Loleh Bellon Movies
- 1989
In this straightforward drama, Marie (Emmanuelle Beart) is a prisoner at the time she sees a performance by a theatrical troupe. After the show, she goes up to speak to one of the players, and this leads (without her knowledge) to her being chosen to participate in a special program. It seems that the troupe is a special halfway house for "reformable" prisoners, and Marie is to be paroled to them. Streetwise and tough, the former prostitute and addict Marie at first resists this high-minded program, but eventually discovers that it works for her. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emmanuelle Béart, Robert Hossein, (more)
- 1981
Very loosely based on the plot of Henry James' Wing of the Dove, this film resets the story about two lovers trying to steal everything from a dying millionairess, by putting it in the late-20th century instead of late-19th century; it has the lovers be a French prostitute and Italian low-life instead of an Englishwoman and a journalist; and the dying woman is now French instead of American. Once adjusted to those changes, viewers may no longer have any expectations of a homage to Henry James in this French-Italian adaptation. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isabelle Huppert, Dominique Sanda, (more)
- 1976
While attending an auction of the belongings of a deceased female roommate, Claire (Bulle Ogier) discovers that each object brings back memories of their times together. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bulle Ogier, Loleh Bellon, (more)
- 1972
The French film Quelque Part, Quelqu'un takes a close look at the lives of a number of very ordinary people as they try to handle the small dramas in their lives. One segment takes us into the life of a woman who is trying to rescue a man from alcoholism. Another looks at an old couple being evicted from their home, and yet another shows how a young daydreamer responds to the call of a real adventure. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loleh Bellon, Roland Dubillard, (more)
The Paris demimonde of 1900 is the setting for Casque d'Or. Georges Manda (Serge Reggiani), an honest woodworker, falls in love with Marie (Simone Signoret), the "moll" of minor crook Roland (William Sabatier). Gangster boss Felix Leca (Claude Dauphin) orders Georges and Roland to fight a duel to the death over the girl, as prescribed by the "code of the apache." Felix then pins the blame for Roland's death on Georges' boyhood chum, Raymond (Raymond Bussières), knowing that the woodworker will nobly accept the blame; this will leave Marie alone, which is what the lustful Felix has wanted all along. When Georges learns he's been set up as a dupe, he escapes from the police and kills Felix. Casque D'Or was based on the true-life Leca-Manda scandal, wherein an otherwise decent man was guillotined for shooting down a gangster boss in broad daylight. Since the scandal was common knowledge in France, the downbeat ending of this film was hardly unexpected but still extremely moving. Completed in 1951, Casque D'Or was a failure on its first release but then built up an excellent word-of-mouth reputation abroad. The film was released in the U.S. in 1956 as Golden Marie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simone Signoret, Serge Reggiani, (more)
- 1950
Based on a stage play, Maitre Apres Dieu concentrates on a mercenary cargo-ship captain, played by Pierre Brasseur. The skipper experiences a life-altering epiphany when he reluctantly agrees to transport a human cargo, consisting of Jewish refugees. His new-found faith in the Almighty is seriously challenged as one country after another refuses to assume the responsibility for his passengers. When first presented on Broadway, Maitre Apres Dieu (Skipper After God) starred John Garfield in the Pierre Brasseur role. Contemporary reviews indicate that Garfield was somewhat more effective than his cinematic counterpart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loleh Bellon, Jean Mercure, (more)
- 1949
Veteran French filmmaker Louis Daquin was the recipient of worldwide plaudits for his realistically detailed drama Le Point du Jour. Shot on location in a mining town, the film relates the story of a young miner named Larzac (Rene Lefevre). Unlike his elders, Larzac is terrified at the prospect of going deep into the bowels of the earth to earn his keep. After several dramatic complications related to his plight, Larzac overcomes his fear and gains pride of place. Le Point du Jour might make a fascinating double feature with John Ford's How Green Was My Valley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Desailly, René Lefèvre, (more)
