Cecile Cassel Movies
The daughter of Jean-Pierre Cassel and the half-sister of Vincent Cassel, Gallic screen star Cécile Cassel exuded an alluring and slightly enigmatic quality onscreen that gave her a loyal following among cinemagoers. Those elements served her well in such outings as the 2002 La Bande du Drugstore (as the distant object of affections of a slightly backward young man in mid-'60s Paris), and the 2007 The First Day of the Rest of Your Life (as the eccentric and mysterious neighbor of a French family). In 2008, Cassel signed on to work for iconic French director Eric Rohmer in that helmer's lyrical classicist drama Les Amours d'Astrée et Céladon playing the niece of a druid cleric who helps devise a far-out scheme to reunite two estranged lovers. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide- 2009
Simultaneously recalling Richard Curtis's Love Actually (2003), and - on a more culturally proximate note - Cedric Klapisch's seriocomedy Paris (2008), this outing from writer-director Amanda Sthers observes the intersection of six French lonely hearts against a uniform backdrop. As the tale opens, three single men sit waiting in a French airport: psychiatrist Max (Michel Lonsdale), writer Marcel Henri (Pierre Arditi), and editor Olivier (Patrick Mille). As fate would have it, their paths just happen to intersect with three lonely, needy women of varying temperaments and backgrounds: distinguished widow Fanny (Monique Chaumette), man-hungry teacher Lila (Anne Marivin), and the desperately unhappy, suicide-prone cancer patient Julia (Carole Bouquet). As various couplings occur and various substories unfold within the confines of the airport, each of the characters finds his or her life changed in an irrevocable and unforeseeable way. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carole Bouquet, Pierre Arditi, (more)
- 2009
Italian director Fausto Brizzi's romantic comedy Ex draws from an ensemble framework and an all-star European cast, including Claudio Bisio, Nancy Brilli, Cristiana Capotondi and Cecile Castel, to meditate on the various situations engendered by the presence of former lovers - from the instances in which affection and devotion have regressed into hatred, to the cases where friendship blossoms from a prior romance, to the instances where love lingers on indefinitely. From instance to instance and one onscreen relationship to another, the film meditates on the myriad of ways in which old romantic partners can shape our lives. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudio Bisio, Nancy Brilli, (more)
- 2008
Based on the novel On Love by Alain de Botton, writer-director Julian Kemp's My Last Five Girlfriends traces the romantic journey of thirtysomething bachelor Duncan (Brendan Patricks. As the film opens, the despondent Duncan is apparently preparing to take his own life, but not before taking the time to send a message to the last five women he dated. Taking the form of a whirlwind tour through "Duncan World," the film is a comedic exploration of his failed relationships. First there's Wendy (Kelly Adams), who can't get over her ex. Then Duncan adapts a variety of different personalities in a failed effort to charm Olive (Jane March of The Lover). His relationship with Rhona (Cécile Cassel) ends badly because he can't appreciate her sense of style. Things go more smoothly with Natalie (Edith Bukovics), but he pulls back when he begins to feel that they're moving too fast. After their breakup, he pursues Natalie's friend Gemma (Naomie Harris of the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels). With Gemma, Duncan feels that he's learned from his past mistakes and found a potentially lasting and true love, but she seems reluctant to commit. My Last Five Girlfriends had its world premiere at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, where it was shown in the Discovery section. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Patricks, Naomie Harris, (more)
- 2008
Five random days in the lives of a French family, spread out over a dozen years, paint a telling picture of the ups and downs of human relationships in this comedy-drama from France. Robert Duval (Jacques Gamblin) is a taxi driver who is married to Marie-Jeanne (Zabou Breitman), who has shed the bohemian ways of her youth with the passage of time. Robert's father (Roger Dumas) has been generous enough to give his son the comfortable home he shares with Marie-Jeanne and their children, but that doesn't mean there's always a genuine respect between them. Robert and Marie-Jeanne have three children -- their eldest Albert (Pio Marmai) is struggling with the rigors of medical school when we first meet him, while Raphael (Marc-Andre Grondin) is a teen trying to decide what to do with his life and Fleur (Deborah Francois) is still learning to be comfortable with her femininity. Between 1988 and 2000, the Duval family finds themselves dealing with the sort of life changes that affect most families, seeming both typical and revelatory at the same time. Le Premier Jour Du Reste De Ta Vie (aka The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life) was the first French feature for writer and director Remi Bezancon after making his debut with the Quebecois picture C.R.A.Z.Y. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacques Gamblin, Zabou Breitman, (more)
Alternating between the unique vantage points of the Jews, the Arabs, and the British, director Elie Chouraqui's historical drama recreates the landmark struggle surrounding the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. From the concrete jungle of New York City to the desert paradise of the Holy Land, two young Americans - one Jewish and the other Arab - are forced to make an incredible series of life altering sacrifices in order to fight for their dreams. As the struggle for control of Jerusalem gets underway, the Jews, Arabs, and Brits must all address such difficult issues as terrorism, politics, courage, and deprivation with a newfound since of honest and urgency. Drawing inspiration from authors Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre's bestselling novel of the same name, O Jerusalem offers a textured commentary on a conflict that continues to stir controversy in the 21st Century. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- JJ Feild, Saïd Taghmaoui, (more)
- 2007
- Add The Romance of Astrea and Celadon to QueueAdd The Romance of Astrea and Celadon to top of Queue
Acclaimed French filmmaker Eric Rohmer adapts author Honoré d'Urfé's classic 17th century novel to craft this morally complex tale of romance concerning a young couple about to be betrothed, but driven apart by a tragic misunderstanding. Celadon (Andy Gillet) and Astrea (Stéphanie Crayencour) are deeply in love. Each has vowed that they want to spend the rest of their lives together, but their future union is suddenly thrown into question when one day on the riverbank Astrea sees Celadon kissing another woman. Subsequently banning Celadon from her sight forever, the inconsolable Astrea is horrified to discover that Celadon has attempted to take his own life by leaping into the river after learning of the decree; fortunately, he was saved at the last minute by an upper-crust young woman (Véronique Reymond) who wants to possess him. Desperate to win Astrea back, Celadon accepts the advice of a druid priest and his niece, who convince him to dress in drag, pose as a woman, and strike up a friendship with Astrea. Before long, the two are kissing, holding hands, and napping together -- with Astrea little recognizing her new "best friend"'s real gender or identity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Gillet, Stéphanie Crayencour, (more)
- 2006
Jointly written by an eight-member French comedy troupe called Les Quiches (Alexandre Brik, Vanessa Pivain, Deborah Saiag, Benoit Petre, Mayane Delem, Mika Tard, Morgan Perez and Isabelle Vitari) and co-directed by four of the eight (Petre, Saiag, Tard and Vitari), Foon is a kitschy, campy Euro musical comedy that sends up contemporary American high school life. The creative team authored the script in a deliriously silly cross-pollenization of French and English ("Franglais") that yields expressions from 'Si vous please' to 'Thank you beaucoup.' The action at the heart of the story centers around the revered prom -- an event that functions as the battleground for a classical rivalry between the in-crowd (called "Foons" as an amalgam of "Fun" and 'Cool") and the dorks. Foon also satirizes numerous motion pictures, with satirical references to films such as Carrie, What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?, and the Zapruder footage of the Kennedy assassination. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexandre Brik, Mayane Delem, (more)
- 2002
La Bande de Drugstore is the debut feature from writer/director Francois Armanet, who adapted the script from his own novel. Set in Paris during the 1960s, a group of stylish teenagers hang out at a club called the Drugstore. Shy Philippe Challes (Mathieu Simonet) wants to meet a girl but he doesn't know how to go about it. Experienced Nathalie (Alice Taglioni) invites him and his friend Marc (Aurelien Wiik) to the birthday party of the also quite shy Charlotte (Cecile Cassel). Philippe and Charlotte develop a strong interest in each other, but neither one seems to know what to do about it. Philippe also tries to pick up girls with his friend Pierre (Laurent Pialet), while Nathalie finds herself attracted to Charlotte's father (Thierry Lhermitte). The '60s pop rock soundtrack features Aretha Franklin, Sonny & Cher, and Otis Redding. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mathieu Simonet, Cecile Cassel, (more)
