Léa Drucker Movies
- 2008
To the French, Michel "Coluche" Colucci (1944-86) was not merely a household name but a veritable institution. A stocky, goofy comic who often turned up in big screen farces such as L'Aile Ou la Cuisse (1976) and Inspecteur la Bavure (1980) , Colucci gained notoriety for his emotionally rocky and stormy personal life that witnessed him battling alcoholism and extreme drug addiction - making him something of a French equivalent to John Belushi or Chris Farley. Unlike Belushi or Farley, however, Coluche made the unusual decision (for one of his background) to briefly enter mainstream politics. In a bid for the French presidential nomination in 1981, he delighted many and shocked others by reeling in an impressive 15% of the French popular vote - reason enough to believe that this actor, with solid humanitarian values and a commitment to civil rights, might have actually stood a solid chance had he campaigned more aggressively and remained in the running for a longer period. Antoine de Caunes's biopic Coluche, l'Histoire d'un mec hones in exclusively on this intriguing period of the comic's life and career, with François-Xavier Demaison playing the famous actor. The tale begins with his impulsive and drug-fueled decision to run on the ticket, coaxing bums, drunks and social outcasts to band together and lay waste to mainstream politicians. When Coluche pulls in around 10% of the vote, he draws the ire of politicos François Mitterand and Valerie Giscard d'Estaing, who promptly send out an advisor to dissuade the funnyman from running. Director de Caunes spends the majority of the film cross-cutting between recreations of Coluche's popular stage acts, and a not uncritical look at the star's attempts to push himself to his very limits and beyond -- with a mainstream political run that began as a joke but quickly took on very real and frightening proportions. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- François-Xavier Demaison, Léa Drucker, (more)
A man vacationing in the country with his wife and children finds his sexuality unexpectedly challenged in director Zabou Breitman's intimate drama. Frédéric is a family man who needs a vacation. Upon arriving at his cottage in the country, Frédéric makes the acquaintance of Hugo -- the gay neighbor who resides in the adjacent cottage. A free spirit who is open about his sexuality and frequently goes skinny-dipping in the moonlight, Hugo seems to be everything that Frédéric isn't. Soon, the tension between Hugo and Frédéric is palpable. Yet, while they may be at odds over their opposite lifestyles, the two men are also obviously attracted to one another and soon begin to flirt heavily. But Hugo's taunting of hopeless romantic Frédéric begins bordering on cruel when it becomes obvious that Frédéric is jealous of his new lover. Hugo is staunch in his belief that by committing to a relationship you effectively destroy any possibility of real love, yet Frédéric is vehement in his quest for devotion, despite the fact that his relationship with his wife is at a critical turning point. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernard Campan, Charles Berling, (more)
- 2006
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
- Starring:
- Clovis Cornillac, Diane Kruger, (more)
- 2003
A thirtysomething Parisian couple finally follow their dream of owning a rural bed and breakfast, only to discover that dreams aren't all they're cracked up to be in Claude Duty's 2003 comedy Bienvenue a gite (Bed and Breakfast). Bertrand (Philippe Harel) and his girlfriend Caroline (Marina Fois) buy a multiple room bed and breakfast in Provence and eagerly leave their big city, Parisian lives behind for what they imagine to be a more relaxing and introspective rustic existence. Arriving in their new home proves to be a much bigger change than either expected, however, with little actually changing in Caroline's outlook on life other than the focus of her incessant micromanaging. Bertrand, after some difficulty, begins to acclimate to his new surroundings and makes some new friends, including Peter (Michael Maloney) and Julien (Sebastian Barrio), the owners of a nearby gay-orientated bed and breakfast. The defining moment for Bertrand and Caroline's relationship -- and sanity -- comes when Caroline volunteers to spearhead the village's millennial anniversary, which proves to be a much larger undertaking than anything she tried to do while still living in Paris. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marina Fois, Philippe Harel, (more)
- 2002
When diminutive soccer player Tibor (Lorant Deutsch) is placed in a prison cell with dimwitted giant Manu (Samuel Le Bihan) the duo soon begin to forge a friendship based on their mutual love of soccer. Agreeing that upon their release Manu will serve as Tibor's manager, Manu attempts to use his newfound position to reap revenge on those who wronged him in the past. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Lanvin, Samuel Le Bihan, (more)
Marina de Van, a frequent collaborator of director François Ozon's (she co-wrote several films with him, in addition to starring in See the Sea and Sitcom), makes her feature directorial debut with In My Skin, which she also wrote. De Van stars in the film as Esther, a self-conscious young woman who works for a public relations firm. Her life seems to be going well. Her boyfriend, Vincent (Laurent Lucas of With a Friend Like Harry...), wants to live with her. At work, she's in line for a promotion and the opportunity to run a prestigious campaign for a jewelry company. One night at a party with her friend, Sandrine (Léa Drucker), Esther wanders into the backyard and stumbles, scratching her leg on a piece of scrap metal. She goes back to the party, and later realizes that her injury is much more severe than she had thought. There's a huge, ugly gouge all the way up her shin, and she's bleeding profusely. She goes to a doctor, who patches her up and tells her she might need a skin graft. But Esther becomes obsessed with the wound. She won't let it heal, sneaking away during work to cut herself. As her leg becomes an ugly scarred mass, she begins to notice a problem with her arm. Before long, she's alienated Vincent and jeopardized her job with her compulsive, self-destructive behavior. But she continues on her grotesque downward spiral. In My Skin was shown at Lincoln Center in New York as part of their 2003 Rendez-vous with French Cinema. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marina de Van, Laurent Lucas, (more)
Claude Duty's feature-length debut Filles Perdues, Cheveux Gras (Hypnotized and Hysterical, (Hairstylist Wanted)) is an offbeat comedy about three women. Elodi (Olivia Bonamy) is a struggling single mother. Natacha (Marina Fois) is an upbeat alcoholic hair stylist whose beloved pet cat has disappeared. Marianne (Amira Casar) is drawn to a roguish, sexually adventurous art dealer. Their lives intertwine in a variety of ways. Song and dance numbers, as well as animated sequences, punctuate the film. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amira Casar, Marina Fois, (more)
- 1999
What if you could step 70 years into the future from a portal in your bathroom? French director Cedric Klapisch asks this question and many others in this oddball sci-fi flick. The film opens at a wild Buck Rogers-themed New Year's Eve party on December 31, 1999. After smoking a requist amount of drugs, 25-year-old Arthur (Romain Duris) and his girlfriend Lucie get in the millennial spirit with a spontaneous romp in the bathroom. She is aching to have a kid, though Arthur is more ambivalent on the matter, and at the critical moment, he withdraws. Later, he uses that same bathroom for its intended purpose, and he discovers a ceiling panel that transports him to the sun drenched Paris of the 21st century, which could easily be mistaken for northern Africa. Much of the city looks like a Moroccan souk set amid the Sahara. Only the occasional Mansart roof and the now much shorter Eiffel Tower poking out of the sand reminds Arthur that he is indeed in Paris. He soon meets a white-haired old man named Ako (played by New Wave veteran Jean-Paul Belmondo) who informs him that he his Arthur's son. Ako and his offspring beseech the still vacillating Arthur to impregnate Lucie ASAP so that they may exist. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Romain Duris, Jean-Paul Belmondo, (more)
- 1999
French filmmaker Manuel Boursinhac directs this bleak, gritty film about addiction and redemption. Fledging writer Eric (Vincent Elbaz) and his girlfriend (Laurence Cote) consort with junkie thieves. After getting busted by the cops for drug possession, he chooses to enter rehab over going to prison. Helped by his sympathetic roommate and his writing muse, Eric finds temporary relief from the pain of withdrawal. Un pur moment de rock 'n' roll was screened at the 1999 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Elbaz, Nicolas Abraham, (more)
- 1997
Video director Jerome Cornuau made his feature-film debut with this showbiz-themed French film. Young Alice (Ambre Boukebza) hitchhikes into the city to seek out her music-executive dad (Bernard Le Coq) but instead becomes friends with a singing star (Ophelie Winter, portraying herself), learns dancing from African trashman Rudy (Ashanti), polishes her singing skills with an assist from vocalist Nathalie (Lea Drucker), and is romanced by producer Jeremy (Patrick Forster-Delmas). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ambre Boukebza, Ophélie Winter, (more)
