Jean-Jacques Beineix Movies
French director Jean-Jacques Beineix is best-known for making two of the most provocative films of the 1980s, Diva (1982) and 37.2 le matin (Betty Blue, 1986). Dark, haunting, and filled with substantial helpings of violence and/or sex, both films were great successes in France, winning a number of awards and a degree of cinematic immortality for their director.Born in Paris' 17th arrondissement on October 8, 1946, Beineix took an interest in cinema at a young age. After discovering the medium through repeated viewings of old 16mm films at a local cinema club, he began making 8mm shorts with his friends when he was 16. In 1970, Beineix began his career as an assistant director for Jean-Louis Trintignant and Claude Berri; a few years later, he started writing scripts, and in 1977 he made his directorial debut with Le Chien De Monsieur Michel, a well-received short.
Four years later, Beineix directed his first feature-length film, Diva. A heavily-stylized, labyrinthine thriller revolving around the relationship between a famous opera singer and a young mail carrier, the film won international critical acclaim and a number of Césars, including a Best First Film prize for Beineix.
After making the less celebrated La Lune Dans le Caniveau, a moody romantic drama starring Gérard Depardieu and Natassja Kinski, Beineix scored again with 37.2 le matin, or Betty Blue, as it was known in the U.S. A stylish erotic drama centering on the destructive, obsessive relationship between a handyman (Jean-Hugues Anglade) and a wild and almost constantly naked young woman (Beatrice Dalle), it was one of the most talked-about films of 1986. It earned a number of international accolades, including an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
None of Beineix's subsequent work has come close to approximating the critical and popular success of Diva and 37.2 le matin. One of his films, the adventure drama IP5: L'Île aux Pachydermes (1991), had the distinction of being Yves Montand's last project, while Otaku (1994), was an interesting documentary about young Japanese men who prefer the "reality" of cyberspace to that of the outside world. The director's screen work during the 1990s was sporadic, and he concentrated much of his energy on such offscreen projects as his presidency of the ARP (an association for writers, directors, and producers) and his efforts to protect European film from North American cultural hegemony. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Director Anne Feinsilber offers an impressionistic look at the life, legend and lasting influence of a legendary outlaw in this documentary. Born William Henry McCarty and later known as William H. Bonney, Billy the Kid was a petty thief who later joined up with a gang of outlaws and horse thieves, and developed a reputation as a bloodthirsty gunman (which history suggests wasn't truly deserved) when he was shot and killed in 1881 by Pat Garrett, a New Mexico sheriff who knew Billy from his earlier career as a bartender. Billy the Kid's life quickly became the stuff of legend, and filmmaker Feinsilber travels to New Mexico in search of the elusive truth about the outlaw, as well as learning what he means to others. While comparing Billy to such existential poets as Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, the film also looks into the facts of his life as researched Tom Sullivan, a lawman and western history buff in New Mexico. The film also features interviews with Kris Kristofferson and Rudy Wurlitzer, respectively the star and screenwriter of Sam Peckinpah's film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid as they discuss Billy the Kid as a cultural metaphor and counterculture icon. Requiem for Billy the Kid received its world premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2001
An analyst discovers just how troublesome his most difficult patient can be in this darkly witty comedy drama. Michel Durand (Jean-Hughes Anglade) is a divorced psychiatrist in his early forties with a successful practice in Paris. One of his patients is Olga Kubler (Helene de Fougerolles), the beautiful wife of a prominent business man with a less than scrupulous past. Olga is dealing with a number of interwoven neuroses, including a strong taste for painful, degrading sex and a compulsive habit of stealing things. Olga has already used Durand as an alibi when questioned by the police about the theft of some valuable jewels, and while Durand told the authorities that Olga was in consultation with him at the time of the robbery, the truth is he's not sure where she was and imagines she's probably guilty. Durand is also afraid to admit that he's become quite bored with Olga's stories about her unconventional sexual liaisons, and one day as she goes on about her favorite subject, he falls asleep. A few minutes later, Durand wakes up, and discovers Olga is dead. Durand has no idea what happened to Olga and isn't sure what to do with the body, but he's too frightened to call the police, so he tries to hide her in his office. Soon, Durand finds himself followed by a mysterious stranger (Miki Manojlovic), dumped by his increasingly suspicious girlfriend (Valentina Sauca), and bothered by Olga's husband (Yves Reiner), who insists the doctor find some valuables that Olga stole from him. Mortel Transfert was the first dramatic feature in eight years from director Jean-Jacques Beineix, who previously helmed the international hits Diva and Betty Blue. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Hugues Anglade, Hélène de Fougerolles, (more)
- 1994
This interesting French documentary examines the Japanese phenomenon of the "otaku," the obsessed young men who prefer the virtual reality of home computers to the outside world. The otaku pursue their hobbies to the exclusion of all else. One of the most popular hobbies is the collection of pictures of "idols," sexy young female stars. So obsessed are these men by the computer images, that they find it almost impossible to relate to real women. Another hobby is the collection of miniature dolls which are based on photographs of beautiful young school girls. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In this French adventure, two Parisian street kids embark upon a strange journey to Grenoble in the back of a delivery truck. One of the lads is an adolescent Spanish graffiti artist while the other is an 11-year-old black rapper. Once there, the young boy is delighted to see his first snowfall. The two steal a car and discover an old man sleeping in the back. The boys then discover, that he is not a man at all, but an enigmatic forest spirit who teaches them important lessons about nature and life. This was the last film of classic French actor Yves Montand, who died of heart failure (as did his character in the film) during the shooting in 1991. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yves Montand, Olivier Martinez, (more)
- 1989
Isabelle Pasco and Gerard Sandoz play an impressionable young couple living in Marseilles. Both husband and wife are mesmerized by the lions in the city zoo, the wife in particular. The husband goes so far as to take a job at the zoo so as to be nearer the animals. Fired from his position, the husband takes the wife to another town, where they continue their vicarious love affair with lions in a circus. Roselyne et Les Lions is a typically out-of-mainstream effort by Jean-Jacques Beineix, the auteur of Diva and Betty Blue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isabelle Pasco, Gerard Sandoz, (more)
Jean-Jacques Beineix's Betty Blue stars Béatrice Dalle as the title character, a mentally unbalanced and sexually aggressive free spirit who becomes involved with Zorg (Jean-Hugues Anglade), a repairman moonlighting as a writer. The two engage in a variety of sexual encounters, and grow more passionate toward each other. Betty finds Zorg's book and is aggressively supportive; over time, her mental and emotional instability begin to catch up with her and drive her to the point of romantic obsession with Zorg -- leading to a grisly and shocking conclusion. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Hugues Anglade, Béatrice Dalle, (more)
- 1983
Filmmaker Jean-Jacques Beineix followed up the surprise international success of his first feature, Diva, with this stylish but downbeat drama. Gerard (Gerard Depardieu) is a dock worker who becomes an emotional wreck following the rape and suicide of his sister. As his relationships with his girlfriend Bella (Victoria Abril), his drunken brother, and his depressive father begin to decay, Gerard becomes obsessed with finding the man who attacked his sister and spends most of his nights lurking about the scene of the crime. In time, Gerard makes the acquaintance of Loretta (Nastassja Kinski), who cruises by the waterfront every evening in a red sports car. Desperate to pull himself out of his emotional doldrums, Gerard becomes involved with Loretta. Bella, however, is not at all happy about this, and she convinces a pair of strong-arm men to teach him a lesson. Gerard must now decide if he wants to be with Loretta or Bella, just as he's discovered evidence that may reveal who raped his sister. La Lune Dans Le Caniveau received uneven reviews on its initial release and won a French Cesar Award for its production design. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Nastassja Kinski, (more)
The diva of the title is a famous black opera singer (Wilhelmina Wiggins-Fernandez) who steadfastly refuses to be recorded. The singer is idolized by young French mail-carrier Jules (Frederic Andrei), who sneaks a tape recorder into the theater and records her performance. This is witnessed by a pair of Taiwanese criminals, who unlike Andrei wish to profit from the bootlegged recording. They begin to pursue the boy, as do a couple of home-grown hooligans who believe that Jules is in possession of some murder evidence. The serpentine plot leads to a warm friendship between Jules and the reclusive diva - and to a brilliantly photographed (by Philipe Rousselot) motorcycle chase through the subway tunnels of Paris. Diva marked the directorial debut of Jean-Jacques Beineix, whose obvious fondness for the more esoteric techniques of the Nouvelle Vague never impedes his willingness to simply entertain his audiences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frederic Andréi, Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, (more)
A "critic's darling" of 1979, the modestly produced French Postcards has an appeal that goes beyond the wine and cheese crowd. Miles Chapin plays Joel, an American student in France on an exchange program. Joel's teacher, Mme. Tessier (Marie-France Pisier), is a "Miss Jean Brodie" type whose ideas of education are highly unorthodox. One of Mme. Tessier's extracurricular activities consists of a torrid romance with the impressionable Joel. Of interest to contemporary viewers are the supporting-cast appearances of future stars Debra Winger and Mandy Patinkin. The "coming-of-age" through-line of French Postcards was second nature to screenwriters Gloria Katz and Willard Hyuck, whose previous projects included American Graffiti. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miles Chapin, Blanche Baker, (more)
- 1977
Jean-Paul Belmondo plays Michel Gauché, a stunt double and trickster who is crazy in love with his former fiancee, work-mate, and fellow stunt performer Jane (Raquel Welch). She, however, is so angry with him for landing her in the hospital due to a badly performed stunt that she breaks off the engagement. Belmondo also plays Bruno Ferrari, the movie star he is doubling for, an effeminate homosexual who lusts after his stuntman. Because Jane is angry with Michel, she falls into the arms of a film producer, and arranges for Michel to re-do the same stunt over and over again endlessly. She also tries to woo Bruno the movie star and discovers that he is not interested in women. Michel tries hard to win her back, sometimes pretending to be the movie star, which confuses her to no end. Just as she is about to marry a dull aristocrat, Belmondo appears in an old gorilla outfit and abducts her from the aisles of the church. Belmondo was famous for doing all his own stunts, and he continued that tradition in this film. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Raquel Welch, (more)
- 1976
In this comedy, Louis de Funes is a top restaurant critic, the head of an important French culinary guide. At the beginning of the film, he and his son (Coluche) are at odds, as the son prefers working as a circus clown to studying the fine arts of gastronomy. The two join forces, however, to thwart the greedy owner of a chain of inferior restaurants, who plans to take over the finest restaurants in France and substitute his formulaic fodder for real cooking. Another lure bringing the son into the picture is a lovely secretary working for the guide. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis de Funès, Coluche, (more)
