Bertie Cortez Movies
Espionage, personal integrity, and political commitment are the main themes running through this French thriller that chronicles a young man's journey from idealism to disillusionment and maturity. The story is set in the 1980's in Tel Aviv and follows the exploits and moral conflicts of Attal, a Jew who left his family in France on his eighteenth birthday to pursue a career as an agent in Israels' Institute for Intelligence, the Mossad. At first, his missions do not bother his conscience; he performs them for the good of Israel. But, as time passes, Attal must face more moral dilemmas as the work becomes more subversive and dishonest. He must ultimately decide whether to follow the his personal ideals, or be part of a system which promote immoral acts in the name of idealism. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvan Attal, Dan Toren, (more)
- 1992
Cult science-fiction author Philip K. Dick's novel of 1950s suburban California, Confessions of a Crap Artist, is adapted to present-day France in this quirky comedy-drama. Hippolyte Girardot portrays the title character, who is known by the nickname "Barjo" -- a moniker loosely translatable as "nutcase." After accidentally burning down his house during a scientific experiment, the extremely eccentric and socially naive Barjo is forced to move in with his twin sister, Fanfan, and her husband Charles, an aluminum factory owner. In his new home, Barjo continues his odd habits: cataloging old science magazines, testing bizarre inventions, and thinking about the end of the world. His main pursuit, however, is typing up a journal of "scientific" observations of his life, with a particular focus on the other people around him. Through this journal, Barjo chronicles Fanfan and Charles' increasingly frequent encounters with a younger couple and the marital tension that soon results -- eventually driving Charles into the hospital. Director Jerome Boivin (Baxter) uses Barjo's viewpoint to present an unusual perspective on marital and sexual difficulty, with his narration analyzing his sister's marriage fluctuating between the embarrassingly naive and the unexpectedly observant. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Bohringer, Anne Brochet, (more)
- 1991
- R
Martin Sheen stars as an American newsman in Rome who begins to investigate the appearance of several corpses found throughout Europe with their hands cut off. He soon uncovers not only plots of plutonium theft, but also of nuclear arms deals and dark political schemes. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Simon Blount (Bernard Giraudeau) is a weary cop who takes solace in the bottle after his wife leaves him for another man. His spirit is lifted when he meets Violet (Fanny Bastien), the wispy, mysterious female he considers somewhat of an angel. Simon is unaware she has systematically murdered the police, attorneys, and officials who were linked to the death of her prostitute mother. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernard Giraudeau, Fanny Bastien, (more)
- 1985
This is a standard cops-and-robbers caper with a slight twist: the good cops are robbing the drug-dealing robbers. Bernard Giraudeau is Paul Brandon, an undercover, daredevil cop, and Gerard Lanvin is Stephane Carella, the man Paul has to spring from jail to help in a grand larceny of a crooked Nice casino run by a mob boss -- the intent is to start a gang war and weaken the drug cartels. While Stephane and the undercover Paul are being transported in a police van, handcuffed together, Paul maneuvers a dangerous escape, and Stephane has no choice but to go with him. Braving cliff faces and wild plunges into fast-moving rapids, the two make it to the house of a young widow, Laura (Christiane Jean) where they plan the spectacular heist at the casino. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Lanvin, Bernard Giraudeau, (more)
- 1984
Alexandre Dumas fis first dramatized his own novel La Dame aux Camelias in 1852. Before the century was out, the work had been transformed by Giuseppe Verdi into the opera La Traviata; before the next century was out, the Dumas book had been made into no fewer than 25 films. The 1984 TV-movie adaptation, titled Camille like most of the others (including the first film, way back in 1907), stars Greta Schacchi as Marguerite, the popular Parisian courtesan who is wooed by innocent young Armand (Colin Firth). She is willing to give up her libertine lifestyle for Armand, but is gently convinced by the boy's father (John Gielgud) that such a union would be impossible. She renounces Armand, but he returns to her side, just as she is dying of consumption. Blanche Hanalis' adaptation of the Dumas novel takes a franker approach to the subject matter than the more familiar 1937 filmization with that other Greta (Garbo), and also manages to insert a soupcon of feminism. Filmed in Paris, the 1984 Camille was originally offered as a Hallmark Hall of Fame special. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Greta Scacchi, Colin Firth, (more)
Elizabeth Gracen makes her first series appearance as Amanda, the troublesome Immortal ex-girlfriend of Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul). A circus performer who moonlights as a cat burglar, Amanda has run afoul of her partner in crime, Zachary Blaine (Jason Isaacs), who intends to remove both her head and Duncan's. Slyly, Amanda plays Duncan and Blaine against each other for her own ill-gotten gain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrian Paul, Alexandra Van Der Noot, (more)
