Pierre-François Martin-Laval Movies
- 2008
Adapted from the French comic book Panic in London, director Pierre-Francois Martin-Laval's sophomore feature tells the tale of a forgotten isle inhabited by five people who live like they're in medieval times while awaiting the arrival of their new king. Tourist train driver Guillaume (Martin-Laval) and his tuba-playing wife, Magali (Florence Foresti), are deeply in love. They lead a blissful life in the suburbs, and they've just discovered they're about to start a family when the father Guillaume never knew contacts the couple with a shocking announcement: by virtue of an accord reaching back to the Middle Ages, Guillaume is the heir to a kingdom located just off the coasts of France and England. But while the elated couple at first imagine themselves living in an island castle and presiding over a paradise filled with faithful subjects, the reality of the situation isn't quite so romantic. Battered by North winds, the island is little more than a glorified rock. To make matters worse, the current residents are five eccentrics who seem to have forgotten what century they live in. Now, while Magali gets wrapped up in the prospect of becoming a genuine queen and Guillaume celebrates his status as a crowned head, their new servants scramble to cover up the truth about the island until their new ruler can no longer renounce his throne. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre-François Martin-Laval, Florence Foresti, (more)
- 2008
Love is in the air but not everyone is breathing easy in this romantic comedy with music from director Stephane Kazandjian. Eric Mericourt (Pierre Francois Martin-Laval) is a filmmaker who is given to wide mood swings and has trouble holding on to long-term relationships. Lately things are going well for him -- his latest movie, a musical called "Modern Love," is doing great business, and he's involved with a beautiful and caring woman, Anne (Melanie Bernier). But Eric is still haunted by his busted romance with Marie (Clotilde Courau), who left him three years before on New Year's Eve. One day, Eric bumps into Marie, who apologizes for leaving him and suggests they get together to catch up. To Eric surprise, Marie informs him that she and her current beau want to have a baby, but he's been diagnosed with a low sperm count and Marie asks Eric if he'd be willing to help her conceive a child. Meanwhile, lovelorn Elsa (Berenice Bejo) wants nothing more than to settle down with the right man, but hasn't had much luck finding him. Elsa is convinced she's discovered the guy of her dreams when she meets Jerome (Stephane Debac), who is good looking, personable and financially secure, but she's can't seem to interest him in getting serious and she wonders if he's actually attracted to women. Modern Love also stars Alexandra Lamy and Stephane Rousseau as the stars of Eric's movie, who appear in several song-and-dance numbers from the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexandra Lamy, Stéphane Rousseau, (more)
- 2007
Just how much damage can a homely, socially-taunted pariah wield against her neighbors when revenge is the order of the day? Such is the question at the heart of Vilaine (AKA Ugly Melanie), widely regarded as the (unofficial) "nasty opposite" of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's audience-pleaser Amelie. Though she is initially a sweetheart who delights in acts of kindness to others, obese and klutzy Melanie (Marilou Berry) seldom, if ever, elicits any gratitude from the recipients of her generosity. This sets the stage for a nasty and startling reversal when Melanie's sexy, svelte cousin, Aurore (Frederique Bel) pushes her to the edge with a cruel prank - the lie that Melanie has a Valentine's Day suitor. Melanie grows so distraught that a torrent of pent-up rage emerges and prompts her to undertake hideous, cathartic revenge on the innocents around her, including a number of small pets. Directors Jean-Patrick Benes and Allan Mauduit approach the material as transgressive, jet-black comedy that challenges accepted standards and frequently lapses into deliberate bad taste. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marilou Berry, Frederique Bel, (more)
- 2006
French director Pierre-François 'Pel' Martin-Laval's romantic comedy Try Me opens with the gentlest of promises: at 9 years old, Yves-Marie proposed to his childhood sweetheart, Jacqueline. She accepted, on the sole condition that he become an astronaut and chart the heavens. He kept his vow; she forgot hers. When Yves-Marie (Laval) waltzes back into Jacqueline's (Julie Depardieu) life as an adult , then, with the news of his astronaut career, and expects to sweep her off her feet, he is horrified to discover her pending engagement to another man, Vincent (Kad Merad). Not one to be daunted, Yves-Marie then convinces Jacqueline to "try him out" for a day, prior to following through on her marital commitment. Surprisingly, Vincent agrees - for it will give him a chance to slip off on a hunting trip and enjoy one more day as a "meat-eater" before marrying vegetarian Jacqueline. Unfortunately, Yves-Marie's nutty father (Pierre Richard) isn't far behind his son and Jacqueline, and in doing his best to help, makes the pivotal day infinitely more complicated for the former sweethearts. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre-François Martin-Laval, Julie Depardieu, (more)
- 2006
The story of how an ordinary guy became the greatest hero of the French space program comes to the screen in this satiric sci-fi comedy. While some folks train all their lives to become astronauts, Stephane (Kad) becomes one the easy way -- along with Yanis (Guillaume Canet), he's one of two French civilian who win a special lottery that entitles them to spots aboard Europe's new space shuttle and a visit to their sister space station. The voyage is being headed up by humorless Col. Beaulieu (Olivier), with Capt. Soizic (Marina Fois) as his second in command. The voyage is to be the last for the longtime head of mission control (Andre Dussollier), but between the antics of the two hapless amateurs and the presence of an unfriendly alien aboard the shuttle, his swan song turns out to be anything but a smooth ride. Un Ticket Pour L'espace (aka Ticket To Outer Space was written by cast members Kad and Olivier, and directed by Eric Lartigau who had previously collaborated with the comedians on Mais qui a tue Pamela Rose? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kad Merad, Olivier Barroux, (more)
- 2002
Based on the original '60s French comic books by René Goscinny, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre is the big-budget sequel to the 1999 box-office hit Astérix and Obélix vs. Caesar. Empress Cleopatra (Monica Bellucci) makes a wager with Julius Caesar (played by writer/director Alain Chabat) that her people can build a beautiful palace in three months. She chooses architect Numerobis (Jamel Debbouze) for the project, which must be completed in time or he will be fed to the crocodiles. Numerobis travels to Gaul to get help from the superpowered Panoramix (Claude Rich) and the warriors Astérix (Christian Clavier) and Obélix (Gérard Depardieu), along with their faithful pet Dogmatix. They use their magic potion to make the Egyptian slave-labor population into superheroes, thereby building the palace in no time. Meanwhile, the angry architect Amonbofis (Gérard Darmon) and Julius Caesar don't want to see them succeed. At the time of its release, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre was the most expensive French film ever made, with a budget of $50 million. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Christian Clavier, (more)
