Farid Chopel Movies

In this film, director/screenwriter Jean Teule adapts his novel Rainbow pour Rimbaud. Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) was a leading light in the symbolist movement of French literature, which rejected the use of realism in the depiction of emotions and ideas. In this film, Robert (Robert MacLeod) is an eccentric, oversized young man who puzzles and infuriates his parents by locking himself into a closet for long periods of time; at the same time, he loudly recites poetry by Arthur Rimbaud. Kicked out of the house by his exasperated parents, he decides to make a pilgrimage of the exotic African sites Rimbaud haunted in his final years. He meets and then travels with Isabelle (Laure Marsac), who is attempting to escape from a rejected suitor's unwanted attentions. In addition to that problem, she has another, more curious problem. It seems she is turning into a hawthorn bush. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Paolo is a divorced father of two who earns his living as a nightclub entertainer. One night, he meets Francesca, a strangely attractive woman, and after some rather peculiar talk about her having had sex with an Indian guru, they head off for his beach house for an assignation. Francesca uses some special secrets taught to her by her guru to turn him into a paralyzed sex-slave. All he can do is talk, while his body is out of his control and his penis remains continually erect. He seems to accept the situation, although it becomes pretty awkward when his children come over for a visit. After that, things take a darker turn. Viewers who saw this film at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival considered it self-indulgent, and too much like Ferrari's earlier La Dernière Femme (1976). ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Jane B. is London-born actress and recording star Jane Birkin. Agnes V. is Belgian filmmaker and "grandmother of the New Wave" Agnes Varda. Jane B. Par Agnes V is a cinematic recounting of Birkin's career, from her breakthrough appearance as one of the nude models in Blow-Up to her pinnacle as star of such films as La Femme de Ma Vie (1986). It is also the story of Birkin and Varda's close relationship, made stronger by their mutual admiration and their lifelong fascination with feminist themes. Viewers who prefer straightforward, objective documentaries rather than radicalized film techniques, may not appreciate Jane B. par Agnes V. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A long parade of actors and actresses pop up in an unconnected series of skits, vignettes, and sight gags in this comedy anthology by Jean Curtelin. Among the sketches performed is one with Jean Carmet playing a man from the sticks woefully burdened with the challenge of getting through a dog food commercial on less than one tank of intelligible French. Another skit shows a silent duel between an airport custodian and an automatic door, while another with the renowned Michel Galabru sets up a strange teacher-student exchange. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this embarrassment of an action thriller, the poor storyline and direction are only matched by the underpar acting, all to tell the tale of Berg (Daniel Auteuil), a young stunt car driver who leaves his profession and starts working at a private security service when his lover is killed in an accident at one of their meets. The young man's future is threatened by his dead lover's brother, who had an incestuous love for his sister, and is now out to wreak vengence on Berg for her death. Loud and shrill, the dialogue alone would grate on a viewer's nerves, even if its content were better. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Some young international terrorists are holed up in the apartment Loulou Dupin (Coluche) inherited from his recently deceased grandmother, a premise that quickly leads to unlikely entanglements in this low-brow political farce. When Loulou opens the closets and finds dynamite, nitroglycerine, and various weapons, he begins to get suspicious about the intentions of the young men and women who have commandeered the apartment. In fact, they are planning to smuggle their leader out of prison and then head to Mexico to plant a bomb at a meeting of world leaders in Cancún. The imprisoned gang leader assigns the most seductive terrorist (Maruschka Detmers) the task of eliminating Loulou -- which she finds increasingly difficult and finally, impossible to do. After the leader is freed from prison, the gang takes off for Mexico and Loulou, furious, follows in hot pursuit. Their destination is the Mayan ruins, and Loulou is the only one who can stop their dastardly plot -- though he cannot do much for this plot which is rarely paired with funny lines or inspired comedy. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Nara (Gerard Darmon) is a morose, intransigent gypsy who has thrown his wife out of the house because a social worker talked her into using birth control pills. Now he lives with his 80-year-old mother (Muse Dalbray) and young daughter, and both provide a balance for Nara's violent behavior and illegal activities (he steals on the side to make extra money). Eventually, the trio are evicted from their lower-income housing, and the wife -- who has been nearby watching her former home hoping to see her daughter -- follows them into an uncertain future. The film itself has some uncertainty in direction, and tends to caricturize "types," such as a German officer. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide