Ronald Houle Movies

A bloody and long-standing feud between two rival biker gangs in Quebec inspired this gritty Canadian drama. Marc (Dominic Darceuil) is a petty criminal in his early twenties who pulls small-time robberies with his friends Nose (Jean-Nicholas Verreault) and Bof (Michel Charette). One night the three make the mistake of knocking over a market in a neighborhood controlled by the Dark Souls, a gang of motorcycle riders with a taste for violence and an eagerness to stomp anyone they believe has wronged them. The Dark Souls catch up with Marc, but one of the gang, Hulk (Ronald Houle), is impressed enough with him to ask Marc to join the club. Though Marc's mother (Michele Peloquin) and her ex-biker friend Popeye (Paul Dion) try to warn him, he's soon drawn deep into the violent world of the Dark Souls. Meanwhile, Nose and Bof are not happy that their old friend has abandoned them to run with the bikers, leading to a confrontation with ugly consequences. Hochelaga was a box-office success in Quebec, doubtless due to public interest in the well-reported war between the local Hell's Angels and a rival gang, the Rock Machine. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This police drama from Quebec blends elements of psychodrama, thriller and romance to tell the story of noirish detective Charles Renard and a mentally unstable woman in her mid-20s who steals credit cards from wealthy men. Renard is assigned to capture the enigmatic Maria, who has an obsession with Strindberg's play "Miss Julie," a fixation that stems from a childhood trauma. Renard too has his own past to deal with, mostly the recent accidental death of his wife during a vacation to the Middle East. To compound matters, he is also recovering from a bullet to the head he received while on surveillance for the Montreal police department. Investigating Maria, he discovers that she lures victims by placing provocative ads in the classifieds. He answers the ad and they arrange a meeting. She mistakenly sits down with the wrong man, giving Renard an opportunity to watch how she deftly nabs the man's wallet. He then begins to tail her to a local production of her favorite play. Soon they connect and surprisingly, he ends up helping her to escape. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Le Party of the title is an event held in a men's prison periodically, featuring outside entertainers. Many of the prison staff and their families (and most of the prisoners) attend, and feelings run high. In this film, various female outsiders meet, have encounters with, and occasionally run afoul of the male prisoners. In addition to these main stories, several others include the efforts of a prisoner to escape through dressing up in drag and impersonating the female guest of a prison official, and the suicide plans of a man prevented from attending. This gritty drama is based on the prison recollections of scriptwriting consultant Francis Smiardi). ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi