Robinson Stévenin Movies
- 2009
A daring band of rebels take on Nazi forces in Europe in this wartime drama from director Robert Guediguian. Born in Armenia, Missak Manouchian (Simon Abkarian) had settled in France by the time World War II broke out; a socialist who stood in fierce opposition to the Axis forces occupying his country, he and a handful of other leftists formed the FTP-MOI, a faction of the French Resistance comprised of immigrants who came to France before the war. Working beside Manouchian was his wife Melinee (Virginie Ledoyen), a poet turned underground fighter; Marcel (Robinson Stevenin), a Jewish volunteer who is an excellent shot with a rifle, and Thomas (Gregory Leprince-Ringuet), a passionate Marxist with a skill for making bombs. Along with several other activists, the FTP-MOI wage a propaganda campaign against the Nazis while targeting selected Axis leaders for execution. But despite their cunning and talent, Manouchian and his partners find it difficult to keep their work a secret, and in time they're found out by a ruthless detective (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) with the Vichy police. L'Armee du Crime (aka The Army Of Crime) was based on the true story of a French resistance group dubbed "the Army of Crime" in Vichy propaganda pieces. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simon Abkarian, Virginie Ledoyen, (more)
- 2007
Actress-cum-director Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi's sophomore feature, the comedy-drama Les Actrices (Le reve de la nuit d'avant), follows the trials and travails of Marcelline (Tedeschi), a tense and jittery stage thesp whose personal and professional life threaten to fall into pieces simultaneously. On a personal level, Marcelline hits the midpoint of her life, hears her biological clock ticking, and longs desperately for a child. At work, Marcelline's inability to find the core of her character, Natalia Petrovna, in a production of Turgenev's A Month in the Country only causes her emotional tension to double. In time, she regresses into such a basket case that she can barely respond to the stage director's query about whether she is right or left-handed. Marcelline's natty and overanxious mother (Marisa Borini, Tedeschi's mother in real life) weighs heavily on her as well, pressuring her constantly about the need to find an appropriate suitor before time runs out; instead, Marcelline finds herself drawn helplessly to Eric (Louis Garrel) a sexy young actor in the production - who, without her knowledge, nurtures reciprocal affections. This parallels the events that befall Petrovna in Turgenev's play, and indeed, at one point the spirit of Petrovna (Valeria Golino) appears to Marcelline for much-needed counsel. Meanwhile, as Marcelline weathers her own personal crises, one of her friends, Nathalie (Noemie Lvovsky) - the assistant to the play's director - struggles with her offstage lack of fulfillment as a wife and mother. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Noemie Lvovsky, (more)
- 2006
Portuguese filmmaker Teresa Villaverde turns her attentions to the topic of human trafficking in modern-day Europe with this tale of an optimistic Russian émigré who is forced into prostitution after leaving St. Petersburg to seek out a better life in Germany. Sonia (Ana Moreira) is a dreamer in her early twenties who is looking to escape the bleak poverty of St. Petersburg in hopes of improving her unfortunate lot in life. Upon finding illegal work at a German car factory, it appears as if Sonia's luck may be taking a turn for the better. When the factory is supposedly raided by police looking for illegal workers and a fellow Russian implores the Sonia to hide in the trunk of a car, the panicked girl's once bright future begins to grow considerably dimmer. Subsequently smuggled across Europe, Sonia is used as a sex slave in Germany before being transported to Italy to serve as a human plaything for the simple minded son of a powerful millionaire. Now trapped in an opulent mansion prison with no one to turn to and no place to run, Sonia soon becomes obsessed with the prospect of escaping her outwardly lavish hell on Earth. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ana Moreira, Viktor Rakov, (more)
- 2006
This French-language feature, starring and directed by the acclaimed blues maestro Richard Bohringer, was loosely adapted from the musician's roman-a-clef, and almost completely omits a central narrative. In it, a young writer pursues an idolized artist through the various experiences and exotic locales of his continual wanderings, from Paris to Mareille to Africa. Bohringer thus attempts to capture various moods and feelings, with a heavy emphasis on nocturnal events. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2006
A man of principle is led down a sinister path in the name of patriotism in this drama co-written by the legendary political filmmaker Costa Gravas. Colonel DuPlan is a powerful but elderly officer in the French military who is found murdered in his flat after appearing on a television talk show in which he roundly criticizes the current French administration. Lt. Galois (Cecile de France) is a police detective who is part of the team investigating DuPlan's murder, and when a package of letters from one of DuPlan's former underlings arrives at the police station, Galois is ordered to read them and see if they contain any useful information. Lt. Guy Rossi (Robinson Stevenin) served under DuPlan (Olivier Gourmet) as France was at war with Algeria; while Rossi questions the wisdom of effectiveness of the conflict, DuPlan is a gung-ho officer who believes France must lead by any means necessary. Through a combination of intimidation and flattery, DuPlan wins Rossi over to his side and turns him into a valued aide who will do nearly anything to serve his leaders -- including torturing prisoners, killing adversaries, and violating the laws of war. Also starring Charles Aznavour, Mon Colonel (aka The Colonel) was the first feature-length directorial credit for Laurent Herbiet. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Olivier Gourmet, Robinson Stévenin, (more)
Anton Chekhov's The Seagull receives an updated adaptation in this drama from veteran French filmmaker Claude Miller. Mado (Nicole Garcia) is a successful actress who is spending the summer at her country estate with her boyfriend, Brice (Bernard Giraudeau), a noted filmmaker who directed her latest picture. Also staying with Mado is her son, Julien (Robinson Stévenin), a budding experimental filmmaker with a combustible personality who is infatuated with Lili (Ludivine Sagnier), a beautiful young woman whose family lives nearby. Lili is attentive but cool around Julien, who doesn't pay much heed to the attentions of Jeanne-Marie (Julie Depardieu), the daughter of Mado's caretaker (Marc Betton) who has long held a torch for him. When Julien screens his latest film for Mado and her guests, it leads to a bitter argument between the two as her criticism of her son's work devolves into a series of personal attacks on one another. As Julien threatens to sever ties with his mother, Lili courts the attentions of Brice, while Jeanne-Marie defends Julien's work with little reaction from him. La Petite Lili received its world premiere at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicole Garcia, Bernard Giraudeau, (more)
Patrice Chéreau, who directed the controversial Intimacy, returns with another story of a human relationship under difficult circumstances. Thomas (Bruno Todeschini) has been estranged from his brother Luc (Eric Caravaca) for several years, due in part to Thomas' difficulties in dealing with Luc's homosexuality. But when Thomas is diagnosed with a rare blood disease, which is difficult to treat and impossible to cure, he decides he wants to bring Luc back into his life. The brothers soon become inseparable, with Luc constantly at Thomas' side as he vainly struggles against the disease and confronts the indignity of treatment. As Thomas and Luc become closer, their new relationship begins to alienate their significant others, and Thomas' father (Fred Ulysse) cannot understand why his son doesn't fight against his illness with great vehemence. Director Chéreau's work on Son Frère earned him the Silver Bear at the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruno Todeschini, Eric Caravaca, (more)
- 2002
Avant-garde director Werner Schroeter's Deux (Two) is a willfully disjointed film about twin sisters played by Isabelle Huppert. As newborns, the two girls were separated. The film intercuts snippets from their lives. One of the sisters engages in some homosexual experimentation, while the other has ongoing conversations with a man (Jean-François Stévenin) who apparently resides in an opera house (opera being one of the director's career-long obsessions). Bulle Ogier plays a woman who may or may not be related to the two women played by Huppert. Deux was screened during the Director's Fortnight portion of the Cannes Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isabelle Huppert, Bulle Ogier, (more)
A cross-dressing man allows himself to be used as bait to trap a killer in this crime-drama. Bo Ancelin (Robinson Stevenin) is a twentysomething man from Brussels who feels most comfortable dressing and living as a woman. Some might see Bo's lifestyle as a marked contrast to that of his father, a successful and well-regarded businessman, though it seems father has some secrets of his own after no-nonsense police detective, Paul Huysmans (Richard Bohringer), arrests him on charges of child molestation. While Bo bears his own scars from his upbringing, he's not eager to speak against his father in court, but before long both Bo and Huysmans have bigger fish to fry -- a serial killer is walking the streets of Brussels and choosing as his favored victims prostitutes and cross-dressers. When two of his friends are murdered by the killer, Bo decides he must step in to help catch the killer that Huysmans hasn't yet found on his own, though Bo soon falls into a dangerous position when he falls in love with Johnny (Stephane Metzger), a sullen and street-smart hustler who helps rent-boys find profitable assignations with older women. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Bohringer, Robinson Stévenin, (more)
Inspired by true events that occurred in France in the mid-'90s, this French-language feature explores the relationship between two best friends who come from opposite sides of the tracks. Delphine (Maud Forget) is 14 years old and shy, a delicate and studious high-school patron who comes from an upper-class background. After following around Olivia (Lou Doillon), the new student at her high school and a dreadlocked, outspoken outcast, the two develop a close bond. Olivia is from a broken home and has a free-spirited approach to life. One night, Olivia takes Delphine to a nightclub where they meet Laurent (Robinson Stevenin), a brooding teenager with whom Delphine falls instantly in love. Olivia similarly falls for Laurent's friend Alain (Maxime Mansion) and the four enter a free-wheeling world of parties, alcohol, and sexual experimentation. Delphine becomes immersed in the prospect of belonging to someone and begins to sacrifice some of her cherished beliefs to satisfy Laurent. Olivia, the more world-weary of the two, spots Delphine's blind dedication and tries to help her achieve happiness without succumbing to the indulgent depths to which the foursome is rapidly becoming accustomed. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maud Forget, Lou Doillon, (more)
