Dan Franck Movies
Arthouse favorite Olivier Assayas followed up his critical darling L'Heure d'Été (2008) with this wildly different chronicle -- a biopic of the ultra-left-wing Venezuelan terrorist-cum-mercenary Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, popularly known as "Carlos the Jackal." As co-written by Assayas and scenarist Dan Franck, the account spans the years 1973-1994 -- or the period that witnessed Sanchez at his most violent and relentless. Narrative touchstones include the 1974 bomb attack at the Publicis Drugstore on Paris' Left Bank and the 1975 abduction of 11 OPEC officials from Vienna, as well as a torrent of assassinations that Carlos and his cronies planned but didn't carry out. As produced by Daniel Leconte, this telling of Sanchez's life stars Edgar Ramirez as the terrorist, as well as Alexander Scheer, Aljoscha Stadelmann, and Julia Hummer; it was predominantly shot in Germany, France, and Lebanon. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Edgar Ramirez, Alexander Scheer, (more)
- 2007
A middle-aged man studying the Mur des Noms in modern-day France recalls the time 20 years prior when he and his mother were viewing the trial of Klaus Barbie with rapt attention in this introspective drama from director Amos Gitai. The year was 1987, and Rivka lived with her son, Victor, in a disheveled apartment littered with antiques and memorabilia. The opening session in the trial against the so-called "butcher of Lyon" is being televised, and Rivka is struggling to keep her emotions under control as she prepares dinner. Meanwhile, Victor sits in his office attempting to assemble his family tree. But he too is watching the trials, and doesn't seem to hear a word spoken to him by his secretary. As mother and son sit down for dinner together, the mere mention of Barbie's trial is enough to cause Rivka to excuse herself from the table. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeanne Moreau, Hippolyte Girardot, (more)
- 2006
Abandoned by the world and left to fend for himself as the Nazis continue their march across Europe, one-time bohemian turned Catholic convert Max Jacob finds help coming from the most unlikely of places as he awaits the train that will take him to a Concentration camp. The year is 1944, and as the Gestapo storm the abbey of Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire to arrest the Max Jacob (Jean-Claude Brialy), it appears as if the homosexual Jew who had previously rubbed elbows with Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau during the Bateau-Lavoir years will now become just another victim of Hitler's murderous regime. Later, as Jacob sits in Drancy awaiting deportation, a young orphan whom he had once saved from the streets sets out to return the favor by any means necessary. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean-Claude Brialy, Dominique Blanc, (more)
- 1997
Mirroring the style of French graphic novels and dramatic comic strips, this adventure is set in a rundown lunar city and chronicles an evil, rapidly aging dictator's desperate search for the man who unwillingly donated his brain cells to him 20 years before. The dictator Mac Bee begins his mad hunt after an assassin kills his heirs. Without more of Tykho Moon's brain cells, Mac Bee will lose control of the moon and so sends out his best storm troopers to find Tykho. But Tykho lost his memory after the first operation and has become Anikst, a sculptor. He has a feeling that something is wrong and that for some reason he may be the object of the intense searching. While wandering the city streets, he encounters and falls in love with Lena, a beautiful prostitute who also turns out to be more than she seems. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johan Leysen, Julie Delpy, (more)
- 1994
This French film offers a powerful fictionalized account of renowned French poet, actor, and intellectual Antonin Artaud who in life walked a fine, often blurred line between genius and insanity. It is told from the viewpoint of Artaud's intimate friend, student, and pusher, the poet Jacques Prevel. The story begins in late Spring 1946 as Artaud is released from a Rodez asylum where he stayed for nine years. He returns to Paris where Prevel, eager to resume their mentor student relationship, patiently waits. The last two years of Artaud's life provide the focus for much of the film. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sami Frey, Marc Barbé, (more)
French director Christian Vincent charts the dissolution of a long-term relationship with his third film, based on the novel by Dan Franck. Daniel Auteuil and Isabelle Huppert star as Pierre and Anne, a couple who have been living together as husband and wife for several years. Although they never married, they do have a fifteen-month-old son, Loulou. One night at the cinema, Anne refuses to take Pierre's hand and the strained moment leads to her confession that she has fallen in love with another man. Although Pierre seems at first to take the news calmly, he becomes increasingly desperate and enraged as the days pass, while the distant Anne walks a fine line between embarking on a new romance and trying not to hurt Pierre too greatly. When a pair of friends, Victor (Jerome Deschamps) and Claire (Karin Viard), announce that they are finally marrying after their own years-long relationship, it sparks a final confrontation between Pierre and Anne. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Isabelle Huppert, Daniel Auteuil, (more)
- 1991
Very few people know that Pierre Marroux (Yves Montand) is the father of the famous terrorist Netchaiev (Vincent Lindon), and that's the way he likes to keep it. His boy is now presumed to be dead, and he has a job to do, protecting the safety of those who pay him. However, the boy has recently returned to Paris with a group on an operation. Netchaiev is tired of being a hunted man and is shopping his potential confession around for the best deal. This puts him at odds with his colleagues past and present, and his life is in great danger. When Pierre learns of the situation, he tries to use his skills to find his son before his killers do. Along the way, he learns that the French government has a very shady deal with the terrorists, and it wants Netchaiev dead, too. This thriller is based on a novel by Jacques Semprun. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vincent Lindon, Yves Montand, (more)
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