Samuel Labarthe Movies

Iran is a fixture in the news, but this documentary goes beyond current events and discusses a century in the Middle Eastern nation's history. Director Jean-Michel Vecchiet begins his coverage of Iran's past with the first oil drilling in 1908, and it covers times such as the Islamic Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, and the nation's attempts to become a nuclear power in the new millennium. Iran: The Hundred Year War pays particular attention to Iran's interaction with Western nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. ~ Kimber Myers, Rovi

A woman struggles to trust a man who has become her protector and benefactor in this French drama set during World War II. In 1940, as German troops invade France, Odile (Emmanuelle Béart), a woman who has recently lost her husband, is desperate to get her two children, Philippe (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet) and Cathy (Clémence Meyer), away from the fighting by heading south, though the roads are choked with others eager to do the same. When the road Odile is traveling is strafed by German bombs, she and her children abandon their car and take to the woods, where they are soon joined by Yvan (Gaspard Ulliel), a headstrong teenager who is also fleeing the advancing Nazi forces. Odile isn't certain the hot-headed young man is such a good traveling companion, but Philippe wants him around to help protect the family from the Germans, and he gives him his late father's watch as an inducement to stick around. Late one night, in need of rest, Yvan finds a huge abandoned house, and he and Odile quickly take it over. The house seems to be a safe haven, and the four travelers decide to stay for a while. Philippe finds a role model in Yvan, and lonely Odile finds herself drawn to him, though, with the passage of time, she becomes eager to learn more about his past, which he hesitates to discuss. Strayed (aka Les Égarés) was adapted from the novel The Boy With Grey Eyes by Gilles Perrault. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Valentin (also known as And Now...Ladies and Gentleman) is directed by Claude Lelouch and features Jeremy Irons as Valentin, a criminal mastermind whose jewel-stealing business, despite having made him rich, does not offer him much room for personal growth. Hoping to find meaning for his existence, Valentin buys a boat and sets off on a one-man sailing trip around the world, with the police at his heels. At the same time, a burned-out jazz singer named Jane (Patricia Kaas) is in Morocco trying to forget an ill-fated love affair. Valentin, after being struck by a serious illness, makes an emergency landing on the Moroccan coast. Jane soon crosses paths with the suave con artist, and they begin a relationship. Valentin, filmed in France, England, and Morocco, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. The supporting cast of Valentin includes Xavier Lecoeur, Romula Walker, and Laura Mayne-Kerbrat. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Can a man find true love with a woman who could easily do a lot better? Octave (Patrick Chesnais) would seem to fit most people's working definition of a loser -- even though he's over 50, he doesn't have a steady job, still lives with his mother (Micheline Presle), and spends most of his time with his friends Achille (Bernard Crombey) and Hector (Jean-Francois Balmer), with whom he plays in a none too impressive jazz combo. But Octave has self-confidence and charm to spare, and he decides to put them to work when he meets Esther (Alexandra Vandernoot). Octave is immediately smitten with Esther, though she's hardly taken with him at first, probably owing to the fact that he'd just run is car into hers. Esther is a successful artist about two decades Octave's junior, and she has a stylish flat and a handsome boyfriend (Samuel Labarthe), hardly needing someone like Octave in her life. But Octave isn't about to give up, and his willingness to do almost anything to get Esther's attention -- including jumping into the Seine -- eventually makes her warm to her curious new suitor. Charmant Garcon was the first feature directed by noted actor Patrick Chesnais, who also starred as Octave. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Arthur Rimbaud, the title character of this film, was a noted French poet who at the age 26 abandoned his profession to become a North African trader/wanderer. This epic biopic tells his strange and tragic tale. A rather depressive and tormented soul, Rimbaud began his adventures in the early 1800s in a coastal village in Abysinia (modern-day Ethiopia). He joined an expedition and began an arduous journey across the Sahara. During the entire trip, the morose Rimbaud said nothing. Upon reaching their final destination, Rimbaud is horrified to see that the streets are ruled by packs of wild dogs. He attempts to rectify this by poisoning the beasts, an act that makes him unwelcome amongst the locals. Next, Rimbaud begins working with a gun runner and sets off to sell arms to a powerful African ruler. A double cross spells tragedy for the poet. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this French drama, set during the last months of the Nazi occupation of Paris, a caring grandfather disguises the truth to protect his granddaughter who worships her absent father. Phillippine is only 8-years old. She lives with her dad and her grandparents. One night her father is executed by Nazi. He apparently does not die heroically. For reasons that are later revealed, Fernand, the grandfather who runs the Paris Zoo, does not tell Phillippine the truth. Instead he constructs and elaborate lie that has her believing her father is alive and has become a Resistance hero. Mid-way through the story, Phillippine finds the truth, but is advised by her grandmother to keep pretending she believes her grandpa's stories. It is at this point, that the reason's for Fernand's deceptions become clear. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Romane Bohringer plays a young pianist ekeing out a living in Nazi-occupied Paris. When her favorite coworker, singer (Yelena Safonova), relocates to London, Bohringer goes along, much to the discomfort of Safonova's possessive husband-manager. The latter role is played by Romane Bohringer's father, veteran character actor Richard Bohringer, a fact that adds several subliminal layers to the already multitextured storyline. Avoiding the cruder implications of its material, The Accompanist is a model of taste and decorum -- perhaps too much so. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi