Edouard Weil Movies

Neglected by her husband and longing for companionship, lonely Hollywood actress Carole enters into a passionate affair with a photographer who has been assigned to capture her portrait. Filmmaker Philippe Garrel directs a drama starring Louis Garrel, Clémentine Poidatz, and Laura Smet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A small-time crooner of sentimental ballads enters into a May-December romance with a fragile young real-estate agent in this low-key romantic drama starring Gérard Depardieu and Cécile de France. Fifty-something Alain (Depardieu) is something of a local celebrity in Clermont-Ferrand, and few nights pass when the popular singer-of-standards doesn't exit the stage until well into the morning hours. But karaoke is making singers such as Alain a rare breed these days, and it seems as if his days under the spotlight may be numbered. One night, while serenading the audience from the stage, Alain spots beautiful and unfamiliar blonde Marian (de France) in the crowd. Though he eventually her to meet him the following day, the cautiously guarded Marian remains curiously immune to his charm. Nevertheless, Alain's quiet persistence and self-depreciating humor eventually pays off, and the two soon find themselves strangely drawn to one and other. As fate would have it, Marian is currently employed at a real estate company owned by Alain's friend Bruno (Mathieu Amalric) - who also has eyes for the emotionally troubled young woman. Though Alain's ex-wife and current manager Michele (Christine Citti) doesn't discourage the ageing singer's relationship with the younger woman, her concern with his apparently-waning career soon prompts her to consider how she will spend her own future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A woman throws herself into a last-ditch struggle to conquer her demons in this gritty drama from director Olivier Assayas. Lee Hauser (James Johnston) is a faded rock star who lives with his wife, Emily Wang (Maggie Cheung), the former host of a European music video show, in a small town in Western Canada. Both Lee and Emily have been battling drug addiction for years, and when Lee finally dies of an OD, Emily finds herself charged with possession of heroin and ends up spending six months in jail. Lee and Emily's son, Jay (James Dennis), has been living with his paternal grandparents, Albrecht (Nick Nolte) and Rosemary (Martha Henry), and while Emily is eager to see her son after getting out of jail, Albrecht persuades her that she needs to get herself clean before she can reconnect with Jay. Determined to get off methadone, Emily relocates to France, where she scares up a job as a waitress and moves in with her old friend Elena (Béatrice Dalle). Emily's attempts to start a new career and stay off drugs prove to be an uphill battle, and she doesn't appear to be winning her fight when she learns that Albrecht and Jay will be accompanying Rosemary to London for medical treatment when Rosemary contracts a serious illness -- and that Albrecht is considering making a side trip to Paris. Clean was screened in competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

French director Olivier Assayas departs from his usual dramas with Demonlover, a wild thriller about corporate intrigue, hardcore sex Internet sites, and Japanese animé. Wealthy French business man Henri-Pierre Volf (Jean-Baptise Malartre) assigns Diane de Monx (Connie Nielson) to make a deal with TokyoAnime, a company at the forefront of three-dimensional adult animation, after his former assistant, Karen (Dominique Reymond), is kidnapped. Diane, however, is actually a spy for a different company. Standing in her way is another headstrong business woman (Gina Gershon), and Diane's assistant, Elise Lipsky (Oscar nominee Chloe Sevigny) who questions her boss' morality. Demonlover was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide