Francis Reddy Movies
- 1999
An important moment in Canadian history is brought to the screen in this drama drawn from historical documents of the period. In 1838, Francois-Xavier Bouchard (Francis Reddy) is a member of a group of French-Canadian rebels calling themselves Les Patriotes, who are hoping to remove the British-based government from Lower Canada (now known as Quebec). Having just returned to Canada after a brief exile in the United States, Bouchard aligns himself with Les Patriotes against the advice of his family, who fear for his safety. Their fears prove well-grounded when Bouchard is captured in a raid on a British stronghold, and after an attempt to escape to America, Bouchard is subjected to a trial he feels has been fixed from the start. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Reddy, David Boutin, (more)
- 1996
On her 35th birthday the very single Lucie awakens to hear the ticking of her biological clock. With a little prodding from her meddlesome mother, she decides that she will find a suitable man and father in three months or bust. This fast paced and genuinely funny French Canadian comedy chronicles her quest, one that proves the old adage about kissing many toads (each one with greater faults than the last) before finding the prince who has been under her nose all along. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
The year 1989 marked the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution, and a number of filmmakers put together movies intended to celebrate that event. This historical action drama, based on the book Sous le vent de galerne by Andre Guilloteau looks at some of the less well-known and unappealing consequences of the republican takeover. In 1793, the entire region of Vendee rose up in revolt against the republican French government. Instead of bringing relief from the heavy taxation imposed under the monarchy, the republican government actually raised taxes in the region, and to add insult to injury, also imposed a heavy burden of military conscription ("the draft") on it. In the story, the inhabitants of one of the villages of the region organize under their blacksmith and a local nobleman to fight the government forces, but before they can prepare for a proper battle, they are massacred. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlotte Laurier, Roger Jendly, (more)
- 1988
Immigrants from Quebec travel to the Eastern United States to work for French industrialists in this historical drama. Gratien Gelinas plays a venerable Quebecois who recalls in 1988 the era from 1907 to 1920 in a series of flashbacks. He compares the modern computer age with the steadily growing industrial era of the early 20th century. An all-star cast of French and Canadian thespians participate in this miniseries as the Quebecois deal with love, life, politics, and war. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliette Huot, Gratien Gelinas, (more)
- 1985
This French/Canadian "caper" comedy stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as an oh-so-clever bank robber. Disguised as a clown, Belmondo robs a major Montreal bank, taking Guy Marchand and Kim Cattrall as a hostages. We soon learn that both Marchand and Cattral are actually Belmondo's accomplices in his precisely planned holdup. The trick now is for the threesome to get out of Montreal--a feat comparable to Hannibal crossing the Alps. Chock full of surprising plot twists, Hold-Up is based on a novel by Jay Cronley, which also served as the inspiration for the 1990 Bill Murray vehicle Quick Change. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Kim Cattrall, (more)
- 1984
This film, set against the stunning scenery of the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, details the changing relationship between two brothers. Mario is 10 years old, mute and with limited hearing, and openly worships his older brother Simon, an 18-year-old about to discover the first romantic interest of his life. Mario depends on Simon all the more because their parents are busy on the island during the tourist season, leaving their youngest son on his own. Although Mario manages to survive Simon's preference for the young woman he meets -- she will not be there forever -- an accident intervenes in the brothers' relationship and is the cause of enormous change in Mario's life. The brothers try to adjust as best they can, for it appears as though Mario will have to leave for the mainland and live in a special home for the hearing and voice impaired. The setting, music, and performances are excellent in this slightly uneven story. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Xavier Norman Petermann, Francis Reddy, (more)
