Françoise-Renaud Labarthe Movies

Director Olivier Assayas' Something in the Air stars Clément Métayer as Gilles, a politically radical French high-school student in 1971. Three years removed from the social upheaval of the youth riots of 1968, Gilles and his friends still espouse pro-Communist revolutionary rhetoric. After an act of vandalism against their school goes terribly wrong, they split up for the summer and follow different paths in their personal and political educations. Something in the Air screened at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Arthouse favorite Olivier Assayas followed up his critical darling L'Heure d'Été (2008) with this wildly different chronicle -- a biopic of the ultra-left-wing Venezuelan terrorist-cum-mercenary Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, popularly known as "Carlos the Jackal." As co-written by Assayas and scenarist Dan Franck, the account spans the years 1973-1994 -- or the period that witnessed Sanchez at his most violent and relentless. Narrative touchstones include the 1974 bomb attack at the Publicis Drugstore on Paris' Left Bank and the 1975 abduction of 11 OPEC officials from Vienna, as well as a torrent of assassinations that Carlos and his cronies planned but didn't carry out. As produced by Daniel Leconte, this telling of Sanchez's life stars Edgar Ramirez as the terrorist, as well as Alexander Scheer, Aljoscha Stadelmann, and Julia Hummer; it was predominantly shot in Germany, France, and Lebanon. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Three siblings must come to terms with their mother's mortality as they decide what to do with her valuable belongings in this warm family drama from filmmaker Olivier Assayas. Hélène Berthier (Edith Scob) is about to turn 75, and her children are gathering at her home in the country for a party. Adrienne (Juliette Binoche) has flown in from New York City, where she lives with her boyfriend, James (Kyle Eastwood). Jérémie (Jérémie Renier) has taken a rare break from his globe-trotting business interests to stop by with his wife (Valérie Bonneton). And Frédéric (Charles Berling), the only one who lives close enough to visit regularly, has also come with his spouse, Lisa (Dominique Reymond). Hélène has inherited a large and valuable collection of art from her brother, and with her health beginning to fail, she approaches Frédéric and asks that he, Jérémie, and Adrienne come up with a plan to deal with the pieces after her death. Frédéric wants to keep the collection together and see if they can persuade a gallery to purchase and present them as a set. Jérémie and Adrienne have other ideas, but as he's pondering a business opportunity in China and she's planning on settling in America for good, they don't have as much influence over the final decision as Frédéric. L'Heure d'Été (aka Summer Hours) was produced in part by the celebrated French art gallery Musée d'Orsay, and was one of a handful of films created to honor the museum in its 20th anniversary year. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A man and a woman each learn a painful lesson about using others to get what you want in this drama from French director Catherine Corsini. Julien Demarsay (Eric Caravaca) is an aspiring novelist whose greatest ambition in life is to publish a book; however, he hasn't been able to get a publisher to seriously consider his manuscripts, and he's started becoming desperate. Julien arranges to meet Judith Zahn (Karin Viard), a well-respected editor; she doesn't think he's especially talented, but she does find him handsome, and they strike up an acquaintance that quickly leads to her bedroom. Julien is looking for ways to use his new relationship with Judith to his advantage, and in time he becomes aware of the true story of Judith's father, who went from being a pacifist philosopher to fighting with a revolutionary group in Latin America in the 1970's. Julien uses this story as the basis of a novel; when he completes it he presents it to Judith, who regards it as a betrayal of their trust and cuts off ties with him. Julien, however, is able to find a publisher who believes in the book, and it becomes a commercial success. Enraged, Judith begin mapping out a scheme to get revenge on her former lover. Les Ambitieux (aka Ambitious) was screened as part of the 2006 Rome International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

D.H. Lawrence's once-scandalous tale of a married woman who finds herself through an affair with another man is brought to the screen in this adaptation directed by Pascale Ferran. Constance Chatterley (Marina Hands) is a lovely woman in her mid twenties who is married to Sir Clifford Chatterley (Hippolyte Girardot), a wealthy British nobleman many years her senior who is paralyzed from the waist down due to an injury sustained during World War I. While Constance loves her husband, she has grown weary of her life as a bird in a gilded cage, as well as her husband's lack of affection. One day, Constance steps out to take a walk and pauses to tell Parkin (Jean-Louis Coulloc'h), the estate's groundskeeper, that the cook would like him to shoot a pheasant for the evening's meal. Constance discovers Parkin is only half-dressed, and the physical strength of his body makes a strong impression on her. Parkin senses Constance's attraction to him, and he's equally taken by her beauty; in time the two throw caution to the wind and give in to their mutual passion. Constance blooms through her lovemaking with Parkin, and she finds his simple, rustic individualism is more to her taste than the life her husband has given her. But as Constance embraces her love for Parkin, others become aware of their relationship. Lady Chatterley was adapted from Lady Chatterley et l'Homme des Bois, the second of three versions Lawrence would publish of his best-known novel (it was published in English as John Thomas and Lady Jane). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A woman throws herself into a last-ditch struggle to conquer her demons in this gritty drama from director Olivier Assayas. Lee Hauser (James Johnston) is a faded rock star who lives with his wife, Emily Wang (Maggie Cheung), the former host of a European music video show, in a small town in Western Canada. Both Lee and Emily have been battling drug addiction for years, and when Lee finally dies of an OD, Emily finds herself charged with possession of heroin and ends up spending six months in jail. Lee and Emily's son, Jay (James Dennis), has been living with his paternal grandparents, Albrecht (Nick Nolte) and Rosemary (Martha Henry), and while Emily is eager to see her son after getting out of jail, Albrecht persuades her that she needs to get herself clean before she can reconnect with Jay. Determined to get off methadone, Emily relocates to France, where she scares up a job as a waitress and moves in with her old friend Elena (Béatrice Dalle). Emily's attempts to start a new career and stay off drugs prove to be an uphill battle, and she doesn't appear to be winning her fight when she learns that Albrecht and Jay will be accompanying Rosemary to London for medical treatment when Rosemary contracts a serious illness -- and that Albrecht is considering making a side trip to Paris. Clean was screened in competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

French director Olivier Assayas departs from his usual dramas with Demonlover, a wild thriller about corporate intrigue, hardcore sex Internet sites, and Japanese animé. Wealthy French business man Henri-Pierre Volf (Jean-Baptise Malartre) assigns Diane de Monx (Connie Nielson) to make a deal with TokyoAnime, a company at the forefront of three-dimensional adult animation, after his former assistant, Karen (Dominique Reymond), is kidnapped. Diane, however, is actually a spy for a different company. Standing in her way is another headstrong business woman (Gina Gershon), and Diane's assistant, Elise Lipsky (Oscar nominee Chloe Sevigny) who questions her boss' morality. Demonlover was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Acclaimed and controversial French filmmaker Jean-Francois Richet directed and co-wrote this bleak look at a young woman whose first missteps in life take her farther than she ever expected along a dangerous path. Maria (Virginie Ledoyen) is a bright and attractive but not especially responsible young woman who is used to having things go her way in life. Out of school and with no clear career path, Maria ends up taking a job putting together cushions for chairs. But after a single day on the job she quits, claiming the work hurts her hands and she'd rather start her own restaurant. As Maria plots her next move, she impulsively swipes a piece of lingerie from a store, then tries to lie her way out of the situation when she's caught. But Maria finds that words can't get her out of this bind, and soon she's in jail and dealing with much deeper trouble than she ever imagined possible. De L'Amour also features French hip-hop artist Stomy Bugsy as a drug dealer who is friendly with Maria's boyfriend, played by Yazid Ait. Ait also contributed to the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The neologistic title of this film translates as "Death Bureau," a secret vigilante organization used by ordinary working folk to rid the city of criminals through secret executions. Woodworker Leo Stoychev (Maurice Bennichou) goes to the organization for help because his boss Branco (Herve Briaux) won't repay a loan and may have had something to do with the accident that crippled Leo. The Mordburo is responsible for the death of a crooked lawyer, and Inspector Raoul (Patrick Catalifo) becomes suspicious. This French-Belgian-Bulgarian-Italian co-production was filmed amid the industrial backdrops of Sofia. Lionel Kopp, the co-founder of the special effects house Les Trois Lumieres, made his directorial debut with this film. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Written and directed by French filmmaker Olivier Assayas, L'Eau Froide is a romantic drama about young, rebellious love in 1972 Paris. Christine (Virginie Ledoyen) and Gilles (Cyprien Fouquet) are 16-year-old lovers who have become frustrated with the aloofness of their families and the general monotony of their lives. When the pair are caught shoplifting, Christine's father ships her off to a home for emotionally disturbed children, temporarily putting space between her and Gilles. Luckily for them, though, she escapes and the couple contemplate running away together. For her performance, Ledoyen was nominated for Most Promising Actress at the 1995 César Awards. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Louise (Judith Godrèche) is living with Clément (Jean-Pierre Léaud), an older man who copes with her bouts of drug addiction and is attempting to give her a hand in getting a television career going. When the man's son Adrien (Thomas Langmann), who is on the run from the police, comes to stay with him, at first Louise and Adrien fight like cats and dogs. Before long, however, their passionate anger settles into plain old passion, and they become lovers. Eventually, Louise moves into a derelict apartment with her new boyfriend. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In this French romantic drama, Stephane (Michel Feller) wants to form a romantic bond with Sabine (Clotilde de Bayser), and to do this has left his pregnant girlfriend behind. Sabine would rather be with Bruno (Jean-Philippe Ecoffey) her former boyfriend, a stage actor. Bruno in turn is much more interested in his current girlfriend. Each person is, in his or her own way, attempting to deal with issues of maturity and responsibility and repeatedly fails to find happiness or even a decently tranquil compromise between their desires and the realities of their situations. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

An Austrian diplomat assigned to Paris wakes up after having a strange nightmare and finds himself emotionally distanced from his world. He feels absolutely nothing as he attends to his daily routine. He gradually begins to behave in an increasingly strange manner. The story is based on Moment of True Feeling, a novel by Peter Handke. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi