Manuel Munz Movies

The war in Iraq intensifying, a prominent radio journalist and his technician pretend to report live from Baghdad after losing their plane tickets and money in this adventure comedy starring Gerard Lanvin and Gerard Jugnot. As the duo hide out in the Barbes area of Paris in an attempt to pull off the ultimate scam, the listeners tune in awaiting the latest word from the front lines of the war. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

As World War I looms ever closer on the horizon, an elite police task force organized by Minister of the Interior Georges Clemenceau (aka "The Tiger") mobilizes to apprehend the gang responsible for the first motorized hold-up in French history. The year is 1912, and despite operating in the shadow of the guillotine French gangsters continue to flourish. In order to ensure the safety of the public Minister of the Interior Clemenceau creates a dozen "mobile brigades" consisting of policemen with automobiles and fingerprinting equipment and deploys them nationwide. One such unit, fronted by straight-arrow cop Valentin (Clovis Cornillac, and consisting of sardonic brute Pujol (Edouard Baer), badge-toting pugilist Terrasson (Oliver Gourmet), and Italian immigrant Achille (Stefano Accorsi), is assigned the task of tracking down the gang led by notorious anarchist Jules Bonnot (Jacques Gamblin). An ambitious criminal mastermind whose recent heist involving a getaway car set a new standard in armed robbery, Bonnot has grown dangerously emboldened while establishing himself as France's most wanted. Meanwhile, as the Paris opera prepares to stage a new version of Ivan the Terrible and Russian princess Constance Bolkonski (Diane Kruger) embarks on an affair with Bonnot behind the back of her unsuspecting husband (Alexandre Medvedex) - who is furtively attempting to establish a self-serving three way alliance between Russia, England, and France - crack journalist Jean Jaures (Andre Marcon) struggles to bring it all together in the headlines as World War I and the Russian Revolution loom heavy on the horizon. Director Jerome Cornuau collaborates with screenwriters Xavier Dorison and Fabien Nury to resurrect the popular French television series of the 1970s with a multi-layered period thriller that is likely to evoke memories of the similarly themed Untouchables for stateside audiences. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, five French students in their early twenties decide it's time they saw a bit more of the world, so Clementine (Ludivine Sagnier), Caroline (Veronique Balme), Lionel (Pascal Reneric), Bruno (Thomas Blanchard), and Brigitte (Marie Gili-Pierre) buy cut-price rail passes and set out to visit 15 of the great cities of Europe. But it doesn't take long for their great plans to unravel, as the group's desire to see the important sights gets sidetracked by their fondness for partying and the opposite sex, and as they roll through Amsterdam, Berlin, Athens, and Bologna, they stumble into a wide variety of misadventures and meet all manner of unlikely people, from a former teacher who has come rather dramatically out of the closet to a washed-up dance-pop star. Bon Plan was the first feature film from writer and director Jerome Levy. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This is a comedy about homosexuals, transvestites, and taboos. The main character is a young woman from the provinces whose gay father lives in Paris. She decides to dress like a man to understand social prejudice. The director, who plays the main character, wrote the script with her sister. Their joint efforts draw an insightful portrait of life's lies, hypocrisies, and illusions. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide

Christophe Ruggia made his directorial debut with this French film, an adaptation of the novel by Azouz Begag about a shantytown boyhood during the mid-'60s. In an effort to escape war and poverty, immigrant families moved outside Lyons to the shacks of Chaaba. Ruggia's main focus is on nine-year-old Omar (Bouzid Negnoug), son of an illiterate construction worker, as the film follows his routines with friends, family, and school. With Arabic and French dialogue, this film was shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

This French comedy-drama is loosely inspired by Crime and Punishment. The title refers to an unnamed country where lovers use silence to express their love for each other. Slightly unstable office worker Rak (Francois Cluzet) is not silent but rambles in monologues, describing himself in the third person. Fired from his job, he goes into "business" for himself -- sitting in a cafe and interviewing salesmen for a position selling a non-existent encyclopedia. When he sees a real estate agent evict young musician Lucie (Elina Lowensohn), he uses a toy gun to rob the agent (who dies of fright) and then offers Lucie space in his spacious but seedy apartment, where the two find love. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

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