Mehdi Nebbou
- 2008
- R
- AddBody of Liesto Queue
Fresh off of their success with director Martin Scorsese's The Departed, star Leonardo DiCaprio and screenwriter William Monahan team with director Ridley Scott for this screen adaptation of David Ignatius' novel Body of Lies. When CIA operative Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) uncovers evidence indicating that a major terrorist leader may be operating out of Jordan, he enlists the aid of CIA veteran Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) in infiltrating the elusive saboteur's vast underground network. During the course of his dangerous mission, Ferris gradually comes to question how much he can trust his presumed allies -- who include not just Hoffman, but the outwardly helpful head of Jordanian intelligence as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, (more)
- 2008
Jacques Maillot's psychological drama Les Liens du sang observes the tense and fragile days following a difficult reunion between two very different siblings. François (Guillaume Canet) is a police inspector who spent years forcibly estranged from his issue-laden brother Gabriel (François Cluzet), after a judge sentenced the latter to a decade in prison for murder. Gabriel's sudden release from prison ends the separation, and the men both instinctively make attempts to bury the past and help Gabriel reassimilate after years off the street. Their efforts prove feeble and ineffectual, however, as the past comes encroaching back and begins to plague both men. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guillaume Canet, François Cluzet, (more)
- 2007
Secret Agents director Frederic Schoendoerffer teams with screenwriter Yann Brion for this violent crime drama concerning a brutal kingpin imprisoned by authorities, and the conflict that arises among his underlings as greed taking precedence over loyalty. Claude Corti (Philippe Caubere) is a ruthless crime lord whose creative use of power drills and metal rods have earned him both the fear and respect of the Paris underworld. When Corti is eventually captured by the police and sentenced to prison, the streets become divided by those who intend to carry on with business as usual, and those who see the departure as a notable opportunity for advancement. Beatrice Dalle, Benoit Magimel, and Olivier Marchal co-star in an unflinching look at a world where the only thing cheaper than life is loyalty. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benoît Magimel, Philippe Caubère, (more)
- 2006
Not to be confused with the 1988 Sidney Lumet/River Phoenix drama of the same name, German helmer Buelent Akinci's bizarre drama Running on Empty follows Burkhard Wagner (Jens Harzer), a middle aged, door-to-door insurance salesman who lives out of his car, jetting along Teutonic highways and byways in a beaten-up Volvo and peddling policies to various area residents. Eccentric to the extreme (with a shrill, maniacal cackle that emerges from time to time and suggests that he has more than a few parts on order), Wagner nonetheless manages to sustain himself with a steady income. He is abetted by an oddball quirk: during sales pitches, he bursts into song, belting out French pop tunes, which inexplicably charm prospective customers. Burkhard also periodically pulls off of the Autobahn to drop quarters into pay phones and call his estranged wife, reassuring her constantly that he'll return home to her and their child as soon as he's able. However, he soon meets a sexy yet lonely bed-and-breakfast owner, Caroline (Marina Galic) at a nearby café. After stalking her multiple times, Burkhard accepts her invitation to come and reside at her inn. The relationship is riddled with buried motivations, but Akinci keeps things enigmatic, and defiantly refuses to spell out the film's ulteriors prior to its conclusion. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jens Harzer, Marina Gallic, (more)
