Roger Leger Movies
- 2003
Director Louis Belanger follows up his debut feature Post Mortem with this introspective, low key, working-class comedy drama concerning relationships, responsibility, and father-son bonding. Affectionately referred to as "The Boss" by his friends, Mr. Brochu (Serge Theriault) has been running the full-service Champlain gas station with the help of his family for the past 15 years. Though his wife is long gone and he is beginning to suffer the effects of Parkinson's disease, he maintains the store well until his sons begin to express aspirations outside of the family business. An aspiring photographer, Rejean (Sebastien Delorme) makes way for Germany when he hears that the Berlin Wall is about to fall, and Guy (Danny Gilmore) seems to be more interested in developing his blues band than maintaining the pumps. At least young Alain (Maxime Dumontier) shows some interest in carrying on tradition, though, at age 14, he's hardly ready to take on all of the adult responsibilities that the job entails. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Serge Theriault, Gilles Renaud, (more)
A gifted forger and confidence man attempts to stay one step ahead of the lawman determined to bring him to justice in this comedy-drama from Steven Spielberg, based on a true story. Frank W. Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a 16-year-old high school student who finds himself emotionally cut adrift when his mother, Paula (Nathalie Baye), leaves his father, Frank Abagnale Sr. (Christopher Walken), after Frank Sr. falls into arrears with the Internal Revenue Service. One day at school, Frank Jr. attempts to pass himself off as a substitute teacher, and easily makes the subterfuge work. His small-scale success gives Frank some ideas, and he soon discovers bigger and more profitable ways of hoaxing others, passing himself off as an airline pilot, a doctor, and an attorney. Along the way, Frank learns how to become a master forger, and uses his talent and charm to pass over 2.5 million dollars in phony checks. Frank's increasingly audacious work soon attracts the attention of Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), an FBI agent who is determined to put Frank behind bars. Frank seems to enjoy being pursued by Carl, and even goes so far as to call Carl on the phone to chat every once in a while. While posing as a doctor, Frank falls in love with Brenda Strong (Amy Adams), a sweet girl working as a candy striper. When Frank asks Brenda to marry him, he decides to assume a new identity to impress her father, Roger (Martin Sheen) -- who happens to be the District Attorney of New Orleans, LA. Catch Me If You Can was based on the autobiography of the real Frank W. Abagnale Jr., who has a cameo in the film and today works on the side of the law as a top consultant on preventing forgery and designing secure checking systems. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, (more)
- 1999
In this tough French-Canadian drama, two outsiders -- one who works with the law, another who lives outside it -- come together with unfortunate consequences. Linda (Sylvie Moreau) is a devoted single mother who will do anything to support her five-year-old daughter, Charlotte (Sarah Lecompte-Bergeron). Unfortunately, a lot of what Linda does best isn't exactly legal, such as luring well-to-do men into the park and then mugging them. One night, Linda is trying to coax a visitor from America into the shadows when the situation starts to go wrong. Meanwhile, Ghislain (Gabriel Arcand) is a shy, lonely fellow who works at the morgue and likes to listen to the blues late at night. In time, we discover that Linda and Ghislain met at one time, leading to an ugly encounter for both of them. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gabriel Arcand, Sylvie Moreau, (more)
- 1999
Histoires D'Hiver/Winter Stories is a nostalgic story set in Montreal in 1966, where 12-year-old Martin (Joel Drapeau-Dalpe) eats, sleeps and dreams hockey. Martin's favorite team is the Montreal Canadiens, an enthusiasm shared by his Uncle Maurice (Denis Bouchard), who loves to spin tales of the team's glorious past, but Martin's father seemingly couldn't care less about the icers. Meanwhile, Martin concocts a scheme to score tickets for a Montreal game by writing star player Henri Richard and claiming to be seriously ill, which does not go as he had hoped. When not thinking about hockey, Martin finds romance first entering his life thanks to his schoolmate Vera (Maude Gionet), and his bohemian English teacher introduces the class to protest music (in this case, Barry McGuire's Eve Of Destruction). Filmed on location in Montreal, Histoires D'Hiver/Winter Stories recieved enthusiastic notices for its strong performances and fine camerawork. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joel Drapeau-Dalpe, Denis Bouchard, (more)
- 1990
In this story-free experimental cinematic meditation, Roger Leger plays a biker who, in the course of discussing his childhood, finds time to seduce his shrink. Later, he makes love to a Mexican woman who leaves him to return to her home, and he manages to play pool with egg-shaped balls. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roger Leger, Lou Babin, (more)
