Alexandre Rignault Movies

Alain Tescique (Jean Rochefort) is in Paris on a brief vacation from his job on a North Sea oil rig, and while he is playing around with a ham radio set he bought for his son, he picks up some suspicious conversations in a neighboring apartment. After some more eavesdropping, he hears about an important rendezvous and then manages to steal a coded message that seems to be about an imminent assassination. His worries increase when the couple in the nearby apartment are found murdered, and their assassin is described as someone who looks just like himself. Although he is upset and indecisive, his fears are assuaged by Daniel, the neighbor across from him (Jean-Pierre Marielle) and Beatrice (Dominique Sanda), a new romantic interest he met by accident. What he does not know is that Beatrice and Daniel were planted by an underground organization to get their hands on the coded document and force him into suicide. Without knowing it, his situation is much worse than what he had imagined and it seems like only a miracle can save him now. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

An expensive collaboration between Radio-Canada and similar broadcast operations in France, Belgium, and Switzerland, the weekly CBC historical drama D'Iberville was one of the few French-language programs to be telecast over the Canadian network's English-language service. Albert Millaire headed the large and distinguished cast (175 speaking parts!) as Pierre Lemoyne, aka Sieur d'Iberville, eminent 17th century Canadian soldier, naval commander, explorer, and patriot. Despite his preoccupation with matters of war and the inner workings of the Hudson's Bay company, Lemoyne found ample time for romance with several French-Canadian beauties. Although the CBC was predominantly a black-and-white TV service when the series was produced, D'Iberville was lensed in color, in hopes of future international rerun sales. Following a documentary about the making of the series, which aired on August 7, 1967, the 39-week D'Iberville aired on Monday afternoons from October 7, 1968 to June 23, 1969, then was retelecast in 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The original "grumpy old men," Jean-Marie (Jean Gabin), Baptiste (Pierre Fresnay), and Blaise (Noel-Noel) raise havoc in this entertaining comedy by director Gilles Grangier. The trio of irritable, temperamental grouchy men abandon their village to go take up residence in a senior citizens' home. They have a great time playing tricks on others and venting about the inadequacies of modern youth. Each elderly eccentric has his moment in the spotlight, as their story unfolds in an episodic manner. In the end, the retirement-home staff become convinced that taking care of these characters lies above and beyond the call of duty. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Stendhal's brilliant but difficult novel Le Rouge et le Noir all but defies transfer to film, but adaptor/director Claude Autant-Lara comes within shouting distance of full success. Stripped to essentials, the plot concerns Julien Sorel (Gerard Philipe), a carpenter's son who becomes a tutor. While his duties do not include the seduction of his employer's wife (Danielle Darrieux), Sorel offers this service free of charge. After this episode, Sorel becomes a priest...and the story isn't over yet. Though the director is too doggedly literal in his adaptation at times, and despite the fact that Gerard Philipe was about ten years too old for the part of Jean Sorel, Le Rouge et le Noir manages to hold the audience in its thrall for 2 hours and 50 minutes (most American prints, retitled The Red and the Black, run only 140 minutes). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Retour de Don Camillo (The Return of Don Camillo) is the sequel to the internationally popular French comedy The Little World of Don Camillo. Fernandel returns as the title character, a resourceful, pugnacious Italian village priest. Because of his previous run-ins with communist mayor Peppone (Gino Cervi), Don Camillo is sent to another parish by the Church. Soon, however, all the villagers -- Peppone included -- realize that the priest is indispensable, and they demand his return. In one of the film's funniest moments, an elderly citizen steadfastly refuses to die until Don Camillo administers last rites. Like its predecessor, Retour de Don Camillo is based on a novel by Givoanni Guareschi -- and, also like the earlier film, Retour was a worldwide hit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Holiday for Henrietta (originally released in 1952 as La Fete a Henriette) is a Pirandellian comedy about the art of moviemaking. Louis Seigner and Henri Cremieux play a team of screenwriters whose latest project is stuck in a mire of indecision. Should fictional heroine Henriette (Dany Robin) be permitted a happy ending as the romantic Seigner insists, or suffer an unhappy one as "film noir" specialist Cremieux demands? While the screenwriters hash out their contrasting points of view, we see a film-within-a-film, dramatizing the formulating screenplay and its abrupt changes of mood and direction. Finally reaching a compromise, the writers are interrupted by one of the actors in their imaginary movie, who informs them that their "original" plot has already been filmed! When Hollywood got hold of Holiday for Henrietta, it pumped up this modest project into a bloated star vehicle for Audrey Hepburn and William Holden, titled Paris When It Sizzles (63). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, Ruy Blas was adapted for the screen by no less than Jean Cocteau. The title character, played by Jean Marais, is a dashing nobleman-turned-bandit operating in 17th century Spain ("played" by France and Italy). Marais is also seen as a bookish student who happens to bear a striking resemblance to Ruy Blas. Top-billed as the Queen of Spain is Danielle Darrieux, making her film comeback after weathering accusations of collaboration during WW2. A long and frequently verbose film, Ruy Blas delivers the goods and more during the action highlights and love scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide