Valerie Dreville Movies
- 2009
- NR
A veteran call girl and a neurotic psychotherapist discover that they have far more in common than they imagined in this comedy drama from filmmaker Jeanne Labrune. Alice (Isabelle Huppert) is a high-end prostitute who has been in the game for many years but thinks it might be time for her to find a new career. Meanwhile, Xavier (Bouli Lanners) is an analyst who is having a hard time sorting out his own relationship issues, especially since his wife (Valerie Dreville) is demanding a divorce. Xavier isn't happy about the sad state of his sex life, and a friend suggests he turn to a professional and puts him in touch with Alice. After Alice and Xavier bond over their shared interest in antiques, they strike a deal -- he'll give her therapy sessions, as she needs to shore up her confidence and sort out her emotional issues while she gives up prostitution, and in turn she'll give him the sex that he's not getting from his unhappy wife. However, while Alice is cool and matter-of-fact about her trade, Xavier isn't quite as casual about sex, and he's curious about her ability to assume different personalities at the whims of her customers. Sans Queue Ni Tête (aka Special Treatment) was an official selection at the 2010 BFI London Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Isabelle Huppert, Bouli Lanners, (more)
As a Parisian petrochemical company forges on into the 21st century, the in-house human resources psychologist leads a probe that proves the ghosts of the previous century still hold sway over current events in director Nicolas Klotz's labyrinthine drama. Simon (Mathieu Amalric) is a human resources worker who has spent the last seven years working at the Paris branch of a powerful German-based company called SC Farb. In addition to assessing the hiring and firing practices of the company, Simon was also charged with the task of conducting motivational workshops. When Assistant Director Karl Rose (Jean-Pierre Kalfon) implores Simon to conduct a clandestine assessment of firm director Mathias Jüst's (Michael Lonsdale) mental health after rumors of erratic behavior begin to circulate in the German head office, the shrewd human resources worker forms a factory orchestra as a means of stealthily gauging the stability of his violin-playing subject. Later, a comprehensive investigation of company archives and anonymous letters begin to snake ominously back in time to the darkest days of World War II. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mathieu Amalric, Michael Lonsdale, (more)
- 2002
Hugo Santiago's stylish detective film The Wolf of the West Coast is based on a short story by crime novelist Ross MacDonald. James Faulkner plays Lew Millar, a renowned private eye who is hired by a gangster to be his bodyguard. When Millar arrives at the criminal's French hideaway, the gangster is already dead. Among the people Millar investigates are the gangster's brother, the man's sister-in-law, and their teenage daughter. A judge may also offer insight into the case, as well as Millar's own past. The Wolf of the West Coast was screened at the Montreal Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Faulkner, Anna Mouglalis, (more)
- 1999
A disenchanted doctor discovers love is good for what ails him in this light romantic drama. Bruno Sachs (Albert Dupontel) is a physician in a small town in France. The only medical man in the community, Sachs is well-liked by his patients and maintains a facade of dignity and compassion, but deep inside, he's not happy with his work and doesn't much care for most of his patients. Sachs supplements his income by performing abortions at a hospital in a nearby town, and one of his patients there is a young woman named Pauline (Valerie Dreville). Pauline seems taken with Bruno, and he finds her charming and attractive; Pauline very directly tells Bruno that she isn't interested in a traditional courtship, but she would certainly like to consummate their feelings at some point in the future. A few days later, Pauline bumps into Bruno at a bookstore, and before long a relationship would seem to be in progress. Meanwhile, Dr. Sachs still has to tend to the various maladies of the locals, ranging from a heart patient who refuses to have surgery that could save his life to a man whose body is wearing out under the strain of his wife's three-times-a-day appetite for sex. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Albert Dupontel, Valerie Dreville, (more)
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