Roc Lafortune Movies

Chosen to close the Director's Fortnight section of the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, director Jean-François Pouliot's comedy chronicles the chaos wreaked when a small, down-on-its-luck town is seduced by the promise of having a big-time manufacturing plant -- on one unique condition. It seems that the company isn't willing to move to the isolated, Quebec-countryside burgh unless the mayor (Raymond Bouchard) and townsfolk can procure a doctor for them. Salvation arrives in the form of Lewis (David Boutin), a mild-mannered man from Montreal whom the townspeople begin to try to impress, persuade, or otherwise cajole into taking the job. Their methods, however, become so devious -- going so far as to tap the good doctor's phone line -- that they run the risk of being found out, and upsetting their one shot at prosperity in the process. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

Filmed in France, Hungary, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Morocco, and Canada, this ambitious biographical TV miniseries chronicles the life and times of the "Little Corporal" from Corsica who managed to conquer nearly all of Europe within a period of a dozen years. The narrative begins in the mid-1790s, as Napoleon Bonaparte (played, curiously enough, by comic actor Christian Clavier) makes his mark on posterity with spectacular victories in Austria and Egypt. On the home front, Napoleon woos and wins the lovely (and considerably older) Josephine (Isabella Rossellini), but finds time for extracurricular romances with other women, notably Countess Marie Walewska (Alexandra Maria Lara). Ultimately, Bonaparte's ambitions destroy him, first in Russia, then at Waterloo, consigning the general-cum-emperor to live out his life in humiliation and exile. When originally broadcast in France in October 2002, Napoleon ran six hours (plus commercials), with four episodes. For its American presentation on the A&E cable network beginning April 8, 2003, the production was literally sliced in half, shown in two installments with a running time of three hours. What remained was all highlights and few insights, though a few brilliant moments remained, many of these supplied by the supporting cast, which included Gérard Depardieu (who also produced) as Fouche, and John Malkovich as Talleyrand. Thankfully, the full six-hour version was made available in the U.S. on DVD and VHS in 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An important moment in Canadian history is brought to the screen in this drama drawn from historical documents of the period. In 1838, Francois-Xavier Bouchard (Francis Reddy) is a member of a group of French-Canadian rebels calling themselves Les Patriotes, who are hoping to remove the British-based government from Lower Canada (now known as Quebec). Having just returned to Canada after a brief exile in the United States, Bouchard aligns himself with Les Patriotes against the advice of his family, who fear for his safety. Their fears prove well-grounded when Bouchard is captured in a raid on a British stronghold, and after an attempt to escape to America, Bouchard is subjected to a trial he feels has been fixed from the start. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this thriller, Judge Richard Miller (Ryan O'Neal) is put in a highly precarious position when he is assigned to preside over the trial of Gabrielle Mitchell (Madchen Amick), a high-priced call girl with an exclusive clientele. Gabrielle, who has arranged her own arrest in order to blackmail her better-known customers, presents Miller a list of her regular clients -- as well as an incriminating videotape. Miller is put in the difficult position of either making the information public and destroying the careers of trusted colleagues, or risking his own prosecution by keeping it a secret. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Shimon Dotan directed this Canadian comedy-drama from Oren Safdie's screenplay based on Safdie's play, Hyper-Allergenic, set in a hospital room where a dysfunctional family awaits the results of surgery. Shirley Cooperberg (Ellen Burstyn) heads a Montreal Jewish family, and during her husband's operation, her brood arrives at the hospital -- failed writer Eli (Ted Levine), neurotic Susan (Amanda Plummer), and successful theatrical producer Edward (Mark Blum). Edward's wife Linda (Macha Grenon) is also present, as is Eli's ex, Diane (Mary McDonnell). An onslaught of one-liners find targets amid sibling rivalries and angst-ridden animosities. Shown at the 1998 Montreal Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Joe Mantegna stars in this action drama in which a wealthy businessman sends his private jet to pick up his 13-year-old daughter and two of his most trusted employees for an important banquet at which he will speak. In transit, the jet is caught in a serious electrical storm that kills the pilot and the other two adults, leaving the girl to try and land the plane with only the radio contact of the air traffic controller to guide her. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Set in a tiny Mojave desert town, this Canadian children's tale centers on Earl Williams, a 12-year-old boy obsessed with the notion of bringing back Frankenstein from the dead. Earl loves horror and frequently draws chilling pictures in class, something that gets him in trouble with his super-strict teacher Mrs. Perdue. Earl's father is a failed Hollywood actor and much of the boy's dreaminess comes from him. Earl gets a chance to enact his dream on Halloween night just after the police bring him and his buddy back home after catching them trying to sneak in to the drive-in to watch Night of the Living Dead. As soon as they can, the boys sneak out to a traveling carnival where they try to break into the House of Mysteries to investigate the "actual authentic Frankenstein's Monster" said to reside within. The next day the carnival heads to a new town, but as one truck pulls away, the monster falls out and is left in the road. Earl finds it and spends the rest of the picture trying to bring it back to life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this comic Canadian family drama, the tale of King Arthur is updated and enacted by a group of neighborhood kids. The tale begins as the children are playing in their backyards. Eleven-year old Alex then begins telling them all about King Arthur. He is interrupted by the local bully Scar and his thugs. Brave Alex stands his ground against the punks, but they prevail and pursue him into the woods where he trips over King Arthur's ancient sword Excalibur sticking from a rock. Alex easily removes the sword and immediately, Merlin, looking rather ragged appears and takes him to his secret subterranean lair where he explains the magical properties of the weapon. Unfortunately, Alex later uses those powers to exact a painful revenge upon Scar. Meanwhile, Scar's bungling father and a gang of crooks make their plans to rob a major bank. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide