Jacques Morel Movies

In the French legal system, a judge-magistrate conducts criminal investigations. In this story, Suzanne Corbier (Annie Girardot) is one such magistrate who is called upon to determine whether Catherine, who has been having an affair with an Englishman, conspired with him to murder her impotent husband, who condoned the affair. When Suzanne comes to a conclusion, she still must deal with the political demands of her office and her superiors. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this adventure, a secret society, the Sons of the Panther, stop a ring of jewel thieves from stealing diamonds from a downed plane in Africa. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama, a nightclub singer discovers that she is being pursued by the police, an insurance agency, and the mob as she endeavors to resume her profession after being released from prison. All of them are after information concerning the whereabouts of her former lover. It is the mob that sends a handsome fellow to win her heart and glean information. Unfortunately for them, he really does fall in love with her and decides to go straight. In the end, the hapless chanteuse is poisoned by the man's former boss. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Eddie Constantine stars as Bob, an American GI at large in Paris. After attending a performance of the fabled Folies-Bergere, Bob becomes convinced that one of the dancers, a feisty little number named Claudia (Zizi Jeanmaire), has stolen his wallet. When he confronts her with this accusation, she reacts in predictably volatile fashion--and before either one of them quite knows what has happened, Bob and Claudia are married! The remaining reels of Folies-Bergere chart the turbulent course of the marriage, as Bob becomes jealous that so many males get to see so much of Claudia on a nightly basis. Despite its come-hither title, Folies-Bergere is about as racy as a seed catalogue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Crosses, double-crosses and triple-crosses abound in Les Suspects. The plot concerns an imminent Arab uprising in Algeria. The government of France sends one of its most trusted operatives to investigate, but it soon becomes obvious that no one can be trusted. In 1957, Les Suspects had the advantage of topicality; viewers' reaction to it today will be contingent upon one's sentiments towards the European colonization of Africa. The impressive cast is headed by Charles Vanel as a man intimately involved in the uprising's outcome (and it isn't until the end of the film that the viewer is aware how involved). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sacha Guitry's Si Versailles M'Etait Conte (If Versailles Were Told to Me) is best known by its American title Royal Affairs in Versailles. In addtion to writing and directed the film, Guitry reserves for himself the plum role of Louis XIV. Concentrating on the palace of Versailles over a period of 300 years, the storyline concentrates on the various amorous and political intrigues of three French kings. The plot manages to wend its way through the French revolution, coming to a halt in "the present". The star-studded supporting cast includes Jean Marais as Louis XV, Claudette Colbert as Mme. Montespan, Micheline Presle as Mme. Pompadour, and, best of all, Orson Welles as a gouty Ben Franklin. Most currently available prints of Si Versailles M'Etait Conte are severely edited, and fail to do justice to the rich Eastmancolor hues of the original version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally titled Nous Sommes Tout des Assassins, We Are All Murderers was directed by Andre Cayette, a former lawyer who detested France's execution system. Charles Spaak's screenplay makes no attempt to launder the four principal characters (Marcel Mouloudji, Raymond Pellegrin, Antoinine Balpetre, Julien Verdeir): never mind the motivations, these are all hardened murderers. Still, the film condemns the sadistic ritual through which these four men are brought to the guillotine. In France, the policy is to never tell the condemned man when the execution will occur--and then to show up without warning and drag the victim kicking and screaming to his doom, without any opportunity to make peace with himself or his Maker. By the end of this harrowing film, the audience feels as dehumanized as the four "protagonists." We are All Murderers was roundly roasted by the French law enforcement establishment, but it won a special jury prize at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide