Marlène Jobert

This well-articulated, engaging story about the differing fortunes of two brothers just after Algeria's war for independence is conventional in its outlines, and may have several more characters than can be developed in a short time, but its subtle handling by director Ariel Zeitoun helps to counteract those flaws. Rego (Christophe Malavoy) has just returned from a tour of duty in Algeria where he escaped the demands of his budding musical career. Now that he is back, his former agent does not welcome him with open arms because he is still mad over Rego's sudden departure, just when things were going well. The delinquent, wild teenager Antoine (Pierre-Loup Rajot) is Rego's younger brother, now in love with his new music teacher (Gabrielle Lazure), and his persistence in going after the reserved young woman ends in a brief and forbidden fling -- and trouble for her. As events continue on their course, the fate of the two brothers is vastly divergent, even though they continue to have a strong bond between them. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this run-of-the-mill thriller, a frenetic, sexually dysfunctional thief loses it and shoots two employees and his accomplices during a bank robbery then escapes to the Riviera. Once there, he gets a room in a hotel and takes a couple hostage -- he needs some sort of shield from the police while he makes his getaway. But the more he runs, the more it seems there is nowhere to turn. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Novak (Victor Lanoux) is a police inspector to whom any means is fair in getting evidence on criminals - especially drug dealers. He is after a drug ring that includes a city official and desperately needs evidence to bring the corrupt politician to trial, and to close down the ring. To that end, he involves Helene (Marlene Jobert), the politician's secretary, causing her intensive emotional stress as he destroys her home life and unintentionally costs the life of her sister. By the time events have completed their course, the inspector has a chance to help Helene back to normalcy, and to reflect on the ultimate worth of his methods. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Fush (Claude Brasseur) and Ballestrat (Claude Rich) are the rival police detectives who head different departments trying to capture a notorious gangster in this crime thriller. Both are not above using underhanded and illegal means to attain their goals. Marie (Marlene Jobert) a the female cop in Ballestrat's department who adds to the tension by having an affair with Fush. When an ambush attempt goes wrong, Fush puts his life in danger by confronting the gangster whose criminal activities sparked the intense manhunt. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

During a business trip to Morocco to finalize a deal to build an ugly modern tourist village on the site of a lovely local town, Jean-Luc (Jean-Claude Biraly), the bank representative, is called on by the architect's wife. She has, it seems, accidentally killed her husband during a spat and needs his help to hide the body. Incredibly, he gives it. Then he returns to Paris with the architect's murderous spouse (Marlene Jobert), who proceeds to turn his life upside down with her blithe spirit and joie de vivre. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Bolstered by the buoyant performance by Jacques Dutronc as a car-mechanic turned pro-thief, this French film follows the exploits of Jacques (Dutronc) and his Jewish co-conspirator Simon (Jacques Villeret) as their robberies, beginning well before the Second World War, take on a political coloration under the occupation. Tempted into thievery when their auto-repair business handles a car which can outrun police vehicles, they are constantly pursued by the hard-working policeman Blanchot (Bruno Cremer). During the occupation, the duo lend their skills to the resistance, and the policeman briefly becomes their ally, only to resume his pursuit of these charming criminals after the war. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Le Secret, based on a novel by Francis Ryck, begins with the escape of mental patient David Daguerre (Jean-Louis Trintignant), who kills an asylum guard in the process. Daguerre hides out in the home of writer Thomas Berthelot (Philippe Noiret), explaining that his wounds and bruises are the result of torture at the hands of the "special police." Berthelot and his wife, Julia (Marlène Jobert), are willing to believe that Daguerre is a fugitive from oppression, especially after their house is surrounded by a group of soldiers on maneuvers. The couple tries to help David escape to Spain, but Julia, who during most of the proceedings has been attracted to the escapee, becomes convinced that Daguerre is insane and kills him in self-defense. The surprise ending leaves the audience wondering whether or not the man had been telling the truth all along. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this French drama, when magazine journalist Juliette (Annie Giradot) goes to work on a story, she gets serious. This gets her into trouble when she interviews the other Juliette (Marlene Jobert), the winner of her magazine's contest, and she discovers a real person with a job instead of a housewife or a mini-celebrity. Her interview with Juliette has inspired her to write about "real" women, and this determination gets her fired from her job. Undaunted, she starts a women's liberation magazine. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this ponderous French mystery-drama, based on an Ellery Queen story, blackmail would seem to be the least of the problems of Charles (Anthony Perkins). His adoptive father Theo (Orson Welles) has a madwoman for a mother, and a gorgeous woman of Charles' age (Marlene Jobert) for a wife. In fact, Charles is deeply attracted to her. In addition, his father encourages the whole family to dress in '20s clothing, which makes them all feel out of place. However, when he wakes in a strange bed with blood on his hands and no memory of anything the night before, he gets a little bit frantic. He calls Paul, his old professor of philosophy (Michel Piccoli), one of the few non-family members he can trust for discreet help. Theo has made his country estate into an eerily independent universe, not like anyplace else. Paul accompanies Charles to the father's strange home, and uses his philosophical training to try to solve the mystery of the bloody hands. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Before the Allied invasion of North Africa in World War II, there was still plenty of confusion, and wartime national alliances often conflicted with personal friendships. Valentin (Michel Piccoli), a French black marketer, rescues Basil (Michael York), an English fighter pilot, off the coast of Italian-occupied Libya. The pilot is discovered by the police when Valentin leaves him with friends in order to visit with his Italian girlfriend. As a result, both Valentin and Basil are held in custody. They escape together and flee to the (neutral) Swiss Embassy, where they get help in the form of a car driven by the ambassador's wife. This French-language wartime comedy recounts their adventures on the journey out of Libya. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

A veteran police inspector (Lino Ventura) is reprimanded after killing a youth who goes on a murderous killing spree. He is sent to a provincial police station where he is helped by his assistant (Marlene Jobert) in solving local crimes. As the duo embarks on a witness search, they begin to develop feelings for one another. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

After serving time in prison for an undisclosed crime, a woman keeps herself alive by resorting to robbery and prostitution. She often waits for her boyfriend, an ex-convict who is forbidden to spend any time in Paris according to his probation agreement. She escapes jail only to break her ankle bone, hiding out from the authorities until the unbearable pain forces her to return to the prison hospital for surgery. She takes temporary solace in a lesbian affair at the prison before once again following her no-good boyfriend into the gutter as the two use each other for sex to avoid their legal and moral responsibilities. The story is taken from the novel by the late Albertine Sarrazin. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide