Jean-Luc Porraz Movies
- 2000
An actor who does not suffer fools gladly finds himself replaced by one in this comedy. The citizens of a French village decide to celebrate their history by staging a play that will chronicle memorable events from the town's past. The play's author, Alexis (Patrick Ligardes), casts his wife Janine (Isabelle Candelier) in the leading female role despite her odd way of delivering dialogue. However, for the male lead, Alexis hires an arrogant professional actor from Paris, Jean-Pascal Faix (Jean-Luc Porraz). The village simpleton, Andre (Michel Vuillermoz), has volunteered to serve as a stagehand and prompter. When Andre mistakenly leads Jean-Pascal into a trash dumpster that's soon dragged away, he's convinced (falsely) that he's killed the Parisian actor -- and is determined to take his place so that the show will go on. Andre le Magnifique was adapted from a stage farce that was a major hit in Paris, winning five Moliere awards (the French equivalent of the American Tony Award). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isabelle Candelier
- 1992
In his work as a notary, Hippolyte has registered prenuptial agreements entrusted to him by hopeful young couples and divorce settlements by unhappy older couples. He has often seen the spark of romance wither and die among his clients and the people in his life, and he is determined not to allow that to happen with his marriage. As a consequence, he is constantly making one dramatic scene after another, in order to ensure that his wife will prove her love with him. Once, he threatened to leave her just to see if it would upset her. On another occasion, he drove them in their car into a lake, to see how she would feel about dying with him. Despite these unsettling antics, Camille genuinely loves the fool, though she is intrigued by the anonymous love letters she has begun getting. Are they from Hippolyte? If not, should she agree to see their writer? This light romantic comedy was the only film directed by the playwright (La Cage aux Folles) and actor Jean Poiret (he was most frequently paired with Michel Serrault) before he died in March of 1992. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thierry Lhermitte, Caroline Cellier, (more)
- 1989
The French Love Without Pity strikes different people different ways. To some, it's the last word in profundity; to others, it's a subtitled yawnfest. We suggest that you judge for yourself this story of low-down louse Hippolyte Girardot, who regards the women in his life as little more that doormats upon which to wipe his feet. It's "just deserts" time when Girardot falls head over heels for Mireille Perrier, who proceeds to treat him like dirt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hippolyte Girardot, Mireille Perrier, (more)
- 1987
Juliette (Nastassja Kinski) is a hairstylist who is diagnosed with cancer in this tearjerking romantic drama. Her illness leads her to oncologist Raoul Bergeron (Michel Piccoli), and she ends up as his mistress. When Juliette falls in love with Raoul's intern Clement (Jean-Hughes Anglade), the jealous doctor threatens to sabotage Clement's career. Juliette spends the rest of the film jumping from Raoul to Clement and back again. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nastassja Kinski, Jean-Hugues Anglade, (more)
- 1985
Playing it strictly by the book all the way, this conventional love story follows the ups and downers in the relationship between a disk jockey (Gerard Lanvin) and the woman he loves (Jennifer Lanvin, the real-life Mrs. Lanvin). She is the artistic director of a major recording studio. After the couple meet, they fall in love and decide that the only way to live is together. Their schedules are different, but that does not cause as much difficulty as their eventual falling out over the classic question of whether or not to have children. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Lanvin, Jennifer, (more)
The diva of the title is a famous black opera singer (Wilhelmina Wiggins-Fernandez) who steadfastly refuses to be recorded. The singer is idolized by young French mail-carrier Jules (Frederic Andrei), who sneaks a tape recorder into the theater and records her performance. This is witnessed by a pair of Taiwanese criminals, who unlike Andrei wish to profit from the bootlegged recording. They begin to pursue the boy, as do a couple of home-grown hooligans who believe that Jules is in possession of some murder evidence. The serpentine plot leads to a warm friendship between Jules and the reclusive diva - and to a brilliantly photographed (by Philipe Rousselot) motorcycle chase through the subway tunnels of Paris. Diva marked the directorial debut of Jean-Jacques Beineix, whose obvious fondness for the more esoteric techniques of the Nouvelle Vague never impedes his willingness to simply entertain his audiences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frederic Andréi, Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, (more)
