Michel Bouquet Movies

Well into his sixties, iconoclast director Bertrand Blier continued to provoke Cannes audiences with this absurdist sex comedy in 2003. Les Côtelettes profiles the antics of two aging friends/antagonists who battle for the affections of one's maid. Leonce (Philippe Noiret) and Potier (Michel Bouquet) are polar opposites: the former a liberal member of the bourgeoisie, complete with a well-groomed son and an attractive mistress; the latter, a curmudgeonly right-wing ne'er-do-well who lives to upset the status quo. When Leonce's housekeeper Nacifa (Farida Rahouadj) enters the picture, the two become rivals, each attempting to bed her -- but both find themselves equally drawn to the attractive specter of Death (Catherine Hiegel) that appears before them. Les Côtelettes began life as Blier's stage play before the director committed it to the big screen. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

When the grown-up children of a missing parent are reunited with their father, they discover it raises more questions than it answers in a well-crafted mood piece from writer/director Anne Fontaine. Jean-Luc (Charles Berling) is a well-to-do physician whose practice is devoted to older patients, many of whom are forced to confront their fears about death. While Jean-Luc is used to dealing with such issues, they come home for him one day when he learns that his father has died. The news prompts Jean-Luc to look back at his younger days, and his difficult relationship with his dad, Maurice (Michel Bouquet), who ran out on his family when Jean-Luc was a boy and returned after he'd grown to adulthood with few explanations about where he'd gone (he became a volunteer physician in the Third World) and why he left his wife and children behind. Growing up in an air of uncertainty has had an impact on Jean-Luc's relationship with his wife Isa (Natacha Regnier); neither is certain of how to reach out to one another, and Jean-Luc sometimes seeks comfort in the arms of Myriem (Amira Casar), an assistant in his office. Maurice's absence also took its toll on Jean-Luc's brother, Patrick (Stephane Guillon), who deals with his anxieties by pursuing a career as a comic, while earning his keep as Jean-Luc's driver. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A troubled young woman goes in search of the father she never knew in this French drama. In 1979, Elisa (Florence Thomassin) is an unhappy and unstable woman who -- after trying to strangle her two year old daughter Marie -- kills herself on Christmas Eve. Sixteen years later, Marie (Vanessa Paradis) has grown into a young woman with more than her share of problems; she's wise beyond her years when it comes to men, and she lies as often as she tells the truth. With her friends Solange (Clotilde Courau) and Ahmed (Sekkou Sall), Marie makes her way through a variety of small-time confidence games, but she's obsessed with discovering the identity of her father, who abandoned her after the death of her mother years before. After intimidating a number of civil service workers, Marie learns that her father is Jacques Desmoulins (Gerard Depardieu), a successful but reclusive songwriter who lives on a small island where he uses alcohol to keep him company. Marie makes her way to Jacques' island in the hope of getting even with the man she blames for many of her troubles. Leading lady Vanessa Paradis is also a successful pop singer in Europe. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Produced by French New Wave founder Claude Chabrol, The Eye of Vichy is an extraordinary 110-minute account of Nazi-occupied France during World War II. The film, narrated by Brian Cox, documents the pro-Nazi sentiments of Marshall Petain's Vichy regime and its efforts to spread propaganda against both the Allied Forces and the Jews. Authentic newsreels, advertisements, and feature-film footage produced by the Nazis and their collaborators make the documentary chillingly real. The black-and-white production contains English subtitles and commentary. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, Rovi

In the film, Helen (Laure Dechasnel), a married woman, leaves Paris for Zurich after breaking up with her lover. Near the border, a fellow passenger, mistakenly takes her passport. This sets up a situation which plunges her into the midst of international intrigue, a violent struggle between multinational corporations abetted by national secret agencies. This production features such international stars as Joesph Cotten, Donald Pleasence, Dennis Hopper and Bruno Cremer. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In this French farce, a wealthy young boy decides to teach his father a lesson by buying a man and employing him as his living plaything. The film was later remade in America and called The Toy, starring Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Living a dismal life taking care of his uncommunicative and nearly blind father, Vincent (Fabrice Luchini), a sculptor, tries to make life better for himself but fails for a variety of reasons. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In this broad, slapstick crime comedy, a trio of burglars rob the wrong apartment, but decide to hold the inhabitants hostage over the weekend, until they can get to the bank to cash a check written by their captive. Things don't work out smoothly, and they have to flee to the countryside. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Hélène (Lea Massari) has a lovely family, and lovely children. She is not discontented with things just as they are: her young lover is attentive, her husband is pleasant -- all is just as it should be. In this French suspense film, Hélène's cozy life begins to unravel when she finds her lover is dead. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi