Philippe Kauffmann Movies
- 2009
This unusual feature (a French-Belgian-Luxembourgian co-production) stylistically recalls the work of Art Clokey (Gumby, Davey and Goliath), with its lead cast consisting entirely of stop motion-animated children's toys. The premise concerns two such toys -- Cowboy (Stéphane Aubier) and Indian (Bruce Ellison) -- who plan to buy a birthday gift for their friend Horse (the voice of Vincent Patar) but accidentally destroy his house. A series of wacky, often hallucinatory adventures ensues that finds the trio journeying to the center of the earth, wandering across icy tundra and discovering a strange aquatic world inhabited by oddball beings with pointed heads. Benoît Poelvoorde (Man Bites Dog) provides one of the voices. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Patar, Stéphane Aubier, (more)
- 2008
A group of women struggling with their sexuality speak openly with the female counselors who wonder if such a thing as "sexual freedom" is truly possible in this tale of the incredible hidden in mundane, everyday events. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Alvaro, Nathalie Baye, (more)
Six of the world's most talented graphic artists and animators come together to breathe vivid life into their greatest nightmares in this animated horror omnibus featuring the work of Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, and Richard McGuire. Inspired by the creeping shadows that lurk in the darkest depths of each artist's psyche, this monochromatic meditation on the things that make us wake up screaming aims to recreate the atmosphere and mood of an actual nightmare. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aure Atika, Arthur H., (more)
- 2006
A man who has regained his life falls for a woman who has lost her identity in this offbeat comedy/drama from Belgium. Peter de Wit (Arno) suffered a severe heart attack and was declared dead at a hospital in Brussels, but while no one is looking he comes to in the morgue, shaken but little worse for wear. Swiping the clothes and wallet of fellow deceased patient, Peter treats himself to a night on the town, and while dining at a Chinese restaurant, he meets Lucie (Valerie Le Maitre), a performance artist. Lucie was debuting a new piece earlier in the evening, but after paying a visit to her mother she was sexually assaulted by Edouard (Francois Negret), her former boyfriend, and she's had a delayed reaction to the trauma that has left her with temporary amnesia. As Lucie tries to recall who she really is, Peter is having a splendid time being someone else for the evening, but can either put much stock in their mutual attraction given the circumstances? Komma was the first feature film from writer and director Martine Doyen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arno, Valerie Lemaitre, (more)
- 2006
A man with a checkered past tries to mend his broken relationship with his son in this low-key drama from Belgium. Jacques (Jacky Lambert) is a man in his early forties who has a son but barely knows him; not long after Roland (Robin Weerts) was born, Jacques was sent to prison and he hasn't seen his boy since. Now that Jacques is a free man again, he longs to be a positive presence in Roland's life, and approaches his foster father (Jean-Pierre Weerts) about taking the boy on a trip to the South of France. As Roland's guardian ponders the wisdom of this, Jacques tries to reconnect with Anne (Olga Grumberg), his former girlfriend and the child's mother. However, Jacques learns that Anne was neglectful of Roland and doesn't seem to have any interest at all in the welfare of their son. Ca m'est egal si demain n'arrive pas (aka I Don't Care Of Tomorrow Never Comes) was screened in competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacky Lambert, Olga Grumberg, (more)
A traveling entertainer falls prey to a disturbed recluse in director Fabrice Du Welz's twisted, slow-burn riff on Deliverance and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Having finished his latest performance at a remote retirement home, wandering singer Marc Stevens (Laurent Lucas) packs his gear into his van and sets out towards his next gig. Unfortunately for Marc, the fog-shrouded roads of rural France are more treacherous than he ever anticipated. When his van breaks down in the middle of the night and a skittish local promises to lead him to a nearby inn owned by the eccentric recluse Paul Bartel (Jackie Berroyer), it appears that luck may be on Marc's side and he will be back on the road with the light of the morning sun. This isn't your average bed and breakfast, though, and Bartel certainly isn't the kindly innkeeper he initially appears to be. When Marc's van is set aflame and his increasingly menacing host makes a most disturbing claim, the soft-spoken singer will be forced to fight for his life against not only Bartel, but an entire village of deeply disturbed woodsmen. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurent Lucas, Jackie Berroyer, (more)
