David La Haye Movies

Love is in the air but not everyone is breathing easy in this romantic comedy with music from director Stephane Kazandjian. Eric Mericourt (Pierre Francois Martin-Laval) is a filmmaker who is given to wide mood swings and has trouble holding on to long-term relationships. Lately things are going well for him -- his latest movie, a musical called "Modern Love," is doing great business, and he's involved with a beautiful and caring woman, Anne (Melanie Bernier). But Eric is still haunted by his busted romance with Marie (Clotilde Courau), who left him three years before on New Year's Eve. One day, Eric bumps into Marie, who apologizes for leaving him and suggests they get together to catch up. To Eric surprise, Marie informs him that she and her current beau want to have a baby, but he's been diagnosed with a low sperm count and Marie asks Eric if he'd be willing to help her conceive a child. Meanwhile, lovelorn Elsa (Berenice Bejo) wants nothing more than to settle down with the right man, but hasn't had much luck finding him. Elsa is convinced she's discovered the guy of her dreams when she meets Jerome (Stephane Debac), who is good looking, personable and financially secure, but she's can't seem to interest him in getting serious and she wonders if he's actually attracted to women. Modern Love also stars Alexandra Lamy and Stephane Rousseau as the stars of Eric's movie, who appear in several song-and-dance numbers from the film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The return of a long-lost father into the lives of his two grown sons sparks the flame of reconciliation in the sophomore feature from How My Mother Gave Birth to Me During Menopause director Sébastien Rose. Despite the fact that they were both products of the same union, brothers Paul (Paul Ahmarani) and Patrick (David La Haye) couldn't be more different. A self-made, type-A businessman who made a name for himself in the pharmaceutical industry, Patrick lives in luxury with his wife and child while penniless writer Paul battles a lingering case of writer's block while living with his girlfriend in the crowded, ramshackle family home. When father and famed writer François shows up on Paul's doorstep seeking a place to stay, he is hesitantly accepted by his bewildered son. An unplanned family reunion of sorts occurs when Patrick's long-suffering wife sends her husband packing and he too seeks shelter in the family home, and in the days that follow three men attempt to make peace with their tumultuous past and pave the way toward a brighter future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Gerard Depardieu, Vincent Perez, and Jason Isaacs star in director Jean Beaudin's historical account of the battle waged between England and France in hopes of gaining a geopolitical foothold in Canada. When a fur-trapper (David La Haye) and a young widow (Noemie Godin-Vigneau) find themselves inexorably immersed a violent clash of nations, the heartbreak that follows will prove an intimate glimpse into the horrifying effects of war on all of humanity. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Filmed in France, Hungary, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Morocco, and Canada, this ambitious biographical TV miniseries chronicles the life and times of the "Little Corporal" from Corsica who managed to conquer nearly all of Europe within a period of a dozen years. The narrative begins in the mid-1790s, as Napoleon Bonaparte (played, curiously enough, by comic actor Christian Clavier) makes his mark on posterity with spectacular victories in Austria and Egypt. On the home front, Napoleon woos and wins the lovely (and considerably older) Josephine (Isabella Rossellini), but finds time for extracurricular romances with other women, notably Countess Marie Walewska (Alexandra Maria Lara). Ultimately, Bonaparte's ambitions destroy him, first in Russia, then at Waterloo, consigning the general-cum-emperor to live out his life in humiliation and exile. When originally broadcast in France in October 2002, Napoleon ran six hours (plus commercials), with four episodes. For its American presentation on the A&E cable network beginning April 8, 2003, the production was literally sliced in half, shown in two installments with a running time of three hours. What remained was all highlights and few insights, though a few brilliant moments remained, many of these supplied by the supporting cast, which included Gérard Depardieu (who also produced) as Fouche, and John Malkovich as Talleyrand. Thankfully, the full six-hour version was made available in the U.S. on DVD and VHS in 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Somewhere in Montreal, Antoine (David La Haye) toils as a struggling writer. The end of his relationship with Matina (Irene Stamou) causes him to work obsessively on his new novel, and also makes it difficult for him to interact with the opposite sex. One day while moping over Matina, Antoine is hit by a car driven by Charlotte (Pascale Montpetit), a married mother of two and the manager of a hip boutique. Despite their differences, an attraction quickly develops between Charlotte and Antoine, and they soon add Elisabeth (Delphine Brodeur), a brainy and beautiful teenaged prostitute, to their sticky couplings. Meanwhile, Charlotte's husband Joey (Andreas Apergis) sits at home and watches dispassionately as his wife abandons him and their kids for epic nights of passion. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

Claude Lelouch directed this French-Canadian romantic drama in which French futurologist Marc (Marc Hollander) declares luck and coincidence are not factors as he maintains math can be used to predict the future. Former classical dancer Myriam (Alessandra Martines), raising her young son Serge (Arthur Cheysson) alone, is pondering her future when she meets art forger Pierre (Pierre Arditi). The two find an attraction, and Pierre is planning a jaunt in which the trio of Myriam, Pierre and Serge will traverse the world. However, a boating accident and the loss of Myriam's bag at the Montreal airport bring other factors into play. Through luck or coincidence, Myriam's camera and tapes fall into the hands of Marc. When Marc looks at her tapes, he begins making plans to track her down. Shown at the 1998 Montreal Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

This historical drama with music examines the life and times of Emile Nelligan (Lorraine Pintal), one of the major Canadian poets of the 19th century who struggled through a difficult childhood with the help of his loving mother, only to see his career cut short by tragic circumstances. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi