Pierre Berriau Movies

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

On the heels of his award-winning, emotionally devastating 2001 drama The Piano Teacher, German filmmaker Michael Haneke weaves this disturbing tale of a family forced into a harrowing confrontation with a group of strangers set against the backdrop of a global apocalypse. In the aftermath of an unseen but catastrophic global disaster, a shaken family slowly makes their way to the presumed safety of a holiday home in the French countryside. Upon arrival, the family discovers their home inhabited by a woman and a horrified man. When a shot rings out, a life is taken, and time seems to stand still. In the aftermath of unspeakable violence, it appears that the only hope for a band of desperate refugees lies in a nearby train station and a locomotive that -- despite their most optimistic hopes and prayers -- may never actually arrive. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Two people brought together by fate find it's not easy to live on love in this drama with a sharp sociopolitical subtext. Agatha (Rona Hartner) is a beautiful young woman from Romania who had a brief but passionate love affair with a French surgeon when he visited her country as part of a charitable medical team. Agatha has decided to come to France to rekindle their romance, but when she arrives in the city of Roubaix, she discovers he didn't take their relationship nearly as seriously as she did. With nowhere to go, Agatha is befriended by Mehdi (Roschdy Zem), a cab driver who helps her find a place to stay. Mehdi is attracted to Agatha, and she returns his interest, but as it turns out Mehdi is already seeing someone -- Cecile (Karole Rocher), who is having an affair with Mehdi while involved with his close friend Marc (Pierre Berriau). Hoping to move away from Roubaix with Agatha and start a new life, Mehdi gets a job as a bill collector, while Marc impulsively walks off his job and an angry Cecile gives him his walking papers. Agatha soon discovers, however, that Roubaix offers few opportunities for undocumented aliens, and that even lifelong residents have a hard time getting by. Sauve-Moi received its North American premiere at the 2001 San Francisco Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The 400 Blows meets Rear Window in this low-key French thriller directed by Olivier Jahan. Suffering because of the death of his father and the emotional distance of his mother, high-school student Eric (Jeremie Renier) kills time by obsessively spying on his neighbors. Compulsively taking notes on everything within binocular range from his bedroom window, he harasses his neighbors by sending unsigned notes and making their private affairs public. The tables turn when one of his prey, a young couple, Tom (Sami Bouajila) and Fabienne (Alexia Stresi), figure out the identity of their anonymous tormentor. Meanwhile, Eric is slowly driving his mother and stepfather crazy with his weird, insular activity, and he can't stand his sister Carol's (Natalie Richard) newfound happiness with her beau Simon (Pierre Berriau). This look into the mind of a future serial killer was screened at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Mille Bornes is a road movie about the friends of the deceased Romain who want to respect his last wishes, which were delivered in the form of a videocassette. Their ordeals involve stealing Romain's corpse from the hospital. They are well aware of the implications of this criminal act, but they feel it is necessary to ease their conscience. Romain's father agrees to go along, considering it a form of pilgrimage. Mille Bornes is not a comedy; it does not retort to pathos or clichés but tries to deliver the story with emotion. Two lesser known actors, Emma De Caunes and Bruno Solo, carry their roles with conviction, while Roberto Herlitzka shines as the father of the deceased Romain. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide

A financially struggling mason, his wife and their 10-year-old daughter Marion, one of six children, find themselves faced with a difficult choice when a wealthy Parisian couple asks to adopt her. This moving drama is set in a quiet Normandy village. Marion and her family are new in town and the house they move into needs a lot of work. Unfortunately, money is very tight. and there is not much they can do. Still the family is happy and tightly knit. Audrey and her businessman husband live in Paris, but like to spend weekends and holidays in the village. Like other wealthy Parisians, they are greeted with mixed emotions by the generally impoverished locals. One day Audrey has an accident near Marion's home and afterward becomes friends with Marion's mother. The childless Audrey is captivated by Marion and offers her many tastes of life's finer things. Believing it to be in her best interest, Audrey asks if Marion can live with them in Paris. But Marion's family wonders if the material gains Audrey offers will be worth the emotional cost to the girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide