Dominique Michel Movies
Director Denys Arcand revisits the situations and relationships that informed his international breakthrough The Decline of the American Empire with this dialogue-driven character study. Set 17 years after Decline, The Barbarian Invasions, like its predecessor, examines the varying politics -- economic, personal, and sexual -- at play among an aging group of friends, lovers, and ex-spouses. This time around, leads Remy (Rémy Girard) and Louise (Dorothee Berryman) are divorced, with their son Sebastien (Stéphane Rousseau) living in capitalist splendor in London. But the slightly estranged family is brought together by Remy's losing battle with terminal cancer, and the hedonistic, ex-radical father and straight-laced son have to overcome their differences. Along the way, Remy waxes nostalgic with many of the same pals who made up the dinner party of the first film. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rémy Girard, Stéphane Rousseau, (more)
- 1999
A sequel to the popular Quebecois comedy It's Your Turn, Laura, in this go-round, protagonist Laura (Ginette Reno), a rotund middle-aged woman, celebrates her birthday on an ocean cruise with her gossiping girlfriends. Once on board, the romantic intrigue begins. Laura is wooed by the ship's debonair captain, while her friend Lucille makes a valiant go for the extremely gay Oscar. Meanwhile, Laura's other friend Alice tries to shack up with almost everyone while avoiding bumptious butcher Albert. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ginette Reno, Pierrette Robitaille, (more)
- 1994
Be careful what you wish for...it just may come true. This is the underlying theme of this French-Canadian comedy drama that follows the travails of a TV addict who wins a talent contest and finds himself the subject of an embarrassingly revealing television series. Louis Jobin is a rather depressive young salesman who works in an electronics store. At night he is a passionate channel surfer, sitting upon his couch staring at his television. When Channel 19 announces a talent contest. Louis immediately enters. The contest winner will become the subject of a TV show with Channel 19 filming every movement, 24 hours a day for three months. Louis wins the contest and is at first elated by his prize but then begins to feel otherwise after he becomes a celebrity. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Drainville, Agathe de la Fontaine, (more)
- 1988
Immigrants from Quebec travel to the Eastern United States to work for French industrialists in this historical drama. Gratien Gelinas plays a venerable Quebecois who recalls in 1988 the era from 1907 to 1920 in a series of flashbacks. He compares the modern computer age with the steadily growing industrial era of the early 20th century. An all-star cast of French and Canadian thespians participate in this miniseries as the Quebecois deal with love, life, politics, and war. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliette Huot, Gratien Gelinas, (more)
- 1987
Marcel (Gilles Maheu) emerges from prison in hopes of a reconciliation with his dying father Albert (Roger Le Bel) in this thrilling crime drama. Raped in prison, Marcel encounters a homosexual cop involved with drug smuggling who presses him for information and sex. Marcel fights his way out of the cop's lecherous advances and is reunited with his father. The two catch up on old times on a fishing trip, and Albert reveals he has both money and cocaine stashed away for Marcel's return. Marcel and his homosexual cellmate later corner the crooked cops in a sleazy hotel to exact revenge. Julie (Lynne Adams) is Marcel's former girlfriend who works in a sex club peep show. Gay and straight scenes of rough sex permeate this film which marks the directorial debut of Jean-Claude Lauzon. The film took home Genie awards (Canada's answer to the Oscar) for "Best Film," "Best Actor," "Best Supporting Actor," and "Best Director" in 1988. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roger Le Bel, Gilles Maheu, (more)
- 1986
- R
- Add The Decline of the American Empire to QueueAdd The Decline of the American Empire to top of Queue
A rousing "he said/she said" endeavor, The Decline of the American Empire begins by separating the boys from the girls. Preparing a gourmet dinner, four male intellectuals begin trading stories of their sexual experiences. At the same time, four well-read women, all working out in a gym, exchange their own tales from the love front. The film is set in the lofty circles of academia, a world well known to Canadian director Denys Arcand. The anecdotes related herein are based on actual events in the lives of Arcand's professorial friends. There's nothing bookish, however, about the subject matter of the stories themselves, which ranges from mild philandering to S & M. The Decline of the American Empire was the winner of eight Canadian Genie awards (that's the above-the-border equivalent of the Oscar), including Best Picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Curzi, Rémy Girard, (more)
- 1973
This Quebecois Canadian comedy builds on the confusion and mayhem that are unleashed when Sam, who is cursed by having an overly active and imaginative brother-in-law, tells a lie about why he was late coming in to his bank-teller job. One thing leads to another, and eventually even the high and mighty of Montreal find themselves affected by the proliferating confusion and chaos. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Nowhere is the sharp divide between the English and French-speaking Canadians more clearly brought home than in this Canadian/French comedy. The filmmakers are clearly on the pro-French side of the Canadian language wars. A couple from Quebec decide to take a vacation with their two children all the way west through Canada, to the city of Vancouver. The husband is from France, and does not understand the tensions and difficulties the wife expects to face. By the end of the journey, however, he takes the witless incomprehension of English speakers sufficiently for granted to freely join his wife in insulting his Vancouver hosts in French. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
