Jean-Pierre Kalfon Movies

In this light, sometimes tongue-in-cheek mystery based on a Charles Williams thriller -- with snippets of Hitchcock, Kubrick, and even Victor Hugo -- director François Truffaut showcases one of his favorite actresses, Fanny Ardant, as an enterprising secretary in love with her boss but up against clearing him of murder. Julien Vercel (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is a real estate dealer accused of killing his wife and her lover. He hides in his office while his secretary, Barbara (Ardant), sets out to discover what really happened and why. When Barbara starts looking into the dark past of her boss' wife, she comes across illicit love affairs, a prostitution ring, and shady private detectives, until, finally, her suspicions turn toward Julien's lawyer himself. Tragically, Vivement Dimanche was to be Truffaut's last film; the great French director died of a cancerous brain tumor in 1984. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Marcel Tiss (Richy Mueller) is a young punk rocker in Berlin whose main talent is spouting real fire in-between his lyrics every once in awhile. He has the requisite punk girlfriend, and spends his time in the requisite kicking of cans, pinball, and slightly anti-social antics. He runs into Rudy Smirak (Jean-Pierre Kalfon) a Mafia-type whose dour view of life fits in with Marcel's own temperament. The young punk singer is conned into helping Rudy kidnap the son of a wealthy profligate, but when it is time for the ransom to be gathered, things start to go wrong. Marcel realizes he was into something he never wanted in the first place, and when the chance comes to use his fire-breathing technique, he comes through like any self-respecting dragon. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The creator of a comic-book series (Michael Crawford) is recruited by a friend in the CIA (James Hampton) to rescue a beautiful Soviet defector (Barbara Carrera). He agrees, as long as he is permitted to don the persona of his most famous character, Condorman. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

Louis (Gerard Lanvin), an advertising executive in a Paris department store, is not the world's most ambitious man, but he has a good marriage and is content with his job -- until his world is turned upside-down by a new, manipulative, controlling manager (Michel Piccoli) who slowly starts to dominate his life. Once given privileged entry into the inner circle of the boss' confidantes, Louis does everything so as not to lose his advantaged position: he works overtime, he fawns, he fetches, his house is at the manager's disposal. His wife (Nathalie Baye), who sees right through the arrogant manager, is getting fed up with her husband's behavior but is not able to make him aware of the extent of his own personality changes. In a pique of anger, she leaves him -- and it looks as though Louis cannot "unlearn" his lesson, especially when the manager disappears as mysteriously as he came. Michel Piccoli won the "Best Actor" award at the 1982 Berlin Film Festival for his role in this film. The film itself also won the Louis Delluc award for the "Best French Film" of 1981. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A young jounalist (Patrick Dewaere) stumbles across something much more sinister than a simple suicide in the death of a politician - the death seems to be an assassination contrived by an American multinational company intent on taking over several French industries. The journalist's objective is to garner enough evidence to expose the American corporation for what it really is, before French companies start disappearing - and before any more corpses accumulate, including his own. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Corinne (Miou-Miou) is a Parisian detective who is transferred to a small village in Northern France when an investigation uncovers evidence that is potentially damaging to some powerful local politicians. She is temporarily given a desk job before she is called on to solve the murder of a little girl. Her inquiry uncovers a child pornography ring that targets children from the working class. Comedian (Jean-Marc Thibault) gives a fine performance in a straight role as the local police inspector. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Roland des Roncesvalles is a legendary knight from the age of chivalry in France. In the 11th-century epic La Chanson de Roland, he is depicted as a key figure in halting the advance of the Arabs into France. In this story, the 10th-century legend is staged by a group of 12th-century pilgrims using the 11th-century poem. Their acting is interrupted by a violent peasant uprising, which kills many of their number. However, one of the survivors, who was playing Roland (Klaus Kinski), is converted to the peasant cause and later speaks out in favor of more just treatment for the downtrodden. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

"Radical chic" was a phenomenon of the upper classes in the late '60s and early '70s: liberal, socially concerned and very wealthy people would emulate the attitudes, mannerisms and style of the radicalized and revolutionary poor. They would even go so far as to socialize with revolutionaries and provide them with funding for their activities. In this drama, a similar group of bored rich people gets more involved with the radical element than they had planned, and things get out of hand. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This off-beat drama is set within the sleazy Pigalle sector of Paris. The tale centers on a song-and-dance team who work in a night club. When not at the club, the two work as prostitutes. One of the women ends up entangled in a kidnapping and is killed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

An enigmatic man, blind in one eye at first and later blind in both, is the hit man in this French thriller. The films opens with this man, in dark glasses, walking into a bar and shooting a barkeeper. With the help of an unscrupulous doctor, the gunman has donated one of his eyes to a government official who is sitting in the bar at the time. As the film proceeds, he is shown receiving training in shooting at targets using sound, alone. As the gunman continues his devastating activities, it appears clear that his actions are part of an elaborate conspiracy by high-ranking government officials. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

For reasons that never become clear, a hippie troupe rollicks around the countryside as the members search for a girl named Odalisque (Marsiale Giraudy). At the same time, Odalisque is traveling about looking for the head of their troupe, Jupiter (Martial Raysse). The film makes much of the dancing, parties, fireworks and the general good times the hippies have, but never develops much in the way of a story. It was apparently designed to capitalize on the success of underground films of the time. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This sexual psychodrama was the first film to receive an X-rating in the US. Written and directed by Romain Gary and starring his wife Jean Seberg, it is the chronicle of a nymphomaniac who feels compelled to have sex with every man she meets. As the sordid tale begins she is engaged in group sex with Peruvian Carnival participants. Other sexploits with men, and women ensue and as she goes from encounter to encounter, the true tragic nature of her insane obsession is revealed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A director and his actress lover rehearse for a tragic play. Complications set in when their life at home affects their performances at work. The director professes his love for the woman while seeking comfort in the arms of other women in the stage production. The sensitive woman tries to overcome her nature and her lover's indiscretions to succeed in the often callous world of show business. Art imitates life in this slow-moving feature that is over four hours in length. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide