Ivan Desny Movies
Born in China to Russian parents, Ivan Desny spent his formative years in Paris. It was Desny's bad luck to be there when the Nazis marched in, and he spent the war in a German labor camp along with thousands of other Russian expatriates. After the war, Desny drifted into French films, first as an extra, then as a leading man. Essentially a European actor, Desny has appeared in scattered American films, notably Anastasia (1956), Song Without End (1960) and Disney's Bon Voyage (1962). Though his film career spans four decades, Ivan Desny is most fondly remembered by English fans for his 1950 portrayal of blackmailing social climber Emile l'Angelier in director David Lean's Madeleine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1996
- R
André Téchiné's complex and ambitious crime drama starts with a prologue in which a little boy is awakened in the middle of the night by two strangers bringing home his father's body. The story of the deceased, Ivan (Didier Bezace), and his involvement with car thieves unfolds in flashbacks as told by different people: Ivan's policeman brother Alex (Daniel Auteuil); Juliette (Laurence Côte), a young woman involved with the both brothers; and Marie (Catherine Deneuve), an unhappy philosophy professor in love with Juliette. Auteuil and Deneuve played siblings three years earlier in Téchiné's similarly rueful family drama Ma Saison Préferée. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Auteuil, Catherine Deneuve, (more)
- 1991
Young, naive and innocent, Pierre (Manuel Blanc) has dreams of becoming an actor. He is a good-looking and personable boy, and he has just moved to the city to see if he can't accomplish his dreams. He gets a job as an orderly at a hospital and is further supported by an older woman (Helene Vincent), a nurse he has met there, in return for his sexual favors. However, in his acting class, he quickly discovers that he is not overflowing with talent, and his dream of becoming an actor grows dim. Instead, despite the advice of a knowledgeable and worldly older gay man (Philippe Noiret), he becomes a sex worker. It has long been a staple of the movies that certain hustlers and prostitutes maintain a distinction between their work and their lives by not kissing their clients, hence the title of this film, J'embrasse Pas. He grows to love the seedy, degraded lifestyle, and seems to be adapting well to his new profession until he has the poor judgement to fall in love with a high-class prostitute (Emmanuelle Béart) and earns the antagonism of her pimp. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Manuel Blanc, Hélène Vincent, (more)
This historical drama chronicles the struggle of Swedish businessman Raoul Wallenberg (Stella Skarsgard), as he fought valiantly to save the lives of the Jewish residents of Nazi-occupied Budapest. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stellan Skarsgård, Katharina Thalbach, (more)
Beth (Judith Godreche) is nearly an adult and has lived a fairly grim and unenchanting life. This is mirrored in her attraction to the similarly grim life and morose works of Arthur Rimbaud, about which she has become a quite noteworthy student. She lives at home with her mother and a younger brother. Her mother is the mistress of a wealthy man they have been taught to call "uncle," and he has paid for their apartment all these years. Now that Beth is a lovely woman in her own right, "uncle" has indicated that he would like to transfer his attentions to her, which it not something that is agreeable to her. Meanwhile, her teen-aged boyfriend has begun making unreasonable demands on her, and she is trying to break up with him. In the three days covered by this drama, Beth's life is transformed. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judith Godrëche, Marcel Bozonnet, (more)
- 1988
- PG
In this imaginative Swiss actioner, an expert magician is hired to entertain world leaders at a peace summit. Unfortunately, he finds himself hopelessly entangled in an elaborate terrorist assassination plot. Now, the illusionist must utilize all his best tricks in order to escape and keep them from fulfilling their potentially devastating mission. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Mary Crosby, (more)
- 1988
Danny (Huub Stapel) is an enterprising German who runs a disco that caters to American servicemen. In spite of his business (and the lucrative prostitution ring), Danny owes the bank and the mob tons of money from his addiction to gambling. He temporarily outwits the mob, but his disco is torched in retaliation, and two of his three hookers are taken for partial payment on his debts. Danny then turns a mobile library into a gambling operation in this tragic moral drama. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Huub Stapel, Hanno Pöschl, (more)
- 1987
This sci-fi espionage outing follows the exploits of a CIA agent as he attempts to bust out of a Russian prison with some vital plans for a new space station. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Noted stage director Patrice Chereau adds his stylistic flair to this drama loosely taken from a story by Anton Chekhov. A French family is shown as they go through the daily routines of life. Arguing, feasting, crying, and yearning for love are just some of the human emotions encountered. The mood wavers between excessive noise to silence while those not participating in the conversations listen in. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurent Grévill, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, (more)
- 1986
aka: Flies in the Light Although it is stylistically developed and refined, this thriller does not live up to its name since any "thrills" are sacrificed for the look and feel of B-movies in moods, sets, and camerawork. The plot wanders around in several directions at once but in a general sense, it is motivated by a pricey painting and those who would like to own it. A sophisticated art thief steals this painting from display in an art gallery and then has to turn around and steal it away from the site of a religious cult. Set up to recall mystery thrillers like The Maltese Falcon, Motten im Licht is a good formal imitation but would need a Dashiell Hammett to bring it up to par. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- 1985
- R
In a complicated spy thriller that never quite shifts out of neutral, Alex (Robert Hossein) and Nora (Candice Patou) are ex-lovers and spies who work for the USSR. Several years after their affair ended, they are back together, called to work in Geneva by the Swiss bureau chief because an Egyptian who had been Nora's earlier recruit has been murdered. The bureau chief suspects one of the pair is the killer, but then several surprises are in store for Nora and Alex before the final, tragic ending closes the case. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Hossein, Candice Patou, (more)
In this excellent drama centered around family relationships, especially that of parent and child, the problems of single motherhood are addressed from several perspectives. Isabelle (Brigitte Fossey) is a movie star in German cinema, and after she wraps a successful film in Berlin, she leaves to spend some time with her little daughter Emilie (Camille Raymond) and her parents in Normandy, France. Isabelle's mother Paula (Hildegarde Knef) was born in Germany and married her French husband after a romance that began in the war-ravaged city of Berlin. Isabelle's parents take care of Emilie while she is working because she insists on remaining a single mother -- although her lover follows her to Normandy and stays in a nearby hotel while she is with her parents. During a 24-hour period, the unresolved problems between Isabelle and her mother and father rise to the surface -- and cannot be ignored any longer. It is not an easy situation, especially since both parents are angry about some aspects of Isabelle's career and/or life that she may not be able to change. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brigitte Fossey, Hildegarde Knef, (more)
- 1981
- R
In this drama, a young wife leaves her German home to discover the identity of her mysterious late mother who married a Jewish German during WW II. Her mother was French, and soon after she married her aristocratic husband, Hitler came to power, causing the couple to flee to Argentina. Later he abandons the woman. Much of the complex tale is told via flashback, and in learning about her mother's past, the daughter begins to experience an emerging sense of identity and the knowledge of what she must do to avoid the same mistakes her mother made. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ingrid Caven, Grischa Huber, (more)
- 1981
- R
Part of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's The Entire History of the German Federal Republic trilogy, Lola stars Barbara Sukowa in the title role, a seductive cabaret singer and dancer in the 1950s who is romantically involved with Von Bohm (Armin Mueller-Stahl), a straight-as-an-arrow building inspector. Recently appointed Building Commissioner, Von Bohm is committed to eradicating corruption. Consequently, he's given quite a shock when he is called into inspect the brothel where Lola works and discovers her dancing there. With that, Von Bohm is left to question whether he is more loyal to the woman he loves so passionately or the career he believes in so strongly. The other entries in the trilogy are Veronika Voss and The Marriage of Maria Braun. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Sukowa, Armin Mueller-Stahl, (more)
- 1981
A gang of thieves begin using a highly-detailed book of crime fiction as a blueprint for their own capers. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Enrico Montesano, Jean Rochefort, (more)
- 1980
The destructive nature of a rising Nazi menace is the subtext in this drama about a young man in Germany in the late '20s. While he enjoys a certain immunity from hard times because of a rich friend and female companionship, he is not blind. He sees mounting injustices in the society around him and cannot always reconcile them with his own views. After his love life gets a jolt and he loses his job, he debates whether or not to work for a Nazi newspaper as the future seems to look worse each day. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hans-Peter Hallwachs, Hermann Lause, (more)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder's sweeping 16-hour-long drama Berlin Alexanderplatz is an adaptation of the novel by Alfred Doblin. Franz Biberkopf (Günter Lamprecht) is released from prison as the film opens; he had been jailed for four years after killing his girlfriend Ida. Franz becomes involved with Lina (Elisabeth Trissenaar) and promises to no longer break the law. The 1920s German economy is horrible, and Franz has difficulty providing for himself and his partner. He goes into business with Lina's uncle, who eventually betrays Franz, sending him into a serious downward spiral. Franz becomes involved with a criminal named Reinhold (Gottfried John), a womanizer who convinces Franz to get rid of the woman Reinhold himself has discarded. After a botched robbery, Franz loses his arm in a car accident. With assistance from his ex-girlfriend Eva (Fassbinder regular Hanna Schygulla) and her pimp, Franz recovers and returns to the city. He starts to make some money by acting as a pimp for a prostitute named Mieze (Barbara Sukowa), but Reinhold returns and kills her. The authorities arrest Franz for the murder. The film ends with Franz in a mental hospital, a prime candidate to join the ranks of the upstart National Socialist party. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Günter Lamprecht, Hanna Schygulla, (more)
- 1979
- R
The film that elevated German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder from domestic approbation to international acclaim, The Marriage of Maria Braun stars the director's on-and-off favorite actress Hanna Schygulla in the title role. During the allied siege of Germany in the last year of the war, Maria's new husband (Klaus Löwitsch) is shipped off to the Russian front before the marriage is consummated. As she struggles to survive wartime deprivations, Maria haunts the local train station, seeking out information concerning her husband. When it appears that she's a widow, Maria takes a job as a barmaid and befriends a black soldier (George Byrd) from the occupying allied troops, who sees to it that Maria's family receives vital food and supplies. The opportunistic Maria eventually takes a job with a wealthy importer (Ivan Desny), building herself up to a position of power and indispensability. Though she sleeps with her employer, Maria still carries a torch for her husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hanna Schygulla, Klaus Löwitsch, (more)
- 1978
Italian screen legend Fabio Testi stars as a young police detective investigating the brutal sexual assault and murder of a young girl discovered near the edge of the city limits. Later, after discovering a luxury villa in which the murdered girl's friends entertain a group of powerful local businessmen, the detective discovers that the frightened girls have been intimidated into silence. As the detective sets out to question the girls, he quickly discovers that someone is willing to kill in order to keep their dark secret. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1977
While on an automobile tour of Italy with his mother, the German publisher in this story has an accident which results in her death. He decides to stay and look for work in Italy, rather than return to his responsibilities, and takes a job working on a construction site. His co-workers are similarly displaced men: one is a Greek exile, the other a Basque terrorist. The elaborate house they are working on is to be the home of a wealthy local man. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Armando Brancia, Dieter Kirchlechner, (more)
- 1977
An out of work architect and a recently discharged military man meet at a critical moment in their lives. Each of them has been deprived of an occupation which gave meaning to their existence, and is left, instead, with a $15,000 severance check. Neither one handles the situation at all well. Bert, the architect, is thinking about giving up his apartment and studio, and tries his hand at an elaborate con-game. Thomas, a former military air-traffic controller, must take an elaborate series of exams before he can resume his profession as a civilian. Their girlfriends are not a steadying factor in their lives. When circumstances get in the way of their plans, they soon have only their friendship to rely on. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hans-Peter Hallwachs, Bernd Tauber, (more)
- 1975
- PG
In 1970, Elliot Gould was the hottest male star in Hollywood; by 1975, he was making do with indifferent projects like Who?. This interesting British/German sci-fier, also known as Man Without a Face, Prisoner of the Skull and The Man With the Steel Mask, and also under the title Robo Man. Gould's role as an American government official is secondary to the character played by Joseph Bova. While visiting the Soviet Union, scientist Bova is involved in a serious car accident. The Russian surgeons perform emergency life-saving surgery by replacing most of Bova's body parts with electronic devices. Thus when he returns home, Bova is to all intents and purposes a cyborg. It is up to Gould to find out if our reconstituted hero has been transformed into a Soviet spy. After several rondelay dialogue scenes and silly car chases, Who? ends on a quiet, pensive note-perhaps the most effective scene in the whole picture. Adapted from the well-regarded novel by Algis Budrys. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elliott Gould, Trevor Howard, (more)
- 1975
- PG
David Niven is an English tutor for the son of the Japanese ambassador to a Southeast Asian country. The two are used as pawns in a politically motivated kidnapping. Niven entertains the boy with fantastic fabrications of his exciting past. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Niven, Toshiro Mifune, (more)
- 1974
The Wrong Move and The Wrong Movement were the English-language titles for German director Wim Wenders' Falsche Bewegung. Made for television, the film is an update of Goethe's Wilhelm Meister. Ruediger Vogeler plays aspiring writer Wilhelm Meister, who goes on a long odyssey in the woods in search of truth. His companions on this journey are pragmatic Therese (Hanna Schygulla), bisexual Mignon (Nastassja Kinski, billed under her real name, Nakszynski), Mignon's hippielike boyfriend Laertes (Hans-Christian Blech), and artistically bankrupt poet Landau (Peter Kean). The foursome accept the hospitality of an industrialist (Ivan Desny), who unbeknownst to all but himself is a deeply troubled ex-Nazi. Novelist Peter Handke wrote the screenplay for Wrong Move. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rüdiger Vogler, Hanna Schygulla, (more)
