Marina Tomé Movies

Meet the Celliers: despite their appearances as an ordinary and seemingly unremarkable French family, a host of severe dysfunctions linger just beneath the surface that continue to upset their lives and threaten to tear everyone apart. Patriarch Henry (Patrick Chesnais), an ex-corporate manager, evinces signs of extreme, multi-leveled regression; his wife Mady (Charlotte Rampling), a sexagenarian housewife, spreads wicked gossip about their two girls; daughter Alice (Mathilde Seigner, still rebounding from two abortions, obsessively paints drug-addled Madonnas; and that's only the beginning. The family's future takes an unusual turn when a mysterious stranger, the jaded, loner policeman Jacques (Olivier Marchal) turns up and wields dramatic influence over everyone. This newcomer succeeds in drawing out long buried neuroses and hang-ups and exacerbating virtually every conflict in the household. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

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, Rovi

In this screwball comedy from France, Olivier Broche plays Daniel, a dim-witted tollbooth attendant in the French countryside who has always been fascinated by Paris, especially the Eiffel Tower, even though he's never actually been there. One day, despite the advice of his harridan mother (Micheline Presle), Daniel decides to strike out for Paris to visit his cousin Jacques (Francois Morel), who drives a taxi. Once he arrives in the City of Lights, Jacques offers to give Daniel a ride into town in his cab; however, he has to leave his hack in traffic for a moment, and Daniel is suddenly forced to drive a very pregnant woman to the maternity ward. Before long, Daniel has caused a massive auto wreck, landed in jail and finds himself in a mental hospital. The highlight of Le Voyage A Paris is Olivier Broche's deft comic performance as the bumbling Daniel, while director Marc-Henri Dufresne keeps the action moving at a brisk pace. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Following the international success of her first film Oblie-moi (1994) for which she was also the co-writer, Noémi Lvovsky has concentrated mostly on screenwriting until Petites, a "buddy film" for girls. Emilie, Stella, Ines and Marion come from different social backgrounds but share the same problems. Their escape is the group. As they grow older and get attracted to the opposite sex, each one picks out an ideal but inaccessible fiancé, chosen from the older boys at school. Life has its twists and turns, but the girls know that they will never be separated. A tender approach to the feelings of young women as only a woman can truly know, Petites is about the bittersweet experiences of growing up in a world which is not always friendly. The film is also a good representative of the New French Cinema by one of its several women directors. Petites was screened in the Spotlight on the New French Cinema section of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, 1998. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi

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, Rovi