Jean-Luc Porraz Movies

Precocious 11-year-old Paloma (Garance LeGuillermic) befriends prickly, homely janitor Renée (Josiane Balasko) and bears witness to a most unlikely romance in director Mona Achache's adaptation of author Muriel Barbery's best-seller. A young girl prone to deep philosophizing, Paloma is acutely aware of life's disappointments. Her parents hardly acknowledge her existence, and unless things start to look up soon Paloma plans to simply commit suicide. Matronly Renée is the custodian in the building where Paloma lives with her parents. In her spare time, Renée likes nothing better than to curl up with a good book from her extensive personal library. The frumpy building superintendent has just relegated herself to a life alone when courteous Japanese businessman Kakuro (Togo Igawa) moves in and sees something in her that most people don't. But Paloma isn't like most people, and perhaps if the young cupid can find a way to get Renée and Kakuro together, she'll finally have enough evidence to conclude that life is well worth living, despite the daily struggles we must all endure. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi