Jacques Francois Movies

While Louis XIV had the longest reign of any French monarch and used his nation's military might to significantly expand his nation's control of Europe, he was also a noted patron of the arts with a particular love for dance, and this historical drama looks at the unlikely relationship between the King of France and noted 17th century composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. As a teenager, Louis XIV (played by Emil Tarding) was the ostensive ruler of France, but his mother Anne of Austria (Colette Emmanuelle) made most of the decisions, while Louis staged elaborate dance pieces set to the music of Lully (Boris Terral). When Lully was forced to leave Italy, he found an eager patron in young Louis, who loved his music and was fascinated by the flamboyant composer and his libertine ways. Years later, after Louis XIV had grown to adulthood, the more mature ruler (now played by Benoit Magimel) took control of France's political and military affairs, to the annoyance of the Prince de Conti (Idwig Stephane), who had been Anne of Austria's top advisor. But as Louis confronted his European neighbors, he also established a French dance academy and commissioned Lully to write a number of new dance scores. Lully's flamboyant nature and open infidelity with both men and women earned him the enmity of the more conservative members of Louis XIV's court, but the King remained Lully's champion until health problems began to affect his ability to dance -- causing him to lose interest in performance, as well as in Lully's music. Le Roi Danse also explores Lully's relationship with Jean Baptiste Poquelin Moliere, with Tcheky Karyo portraying the great playwright. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A successful prostitute attempts to fashion a homeless man into her ideal pimp in this unconventional, darkly humorous French drama. Marie (Anouk Grinberg) has no real need for a pimp, being a self-reliant, unabashed woman so fond of her job as a hooker that she is able to convince strangers to try it themselves. Indeed, her financial success allows her to take care of Jeannot (Gérard Lanvin), an impoverished vagrant whom she finds on the streets. She provides him with a bath and a place to sleep, and the two rapidly become lovers. Nevertheless, Marie is soon imploring Jeannot to act as her pimp, begging him to slap her around and take her money. He takes to his new role and soon decides to talk a manicurist (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) into becoming the next member of his stable. The newcomer's inexperience proves to be his downfall, however, as the manicurist lands him in trouble with the law. Director Bertrand Blier attempts to create a controversial look at sexuality by combining black comedy with scenes of smoky sensuality, though many critics found the central premise and the presentation of Marie's contradictory, masochistic character too unconvincing for the film to be fully successful. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Nathalie is a lawyer, and a good one. She defends poor creeps like Nicolas (Patrick Chesnais) against the well-paid lawyers of big corporations. Curiously, she has no problem being the girlfriend of one of those well-paid lawyers. However, Nicolas is a special case: he lost everything he had either personally or professionally as a result of corporate callousness, and when he became suicidal, she invited him into her life and her bed. Once Nicolas overcomes the urge to commit suicide, he becomes consumed with the possibility of getting, if not justice, at least revenge on those who ruined him. In this comedy, he comes very near to getting his wish. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Elise (Arielle Dombasle) is content being the lover of Alex (Omar Sharif), a wealthy magnate who lavishes her with attention and money. When she gets religious and decides to hide from him in a French convent, Alex hires agents to bring her back. He offers money to the corrupt cult leader Noah (Pierre Vaneck), who then orders his young follower Marc (Hippolyte Girardot) and Elise to head a delegation traveling to Mexico. Marc turns out to be a journalist doing secret research on cults, but he quickly falls in love with Elise. She must chose between Alex and Marc in this uneven distaff melodrama. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Advertising executive Gerard Floque (Roland Giraud) has the worst day of his life in this routine comedy. He comes home after losing his job to find his daughter arrested on drug charges and his wife Cecile (Clementine Celaire) in bed with a famous television personality (Gerard Rinaldi). Gerard finds romantic solace in the arms of his former secretary Martine (Mary-Anne Chazel). ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

This is an often wilted, occasionally flat spoof of the French Revolution by Jean Yanne, France's answer to Mel Brooks. The revolution, used as a foil for politics in the 1980s, has Robespierre Roland Giraud) in love with Charlotte Corday (Mimi Coutellier) who works for Marat (Jean Yanne) and unsuccessfully tries to stab him one day. That only makes him worse, causing him to stoke up the population and establish himself as a dictator, with the assistance of the Caliph of Baghdad (Jean Poirot). It seems the Caliph is in Paris to check out the new guillotine at a trade show of implements of torture and execution. Eventually, Robespierre and Charlotte, along with Louis XVI (Michel Serrault) and Marie Antoinette (Ursula Andress) make their way to Baghdad, where life is less revolutionary. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Produced on behalf of the HBO cable service, The Blood of Others is a rare venture into English-language filmmaking by Claude Chabrol. Set during World War II, the film stars Jodie Foster and Michael Ontkean as a pair of French resistance fighters. If you can swallow that, then you'll accept New Zealand native Sam Neill as a German businessman. Chabrol's wife Stephane Audran costars as Gigi, while other prominent members of the cast include Alexandra Stewart, Jean-Pierre Aumont and Micheline Presle. Oh, yes, the plot: based on a novel by Simone de Beauvoir, The Blood of Others concerns Jodie Foster's confused loyalties: should she continue in her underground activities, or succumb to the charms of the seemingly civilized Neill? This French-Canadian coproduction was originally telecast August 23, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this melodramatic story, a college professor and his family experience trauma and tears when the professor discovers that his one-time lover in France has recently died and left a son behind -- his son. When the young boy shows up on the doorstep because the shocked father can only do what is right and offer him a home, the professor (Martin Sheen), his wife (Blythe Danner), and their children -- as well as the boy -- face new issues in a crisis that threatens the once-cohesive family. Both Sheen and Danner carry their roles beyond the sappy limitations of the script, but neither can change an unsatisfactory ending meant only to bring out another handkerchief. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this uneven take-off on some reluctant resistance fighters in World War II, a family of musicians find themselves the unwilling hosts of a segment of the German High Command when their Paris mansion is taken over by the occupying forces. What happens next is a series of individual skits, cameo appearances, and zany interludes that are not necessarily as strung together as they are strung out. Characters include: Adolph Hitler's melodious half-brother whose singing style is hilariously close to that of Julio Iglesias, a "good" German officer, stereotypical of any of those found in post-World War II movies, and a woman who provides the comedy in a 1970s television talk show when she expounds on what really happened in the Paris villa back when. It is the acting which carries the day for this film, more than the actual script or cinematic development. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The Gift was based on Bankers Also Have Souls, a play by Valme and Terzolli. To honor retiring co-worker Gregoire (Pierre Mondy), a group of bank employees pool their money and purchase a farewell gift: gorgeous prostitute Barbara (Clio Goldsmith). Since Gregoire is married to the luscious Antonella (Claudia Cardinale), one wonders what planet his friends have been on the past few years. Though it promises a great deal, The Gift is basically harmless and, at times, humorless. The film works best when it eschews sniggling sexiness and concentrates on personalities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After a wealthy, bored heiress (Fanny Cottençon) botches up a custody battle between a taxi driver (Francis Perrin) and his ex-wife by getting the driver jailed for no good reason, she has second thoughts - especially since she starts feeling an attraction for the hapless man. She suggests that they pretend to be married and in that guise, try to win back his son from the ex-wife - and romance blossoms from there. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide