Johan Libereau Movies
- 2008
Two women are caught in a rivalry over the love of a child in this period drama, loosely adapted from a short story by Gustave Flaubert. Felicite (Sandrine Bonnaire) is a passionate woman eager to find love, and when her ardor scares off her boyfriend Theodore (Pascal Elbe), she takes a job as a domestic, working for wealthy Madame Aubain (Marina Fois). Aubain is a frail and troubled woman raising two children, Paul (Antoine Olivera) and Clemence (Melissa Dima); Felicite develops a close bond with the children, who in turn show her the sort of unconditional affection she's always longed for. Aubain, however, becomes deeply jealous of Felicite's warm relationship with the youngsters, and insists on criticizing her in their presence. Aubain, who is romantically involved with the children's music teacher (Thibault Vincon), finally decides to cut off the friendship between Felicite and teenaged Clemence (Marthe Guerin) by sending her daughter away to a private boarding school. Clemence's absence is a heavy blow to Felicite, and while she tries to fill the hole in her life by looking after her nephew, she never fully recovers from the loss. Un Coeur Simple (aka A Simple Heart) was the first feature film from director Marion Lane, who previously distinguished herself as an actress. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sandrine Bonnaire, Marina Fois, (more)
The early days of the AIDS crisis in France provides the backdrop for this powerful, life-affirming drama from writer and director André Téchiné. It's 1984, and Mehdi (Sami Bouajila) is a police detective who, unbeknownst to his wife Sarah (Emmanuelle Béart), is a bisexual who has occasional trysts with men. Mehdi and Sarah are proud parents of a new baby, but to Mehdi's chagrin, Sarah doesn't seem the least bit concerned about her responsibilities as a mom. Manu (Johan Libereau) is a handsome young man who shares a flat with his sister Julie (Julie Depardieu), who is struggling to make a career as an opera singer. And Adrien (Michel Blanc) is a middle-aged doctor and close friend of Sarah who occasionally picks up younger men in the park, and nearly seduces Manu one evening. Adrien joins Sarah and Mehdi for an idyllic weekend at the beach, where Manu once again crosses his path; however, Manu also meets Mehdi when he saves the detective from drowning, and the two soon become lovers. Several months later, Manu has discovered he's contracted a strange and deadly new disease doctors are calling AIDS, which has a dramatic impact on many of the people he knows. Mehdi has confessed his infidelity to Sarah, and they wait to find out if they also have AIDS, while Adrien is devoting most of his days to treating Manu and other young men who are wasting away under the effects of the illness, and Julie helps to care for her dying brother. The Witnesses (aka Les Témoins) received its premiere at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michel Blanc, Emmanuelle Béart, (more)
A trio of French teens experiences a love that will change their lives forever in this erotic coming-of-age tale from director Anthony Cordier. Mickael's (Johan Libereau) obsession with Judo often helps him to focus his frustrations in life, but when he's alone with longtime girlfriend, Vanessa (Salomée Stevenin), his guard fades, leaving a loving and easygoing boyfriend where the aggressive martial artist used to be. Clément (Pierre Perrier) is the new kid in town with a similar obsession with Judo and a pair of nouveau riche parents who stand in stark contrast to Mickael's working class mother and father. When the pair bond over an upcoming tournament and Clément helps Mickael to lose some weight for the meet, Vanessa is hesitant to accept the outspoken newcomer. As the bond between Mickael and Clément strengthens, Vanessa's increasingly complex role in the pair's friendship leads the trio through a series of sacrifices and emotional revelations that will result in a profoundly affecting sexual encounter for all three conflicted teens. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johan Libereau, Salomée Stevenin, (more)
Gerard Depardieu and Jean Reno headline this comedic chase film about a pair of escaped convicts with two very different goals. Ruby (Reno) is a criminal with real gusto; in addition to stealing a crime boss' wife, he also made off with most of the gangster's cash. He almost got away with it, too. Now serving hard time for his bold crime, Ruby runs into Quentin (Depardieu), a desperate inmate with a brilliant escape plan. Before long, Ruby and Quentin are back on the outside. But they're hardly free; the cops are searching high and low for the fleeing convicts, and Ruby has a high price on his head. All Quentin wants is to maintain a low profile and open a coffee-house, but Ruby won't be happy until he's taken revenge on the criminal who had him incarcerated. Perhaps with a little look, both men will get what they're after. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Jean Reno, (more)
