Pierre Repp Movies
- 1979
- R
Charles is a middle-aged junk dealer, beset by several imagined illnesses. Lucie is his lady friend, a washed-up singer. Vulnerable and easily led, Charles and Lucie fall victim to a confidence scheme. Left penniless in the south of France, our hero and heroine find themselves the targets of pursuit, not only from the authorities but from the underworld. The curious result is that they regain their join in living. Charles and Lucie is one of a handful of amiable character studies (and the last one to date) directed by Abel Gance protegee Nelly Kaplan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Ceccaldi, Ginette Garcin, (more)
Originally titled Peau D'Ane, Jacques Demy's Dos Cruces en Danger Pass is better known by its English-language title Donkey Skin. Based on a fairy tale by Charles Perrault (of Cinderella fame), the bizarre story concerns the king (Jean Marais) of a strange, enchanted land. Catherine Deneuve plays the dual role of the king's wife and daughter. When the wife dies, she makes the king promise that he'll never marry anyone less beautiful than she; thus, he is compelled to wed his own daughter! The fairy godmother (Delphine Seyrig) tries to save the girl from this incestuous fate by telling her to make impossible demands for her wedding gifts. One such demand is for the skin of a magic donkey which deposits valuable jewels in its compost heaps. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Deneuve, Jean Marais, (more)
- 1963
When young girls continue to disappear from a small, snowbound village, the police sent an officer out to investigate. The officer is approached by a retired government worker who contends the killer is probably someone like themselves. The old man theorizes the murderer kills out of extreme boredom just to liven things up. The policeman follows the clues that lead to the old man. After he kills the old man, the officer is overtaken by the same urge to kill that plagued his adversary. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claude Giraud, Charles Vanel, (more)
Jean-Paul Belmondo romps his way through the role of 18th century French bandit chief Cartouche. At first robbing from everyone in sight (he has to -- he's head man of a Parisian crime syndicate) Cartouche is rechanneled into becoming a Gallic Robin Hood by beauteous gypsy Venus (Claudia Cardinale). In Highwayman fashion, Venus eventually sacrifices her own life to save Cartouche from harm. He vows to continue his activities to avenge her death, but still manages to have a riproaring good time doing so. Hilarious without being condescending, Cartouche was reissued under the completely inappropriate title Swords of Blood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Claudia Cardinale, (more)
- 1960
This is a routine comedy by novice director and novelist Jean Giono about Jules (Fernandel) a wily French peasant who dallies with a local widow and enjoys spats with his fellow sheepherders. One day he comes across a hidden stash of money and throws a party for all his friends, making them jealous over his newfound fortune. Then he plays a worse trick on them by handing over the money to everyone, confounding their assumptions about their entrenched rivalry. In the end, Jules has the last laugh, because a close look at the currency reveals a startling new fact that sheds light on his strange behavior. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
For his feature-film debut, critic-turned-director François Truffaut drew inspiration from his own troubled childhood. The 400 Blows stars Jean-Pierre Léaud as Antoine Doinel, Truffaut's preteen alter ego. Misunderstood at home by his parents and tormented in school by his insensitive teacher (Guy Decomble), Antoine frequently runs away from both places. The boy finally quits school after being accused of plagiarism by his teacher. He steals a typewriter from his father (Albert Remy) to finance his plans to leave home. The father angrily turns Antoine over to the police, who lock the boy up with hardened criminals. A psychiatrist at a delinquency center probes Antoine's unhappiness, which he reveals in a fragmented series of monologues. Originally intended as a 20-minute short, The 400 Blows was expanded into a feature when Truffaut decided to elaborate on his self-analysis. For the benefit of Truffaut's fellow film buffs, The 400 Blows is full of brief references to favorite directors, notably Truffaut's then-idol Jean Vigo. The film won the 1959 Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival, even though Truffaut had been declared persona non grata the year before for his inflammatory comments about the festival's commercialism. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Pierre Léaud, Robert Beauvais, (more)
