Bérangère Allaux Movies
- 2007
Four lost souls in search of a connection are brought together by fate on a quiet Christmas Eve in the feature directorial debut of actor-turned-director Jalil Lespert. It's the day before Christmas, and as bleach-blonde prostitute Helly (Lubna Azabal) wakes up next to an anonymous john, all she can think about is collecting her cash and scoring a fix. Humiliated by her pimp and denied visitation with her son until the following day, Helly collapses into the off-duty cab of unpredictable taxi driver Didier (Benoît Magimel) -- who has recently robbed his place of employment and now seeks to find a suitable female to pose as his fiancée. Generously compensating the damaged Helly for her valuable time, Didier and his temporary bride-to-be soon make their way to the hospital for a brief visit with the cabbie's comatose father. Later, Helly meets up with conflicted lesbian Marie (Bérangère Allaux) before hitting the disco with lonely and unstable bachelor Chris (Sami Bouajila). Years ago, Chris' father committed suicide after being severely criticized by jazz musician Marcus Briggs (Archie Shepp). Now, as Marie attempts to come to terms with her egocentric mother and Chris reels from an emotionally-charged encounter with Briggs, the night begins to fall and the hope for a better tomorrow is all that anyone has to cling to. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benoît Magimel, Lubna Azabal, (more)
A young, inexperienced detective is inducted into an elite Paris plainclothes unit in Le Petit Lieutenant, directed by Xavier Beauvois (Don't Forget You're Going to Die). Antoine (Jalil Lespert or Human Resources) is as gung-ho as they come, and eager to learn everything he needs to know to be a good cop, although he misses his wife (Bérangère Allaux), a schoolteacher who stayed behind in the country when Antoine took his new job. Antoine socializes with his new comrades, who seem to drink an awful lot, with the exception of the unit commander, Caroline (Nathalie Baye), an alcoholic who has just returned from a long stint on desk duty. The other experienced detectives that Antoine looks up to are the cynical Louis (Antoine Chappey), and the stalwart Solo (Roschdy Zem), who in addition to the rigors of the job faces bigotry due to his Moroccan origin. When a Polish immigrant is found murdered in a canal near the station, the unit begins a methodical investigation, eventually learning that the victim was last seen with a couple of Russians. When a second victim is rescued from the waters of the canal a few days later, the case takes on a new urgency. As Antoine tries to fit in and learn on the job, Caroline struggles with her addiction and forms an almost maternal bond with the rookie. Le Petit Lieutenant also features Jacques Perrin, and was shown by the Film Society of Lincoln Center as part of their 2006 Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathalie Baye, Jalil Lespert, (more)
- 2002
Patrice Leconte directs the period drama Rue des Plaisirs, set in Paris during the 1940s. Born to a prostitute, Petit Louis (Patrick Timsit) grows up in a brothel called the Oriental Palace. He is raised by the family of prostitutes and eventually becomes the brothel's handyman. Having developed an idealized romantic nature, Petit Louis instantly falls in love with the new girl, Marion (supermodel Laetitia Casta). Though she doesn't return his affections, he shows his love by finding her auditions to develop her singing career. He also tries to find her the perfect mate in Dimitri Josco (Vincent Elbaz), who ends up being less than expected. After the end of World War II, the government shuts down the brothels just as Marion, Petit Louis, and Dimitri find themselves in trouble. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laetitia Casta, Patrick Timsit, (more)
- 1997
American independent filmmaker Rob Tregenza, who includes Jean-Luc Godard among his admirers, directed this deliberately paced, minimalist drama about Jean Hammett (Frederic Pierrot), a French artist who has been committed to a mental institution in the United States. One of the female inmates becomes infatuated with him as the patients react with the nuns who run the hospital and attempt to interact despite the emotional distance between them. Tregenza, who also wrote, produced, and photographed Inside/Out, shot the film in the widescreen CinemaScope format to better visually illustrate the separation of the characters. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
For Ever Mozart is an episodic film that follows a theater troupe from France attempting to put on a play in Sarajevo. Along their journey they are captured and held in a POW camp, and they call for help from their friends and relations in France. Director Jean-Luc Godard presents stories about this troop to ask how one can make art while slaughters like the one in Bosnia are taking place, and he throws in a strong critique of the European Union. For Ever Mozart is one of Godard's most disjointed and difficult films. Its stories sometimes seem to form a whole and at other times the links among them are unclear. One gets the impression that in each episode Godard attempts to start a film only to come to the conclusion that it is impossible to continue. It features some of the most beautiful shots of tanks in the cinema. ~ Louis Schwartz, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Madeleine Assas, Bérangère Allaux, (more)
