Pascal Caucheteux Movies
A struggling single father helps a beautiful whale trainer recover her will to live following a terrible accident that leaves her confined to a wheelchair. Lonely and destitute, Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) leaves the north of France for his sister's house in Antibes after becoming the sole guardian of his estranged five-year-old son Sam. When Ali lands a job as a bouncer in a nearby nightclub, things quickly start to look up for the itinerant father and son. Then one night, after breaking up a fight in the club, Ali meets the radiant Stephanie (Marion Cotillard), and slips her his number after dropping her off safely at home. Though Stephanie's position on the high end of the social spectrum makes romance an unlikely prospect for the pair, a tragic accident at Marineland robs her of her legs, and finds her reaching out in desperation to Ali. Her spirit broken by the same tragedy that took her legs, Stephanie gradually finds the courage to go on living trough transcendent moments spent with Ali -- a man with precious little pity, but an enormous love of life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2012
- NR
An untapped talent for discerning the quality of scotch whiskey offers a desperate Glasgow lowlife a much-needed shot at redemption in this gentle comic fable from director Ken Loach and longtime screenwriter partner Paul Laverty. Caught up in a family feud that's about to blow up in his face, Robbie (Paul Brannigan) is offered a large sum of cash to leave Glasgow by his pregnant girlfriend's father. He's facing 300 hours of community service when he slips into the maternity ward and looks into the eyes of their newborn son. In that moment, Robbie vows to do everything in his power to give his son a better life. In the wake of Robbie's sentencing, he's placed under the watch of the surly yet kindhearted Harry (John Henshaw), who introduces him to the joys of fine whiskey. A trip to a local distillery with Harry soon follows, and it's there that Robbie's sensitive nose picks up all the subtle nuances of the complex whiskey swirling in his glass. Meanwhile, upon learning that the two-percent of the spirits that disappear into the air every year are known as "The Angel's Share," Robbie and fellow dead-enders Rhino, Albert, and Mo hatch a plan to steal one of the world's rarest whiskeys. Now, for the first time in his life, Robbie has a choice -- will he resort back to his old criminal ways, or follow his perceptive olfactory nerves to a future he could have never seen coming? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A mother and daughter follow similar paths with different results in this drama with music from writer and director Christophe Honoré. In 1964, Madeleine (Ludivine Sagnier) is a restless young woman working at a shoe store who, after helping herself to a new pair of high heels, is mistaken for a streetwalker by a man passing by. Madeleine impulsively decides to go along with the stranger's assumptions, and soon discovers prostitution can be a profitable part-time job. One of her regular customers is a handsome doctor named Jaromil (Rasha Bukvic), and when he asks for her hand in marriage, she accepts. They settle in his native Czechoslovakia and have a daughter, Vera, though political upheaval leads Madeleine back to Paris and a new husband. Years later, a grown-up Vera (Chiara Mastroianni) looks back on the story of her mother and father (played in their later years by Catherine Deneuve and Milos Forman) with a viewpoint colored by both romanticism and regret. While Madeleine's life as a streetwalker brought her love and adventure and she now divides her attentions between two men, Vera has grown up in an era where AIDS has made such sexual openness something like Russian Roulette, and she's unable to commit to a relationship, tossing aside her on-and-off boyfriend Clement (Louis Garrel) in favor of obsessing over Henderson (Paul Schneider), a musician who prefers the company of men. Les Bien-aimés (aka Beloved) was an official selection at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, (more)
- 2011
Two strangers fall into a relationship defined by need and instability in this high-pitched emotional drama from Chinese auteur Lou Ye. Hua (Corinne Yam) is a woman in her late twenties who leaves her life in China behind to become a teacher in Paris. However, after falling in love with an older man, he abruptly abandons her, and while walking through the city in an emotional daze, she's accidentally struck to the ground by Mathieu (Tahar Rahim), a construction worker. Mathieu is quick to apologize and see that Hua gets home safely, but his concern seems more like obsession as the two soon become lovers. The couple's lovemaking is as intense as their frequent arguments, and as his behavior towards her becomes more bizarre and tinged with physical and emotional violence, she finds herself struggling to make sense of a love affair that's worse than the circumstances she left behind. Director Lou Ye has been a subject of frequent controversy in China -- his 2006 film Summer Palace led to authorities forbidding him to make films for five years -- and Love and Bruises represents another edgy project for him, as it was adapted from a novel by Jie Liu-falin that was banned by Chinese censors. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Writer and director Gregg Araki revisits the day-glo universe of sex, drugs, and random perversity that informed his early films in this over-the-top dark comedy. Smith (Thomas Dekker) is an 18-year-old film student who is bisexual and has a ravenous erotic appetite; his best friend is Stella (Haley Bennett), who prefers the company of women but is just as enthusiastic about pursuing new lovers. Smith has been haunted by a series of recurring dreams featuring two beautiful women, one dark and enigmatic, the other similarly spectral with flaming red hair. This wouldn't bother him, except that the women from his dreams have begun appearing in real life -- Lorelei (Roxane Mesquida), Stella's new partner, is a magic aficionado who's a dead ringer for the dark-haired woman, and the red-haired girl (Nicole LaLiberte) is being pursued by a gang of masked assassins. Has Smith stumbled into a plot with possible world-changing consequences? Or is this all just the product of some hallucinogenic cookies he was served at a party? Kaboom received its world premiere at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Thomas Dekker, Haley Bennett, (more)
- 2010
Celebrated British filmmaker Ken Loach explore the controversies of his nation's role in the war in Iraq in this intelligent thriller. Fergus (Mark Womack) served with distinction in a British Special Forces outfit in Iraq, and after his hitch in the Army ended, Fergus was approached by a private security firm working with civilian contractors in the war zone. Fergus wasn't interested in returning to Iraq, but when he was offered £10,000 a month for his services, he changed his mind, and persuaded his army buddy Frankie (John Bishop) to also sign on. Fergus came to regret his decision when Frankie died after hitting an improvised explosive device while traveling on Route Irish, the treacherous road between Baghdad's airport and the heavily fortified Green Zone. While attending Frankie's funeral, Fergus is approached by a woman who gives him Frankie's old cell phone, which holds a startling video of Iraqi civilians being murdered by employees of the same security firm that employed him and Frankie. Fergus believes there's a connection between the video and Frankie's death, and sets out to find it with the help of Frankie's widow Rachel (Andrea Lowe) and Harim (Talib Rasool), an Iraqi refugee. But the top men at the firm are not about to admit any wrongdoing, and uncovering what really happens proves to be a difficult and taxing process. Route Irish received its world premiere at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2009
- NR
A recently divorced mother of two struggles to make the right decisions for her two young children amidst constant meddling by her overly intrusive family, who refuse to stop hassling her until she's found true happiness. Now the harder Lena (Chiara Mastroianni) works to get over her divorce from Nigel (Jean-Marc Barr), the more she realizes her family is the true source of her misery. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chiara Mastroianni, Marina Fois, (more)
A man trying to put his life back on track gets some advice from an unexpected benefactor in this comedy drama from acclaimed British director Ken Loach. Eric Bishop (Steve Evets) is a postman living in Manchester whose life has been slowly going off the rails ever since his wife, Lily (Stephanie Bishop), walked out on him. Eric has just been released from the hospital after an auto accident, and comes home to a house that's a mess and two teenage sons, Ryan (Gerard Kearns) and Jess (Stefan Gumbs), who regard their dad as an annoyance rather than an authority figure. Eric's oldest child, a grown daughter named Sam (Lucy-Jo Hudson), loves him but can't get her mother or brothers to show him any respect. And his friends from work don't know what to do for him, except allow him to talk about football and his favorite team, Manchester United. One night, Eric is home alone, smoking some weed, and to his amazement he's visited by an apparition of Eric Cantona, the French footballer who was a star for Manchester United in the 1990s until he retired and dropped out of sight. Cantona's ghost has come to give Eric a pep talk and offer him some advice on how to win Lily back, and as Eric tries to convince his wife to give him another chance, Cantona periodically appears to coach him in the ways of romance. Looking for Eric was an official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Evets, Eric Cantona, (more)
In this drama directed and co-written by Claire Denis, Isabelle Huppert plays Maria, a white French expatriate living in an African nation that has fallen into political chaos. Maria owns a coffee plantation, and regards her property as her personal domain; she's not about to give up her land, though her stubborn attitude prevents her from admitting that she's putting those close to her in danger, or even acknowledging the gravity of her situation. Maria has two children with her former husband, André (Christopher Lambert), a young adopted boy and dissatisfied twentysomething Manuel (Nicolas Duvauchelle). André is deeply concerned for the safety of Maria and their sons, and has made plans for her and the boys to flee to Europe, but Maria insists that the military will protect her and the others in the area, a belief that seems to be fueled by arrogance rather than fact. White Material received its North American premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Isabelle Huppert, Isaach de Bankolé, (more)
The lives of a septic tank cleaner, an ambitious mob boss, and a deaf-mute deli worker converge in tragedy in this seriocomic crime drama from director/screenwriter James DeMonaco. Blue collar by birth, Sully Halverson (Ethan Hawke) has never amounted to much in life. When Sully finds out he's about to become a father, he schemes to rob Parmie Tarzo (Vincent D'Onifrio), a small-time kingpin who's looking for a way to leave his mark on the world. By saving Staten Island Forest, Parmie surmises, he can mold an upstanding public persona for himself while quietly eliminating the competition behind closed doors. That's where Jasper Sabiano (Seymour Cassel) comes in. Seymour may not be able to hear or speak, but he's a hard worker who knows where his bread is buttered. When he's not serving up bagels and coffee, Jasper is dispatching bodies for Tarzo -- frequently in Staten Island Forest. But lately Jasper has been growing tired of the game, and he's desperate to find a way out. When Sully sets his plan into motion, all three men find themselves thrust into a volatile situation that threatens to destroy their plans for the future as it quickly spirals out of control. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, (more)
The devastating reverberations of a profound tragedy echo through generations of a long-suffering French family in this emotional family drama from director Arnaud Desplechin. When Abel and his wife, Junon, started a family, it seemed like the seeds of true happiness had been planted. But while their daughter, Elizabeth, was healthy from the day she was born, things quickly turned dark when her brother Joseph was diagnosed with a rare and deadly genetic condition. Joseph's only hope for survival was a bone marrow transplant, but Abel, Junon, and Elizabeth were all incompatible. In one last, desperate chance to save their son's life, Abel and Junon conceived a third child. But not even little Henri could save his ailing brother's life. Joseph died at the age of seven, and neither his siblings nor his parents have ever found the strength to recover. Years later, family relations have deteriorated beyond the point of repair; the tensions between family matriarch Elizabeth and her cynical brother Henri finally culminating in a violent confrontation in which Elizabeth banishes her alcoholic brother and refuses him further contact with his troubled adolescent nephew, Paul. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon, (more)
- 2007
A man universally renowned for his directorial artistry, French filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin (La Sentinelle, Kings & Queen) investigates the life story of a little-known ancestor with L'Aimee. The film offers rare insights into Desplechin's familial background by following him on a deeply personal journey to his childhood home of Roubaix, a short time before the house is finally sold to an outside buyer. Once there, the filmmaker and his father Robert begin to investigate the life of Arnaud's paternal grandmother via a wealth of priceless and irreplaceable familial artifacts. The grandmother, Thérèse Desplechin, died of tuberculosis at age 36, merely two years after giving birth to Robert; consequently, Robert knows precious little about his mother aside from what he has been told. Arnaud and Robert thus team up to stitch together a loosely-knit onscreen biographical portrait of the enigmatic woman, drawing from such resources as a painting of Thérèse, pages from an old diary, personal letters and vintage photographs. Meanwhile, Desplechin's camera observes the house itself being prepped for sale, as the rooms are emptied one-by-one. The film thus meditates on the loss wrought by the death of a family member, and the changes that can unfold in a clan over the bittersweet passage of time. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 2007
An elderly couple and their grown-up children must deal with the consequences of advancing age in this comedy-drama from France. Sarah (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) and her husband Francois (Arie Elmaleh) are a happy couple in their early forties who are facing with a dilemma not uncommon to folks their age -- what to do about Sarah's parents. While her mother Genevieve (Bulle Ogier) and father Solomon (Jean-Pierre Marielle) divorced when she was a teenager, they remain friends and see one another on a regular basis, while also staying close to their children. However, Genevieve has grown increasingly eccentric, and she's developed a bad habit of giving all her money to strangers, leaving her unable to pay her faithful servant Mr. Mootoosamy (Bakary Sangare). Holocaust survivor Solomon, meanwhile, is in sound body and mind beyond his fondness for tap dancing along with old movie musicals, but he can't understand why he can no longer get insurance just because he's eighty years old, though a new romance with college professor Violette (Sabine Azema) brightens his mood considerably. Faut Que Ca Danse! (aka Gotta Dance!) also stars Daniel Emilfork, Judith Chemla and Nicholas Maura; jazz great Artie Shepp provided the musical score. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean-Pierre Marielle, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, (more)
- 2007
The crumbling relationships within a suburban Geneva family are detailed from three distinctly unique perspectives in Swiss director Jacob Berger's insightful family drama. As the rain falls heavy outside his family's modest Meyrin apartment, radio newsman Serge (Bruno Todeschini) rises from bed and prepares for another day at work. After waking his wife Pietra (Natacha Regnier) and his son Vlad (Louis Dussol), Serge gets behind the wheel and makes a quick stop by the apartment of his ravishing mistress Mathilde (Noemie Kocher). Distracted by the downpour on his way to work, the womanizing father runs into something with his car yet keeps driving. Later at work, Serge finds his mind continually drifting back to the incident and goes back to find out if anyone was injured. When nothing appears amiss, Serge and Mathilda go back to the married man's apartment for an invigorating bout of afternoon sex. Eventually, the action shifts to Pietra's perspective as she takes the bus to the museum where she works. Despite the fact that a rabid dog is loose in the building, Pietra boldly enters in a desperate bid to locate her missing cell phone. When Pietra returns home unexpectedly in the middle of the afternoon, the discovery she makes send her into a state of minor shock. Meanwhile, as young Vlad stakes out the nearby apartment building where a pretty classmate lives, he is surprised to see his father turn up on the scene. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bruno Todeschini, Natacha Régnier, (more)
A young, inexperienced detective is inducted into an elite Paris plainclothes unit in Le Petit Lieutenant, directed by Xavier Beauvois (Don't Forget You're Going to Die). Antoine (Jalil Lespert or Human Resources) is as gung-ho as they come, and eager to learn everything he needs to know to be a good cop, although he misses his wife (Bérangère Allaux), a schoolteacher who stayed behind in the country when Antoine took his new job. Antoine socializes with his new comrades, who seem to drink an awful lot, with the exception of the unit commander, Caroline (Nathalie Baye), an alcoholic who has just returned from a long stint on desk duty. The other experienced detectives that Antoine looks up to are the cynical Louis (Antoine Chappey), and the stalwart Solo (Roschdy Zem), who in addition to the rigors of the job faces bigotry due to his Moroccan origin. When a Polish immigrant is found murdered in a canal near the station, the unit begins a methodical investigation, eventually learning that the victim was last seen with a couple of Russians. When a second victim is rescued from the waters of the canal a few days later, the case takes on a new urgency. As Antoine tries to fit in and learn on the job, Caroline struggles with her addiction and forms an almost maternal bond with the rookie. Le Petit Lieutenant also features Jacques Perrin, and was shown by the Film Society of Lincoln Center as part of their 2006 Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nathalie Baye, Jalil Lespert, (more)
A man finds his heart and soul torn between loyalty to his family and a need to be redeemed from his violent lifestyle in this powerful drama from France. Tom (Romain Duris) is a man in his early thirties who finds himself caught between two very different worlds. Tom loves music, and longs to have a career as a concert pianist; he also has talent, and is taking advanced music lessons from Miao-Lin (Linh Dan Pham). But Tom supports himself working as a collection agent for his father, Robert (Niels Arestrup), a mid-level gangster and loan shark, as well as helping Sami (Gilles Cohen) and Fabrice (Jonathan Zaccai), two of Robert's cronies who put together crooked real-estate deals. Tom's hair-trigger temper makes it easy for him to adapt to the violent life of a gangster's muscle man, but he wants to give his creative side a chance to grow, and struggles to get his skills in order for an audition with a concert promoter interested in his music. Tom is also walking on a wire with his employers by having an affair with Aline (Aure Atika), Fabrice's wife, and is forced to mediate a bitter feud between his father and a Russian gangster, Minskov (Anton Yakovlev). A remake of James Toback's acclaimed directorial debut, Fingers, The Beat That My Heart Skipped (aka De Battre Mon Coeur S'Est Arrêté) was nominated for the Golden Bear award at the 2005 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Romain Duris, Niels Arestrup, (more)
This action-packed remake of the John Carpenter classic tells the tale of an under-manned Detroit police precinct on its last day of operation that finds itself under siege by a ruthless force that will not stop. This time, a notorious cop-killer and mobster Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishbourne) is unexpectedly brought into the precinct during a blizzard on New Year's Eve, much to the dismay of police sergeant Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke). By nightfall, the remaining cops and prisoners find themselves fighting for their lives against a group of rogue cops intent on taking down Bishop before he testifies against them in the courtroom. Now it's up to the officers, secretaries, and inmates on the inside to band together just to survive this one night. Also starring Gabriel Byrne, John Leguizamo, Drea de Matteo, and Brian Dennehy. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, (more)
- 2001
A man creating a cautionary tale about drug abuse finds himself and his lover drawn into the deadly web of heroin in this drama. Francois Mauge (Mehdi Behaj Kacem) is a filmmaker who is still dealing with the death of his wife, a well-known model and actress who succumbed to drugs. Determined to make a statement about his loss through his work, Francois decides to direct a film about a woman struggling with addiction called "Wild Innocence," and casts an attractive young actress named Lucie (Julia Faure) in the leading role. Francois soon falls for Lucie and they become lovers, but Francois loses financing for his project, and in order to continue filming, he approaches a less-than-scrupulous financier, Chas (Michel Subor), who was friends with Francois' late wife. Chas offers to back the movie, but under one condition -- Francois has to help him smuggle a large quantity of heroin into France. As if this ugly irony were not enough, Lucie develops a curiosity about drugs while researching her role, and tries snorting heroin; before long, she's devolved into a full-blown addict. Philippe Garrel's film was inspired in part by his romance with Nico, the noted model, musician, and actress who herself developed a very serious drug habit during the course of their relationship. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julia Faure, Mehdi Belhaj Kacem, (more)
- 2001
Acclaimed and controversial French filmmaker Jean-Francois Richet directed and co-wrote this bleak look at a young woman whose first missteps in life take her farther than she ever expected along a dangerous path. Maria (Virginie Ledoyen) is a bright and attractive but not especially responsible young woman who is used to having things go her way in life. Out of school and with no clear career path, Maria ends up taking a job putting together cushions for chairs. But after a single day on the job she quits, claiming the work hurts her hands and she'd rather start her own restaurant. As Maria plots her next move, she impulsively swipes a piece of lingerie from a store, then tries to lie her way out of the situation when she's caught. But Maria finds that words can't get her out of this bind, and soon she's in jail and dealing with much deeper trouble than she ever imagined possible. De L'Amour also features French hip-hop artist Stomy Bugsy as a drug dealer who is friendly with Maria's boyfriend, played by Yazid Ait. Ait also contributed to the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Virginie Ledoyen, Yazid Ait, (more)
- 2000
One man's attempt to avenge his father has unexpected consequences in this drama from France. Matthieu (Benoit Magimel) and Eric (Antione Chappey) are two brothers who work in a factory alongside their father (Fred Ulysse). When father is fired under dubious circumstances, Matthieu is outraged and tries to organize his co-workers to stand up to the bosses and have him reinstated. However, Eric, with a new wife to support, doesn't want to rock the boat, and the other men on the line express similar sentiments. After father is struck and killed by a motorist while crossing the street (en route to apply for unemployment), a despondent Matthieu is convinced it was an act of suicide. Determined to get revenge against the men who stripped his father of his job and his dignity, Matthieu falls into an affair with Claire (Nathalie Baye), the wife of one of the factory owners, who has a gambling problem. Claire eventually discovers Matthieu's hidden agenda and breaks off their relationship; his attempt to expose her to her husband brings disastrous results. The screenplay for Selon Matthieu was co-authored by Catherine Breillat, writer/director of the controversial international success Romance. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Benoît Magimel, Nathalie Baye, (more)
The first feature film of Helene Angel, who has won several prizes for her short films, Peau d'Homme, Coeur de Bete uses the point of view of children to focus on a tragedy that befalls a family. After fifteen years of absence, a man returns to his family. Five-year-old Aurelie watches the stranger arrive and develops an immediate affinity with him. Her older sister, however, is very suspicious of the intruder and certain that misfortune will follow. The adults see nothing, but struggle with all their might when tragedy strikes. Naturally, the two girls bear the brunt of the impact. The film is an homage to the distant and primitive world of childhood, which shapes each of us. Peau d'Homme, Coeur de Bete received the Golden Leopard at the 1999 Locarno International Film Festival and Serge Riaboukine was awarded a Bronze Leopard as Best Actor. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi
- Starring:
- Serge Riaboukine, Bernard Blancan, (more)
- 1998
In this 122-minute sequel to the 47-minute Versilles -- Rive Gauche (1991), the brothers Bruno and Denis Podalydes provide the central installment of their trilogy of films named after different Versailles train stations. Awkward Albert (Denis Podlydes), a balding nerdy sort, is a soundman working on a political campaign spot in Toulouse where Albert and his buddy Otto (Jean-Noel Broute) donate blood in order to connect with attractive nurse Sophie (Isabelle Candelier). Attending a nature-film premiere in Paris, Albert becomes so shaken by his desire for journalist-filmmaker Anna (Jeanne Balibar) that he begins vomiting, interpreted by Anna as a compliment. Cop Corinne (Cecile Gouillot) is also attracted to Albert. Shown at the 1998 Locarno Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denis Podalydès, Jeanne Balibar, (more)
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