Patrick Albenque Movies
- 2008
Filmmakers Erez Tadmor and Guy Nattiv expand their award-winning 2004 short into a feature length film tracing the unlikely romance between an Israeli kibbutznik and a Palestinian woman as the meet serendipitously on their way to the World Cup finals in Berlin. Eyal and Rana are two soccer fans who, despite being sworn enemies by birth, cannot deny the sparks that they feel after their bags get mistakenly swapped on the subway. In the three days that follow, these two disparate souls somehow manage to transcend the deep-rooted conflicts that have plagued their people for so long, and find true love in the chaos of world cup fever. Then, just as quickly as she appeared, Rana is gone. As news of a second Israeli-Lebanon war makes headlines, Eyal decides to throw caution to the wind and follow his true love back to Paris. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liron Levo, Lubna Azabal, (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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, (more)
A perverse, dark-humored comedy drama, Bitter Moon crosses the line into intentional camp more often than not in its tale of a kinky cripple Oscar (Peter Coyote) and his beautiful wife Mimi (Emmanuelle Seigner). Oscar ensnares a proper British man, Nigel (Hugh Grant) on an ocean-liner and makes him listen to the twisted tale of his relationship with Mimi (related in lengthy flashbacks) and how erotic obsession turned to homicidal hatred. Nigel is married to Fiona (Kristin Scott-Thomas), but is captivated by Mimi and listens to Oscar's grotesque stories because of his fascination. Naturally, the whole thing ends in tragedy, but it's wicked fun getting there, as director Roman Polanski paces the film quite well and the cast (particularly Coyote) is wonderful. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Emmanuelle Seigner, (more)
- 1992
- R
In this hectic farce, Louis Aubinard (Bob Hoskins) is at the bottom of every totem pole he's ever come near, a nebbish and unattractive man who makes a poor living as a photographer of religious tableaux. His sister doesn't respect him and deliberately cooks awful food just to makes his life more miserable. At work, he is in danger of losing his job if he can't find a suitable model for a Christ-on-the-cross photo. One of his friends (Jean-Pierre Cassel) asks him to fill in for him on a movie project, and without knowing what he's being asked to do, Louis agrees to help out. He is astonished to discover that he is to provide the voiced-over cries of orgasmic delight for a porn movie. His fellow dubber is a lovely woman named Sybil (Natasha Richardson), and together, they voice a world-shaking sexual climax for the movie. Sybil then asks the hapless Louis to do a favor for her, and once again, he agrees. He meets the actress' boyfriend (Jeff Goldblum) as he is being released from jail and simultaneously finds his model for the troublesome photo. Things become particularly frenetic when the addle-pated ex-con takes his holy image too much to heart and begins trying to work miracles. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Jeff Goldblum, (more)
- 1992
- PG
In this comedy, an actor masquerades as another more appealing man in hopes that his ex-wife will fall in love with him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Ally Sheedy, (more)
- 1990
- PG
Ian Bertram (Robert Lindsay) is a mathematical genius who works as an accountant for a multinational firm based in England. When he meets Cary Porter (Molly Ringwald), who recently started working for the same company, Ian immediately falls in love and quickly proposes marriage. Cary accepts, and they plan a modest wedding, but when Ian's accounting skills earn him the admiration of company head Herbert Dreuther (John Geilgud), Herbert offers to pay for a honeymoon in Monte Carlo and give them a ride back on his yacht. But while Mr. Dreuther means well, he has problems with his memory, and once Ian and Cary get to Monte Carlo, Herbert has forgotten all about them. Stuck at the hotel with a large bill that he can't afford, Ian works out a plan to win at roulette; his scheme works, and he earns enough to pay their bill, get them home, and have plenty left over. But his sudden success at the gambling tables makes Ian drunk with power, and Cary discovers that her new husband has turned into a power-hungry tyrant. Strike It Rich was adapted from the novel Loser Takes All by Graham Greene; it has been shown under the novel's title, as well as under the title Money Talks. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lindsay, Molly Ringwald, (more)
