Claude Rich Movies

An adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1929 short story "The House of Lurking Death," this French-language whodunit represents director Pascal Thomas's third Christie adaptation, following the 2005 By the Pricking of My Thumbs and the 2007 Towards Zero; like Thumbs, it hones in on Prudence (Catherine Frot) and Belisaire Beresford (Andre Dussollier), a married pair of amateur sleuths. This particular outing is set at Christmastime, and finds the Rhone Alps-dwelling Beresfords visited by a beloved aunt, Auntie Babette (Annie Cordy), who promptly informs them that she spotted a murder through a rainy window while seated on a train. Eager for a new crime to solve, Prudence jumps into the case when Belisaire leaves town on a weekend jaunt, and makes her way to a creepy chateau in the middle of the forest, populated by the most unpleasant of families. Inhabitants include an eccentric patriarch widower named Roderick Charpentier (Claude Rich), his morose daughter Emma (Chiara Mastroianni), his conniving and paranoid sons (Christian Vadim, Alexandre Lafaurie and Melvil Poupaud), and a local country doctor (Hippolyte Girardot). Prudence takes a position as a cook at the residence, and when the body crops up, it soon falls on her shoulders to ferret out the murderer. Soon, her husband joins her at the house, tipped off by a local detective regarding his wife's whereabouts. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

A handful of characters struggle to hold on to relationships with the people they care for in this collaboration between playwright Alan Ayckbourn and filmmaker Alain Resnais. Dan (Lambert Wilson) has recently finished up a hitch in the Army, but rather than deal with his emotional issues, Dan prefers to get drunk. While he barely communicates with his girlfriend Nicole (Laura Morante), she's convinced they will still marry and opts to ignore his obvious problems. Lionel (Pierre Arditi) is a bartender who has become increasingly isolated and cut off from his friends as he looks after his father Arthur. Arthur, however, is in failing health and has little appreciation of his son's sacrifices. Thierry (Andre Dussollier) is a real estate salesman who has fallen for one of his co-workers, Charlotte (Sabine Azema); however, Charlotte's mild-mannered exterior hides a personality that thrives on emotional gamesmanship. And Gaelle (Isabelle Carre), Thierry's sister, is lonely and looking for a relationship, but her efforts bring her neither joy nor companionship. Coeurs (aka Petites Peurs Partagees) received its world premiere at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Pierre Schoendoerffer has made many film about the French in Indochina, and Above the Clouds finds the 75-year-old director covering that territory again. A female journalist (Florence Darel) becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Henri Lanvern (Jacques Perrin), a filmmaker who disappeared while shooting in Thailand in 1978. Although it appears that many of the men in her life have some of the answers for which she is looking, the reporter remains cut off from the truth. Because this film features many performers who have previously worked with the director, Schoendoerffer utilizes clips from his old films in order to provide flashbacks for this film. Above the Clouds was screened out of competition at the Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Based on the original '60s French comic books by René Goscinny, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre is the big-budget sequel to the 1999 box-office hit Astérix and Obélix vs. Caesar. Empress Cleopatra (Monica Bellucci) makes a wager with Julius Caesar (played by writer/director Alain Chabat) that her people can build a beautiful palace in three months. She chooses architect Numerobis (Jamel Debbouze) for the project, which must be completed in time or he will be fed to the crocodiles. Numerobis travels to Gaul to get help from the superpowered Panoramix (Claude Rich) and the warriors Astérix (Christian Clavier) and Obélix (Gérard Depardieu), along with their faithful pet Dogmatix. They use their magic potion to make the Egyptian slave-labor population into superheroes, thereby building the palace in no time. Meanwhile, the angry architect Amonbofis (Gérard Darmon) and Julius Caesar don't want to see them succeed. At the time of its release, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre was the most expensive French film ever made, with a budget of $50 million. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

The son of actor Bernard Blier, director Bertrand Blier is known throughout France for his documentaries and dark depictions of sex and its impact on society. Though his influences and personal opinions clearly shine through, Les Acteurs is a satirical take on the ups, downs, and numerous implications of life in showbiz as told by a variety of real-life French actors. Among the featured cast are André Dussollier, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Jacques Villeret, Claude Rich, and Pierre Arditi, all of whom play themselves. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Gérard Depardieu stars as the great French author Honoré de Balzac in this historical biography produced for French television. Balzac's childhood is marked by a difficult relationship with his mother, Charlotte-Laure (Jeanne Moreau), whose strident criticism and inability to show affection are not abated when he reaches adulthood. Balzac begins to gain the confidence he needs through his relationship with a wealthy society matron, Madame de Berney (Virna Lisi), but in time he abandons her when he falls in love with Countess Eva Hanska (Fanny Ardent), who already has a husband. When Madame de Berney dies, Balzac is filled with remorse, and his sorrow inspires him to create some of his greatest work; his writing finally gains the acceptance of the mass audience, and Balzac achieves the fame and wealth he's always wanted. However, Balzac's spending soon begins to outstrip his income, and his new celebrity begins to wane when critics respond coolly to his work. Balzac received its American premiere on the Bravo cable television network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Though he is near death, blind Rene, an elderly Italian-French intellectual, continues to make his annual conference abroad accompanied by his self-centered loyal, beautiful assistant Sibilla who may or may not be his lover. Rene's domineering mother strongly disapproves of Sibilla and his continual galavanting, but Rene disregards her and goes anyway. While in Spain, Sibilla falls for a handsome young toreador who also captures the interest of Rene, though it is hard to say whether his feelings for the bullfighter are fatherly or more romantic. It is also unclear as to whether Sibilla and the bullfighter are lovers either. Thus an enigmatic romantic triangle forms until Rene and Sibilla suddenly decide to wed. The character of Rene seems to be closely patterned after Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Directed by Axel Corti and based on the German novel by Joseph Roth, Radetzkymarsch was a television miniseries originally broadcast in France. Taking place in Vienna, Austria, the story concerns the an aristocratic family right before the outbreak of WWI. Baron Franz Von Trotta (Max Von Sydow) is the son of a war hero who saved the Emperor's life. He was raised in royalty under the Emperor's care and not allowed to join the army himself, so he pressures his son, Carl Joseph (Tilman Günther), to join the military. Carl Joseph is weak and wants no part of the armed forces, but soon WWI breaks out and lessens his chance for escape. Also starring Gert Voss as Chojnicki, Claude Rich as Dr. Demant, and Charlotte Rampling as Valerie von Taussig. Features a score by Poland's leading contemporary film composer, Zbigniew Preisner. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

France, 1815. After his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon heads for exile. Royalists occupy Paris and attempt to restore the monarchy. However, the battle doesn't seem to be over. On July 6, Talleyrand (Claude Rich), a shrewd politician of flexible convictions, invites chief of police and zealous revolutionary Fouché (Claude Brasseur) to supper and tries to convince him to serve the king. Over the meal they insult each other, accuse each other, and, at first sight, look like mortal enemies. But they definitely have one thing in common: they are both power-hungry. Basically a stage two-hander, the picture looks frustratingly uncinematic and static, despite the vigorous performances by the two leads. It will be enjoyed most by viewers with a good knowledge of the French Revolution and the Restoration who will understand the dialogue's subtle political details. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide