Philippe Godeau Movies

An idyllic family vacation is unexpectedly thrown into jeopardy with the arrival of an amiable visitor whose casual disregard for the family mold causes a notable rift in the once-happy household in director Zabou Breitman's assured sophomore feature. Frédéric (Bernard Campan) is a middle-class father whose deep love for both his beautiful wife Frédérique (Léa Tucker) and their energetic son makes the perfect snapshot of modern contentment. Each day of their sun-soaked vacation seems to pass with the gentle flow of a refreshing breeze as the carefree trio swims, dines on the terrace, and simply enjoys their time together. When recently arrived neighbor Hugo (Charles Burling) drops by for a visit, good natured Frédéric generously invites the man to join his family for dinner. Their casual dinner conversation soon leading to the revelation that Hugo is gay, Frédéric and Hugo subsequently develop a warm friendship despite their drastically different lifestyles. In the days that follow, the deeply personal conversations between longtime monogamist Frédéric and free-thinking Hugo send the once-lazy family vacation into unexpectedly introspective territory as the sexually static father and husband gradually begins to question his longstanding beliefs about human relationships. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Alex (Albert Dupontel of Irreversible) is depressed. His teenage son has left the nest, and Alex seems to be losing his connection to his wife, Claire (Marianne Denicourt). Resisting Claire’s efforts to reinvigorate their social life, he withdraws into himself. She complains to her friends about his apathy. “Lethargy is the easiest way of controlling us,” Claire tells her friends. One drunken night, Alex makes a decision that will change his life; while surfing porn sites on the internet, he purchases a sex doll. When the life-sized (and lifelike) woman is delivered to his door, he immediately tries to return it. He’s told by the American company that sells the doll that “all purchases are final.” At first, he’s ashamed, and tries to dispose of his custom-made, molded silicone dream girl. But when he learns that Claire is having an affair, and wants to “take a break,” Alex changes his attitude, and has a night of passion with the doll, newly christened Monique. Soon, he finds himself dedicating himself to her. He turns his son’s old room into a silky boudoir, purchases expensive lingerie, and starts taking care of his appearance and the condition of his house. As his friends struggle to understand what’s happened to Alex, his newfound passion begins to have a surprising effect on their lives, too. Monique marks the directorial debut of screenwriter Valerie Guignabodet. The film was shown at Lincoln Center in New York as part of their 2003 Rendezvous with French Cinema. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Manu (Raffaela Anderson) shoots a man with his own gun and runs off with his money. Later that night, she makes the acquaintance of Nadine (Karen Bach), a woman whose clean-cut appearance belies the fact that she has recently strangled her overbearing roommate. Somewhat unsurprisingly, given their mutual taste for homicide, the two women quickly become kindred spirits and decide to spend some wacky time together until "the 13th," when Nadine has to keep an appointment. Lots of sex, violence, and dead men follow, as do the police, who are breathing down the women's necks like an overly persistent bad date. Baise-Moi was a hit in France, where it endured a ratings controversy due to its extremely graphic content. All of the sex acts in the film were performed by its actors, most of whom had extensive experience in the adult entertainment industry. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

Two men with seemingly nothing in common become unlikely friends in this drama from France. Harry (Daniel Auteuil) is a salesman working for a large but faceless corporation, where he's become a success at the expense of his personal life. His wife Julie (Miou-Miou), frustrated by his lack of concern for his family, has divorced him, and while he still has visitation rights to his children, he manages to forget when it's his weekend with his daughters, and he neglects to pick them up at the train station. Harry is depressed and nearly suicidal; while driving late one rainy night, he accidentally hits a dog who is walking with Georges (Pascal Duquenne), a personable young man with Down's Syndrome. Georges lives in a mental institution, where he's happy and well cared for, but when several of the other patients leave for a weekend visit, Georges decides that he should leave too, and he sets out to visit his mother. Harry can't bring himself to leave Georges behind, so after burying the dog, he offers to drive him to his mother's home, which becomes the start of a complicated odyssey for the two of them, especially after Harry finds out that Georges' mother is no longer alive. Actor Pascal Duquenne actually does have Down's Syndrome; he and co-star Daniel Auteuil shared the Best Actor award at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This French farce chronicles one special day in the lives of a married pair of Parisian architects, Fabienne and Bruno, as they anxiously await the results of an important architectual contest they have entered. Unable to handle the stress of waiting, both turn to sexual liason's to ease their tension. Bruno ends up enacting a dark sexual fantasy with a stranger while Fabienne eventually succumbs to the advances of Bruno's friend Simon, a fortyish Lebanese businessman and part-time drug dealer. The comedy takes on overtones of psycho-drama when the contest winner announced and the couple discovers the truth of each other's actions. A cache of drugs, discovered in an apartment only adds to their troubles. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide