Philip Boeffard Movies

Animator Michel Ocelot uses his trademark technique -- dark silhouettes against vividly colorful backdrops -- to spin tales of romance and adventure in this omnibus drama. In Les Contes de la Nuit (aka Tales Of The Night, a young actor and a veteran screenwriter exchange notes on a handful of story ideas that have caught their imagination, and over the course of the film six of their stories come to life, all classic tales in which a brave man comes to the rescue of a princess, though the outcomes of the stories sometimes run counter to expectations. The segments include the tale of a young man soon to wed who hides a terrible secret, powerful men putting a honest man to the test with a beautiful girl as bait, an adventurer who makes his way through the netherworld, and a gifted musician discovering his talents can do more than just entertain. Featuring the voice talents of Julien Beramis, Michel Elias, and Marine Griset, Tales Of The Night was an official selection at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

An espionage agent begins working against his own country for the good of the world in this drama based on a true story. Sergei Grigoriev (Emir Kusturica) is a Soviet intelligence operative who has become deeply disillusioned with life under Communism -- while he believes in the ideals the U.S.S.R. was founded upon, he feels they have been become hopelessly compromised by their current leadership, and that the old government must be brought down for the sake of future generations. With this in mind, Grigoriev strikes up a friendship with Pierre Froment (Guillaume Canet), a French engineer who is living and working in Moscow and has no idea his new pal is a spy. Once Grigoriev has gained Froment's confidence, he begins passing classified documents along to Froment with the understanding that they will then be forwarded to French intelligence. It soon becomes clear that what Grigoriev has to share are American state secrets and classified scientific documents confirming the KGB has been digging deep into U.S. security; when the CIA finds out just how much the Russians know, it sparks an international incident and fierce reprisals against the U.S.S.R. Directed by Christian Carion, L'Affaire Farewell (aka Farewell) was based on the true story of KGB agent Vladimir Vetrov; the film also stars Fred Ward, Willem Dafoe, and David Soul. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A movie fan finds a way to make himself a presence in the lives of his favorite actresses in this comedy from French writer-director Laetitia Colombani. Robert Lepage (Kad Merad) is a janitor who is part of the cleaning crew at the offices of the biggest talent agency in Paris. Ordinarily, this job wouldn't offer many perks, but Robert is clever enough to know what to look for while he's vacuuming or emptying waste baskets, and he's able to swipe invitations to major events and pencil himself onto guest lists for show-biz soirees. Robert's longtime girlfriend (Maria de Medeiros) doesn't think much of his double life, but he's having enough fun that he starts adding his own thoughts to paperwork at the office, and begins using his skills to boost the careers of his favorite stars -- classy veteran actress Solange Duvivier (Catherine Deneuve), sultry siren Isabelle Serena (Emmanuelle Beart) and promising starlet Violette Duval (Melanie Bernier). Thanks to Robert's meddling, Solange, Isabelle and Violette are cast together in a big-budget costume epic, but when he becomes a regular visitor to the set, the actresses begin wondering among themselves who he is and how he became such a big shot. Mes Stars Et Moi (aka My Stars) received its North American premiere at the 2008 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The unexpected disappearance of her troubled brother causes a nineteen year-old girl intense emotional distress as French filmmaker Philippe Lioret collaborates with author Oliver Adam to adapt Adam's popular novel for the screen. Upon returning from Barcelona after spending the summer with new friends Lea (Aissa Maiga) and Thomas (Julien Boisselier), Lily (Melanie Laurent) discovers that her twin brother Loic (Mickael Trodoux) has fled the family home following a particularly intense confrontation with family patriarch Paul (Kad Merad). When Loic fails to return Lily's increasingly desperate calls and her parents continually fail to explain the reasoning behind her brother's flight, the troubled girl lapses into an alarming emotional malaise in which she is unable to eat or sleep. Her health rapidly failing, Lily is admitted into a local hospital where she languishes until a letter arrives from her brother condemning the pair's father for ruining their lives. Upon recovering from her malady Lily sets out to locate her brother. It is a quest that will not only provide Lily with a better understanding of her faltering family dynamics, but set her down the path to womanhood as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi