Agnes Blanchot Movies

Veteran screenwriter Franck Mancuso (36 Quai des Orfevres) helmed and penned the script for the French-language detective thriller Counter-Investigation (AKA Contre-enquête), loosely adapting for the screen American writer Lawrence Block's short story "Like a Bone in the Throat." The chilly tale unfolds in the Parisian suburbs, where happily married police captain Richard (Jean Dujardin) makes the fatal decision to pass up an opportunity for a bike ride with his nine-year-old daughter Emilie (Alexandra Goncalvez), in favor of department business. During Richard's absence, Emilie slips out for a rendez-vous with a young boy of like age - and not long after, joggers discover her body in the woods, raped and beaten to death, the victim of an apparent maniac. Richard's partners arrest the most likely suspect, pedophile Daniel Eckmann (Laurent Lucas) who first denies, then confirms his involvement. In time, however, Daniel writes long letters to Richard from prison, pleading his innocence and pointing to another culprit - the serial killer Salinas (Jean-Francois Garreaud). As an initially reluctant Richard investigates, his astonishment builds upon coming face-to-face with the conclusion that all of the evidence does indeed point to Salinas; to his wife's (Agnes Blanchot) chagrin, the detective thus works toward exonerating Daniel and arraigning Salinas for the death of his young daughter. Contre-enquête represents Mancuso's first directorial assignment; as a screenwriter, he takes a number of liberties with the story, making the necessary cultural adjustments for a French setting. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Virginia (Lea Massati) is shocked to learn her 25-year marriage to Maurizio (Erland Josephson) is plagued by his philandering betrayal in this distaff tear-jerking drama. She finds solace in her two daughters and Silvano (Jean-Luc Consuelo), her longtime admirer, a cellist in the local symphony. Virginia also tries to help a troubled runaway teen, with little success, and tries to move forward with her once-idyllic life that has been shattered by her husband's infidelity. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Nothing more than a typical, formulaic comedy about a bumbling Boy Scout troop leader (director Gerard Jugnot), this story features the inept counselor facing off with a wild group of scouts in the middle of a camping trip. The Scoutmaster also has to parry a gay colleague who is out to question his sexual preferences, and there are even more disasters waiting to happen. It is enough to make anyone turn in their badge. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide