Roger Le Bel Movies

Continuing a saga that began with his previous, 1978 film, Vautours director Jean-Claude Labrecque returns with the French Canadian, Louis Pelletier (Gilbert Sicotte) and puts him in the context of the growing separatist movement in the late 1960s in Quebec. At that time, supporters of an independent Quebec began to consolidate their power under the Parti Québecois -- and the story of Louis and his wife Claudette (Anne-Marie Provencher) are meant to illustrate this watershed in Quebec's history. As the film begins, Claudette and Louis are about to get married -- and their wedding day significantly coincides with preparations for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II. Years later, they are well-established in Montreal and are enjoying visits from their family -- and then their lives start to deteriorate. Louis is suddenly out of work, and as he faces the difficulties of finding another job -- and of living precariously -- he becomes more radical, less accepting of the status quo. Although Labrecque's Années de Rêves is of excellent quality in all departments, the downbeat second half of the film and the subtly anti-separatist stance will not play equally well to all audiences. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this early work from director Denys Arcand (Jesus of Montreal), Vincent Padovani (Jean Lajeunesse) is a French-Canadian contractor whose new superhighway is about to open. At a party he throws with the local money-men and political honchos, Padovani willingly indulges in the sort of debauchery that is permissible only in the highest social circles. The revelry is interrupted -- briefly -- when the ex-wife of the highway financier turns up; the financier's bodyguards promptly rub her out and have her body dumped in cement...and by film's end, the unfortunate woman winds up a left turn on Padovani's highway. The anti-establishment ambience of Réjeanne Padovani has a bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you feel, inasmuch as the film was financed by a government grant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide