Xavier Giannoli Movies
- 2008
A confidence man stumbles into a scam that's not only lucrative but might actually help people in this comedy-drama inspired by a true story. Paul (Francois Cluzet) is a minor league swindler who after getting out of jail finds himself in a small town in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, where the economy has been in the doldrums ever since a major road construction project was abandoned. Paul tries to pull a small scale con on someone while posing as a representative of a large construction firm, and when word gets around that one of the company's men is in town, word spreads that the highway project is on again, and local subcontractors are eager to give Paul cash payments to be part of the job. Soon Paul is managing a big road building operation, even though he doesn't know the first thing about construction, and a number of men who've been out of work for months are on his payroll. Paul also find himself working side by side with the town's mayor, a lovely widow named Stephane (Emmanuelle Devos), and the two drift into a romance, but how long can Paul keep up this game before he's found out? A L'origine (aka In The Beginning) also stars Gerard Depardieu, Vincent Rottiers and Soko. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Soko, François Cluzet, (more)
- 2006
A small-time crooner of sentimental ballads enters into a May-December romance with a fragile young real-estate agent in this low-key romantic drama starring Gérard Depardieu and Cécile de France. Fifty-something Alain (Depardieu) is something of a local celebrity in Clermont-Ferrand, and few nights pass when the popular singer-of-standards doesn't exit the stage until well into the morning hours. But karaoke is making singers such as Alain a rare breed these days, and it seems as if his days under the spotlight may be numbered. One night, while serenading the audience from the stage, Alain spots beautiful and unfamiliar blonde Marian (de France) in the crowd. Though he eventually her to meet him the following day, the cautiously guarded Marian remains curiously immune to his charm. Nevertheless, Alain's quiet persistence and self-depreciating humor eventually pays off, and the two soon find themselves strangely drawn to one and other. As fate would have it, Marian is currently employed at a real estate company owned by Alain's friend Bruno (Mathieu Amalric) - who also has eyes for the emotionally troubled young woman. Though Alain's ex-wife and current manager Michele (Christine Citti) doesn't discourage the ageing singer's relationship with the younger woman, her concern with his apparently-waning career soon prompts her to consider how she will spend her own future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Cécile De France, (more)
- 2005
A woman pursues new worlds of pleasure in a bid to eliminate her ennui in this erotic drama from writer and director Jean-Claude Brisseau. Sandrine (Carole Brana) feels as if she's fallen into a rut and is dissatisfied with nearly every aspect of her life -- she's quit her job, she's bored with her fiancé, and wants to move away to another country. Sandrine has an affair with Greg (Arnaud Binard), a handsome psychiatrist who is a student of the therapeutic uses of hypnosis. Sandrine, who is looking for greater insights into herself, is intrigued with Greg's theories about hypnosis, and is even more fascinated when he introduces her to Sophie (Lise Bellynck), an attractive young woman with a powerful and eclectic sexual appetite. As Sandrine submits to hypnosis, she experiences a number of unusual erotic encounters with Sophie and others, and moves towards a new degree of personal and sexual freedom. A L'aventure received its North American premiere at the 2008 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
A woman throws herself into a last-ditch struggle to conquer her demons in this gritty drama from director Olivier Assayas. Lee Hauser (James Johnston) is a faded rock star who lives with his wife, Emily Wang (Maggie Cheung), the former host of a European music video show, in a small town in Western Canada. Both Lee and Emily have been battling drug addiction for years, and when Lee finally dies of an OD, Emily finds herself charged with possession of heroin and ends up spending six months in jail. Lee and Emily's son, Jay (James Dennis), has been living with his paternal grandparents, Albrecht (Nick Nolte) and Rosemary (Martha Henry), and while Emily is eager to see her son after getting out of jail, Albrecht persuades her that she needs to get herself clean before she can reconnect with Jay. Determined to get off methadone, Emily relocates to France, where she scares up a job as a waitress and moves in with her old friend Elena (Béatrice Dalle). Emily's attempts to start a new career and stay off drugs prove to be an uphill battle, and she doesn't appear to be winning her fight when she learns that Albrecht and Jay will be accompanying Rosemary to London for medical treatment when Rosemary contracts a serious illness -- and that Albrecht is considering making a side trip to Paris. Clean was screened in competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maggie Cheung, Nick Nolte, (more)
- 2003
French filmmaker Xavier Giannoli makes his feature-length debut as a writer/director with the psychological drama Les Corps Impatients (Eager Bodies), based on the novel by Christian de Montella. Laura Smet (daughter of singer/actor Johnny Hallyday and actress Nathalie Baye) makes her film debut as Charlotte, a young woman battling cancer. Nicolas Duvauchelle plays her boyfriend Paul, who has pledged to stick by her through the chemotherapy. When Charlotte's healthy cousin Ninon (Marie Denarnaud) comes to visit, Paul ends up sleeping with her. Originally shot on digital video, Eager Bodies was shown at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Smet, Nicolas Duvauchelle, (more)
French director Olivier Assayas departs from his usual dramas with Demonlover, a wild thriller about corporate intrigue, hardcore sex Internet sites, and Japanese animé. Wealthy French business man Henri-Pierre Volf (Jean-Baptise Malartre) assigns Diane de Monx (Connie Nielson) to make a deal with TokyoAnime, a company at the forefront of three-dimensional adult animation, after his former assistant, Karen (Dominique Reymond), is kidnapped. Diane, however, is actually a spy for a different company. Standing in her way is another headstrong business woman (Gina Gershon), and Diane's assistant, Elise Lipsky (Oscar nominee Chloe Sevigny) who questions her boss' morality. Demonlover was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Connie Nielsen, Charles Berling, (more)
