Eric Altmayer Movies

As adapted from Jean Bruce's endless series of novels, the French series of O.S.S. adventure comedies showcase the globetrotting exploits of Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath (AKA O.S.S.), a Derek Flint-like superspy. This outing finds O.S.S. shuttled off to Rio de Janeiro where his assignment involves retrieving microfilm that lists French Nazi collaborators during World War II. He then teams up with the seductive lieutenant Dolores (Louise Monot) to track down a gang of escaped Nazis. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Five random days in the lives of a French family, spread out over a dozen years, paint a telling picture of the ups and downs of human relationships in this comedy-drama from France. Robert Duval (Jacques Gamblin) is a taxi driver who is married to Marie-Jeanne (Zabou Breitman), who has shed the bohemian ways of her youth with the passage of time. Robert's father (Roger Dumas) has been generous enough to give his son the comfortable home he shares with Marie-Jeanne and their children, but that doesn't mean there's always a genuine respect between them. Robert and Marie-Jeanne have three children -- their eldest Albert (Pio Marmai) is struggling with the rigors of medical school when we first meet him, while Raphael (Marc-Andre Grondin) is a teen trying to decide what to do with his life and Fleur (Deborah Francois) is still learning to be comfortable with her femininity. Between 1988 and 2000, the Duval family finds themselves dealing with the sort of life changes that affect most families, seeming both typical and revelatory at the same time. Le Premier Jour Du Reste De Ta Vie (aka The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life) was the first French feature for writer and director Remi Bezancon after making his debut with the Quebecois picture C.R.A.Z.Y. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

OSS 117: Cairo -- Nest of Spies constitutes the eighth installment in a long-running series of movies about OSS 117 (the government code name for Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath) -- a French super-spy and European equivalent of James Bond. The creation of author Jean Bruce, OSS eventually starred in over 265 novels and seven cinematizations through 1970. The first seven film outings were sober and straight-faced; the eighth go-round (the first after a 38-year lapse) does a 180 to shamelessly poke fun of the rules established by the genre. A glib yet intelligent spoof, it joins the ranks of Our Man Flint (1965), Aghaye Hallou (1970), Mad Mission 3: Our Man from Bond Street (1984), and other international pictures that glibly satirize the subgenre made infamous to Americans by Bond; like Mad Mission 3, it even packs in an OSS 117 (Jean Dujardin) with a startling resemblance to Sean Connery. The film's comic conceit involves making OSS 117 arrogant, conceited, culturally insensitive, chauvinistic, and thoroughly moronic (he pretends that various cultural institutions and religious practices, for instance, are nonexistent if he is unfamiliar with them); yet the character somehow manages to slide through outrageously dangerous situations unscathed, time and again. The teaser prologue finds OSS 117 in Berlin, where he outwits the Nazis by stealing vital documents from them, hijacks an Axis plane in mid-nosedive, and saves himself and the craft at the last yawning moment. Ten years later, he journeys from Rome to Cairo, where he investigates the death of a fellow agent, posing as the proprietor of a chicken farm. His "side" activities during this jaunt involve hammering out a peace arrangement for the Middle East, keeping tabs on the Suez Canal, and monitoring the Russians. Jean-François Halin scripted the film, maintaining an utterly deadpan tone throughout; Michel Hazanavicius directed. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

When diminutive soccer player Tibor (Lorant Deutsch) is placed in a prison cell with dimwitted giant Manu (Samuel Le Bihan) the duo soon begin to forge a friendship based on their mutual love of soccer. Agreeing that upon their release Manu will serve as Tibor's manager, Manu attempts to use his newfound position to reap revenge on those who wronged him in the past. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Popular French filmmaker Gérard Pirès makes his first English-language feature with the slick action heist Riders. The film's confusing title history involves four working titles and an international release under the name Steal. A bleached-blonde Stephen Dorff plays Slim, the leader of an extreme sports criminal gang, consisting of Alex (Karen Cliche), Frank (Steven McCarthy), and Otis (Clé Bennett). They wear stylish clothes, rob banks, and get away on rollerblades. Slim's group is pursued by crazed cop Jake Macgruder (Bruce Payne) and Southern-style villain Surtayne (Steven Berkoff). She Spies actress Natasha Henstridge stars as femme fatale Karen. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

In the working-class Paris suburb of Montreuil, Jimmy's (Bruno Solo) restaurant, the Bombay Bar, is on the verge of being closed down by creditors. Jimmy is despondent -- the fact that his wife is about to have a baby isn't helping matters -- when he and his business partner Fifi (Lorant Deutsch) find unlikely inspiration in the form of "Riches et Sympas," a TV show dedicated to the lives of the rich and famous. Figuring that getting the "right" people to frequent their business will ensure its reputation, Jimmy and Fifi persuade Jimmy's friend, the laid-back, unemployed Mike (Samuel Le Bihan), to pose as a nobleman and lure his moneyed associates to the Bombay Bar. Mike agrees, and after crashing a posh charity ball, he finds himself being taken in by the likes of society fixture Arthus de Poulignac (Lambert Wilson) and Evrard (Guillaume Gallienne), the latter of whom ensconces Mike in his private mansion. Unfortunately, Mike soon becomes a little too fond of his newly-acquired lifestyle, leaving Jimmy to wonder what to do with the monster he unwittingly created. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

In this British-French comedy of manners, Parker Posey stars as Margaret, an award-winning writer of bawdy novels who's grown vaguely dissatisfied with her life in Manhattan -- and her marriage to Edward (Jeremy Northam), a junior poetry professor. Engrossed in the sexually charged 18th century French diary she's adapting for her next book, Margaret heads on a research trip to France only to discover that the chateau at which the diary was written has been turned into a nunnery full of singing sisters. Nevertheless allowing her fertile imagination to get away from her, Margaret experiences the events of the diary as a series of naughty daydreams, simultaneously becoming besotted with Martin (Patrick Bruel), the French music producer who's currently cutting an album with the nuns. When Margaret returns to New York, Martin follows, setting the stage for all sorts of romantic entanglements in Margaret's lofty social circle, which includes Till (Elizabeth McGovern), her playwright sister, and Lily, a bisexual socialite. The feature debut of documentarian Brian Skeet, Misadventures received only a belated video release in America, excised of much of its overt sexuality, including a full-frontal shot of an entire soccer team. What remained, however, was still quite sexy and grown-up. London pop combo Saint Etienne's music didn't fare as well. Although the group's 20-song soundtrack eventually came out in Japan under the title The Misadventures of Saint Etienne, only a few tracks made it into the actual film; in fact, a different subset was included in the American and continental releases. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Professor Larsen, the director of the International Center for Astro Monitoring is listening to radio transmissions from deep space when he receives a disturbing string of code, that to him heralds the coming of alien invaders. When thousands of people suddenly disappear from the red-light district known as Sepulveda, his worst fears are confirmed. To prove that aliens are behind the mayhem, he is sent there to investigate. Larsen is assisted by his lab helper Oscar, his bodyguard Stavro and by Eva, the beautiful daughter of a politically powerful hermaphrodite named Purpur. Their investigation leads them into a bizarre and seamy futuristic world of eroticism, political intrigue and danger. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This comedy was shot in Tahiti. It focuses on the rocky relationship between Cohn, a local con man, and author Jack Baker who wants to profile Paul Gauguin in an upcoming book. Cohn, an obnoxious crook and pathological liar originally from Paris, has been the bane of the local population for years, yet despite his annoyances they will not arrest him. Hearing that Cohn owns an authentic Gauguin, Jack Baker makes his acquaintance. They do not get off to a great start, but eventually become friends after Cohn's secret is discovered. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide