Jacques-Henri Bronckart Movies

A sixteen year old aspiring tennis pro neglects his education in hopes of volleying his way straight to Wimbledon, but finds his ambitions sidelined when his relationship with his tutor takes a decidedly personal turn. Jonas has just failed his exams, but who needs an education when you're a world famous athlete. Unfortunately Jonas hasn't achieved that level of fame just yet, though he's convinced that he's well on his way. When thirty year old Pierre offers to tutor Jonas and the cocky young athlete turns his back on school entirely, the boundaries of their relationship become increasingly blurred. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Belgian writer/director Fien Trouch follows up her multi-layered 2005 drama Someone Else's Happiness with this nuanced tale of a mother still haunted by the disappearance of her young daughter five years earlier. Ever since her daughter went missing, Grace (Emmanuelle Devos) has lived a life of quiet despair. But as Grace contends with an endless flood of minor absurdities around her apartment complex, her partner Lukas (Bruno Todeschini) has become a helpless victim to his own overwhelming grief. The couple has long since ceased communicating, and when the family dog dies, the despair is too much for Lukas to handle. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Director Rachid Bouchareb teams with screenwriter Olivier Morelle to offer a revealing look at the brave contributions made by North African soldiers who fought for France during World War II in this emotionally-charged war drama starring Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Sami Bouajila, and Bernard Blancan. The year was 1943 and France had been bending to the will of Nazi Germany for three long years. In order to break Hitler's powerful grip, the first French Army was recruited in Africa. Comprised of 130,000 North Africans who were willing to put their lives on the line in order to defeat the Nazi death machine, the fearless fighters were contemptuously dubbed indigènes (natives) by many French, despite their remarkable sacrifice. From the noble Abdelkader (Bouajila), who is fighting strictly for the cause; to the money motivated Yassir (Naceri); the impoverished Saïd (Debbouze); and die-hard romantic Messaoud (Roschdy Zem), who longs to finally visit the country he has dreamt about from afar, the selfless efforts of these remarkable men ultimately transcend their superiors' contemptuous disregard for their service by providing invaluable aid during one of the world's darkest hours. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A girl on the edge of adulthood confronts crises with her family and friends in this drama. In 1983, war is tearing through Beirut, but that is of little concern to 12-year-old Lina (Marianne Feghali), who has problems to contend with at home. Lina's father, Fouad (Aouni Kawass), is addicted to gambling, an obsession that is tearing apart his marriage to Therese (Carmen Lebbos). Lina's family also happens to live in the same apartment building as her Aunt Yvonne (Laudi Arbid-Nasr); Aunt Yvonne is wealthy, but she's tired of bailing out Fouad and refuses to lend the family another cent, despite their precarious circumstances. And in a neighborhood feeling the impact of the war, one of Lina's only friends is Siham (Rawia Elchab), a young woman who works as Aunt Yvonne's maid. Lina and Siham are all but inseparable, but when Lina learns that her friend has decided to leave Beirut behind to start a new life, she responds in an unexpected manner. Dans les Champs de Bataille was the first feature film from Danielle Arbid, a writer and director who was born in raised in Lebanon before moving to France when she was a teenager. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide