José Garcia Movies
- 1996
This sumptuous French drama offers episodes from the notorious life of 18th century socialite and playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. The story begins in the 1770s with a rehearsal of his "The Barber of Seville." Young friend of Voltaire, Philipp Gudin introduces himself to the great playwright and offers to become his personal secretary. He then becomes the adventurous Beaumarchais' keeper as the author gets involved in a variety of situations including a duel with an angry husband, his battle with the corrupt French government and a serious long-term affair with Marie-Theres de Willer. It all comes to a climax when King Louis XV assigns the playwright a secret mission to London. There he must find and retrieve a damning document from transvestite aristocrat Chevalier D'Eon. Unfortunately, Beaumarchais gets tangled up with supporting American rebels and ends up tossed in jail. Louis XVI sees that he is finally released and then the writer becomes an arms smuggler for American revolutionaries. All of his activities bankrupt him and so Beaumarchais must return to writing plays. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fabrice Luchini, Manuel Blanc, (more)
A shy radio telescope operator named Zane Ziminski (Charlie Sheen) picks up a series of regular signals coming from space -- and deliberately pointed toward Earth. Convinced that he has discovered alien transmissions, Ziminski is first chastised and then fired by his boss (Ron Silver). Obsessed, he builds a makeshift radio telescope in his house to find out where the signals were sent. Convinced that they're intended for aliens already hidden on Earth, he tracks them to a bleak, isolated Mexican village, where he joins forces with a female scientist (Lindsey Crouse), who has suspicions of her own after witnessing an acceleration of global warming. The villagers turn out to be aliens, and the village a front for an underground alien complex. The aliens are here to "terraform" Earth and prepare it for the arrival of the rest of their race, who will die unless they leave their homeworld and colonize elsewhere. Only Ziminski can stop them. Written and directed by David N. Twohy, The Arrival is a throwback to the genre chillers of the '50s. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, Ron Silver, (more)
In this French box-office smash, director Thomas Gilou once again trains his sights on working-class immigrants living in metropolitan Paris, as he did with Black Mic-Mac. This time the subjects are the Sephardic Jews working in the garment district of Sentier. Eddie Vuibert (Richard Anconina) is an unemployed man who gets a job working in the stock room of a wholesale fabric dealer because the owner, Victor Benzakem (Richard Bohringer), believes that Eddie is Jewish, just like him. The opportunistic Eddie owes his job to this mistaken identity, and he does his best to preserve it, comically navigating the dangerous waters of learning strange customs and behavior. Eddie is promoted to a salesman and tries to romance Victor's daughter Sandra (Amira Casar), but she is involved with another fabric dealer, a corrupt man. Eddie must prove himself worthy on his own terms. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Anconina, Amira Casar, (more)
- 1998
Arthur Joffe directed this French comic fantasy, in French and English dialogue, about God (voice of Pierre Arditi), invisible and spinning through Heavenly space on an asteroid, along with his sidekick angel Rene (Ticky Holgado). God observes Earthly events on His television set. After hacking out a screenplay on the Hebrew keyboard of a manual typewriter, the Deity needs a director, lands as a burning bush in back of the Hollywood sign, finds Hollywood hostile, jumps to Paris, and travels from one body to another, eventually settling on tekkie Jeanne (Helene de Fougerolles), an employee at Harper Audiovisual. Faxes in Hebrew begin arriving, and Jeanne hears voices. With God's screenplay translated to French, it finally goes up to the 127th floor for an okay by Mr. Harper himself (Tcheky Karyo). But there's a problem -- God is not very happy about Mr. Harper's alterations, as he explains, "I wrote the Bible, the best-selling book of all time! Where do they get off editing my script?" ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hélène de Fougerolles, Tchéky Karyo, (more)
- 1999
Philippe Harel both starred in and directed this existential tale of angst, sex, and mass consumption. The protagonist, known only as Our Hero, is a lonely computer programmer who earns enough money but has no friends and has not had sex in over two years. Depressed, he basks in his sullen interior ruminations about the meaninglessness of mass consumption and human contact. One day, he teams up with Raphael Tisserand (Jose Garcia), a 28-year-old virgin who runs training seminars. Neither has ever had any kind of positive contact, and after they meet, their chances of improving their prospects seem as remote as ever. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Philippe Bianco, Philippe Harel, (more)
- 1999
- NR
A college student discovers that no good deed goes unpunished in the black comedy Cinq Minutes de Detente (aka A Five Minute Break). Phillippe (Jose Garcia) is a pre-law student at what is described as "a French University in North America." One day during gym class, Phillippe lets a stranger who claims to have a heart condition borrow his shoes for a few minutes. The man then walks across a tar roof, leaving prints from Phillippe's shoes, and shoots a man who's been sleeping with his wife, before returning the shoes to Phillippe. Soon Phillippe's shoes are matched to the crime and he finds himself behind bars. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- José Garcia, Richard Bohringer, (more)
A crime comedy that pays sly tribute to spy films of the 1960s, Comme Un Poisson Hors De L'Eau (aka Like a Fish Out of Water concerns Desire (Michel Muller), the nervous and bookish son of a prominent restaurateur. Desire has been corresponding with a lovely Italian woman, Myrtille (Monica Bellucci), who has accepted his offer of marriage. But when she arrives, Desire is surprised to discover that she's brought along a couple of friends, BB (Tcheky Karyo) and Melvin (Dominique Pinon). It seems Desire is an expert on exotic fish, and Myrtille and her friends are actually con artists who draft him into an elaborate scheme to rip off a Turkish gangster with an interest in rare aquatic species. Comme Un Poisson Hors De L'Eau marks the directorial debut of Herve Hadmar, who previously distinguished himself as a graphic artist; Michel Muller, who plays Desire, also co-wrote the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tchéky Karyo, Monica Bellucci, (more)
- 2000
In the working-class Paris suburb of Montreuil, Jimmy's (Bruno Solo) restaurant, the Bombay Bar, is on the verge of being closed down by creditors. Jimmy is despondent -- the fact that his wife is about to have a baby isn't helping matters -- when he and his business partner Fifi (Lorant Deutsch) find unlikely inspiration in the form of "Riches et Sympas," a TV show dedicated to the lives of the rich and famous. Figuring that getting the "right" people to frequent their business will ensure its reputation, Jimmy and Fifi persuade Jimmy's friend, the laid-back, unemployed Mike (Samuel Le Bihan), to pose as a nobleman and lure his moneyed associates to the Bombay Bar. Mike agrees, and after crashing a posh charity ball, he finds himself being taken in by the likes of society fixture Arthus de Poulignac (Lambert Wilson) and Evrard (Guillaume Gallienne), the latter of whom ensconces Mike in his private mansion. Unfortunately, Mike soon becomes a little too fond of his newly-acquired lifestyle, leaving Jimmy to wonder what to do with the monster he unwittingly created. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samuel Le Bihan, Lambert Wilson, (more)
- 2000
Frederic Jardin directs this enjoyably nasty showbiz farce starring a veritable who's who of Gallic comedy. Elderly milquetoast Jacques Soeur (Denis Podalydes) has written a 450-page tome which his brother Charlies Souer (Jose Garcia) longs to direct. After making no progress in the tried and true method of hawking to studio execs, the two brothers take to videotaping producer Francis France (Jackie Berroyer) engaging in a little extramarital merry-making. When confronted with the incriminating evidence, France sends his thick-headed thug out to retrieve the master tape, with unforeseen consequences. Meanwhile, the duo kidnap renowned screenwriter Blaise (Edouard Baer) to slick up their script, not realizing that Blaise is an unrepentant smack fiend. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- José Garcia, Denis Podalydès, (more)
- 2000
Mathias Ledoux directs this atmospheric erotic thriller. Author Jean Dorset (Jean-Hugues Anglade) has suffered from a bad case of writer's block since his first novel became a bestseller. He lives in a small apartment in Paris with his wife Michelle (Clotilde Courau) and, in spite of their ostensible success, the couple are having trouble making ends meet. One day they receive the utterly unexpected news that they are the sole inheritors of a wealthy neighbor, M. Guillemet, whom they have never met. Guillemet has left them his old townhouse along with all of his belongings, but with two conditions -- the first is that the dead man's papers be left untouched, and the second is that his live-in maid Clemence Richbourg (Christine Boisson) remain employed at the estate. The Dorsets soon learn why they were the recipients of such strange generosity. Guillemet had set up a camera with a massive zoom lens pointing to their bedroom window. The couple is shocked and disgusted, but not enough to give up their new tony digs. Clemence proves to be a more unnerving presence. Her steely, impassive demeanor coupled with her penchant for wearing Mao jackets (and, it turns out, naughty underwear) gives her an air of menace. Soon the Dorsets speculate that Clemence poisoned her former employer's food in an ill-fated attempt at inheriting his property. Later, Jean decides to write his next novel on his curious benefactor. When he starts digging around the old man's files, he begins to suspect that his wife not only did know Guillemet, but frequented his place. This film was screened at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Hugues Anglade, Clotilde Courau, (more)
- 2001
The Sephardic Jewish characters who headlined the riotous 1997 comedy Would I Lie To You? - all employees in the garment business - return for this laugh-filled 2001 sequel. At the center of the farce are Dov (Gad Elmaleh), Patrick (Gilbert Melki), Serge (Jose Garcia), Yvan (Bruno Solo) and Eddie (Richard Anconina), friends for life and colleagues in the said industry, who spend their days wheeling and dealing and establishing connections but run the socioeconomic gamut from filthy rich to lower working class. A series of misunderstandings commences when blue-collar Serge - employed as a motorcycle messenger and living with his parents - takes the wealthy Patrick's blue Rolls Royce convertible out on an errand and runs headfirst into Chochana (Elisa Tovati), a Jewish girl with whom he feels instantly smitten. She naturally assumes, given the car, that he's wealthy - and he of course does nothing to discourage this. In time, Serge manages to prolong the economic ruse to such a degree that he ends up engaged to the high-maintenance Chocana, and on a headfirst collision course with her furniture kingpin father (Enrico Macias). Meanwhile, the garment industry as a whole in Le Sentier (the chief Parisian neighborhood in which the men do business) suffers from a massive economic downturn, thanks in no small part to escalating labor costs and the flourishing of Internet start-ups; in desperation, Yvan and Eddie turn to EuroDiscount, a massive chain of European department stores, with a feeble attempt to sell their merchandise to that outfit. They fail to count, however, on the ugly reaction of the cunning manager, Vierhouten (Daniel Prevost), which threatens to send them spiraling toward bankruptcy. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Anconina, José Garcia, (more)
- 2001
One man's slow climb up the ladder to modest success is thwarted at every rung in this lightly downbeat comedy-drama. Ghislain Lambert (Benoit Poelvoorde) is a amateur bicycle racer who lives on a small farm in Belgium with his brother, Claude (Jose Garcia), and a hired hand who cannot speak, Denis (Sacha Bourdo). Lambert dreams of someday going pro, and a local coach, Focodel (Daniel Ceccaldi), agrees to help him train. With Focodel's help, Lambert is asked to join a team of pro cyclists and finds himself sharing a room on the road with Riccardo (Emmanuel Quatra), an outgoing Italian racer who urges him into a romance with cycling enthusiast Babette (Christelle Cornil) and introduces him to performance-enhancing drugs. Lambert soon butts heads with Fabrice (Jean-Baptiste Iera), the team's star rider, and while Lambert tries to show up the self-centered racer, his plan backfires when he's kicked off the team for drug use. With Claude's less-than-cordial assistance, Lambert gets back into the game and lands a lowly position with another racing team, essentially putting him back where he started. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benoît Poelvoorde, Antoine de Caunes, (more)
- 2001
Two strangers share a strange and terrible bond in this stylish horror tale that juggles sex and graphic bloodshed. Shane Brown (Vincent Gallo) is a strange man with a forbidding nature who has just married lovely but nervous June (Tricia Vessey), and they've decided to go to Paris for their honeymoon. In the City of Lights, a beautiful but dangerous woman named Core (Beatrice Dalle) has been leaving a trail of dead bodies in her wake when she's captured by Leo Semeneau (Alex Descas), a mysterious scientist who spirits her away to his estate. As Core is placed under guard, Semeneau leaves to return to the city for an unnamed assignment; we soon learn that one of Shane's reasons for coming to Paris was to find him and retrieve some important information. In time, we also discover that Shane and Core have something rather unusual in common -- both are murderous cannibals who regularly feast on the flesh of their victims, and Semeneau's information may hold the key to the secret behind their deadly appetite. Trouble Every Day generated a certain amount of controversy in its screenings at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, where a number of patrons walked out in disgust at the film's intense blend of sensuality and cannibalism. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Gallo, Tricia Vessey, (more)
Former French television star Antoine de Caunes turns his sights on the horror genre in his first feature in this goth comedy about trendy nightlife and new-millennium vogue. Antoine (Guillaume Canet is a layabout slacker who lives in a lounge at a health club where a friend lets him stay. After outsmarting a bouncer at an exclusive club in town, he gets a tip from another friend, Etienne (Gerard Lanvin), about a new party in the know. When Antoine attempts getting into the swanky soiree, he claims his friend "Jordan" has invited him. Though he cannot describe his fake friend's features, the staff agrees to let him in. He is then hauled away to meet the party's wealthy host Von Bulow (played by Jean-Marie Winling), who is extremely enticed by the prospect of meeting "Jordan" as he hears he only lives by night. Von Bulow offers Antoine one million francs, half on the spot, if he can be led to Jordan. Antoine must then buy information with his new money, leading him on all-night, violent odyssey that goes further into dark territory. The film also features Asia Argento, Vincent Perez, and Gilbert Melki. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guillaume Canet, Gérard Lanvin, (more)
- 2002
A young woman bent on revenge becomes a legendary thief in the vein of Robin Hood in director Bernie Bonvoisin's 2002 comic swashbuckler Blanche. When she was 14, young Blanche de Perrone's family was massacred by the Cardinal Mazarin's (Jean Rochefort) right-hand man, Captain KKK (Antoine de Caunes), after her businessman father suspected the cleric of great evildoing. The lone survivor of the murder, Blanche vowed vengeance and eventually became a greatly feared robber of stagecoaches. Meanwhile, Mazarin has begun to set up his own little drug dealing operation without rousing the suspicion of the sexually-kinky reigning monarchs King Louis XIV (Jose Garcia) and Queen Anne of Austria (Carole Bouquet). As Blanche (Lou Doillon) begins to put into motion her plan to bring down Mazarin, she unexpectedly falls in love with royal spy Bonange (Roschdy Zem), who is not totally insensitive to Blanche's quest. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Doillon, Roschdy Zem, (more)
- 2002
French filmmakers Alain Berberian and Frédéric Forestier direct the buddy action comedy Le Boulet (Dead Weight). Tough criminal Moltes (Gérard Lanvin) lands in jail after killing the brother of the Turk (José Garcia). Prison guard Reggio (Benoît Poelvoorde) lets Moltes have a weekly lottery ticket in exchange for his suave relationship advice. When Moltes learns that he has a winning lottery ticket, he breaks out of jail to claim his money. However, Reggio's girlfriend, Pauline (Rossy de Palma), has the ticket with her in Africa. The action involves the odd couple teaming up to find the ticket while being chased by Det. Youssouf (Djimon Hounsou), along with the vengeful Turk and the Giant (Gary Tiplady). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Lanvin, Benoît Poelvoorde, (more)
Antoine (Daniel Auteuil of The Closet), the busy manager of a fancy restaurant, cuts through a park in his rush to meet his frustrated girlfriend, Christine (Marilyne Canto), when he stumbles across Louis (José Garcia) attempting to hang himself. Antoine foils his efforts and takes the intensely phobic, despondent klutz home, much to Christine's chagrin. Lovesick Louis recalls that he's sent his "suicide note" to his elderly grandparents, so Antoine goes with him to intercept the letter. Antoine finds himself taking responsibility for Louis' life, getting him a job as a sommelier at the restaurant (despite his total lack of knowledge about wine and his nervousness around strangers) and going to visit Louis' ex-girlfriend, Blanche (Sandrine Kiberlain of Alias Betty), a florist, and the cause of his heartbreak. Antoine finds that Blanche has a new boyfriend, and cunningly arranges for her to discover his infidelity. But when he offers Blanche comfort, she begins to feel drawn to him. With Antoine's encouragement, Louis gradually develops a newfound confidence, dressing better and excelling at work, all with an eye toward winning Blanche back. Antoine, meanwhile, is falling apart as he gets more involved in trying to fix Louis' life. Christine breaks up with him, and he struggles to hold it together at work. Worse yet, he finds himself increasingly attracted to Blanche, and conflicted in his allegiance to Louis. Pierre Salvadori's romantic farce Après vous... was shown at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Rendezvous With French Cinema in 2004. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Auteuil, José Garcia, (more)
- 2003
French director Isabelle Doval directs her husband, popular comedic actor José Garcia, in the comedy Rire et Chatiment (Laughter and Punishment). Vincent (Garcia) is a popular physician whose aggressive need to be funny and get people's attention annoys his girlfriend, Camille (Doval), to the point that she leaves him. He begins to suspect she might have been onto something when his behavior begins causing people to die. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- José Garcia, Isabelle Doval, (more)
Jet Set writer/director Fabien Onteniente returns to craft this sequel set against the backdrop of hedonistic Ibiza, and starring Rupert Everett as a Parisian party planner whose career has been sabotaged by a jealous rival. If you want your party to pop, you call on Charles (Everett). Charles has a knack for throwing the wildest parties in around, and his reputation is legendary. But Charles also has his fair share of enemies, and when a dastardly competitor schemes to turn Europe's hottest party planner into a hopeless has been he makes way for Ibiza in search of local club king John John (Jose Garcia). Perhaps with a little help from the flamboyant entertainer who helped put Ibiza on the map, Charles can restore his reputation and finally get back to doing what he does best - keep the crowds dancing till the break of dawn! ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rupert Everett, José Garcia, (more)
- 2006
French helmer Christian Vincent's quirky labyrinthine comedy Quatre étoiles (AKA Stars, 2005) opens with a comely young girl named Franssou (nicknamed France) stumbling into a highly promising set of circumstances. Though France's great-great aunt feels less than completely enchanted with her, she wills the young girl an inheritance of 52,000 Euros ($62,000.00) on her deathbed. Upon receiving the money, France promptly ditches her dishwater-dull beau and high-tails it to a posh hotel in Cannes, where she falls into the lap of Stephane - a pushy flim-flam artist eager to pass himself off as Elton John's front man, then to hit France up for 30,000 of the Euros. Though France sees right through his ploy, she (surprisingly) agrees to the request - but nothing can compare Stephane for the conditions that France will impose - or for the genuine feelings that France begins to harbor for him. Or does she? Screen vet François Cluzet co-stars; Vincent co-authored the script with Olivier Dazat. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isabelle Carré, José Garcia, (more)
