Paul Bandey Movies
A down-on-his-luck illusionist befriends a pretty admirer, and finds that his constant quest to impress her may be his ultimate downfall in this animated fable based on an original screenplay by Jacques Tati and directed by Sylvain Chomet. Now that the theaters and large performance venues have been taken over by rock bands and pop singers, the illusionist has been forced to ply his trade at small gatherings in bars, cafés, and basements in order earn a living. One day, while performing in a small Scottish pub located on a remote island that has only recently been wired for electricity, the illusionist encounters a young girl named Alice, who is captivated by his otherworldly abilities. Alice believes that the downtrodden performer possesses genuine supernatural powers, and agrees to accompany him on a trip to Edinburgh, where he's scheduled to perform at a modest, out-of-the-way theater. Her affection and enthusiasm inspire the illusionist, who in turn uses his talent to lavish her with a series of extravagant gifts. Unable to muster the courage to tell his starry-eyed admirer the truth about his trade, the illusionist continues giving until he's got nothing more to offer. This picture marked Chomet's first following the 2003 arthouse smash The Triplets of Belleville. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eilidh Rankin, Jean-Claude Donda, (more)
It's hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys in this slick, densely plotted thriller from France. Cash (Jean Dujardin) is a suave and well-mannered outlaw who specializes in grand-scale heists that turn on carefully constructed confidence games as much as muscle. When Cash's brother and partner in crime Solal (Clovis Cornillac) is killed by members of a rival outfit who try to force their way into a carefully planned heist, Cash assembles a new crew to rob the gunmen for their ill-gotten gains. Cash joins forces with Maxime Dubreuil (Jean Reno), a gifted veteran thief who brings along his beautiful protégé Garance (Alice Taglioni). As Cash, Maxime and Garance map out plans for the robbery of a lifetime, they're joined by Julia (Valeria Golino), a beautiful woman with a full compliment of criminal skills. But what they don't know is that Julia is actually an undercover police officer who is looking to shut down Cash's operation from the inside. Cash was written and directed by Eric Besnard; it was his second feature as director after establishing himself as one of France's leading screenwriters. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean Dujardin, Jean Reno, (more)
An international assassin known only as Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant) carries out high-profile hits for a mysterious organization known only as "The Agency" in this adaptation of the popular Eidos Interactive video-game series. Agent 47 is an elite, genetically engineered assassin who takes great pride in his work. His lethal grace, steady shot, and unparalleled precision have all served to make him one of the most sought-after assassins in the world. But when the killer without a conscience is faced with an unanticipated series of developments, his entire perception of reality begins to shift. On assignment to take out Russian head of state Belicoff (Ulrich Thomsen), Agent 47 is caught off guard by the appearance of presidential look-alikes. When the high-profile hit captures the attention of such powerful intelligence organizations as the CIA and Interpol, agent Mike Whittier (Dougray Scott) is dispatched to rein Agent 47 in. Meanwhile, a mysterious Russian prostitute named Nika (Olga Kurylenko) has walked into Agent 47's life, causing the methodical killer to become overwhelmed by emotions that were previously foreign to him. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, (more)
