Isabelle Carré Movies

A woman flees to the sea after her lover dies of a sudden drug overdose in this intimate drama from director François Ozon. Parisian couple Mousse (Isabelle Carré) and Louis (Melvil Poupaud) are gorgeous, wealthy, and deeply in love. They share a fashionable apartment in a popular part of the city, but their charmed lives come crashing down all around them when, one morning, Louis' mother arrives at the apartment to find her son dead of an overdose, and his girlfriend lying unconscious nearby. When Mousse discovers that she is pregnant with Louis' child, she retreats to a country house by the sea, where she makes the decision to keep the baby. Later, Louis' brother Paul (Louis-Ronan Choisy) arrives at the remote house, entering into a tentative relationship with the fragile Mousse as she ponders an uncertain future without the love of her life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A group of women struggling with their sexuality speak openly with the female counselors who wonder if such a thing as "sexual freedom" is truly possible in this tale of the incredible hidden in mundane, everyday events. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Gallic actress-turned-director Josiane Balasko - a Euro cinema mainstay best known for her unconventional romantic lead in Bertrand Blier's 1989 Trop belle pour toi - helms and co-stars in Cliente, a quirky and offbeat look at the bittersweet life of a male prostitute, which Balasko co-adapted from her 2005 novel with screenwriter Franck Lee Joseph. Eric Caravaca stars as Patrick, a French hustler in his mid-30s whose path criss-crosses with that of infomercial actress Judith (Nathalie Baye) in a local park. A nascent divorcee, she's in the mood for a quick fling, and follows suit with Marco, but this infuriates her sister, Irene (Balasko). Both sexual partners intend to enjoy the liaison as a one-time engagement; for better or worse, it soon repeats itself on multiple occasions and evolves into a deep-seated and very sticky relationship with lots of emotional strings. Significantly, this makes matters very complex and messy for Marco, who happens to be married to hairdresser Fanny (Isabelle Carre) and shares a residence with her, her mother (Catherine Hiegel) and her goth-decked sister (Marilou Berry, Balasko's real-life daughter)). Fanny, it seems, harbors no knowledge of Marco's real profession; when she discovers the truth, she systematically attempts to use her husband's profession to her own selfish advantages in lieu of objecting passionately or leaving him. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

A handful of characters struggle to hold on to relationships with the people they care for in this collaboration between playwright Alan Ayckbourn and filmmaker Alain Resnais. Dan (Lambert Wilson) has recently finished up a hitch in the Army, but rather than deal with his emotional issues, Dan prefers to get drunk. While he barely communicates with his girlfriend, Nicole (Laura Morante), she's convinced they will still marry and opts to ignore his obvious problems. Lionel (Pierre Arditi) is a bartender who has become increasingly isolated and cut off from his friends as he looks after his father, Arthur. Arthur, however, is in failing health and has little appreciation of his son's sacrifices. Thierry (André Dussollier) is a real-estate salesman who has fallen for one of his co-workers, Charlotte (Sabine Azéma); however, Charlotte's mild-mannered exterior hides a personality that thrives on emotional gamesmanship. And Gaëlle (Isabelle Carré), Thierry's sister, is lonely and looking for a relationship, but her efforts bring her neither joy nor companionship. Coeurs (aka Petites Peurs Partagées) received its world premiere at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

He Loves Me ... He Loves Me Not is a black comedy with a dramatic twist. Talented art student Angélique (Audrey Tautou) is wildly in love with Loïc (Samuel Le Bihan of Brotherhood of the Wolf), a married cardiologist whose wife, Rachel (Isabelle Carré) is expecting their first child. She sends him mash notes and gifts, and tells her friend, Héloïse (Sophie Guillemin of With a Friend Like Harry...) that, despite appearances, Loïc plans to leave his wife. Angélique also ignores the attentions of her lovesick friend, David (Clément Sibony), who begins to resent the way Loïc treats Angélique. As Angélique grows less discreet in her affections, Loïc's home life begins to fall apart. His wife grows suspicious, and then miscarries. His career is jeopardized when a patient accuses him of assault. All the while, Angélique is desperate to be by his side. About 40 minutes in, writer/director Laetitia Colombani's film reverses perspective, showing the preceding events from Loïc's (very different) point-of-view. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

A man struggles to support his family while remaining true to his ideals in this drama set in Europe during the 1930s. Orfeo Mancini (Jacques Gamblin) and his wife Nella (Yael Abecassis) are a pair of working-class Italians who years ago swore allegiance to the Communist party. With Mussolini on the rise, Orfeo and Nella come to the conclusion that they are no longer welcome in their native land, and they decide to pull up stakes and move to America with their two children. As a result of some confusion en route, the Mancinis end up in Marseilles rather than the United States; needing work, Orfeo takes a job working as a manual laborer for a wealthy landowner (Serge Hazanavicius). This requires a serious amount of pride-swallowing on Orfeo's part, since his new boss is an Italian expatriate who once courted Nella. The situation becomes all the more difficult for Orfeo when his employer throws his allegiances behind the growing fascist movement. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A screwball comedy that covers one week in the lives of a group of Parisians, Ca Ira Mieux Demain relies on chance encounters between its characters to propel its plot. Included amongst the characters are two girls, Annie (Sophie Guillemin) and Marie (Isabelle Carre); Marie's mother Elisabeth (Jeanne Balibar); the bourgeois and anal-retentive Sophie (Nathalie Baye) and her husband Xavier (Jean-Pierre Darroussin); and the put-upon Franck (Didier Bezace), who is constantly being harangued by his wife, Celine (Nathalie Besancon), about his unhealthy eating habits. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

While pioneering pre-feminist author George Sand has been the subject of several film biographies focusing on her ten year relationship with Frederick Chopin, Les enfants du siècle looks at an earlier period in Sand's life, in particular her stormy romance with poet Alfred de Musset. In the early 1830's, Baroness Dudevant (Juliette Binoche) has abandoned her husband and arrives in Paris with her children in tow as rioting divides the city. The Baroness decides to reinvent herself and pursue a career as a writer; she renames herself George Sand, begins wearing clothes modeled after men's suits, and smokes cigarettes while penning manifestos denouncing marriage and affirming a woman's right to sexual satisfaction. Alfred de Musset (Benoit Magimel), a noted author, finds her brash nature fascinating, and they become first friends, then lovers as he helps her craft her literary efforts. However, Sand is six years older than de Musset, which leads to a severe conflict with his family; the couple heads to Venice in search of escape and inspiration, but Alfred decides that he prefers the city's brothels to George's company and that they should keep separate rooms from now on. George makes the acquaintance of an Italian doctor, Pagello (Stefano Dionisi), with whom she has a passionate affair; the realization that he's driven her into the arms of another man proves too much for Alfred, who returns to France. Eventually, George leaves Pagello and gives Alfred another chance, a decision she comes to regret. Les Enfants du Siecle had its world premiere at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A lighthearted and nostalgic drama about life among a group of close-knit friends, Les Enfants du Marais/Children of the Marshland tells the tale of a girl named Cri-Cri, who in flashback recalls growing up in a community along a quiet marsh in France. Her father, Riton (Jacques Villeret), has a good heart but a weakness for wine, and has never entirely gotten over being left by his wife (and Cri-Cri's mother), even though he's since remarried. His best friend is Garris (Jacques Gamblin), a laborer who lives in a cabin left to him by an old friend (Jacques Dufilho) and finds himself infatuated with Marie (Isabelle Carre), who works as a domestic in a nearby town. Both men are still dealing with their experiences from World War I, as is their friend Mr. Richard (Michel Serrault), who turned a junk business into a successful metal foundry but still visits his old pals at the marsh, because he feels they're the only ones who understand him. Despite lukewarm reviews, Les Enfants Du Marais/Children of the Marshland proved to be a significant box office success on its initial release in France. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi