Antoine Chappey Movies
- 2009
On the most fundamental level, the two neighboring French villages of Super-Charmoussey and Charmoussey couldn't possibly be more different: the former is an affluent, thriving ski resort town, the latter a village struggling financially - to such a degree that it seems barely able to stay afloat. For decades, the two villages have engaged in an intense and longstanding rivalry, with a perennial beauty contest between the towns; the lucky young winner, each year, automatically graduates to the Miss Franche-Comtr competition. For 22 years, Super-Charmoussey has won, hands-down, with its endless supply of gorgeous young European women who are primed and coached by outside professionals for maximum success. But this year, Charmoussey's mayor opts for a change in plan; longing to beat Super-Charmoussey at its own game, he summons village expatriate-turned-professional actor Franck (superstar Benoit Poelvoorde) to leave his Parisian home, move back into the community, and uncover the many secrets that Super-Charmoussey's citizens routinely use to give themselves a leg up. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benoît Poelvoorde, Olivia Bonamy, (more)
- 2008
In a dramatic setup that recalls the opening act of Robert Wise's chiller Audrey Rose (1977), Sandrine Bonnaire (Monsieur Hire) stars as Claire, a mother terrified by the discovery that a strange woman has begun systematically following her little girl, locked within the grip of obsession. In the mean time, we learn more about the other woman, Elsa (Catherine Frot) - an emotionally imbalanced mother locked in a divorce battle for custody of her young son, who finds herself almost magnetically drawn to Claire's little girl after innocently glimpsing the child at a local birthday party. She's drawn not merely to observe, but to covet and ultimately possess, which sends Claire into a maelstrom of terror as she feels compelled to confront and contend with this threatening new presence, and to obtain an answer that will account for the woman's seemingly irrational behavior. But in time, it is Claire whose behavior begins to seem off-center, as she demonstrates a growing paranoia and a willingness to go to almost any length to protect herself and the little girl. Throughout the film, director Safy Nebbou plunges headfirst into a deceptively innocent and placid domestic realm of subdivisions, nursery schools and children's parks while subtly unveiling the potential for devastation that lies beneath all of it. The title phrase - "mark of an angel" - refers to the tiny indentation above the upper lip of each newborn baby, said to be an angel's thumbprint that makes each child unique. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Frot, Sandrine Bonnaire, (more)
Director Rachid Bouchareb teams with screenwriter Olivier Morelle to offer a revealing look at the brave contributions made by North African soldiers who fought for France during World War II in this emotionally-charged war drama starring Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Sami Bouajila, and Bernard Blancan. The year was 1943 and France had been bending to the will of Nazi Germany for three long years. In order to break Hitler's powerful grip, the first French Army was recruited in Africa. Comprised of 130,000 North Africans who were willing to put their lives on the line in order to defeat the Nazi death machine, the fearless fighters were contemptuously dubbed indigènes (natives) by many French, despite their remarkable sacrifice. From the noble Abdelkader (Bouajila), who is fighting strictly for the cause; to the money motivated Yassir (Naceri); the impoverished Saïd (Debbouze); and die-hard romantic Messaoud (Roschdy Zem), who longs to finally visit the country he has dreamt about from afar, the selfless efforts of these remarkable men ultimately transcend their superiors' contemptuous disregard for their service by providing invaluable aid during one of the world's darkest hours. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, (more)
- 2006
Roschdy Zem and Cecile de France star as a Muslim Arab and a Jewish woman who find their four-year love affair put to the ultimate test in director/co-writer Zem's 21st Century take on Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Ishmael (Zem) is a music instructor at a Paris conservatory. His widowed mother still lives in the housing project in which her son was raised, and his Jewish best friend is the proprietor of a popular independent record store. Clara (France) is a physical therapist who specializes in helping motor-impaired children and whose retired parents live with her single sister in the family's comfortable suburban home. Secular thirty-somethings who never put much credence in adhering to their respective faiths, Ishmael and Clara have remained together for four fun-filled years without incidence. When Clara discovers that she has become pregnant with Ishmael's child, however, the couple's carefree romance threatens to grow complicated as their ethnic backgrounds bleed into the forefront of their consciences and they struggle with how to reveal the development to their traditional-minded parents. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roschdy Zem, Cécile De France, (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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathalie Baye, Jalil Lespert, (more)
The rise and fall of one couple's marriage goes under the microscope in this drama from French filmmaker François Ozon. Gilles (Stephane Freis) and Marion (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) have filed for divorce following several years of marriage, and after the judge declares their union is over, the film follows the couple through five lengthy flashbacks, presented in reverse chronological order, in which glimpses of their lives together are shown, ending with the couple meeting for the first time. As the film follows the peaks and valleys of Gilles and Marion's relationship, viewers witness a few of the many small events that make up a marriage. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Stéphane Freiss, (more)
- 2001
A woman discovers that the joys of parenthood are not making her especially happy in this dark comedy/drama. Christelle (Marilyne Canto) is a new mother who isn't dealing well with the anxieties of caring for her child. One day, she suffers a severe panic attack while alone with the baby, and her neighbor, Claire (Dominique Blanc), takes her and her baby over to her apartment while trying to soothe her nerves. Christelle's husband, Laurent (Patrick Bruel), arrives home to discover both his wife and child missing and goes frantically searching for them, unaware they're in the apartment next door. Before he can find them, Laurent has to leave to have lunch with several members of the family, including his brother and his wife, who also happens to be Christelle's sister. Tempers begin to fray, and Laurent ends up in a shouting match with his family as he is forced to declare his own shortcomings as a husband and father. Meanwhile, as Claire tries to calm Christelle, she reveals that she's having her own problems -- Claire has been having an affair with a married man (Sergi Lopez). Le Lait de la Tendresse Humaine was written and directed by Dominique Cabrera, who previously explored her own problems with depression and anxiety following the birth of a child in the documentary Demain et Encore Demain. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Bruel, Marilyne Canto, (more)
- 2001
Infidelity makes for strange bedfellows in this spicy comedy from France. Fanfan (Maryse Cupaiolo) and Joss (Marie Matheron) are two close friends who are unhappy in their marriages; Fanfan decides to leave her husband, and having become attracted to Joss, decides to stop by and give her the news, only to discover that Joss has also given her spouse his walking papers. Neither of them knows what her next move will be, so they end up moving in together at the home of Fanfan's sister Manu (Marilyne Canto). With their new freedom at their disposal, Joss and Fanfan spend their days looking for a good time wherever and however they might find it, while Manu and her husband Mytch (Michel Bompoli) lend a sense of order to the house. But things aren't quite as orderly with Manu as others might think, since it turns out she's having an affair behind Mytch's back. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marilyne Canto, Marie Matheron, (more)
A man who's been confronted with new responsibilities must decide what to do with his career in this drama with comic undertones. Gilbert Vance (Michel Piccoli) is an aging but highly respected actor who, after completing a performance of Eugene Ionesco's Exit the King in which he plays opposite an attractive and talented actress named Sylvie Leonor Silveira, receives devastating news -- his wife, his daughter, and her husband have all perished in an automobile accident. Vance becomes the guardian of his grandson, and as he learns to live without his loved ones, the boy soon becomes his best and most rewarding reason for getting through the days. Vance returns to work playing Prospero in a well-received production of William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and after the successful run, Vance's agent (Antoine Chappey) is flooded with offers for the actor's services. But the majority of the projects are highly dubious, and Vance ends up rejecting most of them, though he takes a role in a screen adaptation of James Joyce's Ulysses directed by American filmmaker John Crawford (John Malkovich), even though he knows he's miscast. As Vance ponders retirement, his agent also passes along another sort of offer -- Sylvie has confided that she's very much attracted to Vance, but while she's more than interested in an affair, Vance isn't sure that he wants a new relationship in his life. Catherine Deneuve also appears in a supporting role as an actress working with Vance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Piccoli, Antoine Chappey, (more)
- 2000
Antoine Desrosieres directs this black comedy road flick about a coke-addled, misogynist stockbroker and an abandoned pregnant woman thrown together by fate. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mathieu Demy, Gwendola Bothorel, (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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benoît Magimel, Nathalie Baye, (more)
- 1999
- NR
Veteran Portuguese director Manoel Oliveira brings the events and characters of a famous 17th-century French novel, La princesse de Cleves by Madame de Lafayette, to the modern day in this film about passion and matrimonial virtues. Mademoiselle de Chartres (Chiara Mastroianni) has her first experience of heartbreak when a youth who believes in free love abandons her. One night, her mother's friend Mrs. Silva introduces her to Jacques de Cleves, a doctor of good reputation. The doctor fell in love with the young girl the day he saw her in a jewelry store in the Place Vendome, choosing a necklace in the company of her mother. Mademoiselle de Chartres agrees to marry the doctor to cure her broken heart but subsequently falls in love with a young and fashionable singer, Pedro Abrunhosa. Realizing the dangers of following one's passions, her mother warns her before she dies, reminding her of her reputation and her duties to her husband. But she is too much in love to care. Besides, she is a rebellious woman at heart. Using a story written almost three centuries ago, Oliveira makes light of the social order which is affecting humanity even today. Remarkably, he does this with a good dose of humor. Chiara Mastroianni combines beauty with dignity as the woman who has no choice but to follow her passions no matter where they lead her. In competition at the 52nd Cannes Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chiara Mastroianni, Pedro Abrunhosa, (more)
- 1999
- NR
A female police officer working on the lower rungs of law enforcement finds herself in the midst of a premature midlife crisis in the bittersweet comedy Le Bleu Des Villes. Solange (Florence Vignon) has just turned 30, and isn't exactly overjoyed with her life. She works as a meter maid and spends her days fending off complaints from motorists who don't believe they deserved to be ticketed. She's been married for five years to Patrick (Antoine Chappey), who works in the morgue at a local hospital. Solange loves to sing, but only performs with a karaoke setup at home, as she doesn't have the nerve to sing in front of an audience. Solange's dissatisfactions become even stronger when an old friend from school days comes into town, Mylene (Mathilde Seigner). Mylene has gone on to a successful career delivering weather reports on TV and has now published a book; Solange is happy for her friend's success, but by comparison her own life seems even more dull. Le Bleu Des Villes was shown as part of the "Directors Fortnight" series at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Florence Vignon, Mathilde Seigner, (more)
- 1998
French novelist Vincent Ravalec made his directorial debut with this French drama about small-time crook Gaston (Yvan Attal) who poses as a millionaire after he picks up hitchhiking 16-year-old Marie-Pierre (Virginie Lanoue). Actually living in a seedy apartment, Gaston deals in stolen goods, but he soon climbs to bigger heists, including car thefts. Concealing his illegal activities, Gaston operates his company, Extramill, out of upscale, posh offices, while he and Marie-Pierre move into a sedate upper-middle-class neighborhood. Life is sweet, but the onset of paranoia, kinky sex activities, and police probes eventually culminate in violence. Shown in the Cinemas en France section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvan Attal, Virginie Lanoue, (more)
- 1998
Micheline, who is pregnant, lives in a home for women from which she tries to observe the world with calm and serenity. Among other women of the home who are also pregnant the frequently asked question is whether they will keep their baby or not. In her first film, director Marie Vermillard succeeds in dealing with a melodramatic subject with a balanced, almost impressionistic point of view. The actors (professional as well-as non-professional) are remarkable, particularly Alexia Monduit who plays Micheline. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexia Monduit, Genevieve Tenne, (more)
- 1997
In this satirical French comedy, divorced and unemployed father Henri (Hippolyte Girardot) recruits others who are jobless, evicted, living with parents, surviving on welfare, or staying in shelters. With his core group of the eight unemployed young people, Henri's objective is to form his own political party. One member of the group, however, is Antoine (Gad Elmaleh), head of a successful software firm, who poses as a jobless loser while romancing ex-communist Solange (Florence Pernel). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hippolyte Girardot, Antoine Chappey, (more)
- 1997
This film is the directorial debut of 29-year-old Graham Guit, who co-scripted with Eric Neve. Young Frenchman Lenny (Melvil Poupaud) takes some cocaine from London to Paris where he makes a risky connection with dapper drug dealer Joel (Jean-Phillippe Ecoffey) and his violent henchman Sammy (Issac Sharry), splitting the scene to get a plane ticket before they discover he's cut the coke. Joel's girlfriend Juliette (Romane Bohringer) seduces Lenny and makes off with the cash. But then Juliette falls for Lenny, decides to double-cross Joel, and departs with a suitcase of cash -- so she thinks. Instead of money, the suitcase contains many valuable vials of the drug Special K. While Lenny and Juliette search for a buyer so they can unload the Special K, Joel and Sammy are in hot pursuit. Shown at the 1997 London Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melvil Poupaud, Romane Bohringer, (more)
- 1996
- R
When the Cat's Away is a gentle French comedy that explores the problems and anxieties of contemporary urbanites. When Chloe (Garance Clavel), a young Parisian, decides to take a long-overdue vacation, she has to find someone to look after Gris-Gris, her beloved cat. Everyone, including her gay male roommate, refuses to help her, but she finally makes an arrangement with the elderly Madame Renée (Renée Le Calm), who often watches over other peoples' cats and dogs. However, when Chloe comes back, Madame Renée tells her that unfortunately the cat has been lost, and the unlucky owner goes on a search for her dear animal friend. While looking for the cat, she meets many colorful characters who populate the neighborhood. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Garance Clavel, Zinedine Soualem, (more)
- 1996
- R
After fatally shooting a stalker, Parisian bar-maid Lea must live the life of the title reptile. At the time of the killing she was living with Francis, a much older American ex-con. After committing the murder, the fleeing and frightened Lea is saved by Paris paper boys Jean and Luc. Later she tells her sad story to hard-drinking Moskowitz, a middle-aged cop who secretly desires her. His unrequited love leads to tragedy. Meanwhile, Lea continues living with Francis, but also shacks up with Luc while trying to avoid the jealous cop. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chiara Mastroianni, Seymour Cassel, (more)
- 1996
Michel and Juliette have just broken up over Michel's affair with the much younger Romance. Alice and Nicolas are still together, but maybe this is because Nicolas does not know of Alice's affair with handsome sports photographer Gaspard. This sly sex comedy, the sophomore effort of Belgian filmmaker Lucas Belvaux, follows the covert sexual misadventures of the troubled foursome. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ornella Muti, Jean-Pierre Léaud, (more)
- 1996
- NR
In this black comedy from France, a family gathers in a tavern, ostensibly to celebrate a birthday, but poking each other's sore spots turns out to be the main order of business. Henri (Jean-Pierre Bacri) runs a saloon that he inherited from his father called "The Sleepy Dad," and in the near-empty bar, he plays host to several members of the family as they mark the 35th birthday of his sister-in-law, Yolande (Catherine Frot). Henri's sister, Betty (Agnès Jaoui), is 30, single, and not very happy about it; his brother (and Yolande's husband), Phillipe (Vladimir Yordanoff), runs a growing software company; Mother (Claire Maurier) is the siblings' strong-willed matriarch; and Henri's dog is on hand, whom someone describes as "like a rug, but alive." It's not been a good day for most of them: Phillipe is convinced that his business will go out the window as a result of the ugly tie that he wore on television; Betty is depressed about the sad state of her current relationship; Henri has just learned that his wife is leaving him; and Mother is tossing caustic barbs at everyone left and right. Henri's bartender Denis (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) is the one neutral party on hand, and he provides the voice of reason in the midst of the bickering. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Pierre Bacri, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, (more)
