Dominique Vignet Movies
This homage to the cinema by venerated movie-maker Agnes Varda, often dubbed the "grandmother" of the French New Wave, features an all-star international cast. The story is based upon the memories and insights of the 100-year old Mr. Simon Cinema. He lives in a magnificent house filled with movie memorabilia. To help him remember the important details of his career he hires Camille, a film student to write down his remembrances and experiences which have involved all areas of movie-making. Camille comes once a day for 101 days. Film clips, photographs and actual visitors highlight his stories. As he continues to spin his yarns, the imagery in the film smoothly morph into other images. Camille, when not recording, is involved in other exploits including a romance with a production assistant, Mica who aspires to becoming a director. She also begins plotting a way to get to Mr. Cinema's fortune by having a friend pose as his long lost heir. Many other characters are peripherally involved including Death, an Italian seeking the rights to his film catalogue, and a memory specialist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Piccoli, Marcello Mastroianni, (more)
- 1989
Grieving Jimmy (Vincent Gallo) is shocked to learn after his mother's death that his long-lost father Doc (Paul McIssac) is alive and living somewhere in Europe. Jimmy goes in search of his father, a former radical Weatherman from the 1960s who fled the country during the turbulent decade. Although he suffers from a mysterious ailment contracted in Africa, the drunken Doc now devotes his efforts to healing instead of politically motivated violence. Ruy Furtado co-stars with Cesar Monteiro and Roslyn Payne. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul McIsaac, Vincent Gallo, (more)
- 1987
The terrifyingly destructive power of a woman's sexual obsession provides the compelling subject for this psychological study of a woman's descent into madness from French filmmaker Alain Tanner. It is the tale of Parisian actress Mercedes who is first seen attempting to break up with the obsessive Arab Johnny, who stalks her until she meets handsome newspaper writer Pierre on the subway and goes with him for an afternoon fling. Before the sweat even dries, she finds herself hopelessly in love with him. Pierre is flattered and encourages her desperate devotion, but soon after their affair begins, he is called off on a business trip leaving the suddenly distraught Mercedes alone with her demons. Though preparing for a new play, she is unable to concentrate and barely able to function without Pierre. She quits the production, locks herself in Pierre's apartment and quietly begins falling apart until he returns. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Myriam Mezieres, Azize Kabouche, (more)
- 1986
If the hunt that lends dramatic action to this fast-paced story could be notched up into a more harrowing adventure, then the fates of escaped thief Ned (Lambert Wilson) and Lilly (Myriem Roussel) the wife of his pursuer, would engage viewers' attention all the more. The half-psychotic cop Franck (Tcheky Karyo) captures Ned during a robbery but instead of taking him directly to the station, he handcuffs him to a pipe in his bathroom at home. Meanwhile, Franck's wife Lilly is in the process of dumping him for good and after an argument, Franck gets knocked unconscious. Lilly and a friend uncuff Ned, and the three take off. Franck is after them big-time, and sure enough, the hunted make a few unforgivable errors that only help the demented cop in his search. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lambert Wilson, Tchéky Karyo, (more)
- 1985
Parking is director Jacques Demy's homage to Jean Cocteau's 1948 masterwork Orpheus. As in the Cocteau film, Demy relates the Orpheus and Euridyce legend in a contemporary setting. Now a rock 'n' roll sensation (instead of the poet of the Cocteau film) Orpheus falls in love with Eurydice, who in this version is a sculptress rather than a princess. The rest of the film adheres to the familiar story. Euridyce, who is death personified, beckons Orpheus into Hell, ostensibly to revive his dead lover. A shade brighter and more buoyant than its source material, Parking is the usual Jacques Demy brew of beautiful imagery and hokey dialogue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Huster, Laurent Malet, (more)
- 1983
Director Jacques Richard tried to emulate a silent movie in all its aspects when he filmed Rebelote. Originally screened with a live string orchestra, the silent black-and-white film has inter-titles and tongue-in-cheek, melodramatic acting and a "soap opera" type plot. Unfortunately, the tale of a sad delinquent trying to overcome his miserable childhood to find success at love and life is not a cleverly acted or staged parody, and so the idea falls short of the standards of excellence of bygone, silent screen days. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Pierre Léaud, Christophe Bazzini, (more)
