Claude Perron Movies

An Alzheimer's-afflicted ex-policeman moves into a special needs residence - only to watch his life erupt into a waking nightmare - in Nicholas Boukhrief's tense psychological thriller Cortex (2008). During the golden years of his retirement, former police superintendent Charles Boyer (André Dussolier) opts to protect himself from the pitfalls of dementia by moving into The Residence, a facility designed to provide for elderly patients with neuro-degenerative disorders. Boyer isn't long in the new building, however, before ominous events begin to occur - including a high number of deaths among the patients. Eschewing the notion that this may be inevitable given the ages and illnesses of the populace, Charles smells a rat; he can never quite waive his sense that the others have been systematically rubbed out by an unknown party. As his investigation of the matter begins, questions linger about whether his suspicions are valid or merely a product of the ex-cop's Alzheimer-driven paranoia. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

A woman on her own finds herself taking a second chance at love, with hilarious results, in the comedy from France. Odile Rousselet (Chantal Lauby) is a well-regarded if not exactly famous actress whose ongoing midlife crisis kicks into high gear when her teenage daughter, Marie (Armelle Deutsch), tells her she's moving out of the house, and in with her boyfriend, Guillaume (Christophe Debonneuil). Understandably upset, Odile finds herself troubled not only by her anxieties about her daughter, but by her own loneliness. However, Odile's attitudes begin to change when she meets Kader (Jean-Pierre Martins). A handsome younger man who runs a ride at a local fair, Kader catches Odile's eye, and she finds herself feeling as giddy as a schoolgirl when he's around -- and has even more trouble controlling her feelings when Kader responds in kind. Laisse Tes Mains sur Mes Hanches was written and directed by leading lady Chantal Lauby; it was her first feature film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Maverick director Melvin Van Peebles translates his own satirical novel to the screen with this multi-national portrait of race, class, and hypocrisy. The film's title refers to the name of a haute cuisine restaurant run by a self-satisfied conservative couple, Henri (Jacques Boudet) and Loretta (Andrea Ferreol). When the two find themselves overworked in the kitchen, they retreat to the local orphanage to find some cheap waitressing help, and the teenaged Diamantine (Meiji U Tum'si) fits the bill perfectly. The haughty couple has more plans for the girl than just waiting tables, however -- the conspicuously accommodating Henri and Loretta are actually bad-mouthing the girl behind her back to the townspeople and the restaurant's patrons. They go so far as to ask the naive Diamantine to pretend that she's pregnant, and she complies under the assumption that it's a harmless prank. When their intentions are revealed, however, the girl becomes wise to the couple's self-satisfied scheming, and sets her sights on revenge. Set in late-1960s France, the film was shot entirely on digital video and then transferred to 35mm prints; Van Peebles composed the score himself. Le Conte du Ventre Plein was first shown as a special presentation at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

In this earnest French drama about a physical therapy center, Camille (Sameul Jouy) is admitted after an ugly scuba diving accident leaves him unable to breath with a machine. After a long period of physical and emotional change, he slowly develops a romance with former coma victim Solange (Marion Cotillard). ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

One woman decides to change the world by changing the lives of the people she knows in this charming and romantic comic fantasy from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Amelie (Audrey Tautou) is a young woman who had a decidedly unusual childhood; misdiagnosed with an unusual heart condition, Amelie didn't attend school with other children, but spent most of her time in her room, where she developed a keen imagination and an active fantasy life. Her mother Amandine (Lorella Cravotta) died in a freak accident when Amelie was eight, and her father Raphael (Rufus) had limited contact with her, since his presence seemed to throw her heart into high gear. Despite all this, Amelie has grown into a healthy and beautiful young woman who works in a cafe and has a whimsical, romantic nature. When Princess Diana dies in a car wreck in the summer of 1997, Amelie is reminded that life can be fleeting and she decides it's time for her to intervene in the lives of those around her, hoping to bring a bit of happiness to her neighbors and the regulars at the cafe. Amelie starts by bringing together two lonely people -- Georgette (Isabelle Nanty), a tobacconist with a severe case of hypochondria, and Joseph (Dominique Pinon), an especially ill-tempered customer. When Amelie finds a box of old toys in her apartment, she returns them to their former owner, Mr. Bretodeau (Maurice Benichou), sending him on a reverie of childhood. Amelie befriends Dufayel (Serge Merlin), an elderly artist living nearby whose bones are so brittle, thanks to a rare disease, that everything in his flat must be padded for his protection. And Amelie decides someone has to step into the life of Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz), a lonely adult video store clerk and part-time carnival spook-show ghost who collects pictures left behind at photo booths around Paris. Le Fabuleux Destin D'Amelie Poulain received unusually enthusiastic advance reviews prior to its French premiere in the spring of 2001, and was well received at a special free screening at that year's Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide