Nicolas Meyer Movies
- 2003
An unexpected tragedy drives a wedge between an idyllic young husband and wife in this impressionistic Belgian drama. Des Plumes Dans la Tete concerns the relationship between the amorous Jean-Pierre (Francis Renaud) and Blanche (Sophie Museur), leading a life of pastoral bliss in the small town of Genappe with their precocious son Arthur (Ulysse de Swaef). Mother and child spend their days interacting with the townspeople or going on nature walks; the latter endeavor proves tragic when Arthur wanders off on his own one afternoon, and is never seen from again. Both parents are devastated in different ways: Jean-Pierre grows cynical and reticent, while Blanche retreats into a naïve state, pretending that her son is still very much alive. As the couple grows further and further apart, Blanche devolves into madness, spending days on end exploring the fields and trails surrounding Genappe; it's there that she meets a reclusive, curious teenager (Alexis Den Doncker) who helps her escape her fantasy existence. Des Plumes dans la Tete premiered in the Director's Fortnight section of the 2003 Cannes Film Festival before screenings at the Toronto and Tokyo festivals. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sophie Museur, Francis Renaud, (more)
- 1999
The fall of communism in Hungary and the power of the movies to change people's lives provide the backdrop for this drama from Hungarian director Togay Can. Ladu (Matej Matejka) and Radi (David Szabo) are two school-age film buffs living in a tiny Hungarian village -- so small, as the locals like to say, it's "behind God's back." Each and every week, Ladu and Radi eagerly await the arrival of the latest attraction at the town's only movie house, which comes into town via motorcycle delivery man. One week, however, the boys get the bad news: the driver has passed on, which means no more movies for the time being. Ladu takes matters into his own hands; he finds several old reels of film in a storage area at the theater, and patches together a new story from bits and pieces of a stack of screen classics, including Battleship Potemkin, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and La Grande Illusion. Ladu's remarkable collage of images has a profound effect on the townspeople; several find themselves dramatically reassessing their lives, and the audience at one screening is so moved as to defy the bidding of the village's corrupt mayor and party boss. Egy Tel Az Isten Hata Mogott received its premiere at the 1999 Hungarian Film Week Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matej Matejka, David Szabo, (more)
