from his May-December romance and his stressful medical treatment in order to auction off a collection that he has been building his entire life and reach out to his estranged intellectual son, Frédéric (Christopher Thompson). Meanwhile, back on the theater front, popular television actress Catherine Versen (Valérie Lemercier) prepares to star in a farcical play, a famous American film director (Sydney Pollack) begins auditioning actors for an upcoming film about Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, and a cheerful concierge on the verge of retirement (Dani) enjoys her final stint rubbing elbows with the biggest and brightest stars in Paris. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cécile De France, Valérie Lemercier, (more)
Writer and director Sofia Coppola puts a new spin on the life and times of one of Europe's most infamous monarchs in this lavish historical drama which fuses a contemporary sensibility with painstaking recreations of the look of the 18th century. Born to Austrian nobility, Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst) is only 14 years old when she's pledged to marry Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman), the 15-year-old king of France, in an alliance that has everything to do with politics and nothing to do with love. Sent to France and literally stripped of her former life, Marie weds Louis, but to the consternation of the royal court, he seems either unwilling or unable to consummate the marriage while their advisors clamor for an heir to the throne. Young and more than a bit out of step with the new life that's been thrust upon her, Marie gives herself over to the pleasures of life in Versailles, knowing and caring little of the political intrigue that surrounds her. In time, Marie's trusted older brother, Joseph (Danny Huston), is brought in to coach Louis on the finer points of marital relations, and before long the couple is finally blessed with a child. However, as Marie tends to her children in the gilded cage of her palace and enjoys an affair with a Swedish nobleman, political power plays are throwing France into chaos, and the growing ranks of the poor rebel against the royals and their life of privilege. Also starring Rip Torn, Judy Davis, Steve Coogan, and Asia Argento, Marie Antoinette was given a controversial reception when it premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, (more)
A man of principle is led down a sinister path in the name of patriotism in this drama co-written by the legendary political filmmaker Costa Gravas. Colonel DuPlan is a powerful but elderly officer in the French military who is found murdered in his flat after appearing on a television talk show in which he roundly criticizes the current French administration. Lt. Galois (Cecile de France) is a police detective who is part of the team investigating DuPlan's murder, and when a package of letters from one of DuPlan's former underlings arrives at the police station, Galois is ordered to read them and see if they contain any useful information. Lt. Guy Rossi (Robinson Stevenin) served under DuPlan (Olivier Gourmet) as France was at war with Algeria; while Rossi questions the wisdom of effectiveness of the conflict, DuPlan is a gung-ho officer who believes France must lead by any means necessary. Through a combination of intimidation and flattery, DuPlan wins Rossi over to his side and turns him into a valued aide who will do nearly anything to serve his leaders -- including torturing prisoners, killing adversaries, and violating the laws of war. Also starring Charles Aznavour, Mon Colonel (aka The Colonel) was the first feature-length directorial credit for Laurent Herbiet. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Olivier Gourmet, Robinson Stévenin, (more)
- Starring:
- Guillaume Canet, Zabou Breitman, (more)
Directed by Gérard Krawczyk, Fanfan la Tulipe is a remake of the classic 1952 swashbuckling satire by French director Christian-Jaque. Set in the 18th century, Vincent Perez plays the title role of the seductive swordsman Fanfan, who flees his home in order to avoid a forced marriage. A gypsy girl named Adeline (Penelope Cruz) tricks him into joining the army of King Louis XV (Didier Bourdon) by telling him that if he fights, he will get to marry one of the king's daughters. In addition to producing, Luc Besson co-wrote the adapted screenplay. Fanfan la Tulipe premiered at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Perez, Penélope Cruz, (more)
A boy from a broken home finds a friend in an insular, spiritual shopkeeper in this period drama from writer/director François Dupeyron. Set in 1960s Paris, Monsieur Ibrahim et les Fleurs du Coran revolves around Momo (Pierre Boulanger), a young man who lives alone with his father in the bustling Rue Bleu district. Still smarting over the separation from his wife and other son, Momo's dad neglects his son in ways both minor and major, to the point where the teen spends most of his time out of school alone and isolated. He finds an unlikely ally in Monsieur Ibrahim (Omar Sharif), a Muslim shopkeeper who spends most of his days behind the counter of his store reading the Koran. As time passes, Momo and Ibrahim begin to bring each other out of his respective shell, sharing a series of everyday adventures, culminating in Momo's indoctrination into Ibrahim's faith. Monsieur Ibrahim et les Fleurs du Coran played the Toronto and Venice film festivals; at the latter, Sharif was given a lifetime achievement award for this and the rest of his career's work. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Omar Sharif, Pierre Boulanger, (more)













