Judith Godrëche Movies

Suggesting a French equivalent of a Maurizio Nichetti film, this slapstick farce was written and directed by Euro superstar Emmanuel Mouret, who (as in his five prior efforts) also plays the comic lead. He's Jean-Jacques, a nitwit inventor whose sole obsession in life involves chasing and seducing women. Meanwhile, he's just perfected his latest invention, an erasable magic marker that comes in handy at several unexpected times. When his girlfriend, the sexy blonde nurse Ariane (Frederique Bel) passes up intimacy with him several times in a row, he tries to taunt her by telling her about an inventive pick-up method that he used on Elisabeth (Judith Godreche), an attractive but enigmatic conquest whom he met in a café. Initially miffed, Ariane encourages him, sans hesitation, to draw on everything he's got to seduce and sleep with Elisabeth; Jean-Jacques complies. He doesn't realize, however, that Elisabeth is the daughter of the president of France (Jacques Weber). This, in turn, sets up a number of situations where Jean-Jacques attempts to be suave and slick in his seduction of the first daughter, but only succeeds at triggering one outrageous catastrophe after another. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

The French film Tout Pour Plaire (Thirtyfive Something) concerns three Parisian women taking stock of their lives and relationships as they move into their late thirties. Juliette (Mathilde Seigner) is a struggling lawyer scheduled to move into a loft with her boyfriend, but his commitment jitters lead him to dump her during the walk-through. Recklessly resolved, she takes the place anyway, though she can't afford it. As her spending increases in an attempt to fill the void and find new love, she spirals into debt and must go before a friendly banker (Pascal Elbe) to get her credit extended. Marie (Judith Godrëche), a doctor in a public hospital, has fewer financial problems, but her issue is her layabout artist husband (Mathias Mlekuz), who hasn't sold a painting in years and never helps with the kids or housework. When a handsome filmmaker takes an interest in her, Marie contemplates infidelity. Ad agency executive Florence (Anne Parillaud) can't catch a break either at work or home. When she's finally entrusted with a big account, her boss continues to treat her like an underling and backtrack on his decision. Her husband (Thierry Neuvic), an exhausted and disinterested CEO, treats her with indifference, and appears to be having an affair. As the women meet for lunches and other social engagements, they help make sense of how things have changed since their carefree days as childhood friends. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide

Internationally recognized French actress Sophie Marceau makes her feature directing debut with the intimate divorce drama Speak to Me of Love, which earned her the Best Director award from the 2002 Montreal World Film Festival. Justine (Judith Godrèche) and Richard's (Niels Arestrup) 15-year relationship comes to a sputtering end as both decide to separate due to irreconcilable differences. They go about their daily existences as best they can; Justine maintains custody of the couple's three boys, as well as the apartment. As she deals with the effects the separation has on her life as well as her boys' lives, she also manages to come terms with her own parents' divorce and finds a common bond with her long-suffering mother. Richard, on the other hand, attempts to bury himself in his work -- as a famous author -- but finds little solace as a planned project falls through. Both are forced to confront their uncertain futures, as well as reflect on the past choices they've made that put them in the positions they are in now. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide

British filmmaker John MacKenzie directs the crime thriller Quicksand, based on the book by Desmond Lowden. Michael Keaton plays Martin Raikes, a New York banker who goes to Monaco to investigate some questionable transactions. He discovers that the shifty bank account belongs to film producer Lela Forin (Judith Godrëche), whose next movie stars former action star Jake Mellows (Michael Caine). The production company turns out to be closely associated with a group of gangsters who wish Martin was out of the picture. They frame him for murder and make it look like his bank received a profit. Martin and Lela team up against the gangsters. Quicksand was released straight-to-video in Europe. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

A filmmaker tries to sort out the scattered emotional baggage of his love life in Entropy. Jake Walsh (Stephen Dorff) is a film director who attends a fashion show with some friends and meets a French model named Stella (Judith Godreche). The attraction between the two is immediate, and after a brief courtship they're living together. However, between his career in film and her career as a model, they don't spend as much time together as they'd like, and they begin to drift apart; when Stella one day announces she's pregnant, Jake displays no particular enthusiasm for the idea of raising a child, and Stella ends up having an abortion. Eventually, the two break up and Jake finds himself married to a woman he barely knows, not quite sure what happened. As he muddles through his romantic problems, Jake also has to deal with the often puzzling hierarchy and the bizarre office politics of Hollywood. A rare independent effort from Phil Joanou, who previously directed State of Grace, Final Analysis and a wealth of popular music videos, Entropy was the opening night attraction at the 1999 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Oscar-nominated Randall Wallace (Braveheart) made his directorial debut with this adaptation of the 1848 classic by Alexandre Dumas (1802-70), featuring Leonardo DiCaprio in a dual role. Years have passed since the Three Musketeers, Aramis (Jeremy Irons), Athos (John Malkovich), and Porthos (Gerard Depardieu) fought together with their friend D'Artagnan (Gabriel Byrne). The arrogant, tyrannical King Louis XIV (Leonardo DiCaprio) desires the beautiful Christine (Judith Godreche), so he orders her suitor Raoul (Peter Sarsgaard), the son of Athos, off to face death at the front. He also sends Aramis to kill the leader of a Jesuit rebellion. Louis is unaware that his loyal protector and informant, D'Artagnan, is the secret lover of his mother, Queen Anne (Anne Parillaud). Louis' younger twin brother, Philippe (also DiCaprio) is the man in the iron mask, imprisoned for the past six years. Arthos and Porthos plan to free Philippe, abduct Louis and replace him by putting Philippe on the throne. French location scenes include the Chateau de Fontainbleau. Previous adaptations: Allan Dwan's The Iron Mask (1929) with Douglas Fairbanks, the 1939 James Whale version with Louis Hayward, Patricia Medina in Lady in the Iron Mask (1952), Henri Decoin's Le Masque de Fer (1962), Mike Newell's 1976 TV movie with Richard Chamberlain, and Ken Annakin's The Fifth Musketeer (1978, aka Behind the Iron Mask) with Beau Bridges, Lloyd Bridges, Sylvia Kristel, Ursula Andress, Cornel Wilde, Jose Ferrer, Rex Harrison, and Olivia de Havilland. A second film titled The Man in the Iron Mask was released in 1998, a low-budget effort from director William Richert. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

This sumptuous French drama offers episodes from the notorious life of 18th century socialite and playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. The story begins in the 1770s with a rehearsal of his "The Barber of Seville." Young friend of Voltaire, Philipp Gudin introduces himself to the great playwright and offers to become his personal secretary. He then becomes the adventurous Beaumarchais' keeper as the author gets involved in a variety of situations including a duel with an angry husband, his battle with the corrupt French government and a serious long-term affair with Marie-Theres de Willer. It all comes to a climax when King Louis XV assigns the playwright a secret mission to London. There he must find and retrieve a damning document from transvestite aristocrat Chevalier D'Eon. Unfortunately, Beaumarchais gets tangled up with supporting American rebels and ends up tossed in jail. Louis XVI sees that he is finally released and then the writer becomes an arms smuggler for American revolutionaries. All of his activities bankrupt him and so Beaumarchais must return to writing plays. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

An indecisive, shy young woman is profiled in this French drama. Benedicte is 20 years old and lives with Henri who is considerably older. She is still haunted by two former loves, Pierre, whom she still cares for, and Paul, who still cares for her. She is faced with a major decision when she finds a bag filled with a fortune of francs and a gun. Should she keep it for herself, or should she return it? This question plagues her; she gets no help from family, friends, or lovers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

If such a thing as gentle humor can be wrung from murderous misogyny, this all-star comedy is the embodiment of it. The basic point of the film seems to be this: unattached men long to live with women, and once they do, they long to live without them. In this story, Paul (Thierry Lhermitte) is upset about his wife's having left him. He can't stop thinking about her, and eventually decides that he'd be much happier if he knew she was dead. Then, he thinks, he could put an end to his obsessing. His uncle, a judge (Phillippe Noiret), knows of a man who killed his wife more or less on purpose, and got away with it. Paul and his uncle get together with the lucky killer, Vincent (Richard Bohringer), and, on their way to visit Paul's wife, discuss how Vincent managed to kill his wife and get away with it. Along the way, the aggravations women bring to men are pretty thoroughly (and humorously) hashed over. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Louise (Judith Godrèche) is living with Clément (Jean-Pierre Léaud), an older man who copes with her bouts of drug addiction and is attempting to give her a hand in getting a television career going. When the man's son Adrien (Thomas Langmann), who is on the run from the police, comes to stay with him, at first Louise and Adrien fight like cats and dogs. Before long, however, their passionate anger settles into plain old passion, and they become lovers. Eventually, Louise moves into a derelict apartment with her new boyfriend. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Wise beyond her 15 years, Juliette (Judith Godreche) has developed a curious modus operandi in matters of the heart. She goes out of her way to befriend older men, sleeps with each of her conquests but once, then moves on. Director Jacques Doillon plays the father of Juliette's latest beau; the boy's father hopes to break the girl's love-em-and-leave-em pattern by bedding her himself. In addition to acting and directing in La Fille de Quinze Ans, Doillon also wrote the screenplay and co-produced. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It is the summer of 1944, and Laurance (Judith Godreche) and her cousin Louis (Stanislaus Carre de Malberg) have always been fond of each other. Now, Louis has developed a crush on Laurance, and it appears that she is responding similarly. It seems that their relationship has every chance of thriving, until another man comes on the scene. Jack (Murray Head), is a dashing Englishman who has come to stay at Laurance's house to help organize the local resistance. Louis, smitten and jealous, is enraged when he discovers that his cousin has made love to the foreigner, and rushes off to denounce him to the authorities. He is immediately stricken with remorse and tries to undo what he has done, but the Jack's fate is sealed. Eventually he learns that his act of revenge was not the cause of the Englishman's death, but this does nothing to assuage his sense of guilt. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This symbolic drama from director Benoit Jacques underscores the characters' human need for affection. Children steal lemons for the thrill, while women steal other women's men from them just to prove they can. Drug smuggling, clandestine love affairs, and two lovers involved with the production of Shakespeare's Othello carry on with their own off-stage tragedy. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide