Tchéky Karyo Movies
Memorable to fans of international cinema as the spy recruiter who schooled Nikita in the fine art of assassination, international actor Tchéky Karyo has been racking up memorable screen credits for over 20 years. Whether a fan of mainstream American action movies or obscure foreign arthouse fare, many viewers have likely seen the versatile Karyo and likely remember the characters he portrayed.Born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1953 and raised in Paris, Karyo studied drama at the Cyrano Theater before moving on to essay numerous classical stage roles at the Daniel Sorano Company. Upon joining the National Theater of Strasbourg, Karyo refined his versatility by alternating between contemporary fare and such classical Shakespearian works as Macbeth and Othello. Soon becoming one of France's most popular actors, Karyo, with over 50 film and television credits to his name, found that his popularity wasn't limited by international borders through roles in such films as The Return of Martin Guerre (1982), The Bear (1988), and director Luc Besson's influential La Femme Nikita (1990). Fans of historical film may recognize Karyo from his roles as Vincent Van Gogh (Vincent and Me) and famed prophet Nostradamus (Nostradamus) in addition to roles in such historical films as 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) and The Patriot (2000).
Becoming a familiar face to American filmgoers in the 1990s, Karyo could play everything from low-key and comically philosophical (Addicted to Love [1997]) to an over-the-top bad guy (Bad Boys [1995]) to a Russian defense minister (GoldenEye [1995]) with equal conviction no matter how large, small, or varied the role might be. After an audacious turn as a loose-hinged policeman in the hyperkinetically tasteless Dobermann (1997), Karyo appeared frequently in such English-language films as Wing Commander (1999), The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999, re-teaming the actor with Nikita helmer Besson), Saving Grace (2000), and Kiss of the Dragon (2001). In addition to his nomination for a César for his role in La Balance (1982), Karyo was the recipient of the Jean Gabin Prize in recognition of his talent in 1986. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- PG13
This, the second of 1992's 500th anniversary Christopher Columbus films (the first being Warner Bros. Christopher Columbus: The Discovery), adheres to the historical facts of Columbus's (Gerard Depardieu) possessed quest to discover the New World, and his solicitation of Queen Isabella (Sigourney Weaver) to gain the necessary funding. Despite travelogue-quality footage replete with beautiful scenery of Caribbean islands and a massive cast, this film tends to plod along with too predictable a plot and a mis-cast Columbus. Depardieu -- a very capable French actor speaking English and playing an Italian -- becomes perhaps the movie's bright spot (even if at his own expense) as he laughably struggles with line after line. Michael Wincott puts forth a worthy performance as a nasty Spanish nobleman whose mistreatment of the natives results in an open rebellion. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Armand Assante, (more)
- 2008
- NR
A second honeymoon in Malta turns into a life-altering experience for a bored Seattle librarian and her unadventurous, insurance salesman husband in this mature romantic comedy starring Juliet Stevenson, Tchéky Karyo, and Daniel Stern. Twenty-five years ago, Julia (Stevenson) and her passionate French lover Alex (Karyo) made a promise to meet up in the romantic Mediterranean hot spot where they exchanged their first glance. Now stuck in a marriage with a man who seems more interested in assembling jigsaw puzzles than pleasing his neglected wife, Julia takes her husband Jack (Stern) on a trip to Malta under the guise of celebrating a second honeymoon. But the truth is that Julia has been fantasizing about Alex for years, and she's determined to make good on her promise to meet him, perhaps rekindling their old flame in the process. When Alex shows up with his sexy young girlfriend (Kate Miles) in tow, Julia can't help but wonder if she and her lover have been leading the wrong lives all these years. Later, when Alex storms their holiday villa declaring his devotion to Julia for the whole world to hear, Jack makes his mission to become the lover his wife has always longed for. In order to make that transformation Jack will take lessons in dancing and loving from a passionate ex-chorus girl (Valerie Mahaffey), but when the time comes for Julia to decide between the husband she's never known and the lover she's always longed for, will his noble efforts be enough to save a failing marriage? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliet Stevenson, Tchéky Karyo, (more)
Audrey Tautou, who rose to international stardom with the title role in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's worldwide smash Amélie, reunites with the director for this drama, set during the darkest days of World War I and its immediate aftermath. Mathilde (Tautou) is a pretty but frail young women who was left with a bad leg after a childhood bout with polio. Mathilde lives in a small French village with her Aunt Bénédicte (Chantal Neuwirth) and Uncle Sylvain (Dominique Pinon), and is engaged to marry Manech (Gaspard Ulliel), the son of a lighthouse keeper who is fighting with the army near the German front. Manech is one of five soldiers who have been accused of injuring themselves in order to be sent home; in order to discourage similar behavior among their comrades, Manech and the other soldiers are sentenced to death, and the condemned men are marched into the no man's land between the French and German lines, where they are certain to be killed. Mathilde receives word of Manech's death, but in her heart she believes that if the man she loved had been killed, she would know it and feel it. Convinced he's still alive somewhere, Mathilde hires a private detective (Ticky Holgado) shortly after the end of the war, and together they set out to find the missing Manech. Jodie Foster appears in a supporting role as a Polish expatriate living in France. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audrey Tautou, Gaspard Ulliel, (more)
In this slightly dark comedy about romantic obsession, Sam (Matthew Broderick) is an astronomer who likes his life in the small New England town he calls home and loves his fiancée, Linda (Kelly Preston). But one day, Linda tells Sam that she's moving to New York because she has found a new job -- and a new boyfriend. Sam is shocked and doesn't want to give Linda up, so when she moves to Manhattan, Sam follows her. Moving into an empty loft across the street from Linda's new apartment, Sam constructs a camera obscura that allows him to watch what she and her new beau, a French restaurateur named Anton (Tcheky Karyo), are up to. Sam's convinced that Linda is just going through a phase, and when she gets tired of Anton, he'll be there to pick up the pieces. But Sam soon has company in his obsessive watch over Linda's new flat: Anton's former girlfriend, Maggie (Meg Ryan), crashes Sam's hideout and joins him in his spy mission. While Sam just wants Linda back, Maggie is seething with rage against Anton after he dumped her and now she's out for revenge. Addicted to Love was the directorial debut of actor and producer Griffin Dunne; he cast his father, noted author Dominick Dunne, in a small role as a food writer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meg Ryan, Matthew Broderick, (more)
- 1996
The discovery of an aborted fetus in a WW II-era Tuscan town nearly overloads the gossip mill in this black Italian comedy that is based on a play by director/screenwriter Ugo Chiti. The tale begins in 1939 just before Mussolini-controlled Italy entered the war. The fetus is unfortunately discovered on the eve of a visit by the great dictator. Wanting no trouble, the town's fascist secretary attempts a cover-up that is promptly blown with the unexpected late-night arrival of a party leader. He convinces the secretary to quickly find a scapegoat for the alleged crime. To find one, the secretary enlists the aid of his mistress. They choose the daughter of the town tart, but before they can convict her, she is examined by the town doctor whose findings set the stage for tragedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
The late journalist Randy Shilts' best-selling book on the burgeoning AIDS crisis was adapted for cable TV by Arnold Schulman. In 1981, researchers begin discerning a mysterious new disease that apparently affects only homosexual males (or so they thought at that time). Working independently, and with marked hostility toward one another, an American and a French research team manage to identify and name the dreaded HIV virus. The long-range effects of AIDS is experienced through the first- and secondhand experiences of several unfortunates, including a choreographer (Richard Gere) whose character is said to be based on Michael Bennett. The all-star cast (most of whom eschewed their usual high salaries) includes Lily Tomlin as San Francisco health official Selma Dritz, Matthew Modine as Centers for Disease Control researcher Don Francis, Alan Alda as NIH official Robert Gallo (who emerges as the villain of the piece), Ian McKellan as gay activist Bill Kraus, and Glenne Headley, Steve Martin and Anjelica Huston in cameo roles. And the Band Played On debuted September 11, 1993, on HBO. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this made-for-TV retelling of the classic tale A Thousand and One Nights, a woman discovers the ability to spin a good yarn is literally a matter of life and death. Schahriar (Dougray Scott), a powerful sultan who rules Bagdad, has developed a bitterness and distrust of women ever since he discovered his first wife was unfaithful to him. He no longer trusts the fair sex and has vowed to never marry again, but circumstances force him to wed Scheherezade (Mili Avital), a beautiful girl he's known since he was a child. Schahriar decides that if he must marry Scheherezade, he will murder her after their wedding night. Scheherezade, however, is understandably unenthusiastic about this idea, and to postpone her execution, begins regaling Schahriar with a long series of fascinating stories; by keeping him intrigued with her fables of adventure and honor, she hopes his heart will soften and she will be allowed to live. Scheherezade's stories include the tales of Ali Baba (Rufus Sewell), BacBac the Hunchback (Alexei Sayle), Aladdin (Jason Scott-Lee), the Genie of the Lamp (John Leguizamo), and many more. Arabian Nights was originally shown as a two-part miniseries, with the first episode airing on ABC on April 30, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mili Avital, Dougray Scott, (more)
- 1989
Widower Edouard Pierson (Jeremy Irons) fought for Australia in World War Two, but he was born (and married) in Belgium. For the past twelve years, he has been living in Australia with his daughter. His occupation as a wool merchant is in keeping with his family's tradition. He is determined to remain in Australia, and is equally determined to keep his daughter (Danielle Lyttleton) from learning much about her mother, whom she never knew. Nonetheless, when his brother (Tcheky Karyo) calls urgently from Belgium, requesting his help in saving the family's business there, he returns to his hometown of Verviers. In addition to saving the family business, he comes to have second thoughts about returning to Australia after he has a brief affair with a Belgian woman (Fanny Ardant). Meanwhile, his daughter has made contact with her grandmother (Helene Surgere), and is beginning to learn about her mother. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fanny Ardant, Jeremy Irons, (more)
- 1999
- NR
An elaborate fantasy tale intended for family audiences, Babel tells the story of the Babels, a strange breed of four-foot-tall creatures who once coexisted happily with human beings on planet Earth. However, when the humans built a huge tower to taunt God, he became angry and drove the Babels underground, while scattering the humans to the corners of the Earth and giving them different languages to keep them separate. Thousands of years later, three Babels are searching underground for the Babel Stone presented to them by God when they lose the map -- which is soon snapped up by a dog, who presents it to his master, an advertising man named Patrick. The Babels are desperate to recover the map, and they recruit Patrick's son David to help them find it (and the Babel Stone) before the evil Nemrod can steal the stone and claim its powers. Featuring a cast of French and Canadian actors, including Maria de Medeiros and Michel Jonasz, Babel was shown at Sprockets: Toronto Film Festival for Children in April 1999. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mitchell David Rothpan, Maria de Medeiros, (more)
Former video director Michael Bay had his first big hit with this action comedy, which also returned producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson to the big-budget, high-violence movies that they successfully churned out in the '80s. Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are two Miami cops who watch as 100 million dollars in heroin, from the biggest drug bust of their careers, is stolen out of the basement of police headquarters. This puts them hot on the trail of French drug lord Fouchet (Tchéky Karyo), who leaves a trail of bodies in his wake and only one witness, Julie Mott (Téa Leoni), who quickly teams up with our heroes. Comic hijinks ensue when plot complications force Mike to impersonate the married Marcus, to the point of moving in with his wife and children, while Marcus takes over Mike's bachelor pad and lifestyle. Car chases, snappy one-liners, and nonstop pacing fuel this umpteenth variation on the cop "buddy" formula. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, (more)
- 1986
If the hunt that lends dramatic action to this fast-paced story could be notched up into a more harrowing adventure, then the fates of escaped thief Ned (Lambert Wilson) and Lilly (Myriem Roussel) the wife of his pursuer, would engage viewers' attention all the more. The half-psychotic cop Franck (Tcheky Karyo) captures Ned during a robbery but instead of taking him directly to the station, he handcuffs him to a pipe in his bathroom at home. Meanwhile, Franck's wife Lilly is in the process of dumping him for good and after an argument, Franck gets knocked unconscious. Lilly and a friend uncuff Ned, and the three take off. Franck is after them big-time, and sure enough, the hunted make a few unforgivable errors that only help the demented cop in his search. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lambert Wilson, Tchéky Karyo, (more)
- 2007
The French-language psychological drama Boxes - which represents veteran actress Jane Birkin's (Blow-up) directorial debut on a narrative feature - constitutes an extended, theatrically garrulous meditation on the rift of understanding inevitable between parents and children. In addition to directing, Birkin also stars, as Anna, a fiftysomething woman in the throes of menopause, who journeys to her family's summer home in Brittany and leafs through the boxes of the title, filled to the brims with mementos and tidbits of family history. As Anna pours over the contents, individuals from her life materialize before her eyes, including her venerable deceased father (Michel Piccoli), her three daughters by different men (Natacha Regnier, Lou Doillon and Adele Exarchopoulos), and her headstrong mother (Geraldine Chaplin). The journey into the past thus becomes a cerebral and philosophical meditation on familial relationships, and an exploration of such themes as love, faithfulness, betrayal, and changes wrought by the ravages of time. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Geraldine Chaplin, Michel Piccoli, (more)
- 1995
In this Italian drama an astrophysicist returns to his birthplace and re-discovers his humanity. Lorenzo needs money. He stops his research in Milan and goes to his former childhood villa in Sicily to sell it. Because workers are renovating it, he must linger longer than he wanted. He begins to remember the slower pace of Sicilians as compared to the hustle of mainland urban Italy. He slowly becomes friends with Salvatore, the head repairman. He lives in an alternative-therapy community for mental patients. His son Agostino is a patient there. Salvatore's simple philosophies have a cathartic effect upon Lorenzo who begins to view the handyman as a father figure. When Lorenzo was younger his own father died. As a result, Lorenzo left Sicily. The research also finds healing in his relationship to Luisa, another patient to whom is drawn. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tchéky Karyo, Nino Manfredi, (more)
- 1989
An art restorer and (of neccessity) a bit of a historian, Eric (Tcheky Karyo) has been asked to come to a very spooky mansion to restore what looks to be a painting by a hideously deformed, mentally deranged artist who is only now becoming popular, years after his death. As he restores the painting, he begins to have strange flashbacks, as if he were the painter himself. Meanwhile, he is developing a relationship with the painting's lovely owner (Laura Morante). The painting is a picture of the girl's grandmother, and as the restoration progresses, both he and the girl begin to reenact the stormy relationship between the painter and his subject, as if they were possessed. One interesting feature of this film is that the dialogue alternates between Spanish and French. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Morante, Tchéky Karyo, (more)
- 1995
Based on a popular Japanese comic, this stylish, romantic French-Canadian actioner features many exciting pyrotechnic effects, elegantly executed murders, and some nifty-doodle gadgets, but very little on-screen bloodshed as it follows the adventures of Yo, one of the world's greatest hit men. Yo works for a mysterious Chinese organization and has been given the dubious honor of being called Freeman, the name the tong gives to its chief enforcer. Yo doesn't want the honor, but there is little he can do; obligation is more important than personal want. Still, after each killing, Yo sheds a few tears for the victims. One day he bumps into Emu O'Hara, a beautiful painter who has avoided people after mobsters killed her father, who was a rigidly honest judge determined to wipe out crime. Emu witnesses Yo's killing three Yakuza on a rugged stretch of California coastline where she is painting. Yo sees her see him, and though they never speak, both know that necessity dictates she be his next victim. Following the police investigation of the killings, Emu goes back to Vancouver, BC. Yo has also been sent there to kill her and a Yakuza don. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Dacascos, Julie Condra, (more)
- 1997
The seedy, pscyho characters from author Joel Houssin's popular 1980s series of hip French crime novels come to vivid life in this rip roaring actioner. The directorial debut of French/Dutch video maker Jan Kounen, the film presents a super violent, drug ladened world ruled by ultramacho men and supported by long-legged, wild-haired, gun-toting beauties. Dobermann (Vincent Cassel) is the leader of a large criminal gang. His lover is Nat la Gitane (Monica Belucci), a deaf-mute gypsy girl. The story begins as Dobermann and company boldly pull off a blood-soaked bank robbery in broad daylight. Their confidence comes from the decoys out distracting the police. After the heist, the gang members hightail it to their lair, located in a remote rural junkyard. When news of their crime reaches police officer Christini, he vows to capture them. Dobermann could not find himself a more ruthless adversary for Christini is evil incarnate and devoid of conscience and decency. When Christini and Dobermann finally meet a terrifying and graphically violent confrontation ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci, (more)
- 1991
- R
A normally gentle photojournalist becomes a raging vigilante down in Rio following the death of the gentle prostitute he had befriended. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Tchéky Karyo, (more)
This beautifully photographed black and white Brazilian mystery chronicles the union between Paco, an aspiring actor living in Sao Paulo, and Brazil-born Alex, who works as a waitress in Lisbon, Portugal. Much of the tale is set in 1990 when Brazilian president Fernando Collor de Mello threw his country into an economic tailspin by suddenly confiscating the savings accounts of the entire population. At this time, Paco is living with his elderly mother in a poor Sao Paulo neighborhood. Tired of living in squalor, the mother dreams of returning to her native Spain. When she learns that her savings have been seized, the shocked old woman drops dead. Now without his mother, Paco feels little desire to stay in Brazil and so meets with the sleazy Igor, an antique dealer, and agrees to smuggle a violin stuffed with raw diamonds to Lisbon. Paco is to take the fiddle to a certain hotel where he will be paid by the contact. Unfortunately, he arrives, but the contact doesn't. This incident leads him down a twisted road filled with murder, danger and intrigue that eventually ends in the arms of Alex. In many films, this would be the end of the story, but not for Alex and Paco, for they cannot relax and enjoy their relationship unless they can somehow escape the murderous thugs Igor sent to kill them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fernanda Torres, Fernando Alves Pinto, (more)
A young woman looks for the true meaning of love and learns the truth of the old saw, "You don't know what you've got until it's gone," in this fourth installment in Eric Rohmer's Comedies and Proverbs series. The story opens with the proverb, "He who has two women loses his soul. He who has two houses loses his mind," and centers on Louise (Pascale Ogier) and her live-in lover, Remi (Tchéky Karyo), a Paris architect and noted tennis player. Their relationship hits an important juncture when Remi decides he wants to get married, while Louise wants to continue living the life of a party girl. Eventually, Louise decides to escape her lover's oppression and become intimate with loneliness, so she moves to Paris where she makes complex plans to have her cake and eat it too. Unfortunately, things don't go exactly as planned as she finds herself the object of an amiable writer's affections. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pascale Ogier, Fabrice Luchini, (more)
Pierce Brosnan made his first appearance as James Bond in this action thriller, the 17th in the series (excluding the 1967 Casino Royale and the 1983 Never Say Never Again) featuring the suave British super-agent. As the story begins, Agent 007 and his partner, Agent 006 (Sean Bean), pull a daring raid on a chemical weapons plant in the Soviet Union; however, they are captured by Russian troops, and while Bond is able to escape, 006 is not so lucky. Several years later, the Soviet Union and the Cold War are a thing of the past, but Bond is still at work ferreting out evildoers everywhere. Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), a beautiful but vicious villain working with the Russian Mafia, spearheads the theft of the controls to GoldenEye, a high-tech satellite weapons system, and with her gunmen, she kills most of the soldiers and guards at a top-secret military facility in the process. Bond joins forces with Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), one of the base's few survivors, to help track down Onatopp's minions and the controls to GoldenEye, which can destroy all electronic circuits in a given area in a matter of seconds; however, in time, Bond discovers the true identity of the criminal mastermind who is behind this bid for unholy power and world domination -- none other than Alec Trevelyan, the man Bond once knew as 006. In addition to Brosnan, GoldenEye also marked another significant cast change for the Bond series -- Judi Dench made her debut as M, Bond's superior. Minnie Driver also has a cameo as a nightclub singer. Sadly, this was the last film in the Bond series for special-effects supervisor Derek Meddings, who died in the midst of production; the film was dedicated to him. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, (more)
This chilling sci-fi drama is set in a sun-ravaged world no longer protected by the ozone layer. Human life has managed to continue, but it isn't easy. The tale centers on the insanely brilliant Hank Symes, a scientist who disregards the rules of his laboratory and swipes some biological materials and uses them to build the house he hopes can save humanity. Unfortunately, something goes horribly wrong and he becomes a mutant while the house itself turns into a living, unfriendly organism. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Balthazar Getty, Tchéky Karyo, (more)
- 1998
The Paris-based photographer-painter-actor-filmmaker William Klein looks back on five decades of his life and multi-careers in this French documentary. Born in 1926, Klein is a native New Yorker who began living in Paris in 1948, studied painting with Fernand Leger, photographed for Vogue from 1955 to 1965, dropped out of the fashion world for 15 years, and directed hundreds of commercials (from soup to hosiery). He was seen onscreen as an actor (People Will Talk, La Jetee) and worked offscreen as a visual consultant (Louis Malle's 1960 Zazie dans le Metro). Klein made both short and feature documentaries (from fighters to fashion), including and Far From Vietnam (1967) and Muhammed Ali, The Greatest. His dramatic film Who Are You, Polly Magoo? (1966) won the 1967 Prix Jean Vigo. Also excerpted here is Mr. Freedom (1968), a fable about America's intervention in Vietnam. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Delphine Seyrig, Sami Frey, (more)
- 1990
Isabelle Eberhardt dramatizes the tragic true story of the iconoclastic Swiss-born writer, who gained notoriety for both her lifestyle and her work in North Africa at the turn of the twentieth century. Eberhardt (Mathilda May) began dressing as a man and converted to Islam in her teens. As the film opens, she returns from the African desert to tend to her ailing father in Geneva. After his death, the wife of the Marquis de Mores summons her to Paris. The Marquis has gone missing in North Africa, because of Eberhardt's familiarity with the region, his wife pays her to go and track her husband down. Eberhardt settles in Algiers, where, hindered by the French authorities, she quickly gives up the search for de Mores, assuming that he's dead. She stays in North Africa, journeys frequently into the desert, and writes about her experiences for publisher Victor Barrucand (Claude Villers). The hard drinking Eberhardt meets Slimene (Tcheky Karyo of The Patriot), a Foreign Legion soldier, and falls in love with him. Through him, she makes contact with the secretive Sufi brotherhood of Qadriya. As she witnesses the abuses of the French colonists, her writings grow more political in nature and she starts to get more attention. One French military officer, Comte (Richard Moire) imprisons and abuses her. When an Arab swordsman viciously attacks her, Eberhardt holds Comte responsible. He eventually arranges for her deportation. But the resilient Eberhardt returns to North Africa, against Slimene's wishes. There, another French officer, Major Lyautey (Peter O'Toole) befriends her. He seems a decent man, but when he asks her to report to him on Arab groups hostile to the French, she wrestles with her conscience. Australian director Ian Pringle would later go on to produce Romper Stomper, starring Russell Crowe. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mathilda May, Tchéky Karyo, (more)
