Bruno Pesery Movies

A man whose life has been informed by two cultures is caught in between as they go to war in this drama from filmmaker Gianni Amelio. Jacques Cormery (Jacques Gamblin) is a middle-aged novelist who has spent most of his life in France, but was born in Algeria and spent his childhood there with his mother (Catherine Sola) and grandmother (Ulla Baugue). Grandmother was the uncontested ruler of the household and in 1924, as he entered his teens, Jacques was expected to quit school and go to work, but his teacher Mr. Bernard (Denis Podalydes) recognized his talent and arranged for him to attend a high school where he could study writing despite his family's misgivings. Jacques also struck up a friendship with an Arabic student (Djamel Said) that would have a powerful impact on his attitudes about race. Years later, in 1957, Jacques returns to Algeria to visit his mother as the nation is rebelling against French rule, leading to a tremendous anger and consternation in Europe. As Jacques finds himself caught his French heritage and Algerian education, he is reunited with his old friend (Abdelkarim Benhabboucha) and is enlisted to help with the case of his son (Hachemi Abdelmalek), an activist who has been sentenced to death for his ties to the revolution. Le Premier Homme (aka The First Man) was adapted from the final, uncompleted novel by Albert Camus; the manuscript was rescued from the wrecked car in which Camus died in 1960, and was finally published in 1994. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Getting away from it all causes more problems than it solves in this comedy from the French writing-directing team of Jean-Marie Larrieu and Arnaud Larrieu. Alexandre Darou (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) and his wife Aurore Lalu (Sabine Azema) are a pair of well-known actors who need a break from the tension and fast pace of their lives in show biz. Adopting the names "Mr. and Mrs. Go," Alexandre and Aurore head for a village high in the mountains of Southwest France, where they hope to enjoy some relaxing downtime and they won't be bothered. However, Alexandre and Aurore underestimated their own fame, and it isn't long before everyone in the town knows that a pair of movie stars are in their midst. As the couple head into the hills, Alexandre and Aurore discover they don't have much of a talent for roughing it, and while she believed that getting away from the city would help her deal with a recent bout with nymphomania, getting back to nature only increases her appetite for other men. Le Voyage Aux Pyrenees (aka Journey To The Pyrenees) was shown as part of the Directors Fortnight series at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

When an engaged Manhattan couple decides to test their circle of friends to find out how the group truly feels about the impending nuptials, their elaborate ruse yields some unexpected consequences in this comedy that was once to feature the reuniting of The Mask co-stars Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz before they both left the production. Scribe Allan Loeb penned an early version of the screenplay based on the popular French stage play by Jean Dell and Gerald Sibleyras. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A handful of characters struggle to hold on to relationships with the people they care for in this collaboration between playwright Alan Ayckbourn and filmmaker Alain Resnais. Dan (Lambert Wilson) has recently finished up a hitch in the Army, but rather than deal with his emotional issues, Dan prefers to get drunk. While he barely communicates with his girlfriend, Nicole (Laura Morante), she's convinced they will still marry and opts to ignore his obvious problems. Lionel (Pierre Arditi) is a bartender who has become increasingly isolated and cut off from his friends as he looks after his father, Arthur. Arthur, however, is in failing health and has little appreciation of his son's sacrifices. Thierry (André Dussollier) is a real-estate salesman who has fallen for one of his co-workers, Charlotte (Sabine Azéma); however, Charlotte's mild-mannered exterior hides a personality that thrives on emotional gamesmanship. And Gaëlle (Isabelle Carré), Thierry's sister, is lonely and looking for a relationship, but her efforts bring her neither joy nor companionship. Coeurs (aka Petites Peurs Partagées) received its world premiere at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A man makes friends with his teenaged son for the first time in this emotional drama from Italy. Gianni (Kim Rossi Stuart) fathered a child with his wife, but she died in childbirth, and the baby was born with severe physical and mental handicaps. The boy, Paolo (Andrea Rossi), was raised by the late woman's family until he reached the age of 15, when Gianni decided he wanted to meet and spend time with his son. With Paolo scheduled for treatment with medical specialists in Germany, Gianni offers to pick up his son and travel with him to Berlin. At first, Gianni is taken aback by the extent of his son's disabilities, but he also sees the great warmth and charm that his son possesses, and over the course of their first few days together, Gianni begins to feel a real bond with Paolo for the first time. While in Berlin, Gianni makes friends with Nicole (Charlotte Rampling), a woman whose daughter faces many of the same challenges as Paolo, and through her he begins to appreciate the responsibilities and the rewards of caring for a handicapped child. La Chiavi di Casa (aka The Keys to the House) was screened in competition at the 2004 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this bittersweet look back at the trials of growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Emilie (Magali Woch), Ines (Ingrid Molinier), Stella (Julie-Marie Parmentier), and Marion (Camille Rousselet) become friends as they share the humiliations that are a part of adolescent life -- going to school, dealing with your parents, dealing with the emotional abuse of your peer group. La vie ne me fait pas peur spent several years in production; during a layoff in shooting, director Noemie Lvovsky shot a television film with the same characters entitled Petites, and later incorporated footage from the TV project into this film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Eight years after Les Amants du Pont Neuf (1991), which failed at the box office, Léos Carax returned with Pola X, a French/German/Swiss co-production with Catherine Deneuve and the young Guillaume Dépardieu in a story of love, incest, and descent into hell. Pierre (Dépardieu) lives with his mother in Normandy, not far from the banks of the Seine River where Victor Hugo's daughter drowned with her lover. The good-looking mother and son are happy, healthy, and wealthy, and they love each other deeply. Pierre is romantically attached to the beautiful and delicate Lucie (Delphine Chuillot) and visits her every morning with the motorcycle he has inherited from his father. One summer night, his mother tells him that she has chosen a date for his wedding. Overexcited, Pierre rushes through the night to break the news to Lucie. As he is speeding down the road, a strange creature with a familiar face suddenly leaps from the dark. She tells him in broken French that she is his sister. Pierre is shocked, but he decides to believe her and make up for the mistake of his father.

The film took its inspiration from Herman Melville's Pierre, or, the Ambiguities, which Carax read when he was 18, the same age as the hero of the story. The first part of the film sets an idyllic tone with a fairy tale atmosphere of life among the rich and beautiful. This is in sharp contrast to the world Pierre plunges into when he meets Isabelle (Katerina Golubeva), who claims to be his half-sister. Carax, who has been against nudity in his films, shows the two literally engaging in mutual oral sex onscreen, although this was not included in the original script. (One may insert here that Golubeva, who is known from Sarunas Bartas and Claire Denis films, was the girlfriend of Depardieu in real life.) The fusion of the two leads to the creation of Pierre's book. This is a highly stylized film that is at times reminiscent of German expressionism. It is constructed in opposites: black and white, high and low, good and bad. Elements of fantasy are mixed with reality. Carax tries to introduce a new film language, often at the expense of the emotional quality of the film. Despite its weak points, it is still a work that exhibits the exceptional talent of its director. Golubeva exudes a certain magic in depicting the half-real, half-imaginary character of a vulnerable and somewhat lost Madonna. The title is an acronym of the French title of Melville's book, Pierre, ou, les Ambiguites. The film screened in competition at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi

La Guerre Dans le Haut Pays is a period piece set in the winter of 1797-98, during the six days leading up to the fall of Bern and the victory of Napoleon's army, when the Bern government is faced with mixed loyalties from its subjects. The population of the lower valley is divided, but the upper region remains loyal, since they have been given special autonomy and a favorable system of taxation. David, a postman, works between the two regions. His father, who is a hard-line conservative, does not approve of his relationship with Julie, who is from the lower part of the valley. Julie's father, on the other hand, is more open to the new ideas of liberation. As a result of his work, David is exposed to new ideas and becomes a believer in equality and justice. When he meets Ansermoz, who is forced by his poverty to work as a mercenary for the French government, David distances himself more and more from his father. The last straw is when his father wants him to fight with those who support Bern. David refuses and plans to run away with Julie, while his father is determined to carry the combat. Tragedy strikes when the father and the son face each other on opposite sides of the battlefield. For lovers of historical drama, the film offers plenty of escapist action and excitement, with interspersed ideological clashes and fanaticism. All these are enhanced by celebrated French screenwriter Jean-Claude Carriere's contribution to the script. The romantic love story spices up the generally male-dominated nature of the story. For audiences who prefer films dealing with not-so-grandiose subjects, La Guerre Dans le Haut Pays, which competed at the 49th International Berlin Film Festival in 1999, has very little to offer. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi

In this homage to acclaimed TV scripter Dennis Potter (1935-1994), famed 75-year-old French director Alain Resnais (Hiroshima, Mon Amour, Last Year at Marienbad) has actors lip-synch in a manner instantly recalling Potter's Pennies from Heaven (1978 TV serial, 1981 movie) and The Singing Detective (1986), regarded by some as the best original work ever created for television. Completing her history dissertation, Camille (Agnes Jaoui) is a Paris tour guide, and Simon (Andre Dussolier) is a regular on her tours because he's attracted to Camille -- although he claims to be researching his historical radio dramas. Camille's sister, business-executive Odile (Sabine Azema), is married to weak, furtive Claude (Pierre Arditi). In the past Odile was close to successful businessman Nicolas (Jean-Pierre Bacri), now married with kids and returning to Paris after an eight-year absence. Odile seeks an apartment from real estate agent Marc (Lambert Wilson). Camille and Marc begin an affair. Nicolas is also looking for an apartment, since he hopes to eventually have his family join him in Paris. These characters make easy transitions back and forth from the dialogue to 36 song fragments. The film's debt to Dennis Potter is acknowledged with a dedication in the opening credits. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi