Emmanuelle Riva
- 2008
A man is shot dead, but is the woman with the gun really the killer? That's the all-important question in this thriller from France. Henri Pages (Pierre Arditi) is a successful politician who with his wife Elaine (Miou-Miou) has invited an eclectic group of guests to their country home for a weekend get-together. Joining Henri and Elaine are Pierre Collier (Lambert Wilson), a prominent psychoanalyst; his unhappy wife Claire (Anne Consigny); Pierre's lover Esther (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi), an artist; Lea (Caterina Murino), an exhibitionistic actress who was once involved with Pierre; Philippe (Mathieu Demy), a straight-laced writer; and Marthe (Celine Sallette), a beautiful woman given to severe mood swings. Henri has a large collection of guns, and while Pierre is enjoying a swim, he's shot to death with one of the rare firearms. While Claire is holding the murder weapon when the body is found, police detective Lieutenant Grange (Maurice Benichou) isn't so certain he has an open and shut case on his hands, and begins looking into the many people who have a reason for wanting Pierre out of the picture. Grange's investigation becomes even more challenging when Lea makes it clear she's sexually attracted to him. Le Grand Alibi (aka The Great Alibi) was adapted from the novel The Hollow, a Hercule Poirot mystery by Agatha Christie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miou-Miou, Lambert Wilson, (more)
- 2006
A good-natured adolescent struggles to find himself as his controlling mother attempts to bind him with her love in director Martial Fougeron's emotionally claustrophobic family drama. Julien (Victor Sévaux) is a handsome and smart young man who would make any mother proud. Though he may be fairly bright, nothing Julien does can quite meet up to the expectations and lofty demands of his overbearing mother (Nathalie Baye), who seems to take strange pleasure in humiliating her son and placing him in severely awkward situations. It is because of her that Julien is forced to arrange clandestine meetings with his secret girlfriend while taking piano lessons from his kindly grandmother (Emmanuelle Riva). Though his sympathetic sister, Suzanne (Marie Kremer), and academic father (Olivier Gourmet) are quick to recognize the psychological damage that the bullying mother is inflicting upon her son, both are loathe to intercede lest they too become the target of the quick-to-anger suburban tyrant. His situation growing increasingly dire as his mother's demands take on a particularly dark bent, Julien is soon forced to resort to extreme measures as a means of dealing with the overbearing matriarch. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathalie Baye, Victor Sévaux, (more)
A visually stylish comedy with dramatic overtones from director Tonie Marshall, Vénus Beauté (Institut) looks at the lives of three women who work at a small but successful beauty salon. Angele Nathalie Baye is an attractive woman just edging into middle age who is looking for companionship without commitment, even when it comes knocking. Her co-worker Samantha (Mathilde Seigner) has more boyfriends than she knows what to do with, and Marie (Audrey Tautou), the youngest of the group, is still learning the ropes of both love and beauty treatment. Fans of classic French cinema will want to keep an eye peeled for guest appearances from Emmanuelle Riva, Micheline Presle and Edith Scob. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathalie Baye, Bulle Ogier, (more)
- 1996
Arthur Rimbaud, the title character of this film, was a noted French poet who at the age 26 abandoned his profession to become a North African trader/wanderer. This epic biopic tells his strange and tragic tale. A rather depressive and tormented soul, Rimbaud began his adventures in the early 1800s in a coastal village in Abysinia (modern-day Ethiopia). He joined an expedition and began an arduous journey across the Sahara. During the entire trip, the morose Rimbaud said nothing. Upon reaching their final destination, Rimbaud is horrified to see that the streets are ruled by packs of wild dogs. He attempts to rectify this by poisoning the beasts, an act that makes him unwelcome amongst the locals. Next, Rimbaud begins working with a gun runner and sets off to sell arms to a powerful African ruler. A double cross spells tragedy for the poet. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This French ensemble comedy, is set in a small town where Gabrielle, a beautiful doctor's wife and mother of three prepares to play Elvira in a local production of Don Juan. The trouble begins when she finds herself sexually attracted to the town's womanizing hairdresser Serge, who plays the sexy don. When not rehearsing, he shamelessly flirts with Gabrielle, and she, so tired of playing second fiddle to her husband's busy career, does nothing to stop him. She even begins toying with the notion of a real affair. Gabrielle's thoughts are no secret from her perceptive children who decide that drastic measures are in order and so poison the pig's head pate that Serge is supposed to eat during the play. Things do not go as planned and comical mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Bohringer, Lio, (more)
- 1993
Eleven-year old Alexandrine (Sandrine Blancke) may be making something more out of what is happening in her family than is really there, but she appears to be afraid to be touched by her father (Alain Bashung), and gets really edgy when her mother (a nurse) has to work late. When one of her teachers puts two and two together and suspects incest, she encourages Alexandrine to press charges against her father. The girl at first tries to do that, but when her father shows up at the police station, the clams up. Even if she is only experiencing an imaginary terror, her father's nonchalance, her mother's complete refusal to consider the possibility and her grandparent's refusal to offer any consolation in the face of some troubling evidence must be horrifying to the girl. Whether there is incest in the family is open to some doubt, but there is no question that it harbors one very unhappy little girl in its midst. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mireille Perrier, Alain Bashung, (more)
- 1993
- R
The first chapter in Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Three Colors" trilogy, Blue stars Juliette Binoche as Julie, the lone survivor of an automobile crash that killed her husband, a famed composer, and their only child. Despondent, Julie attempts suicide, but she cannot bring herself to take her own life. Instead, she sets about starting over, purging all remnants of her former existence in an attempt to sever her ties to the past. A piece in the trio of films loosely inspired by the colors of the French flag and their corresponding symbolic qualities, the basic focus of Blue is liberty. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliette Binoche, Benoit Regent, (more)
- 1991
As a woman who single-handedly raised five contentious children, Riva probably feels entitled to kick up her heels a little these days. To the scandalized delight of her countrified neighbors, she has been having a relationship with a younger man and also goes to low dives with a similarly inclined neighbor. Now, her children have come to her large country home for a rare family reunion. Benoit is Riva's youngest, at twenty four. He was only two when his father ran off to Brazil with a girlfriend. He has arrived at the reunion with his male lover, and he is apparently the only one who appreciates his brave, vain and self-centered mother. By her complete nonchalance at this revelation of his sexual orientation, she more than returns the favor. His four siblings are contemptuous not only of him, but of their mother, and are only a little more tolerant of one another. Isabelle is pregnant and is close to her twin brother Jerome, who has brought his brassy girlfriend to the festivities. Sophie is a news reporter and has visited their father in Brazil and likes to think she is in charge. Philippe is the oldest, a smug, self-satisfied man with a conventional family of his own: a sensible wife and three daughters. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emmanuelle Riva, Jenny Cleve, (more)
- 1991
Wanting to learn more about his Jewish heritage, a French philosophy professor moves to an Israeli kibbutz located near the Golan Heights in 1965. He is followed by a non-Jewish former student who abandons her aspirations of becoming a concert violinist to be with him. Two years pass, and professor Sacha is joined by three more former students who have come down to celebrate the lovely violinist's 20th birthday. Unfortunately, the tensions that led up to the Six Day's War are rapidly escalating and Sacha is drafted into the military. The night of the party, one of the guests shows home movies of their lives in Paris. Sacha cannot help but feel guilty pangs while watching for the films contain scenes of his love Myriam, the woman who committed suicide after he broke up with her. Her death is one of the reasons he left Paris. It is with this guilt roiling around inside that Sacha goes to war leading to the story's bittersweet conclusion. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Berry, Sophie Marceau, (more)
- 1988
Balthazar Kober (Rafal Wieczynski) is a young man who ventures across plague-ridden Germany during the 16th century. Possessed with magical powers, the stuttering Balthazar can conjure up the angel Gabriel and his late mother (Emmanuele Riva). The hero is helped by a wise philosopher (Michael Lonsdale), who guides the orphan wanderer as he travels. The story is taken from the novel by French author Frederick Tristan. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rafal Wieczynski, Michel Lonsdale, (more)
- 1984
When a wealthy, elderly woman and an unknown stranger are murdered in the same small village on the same night, the judge who is charged with investigating the deaths begins to suspect that a new arrival in the village is connected to the crime. The only serious obstacle to chasing down that possibility is that this new arrival is a Catholic priest. This three-hour crime drama was intended as a television miniseries, and so when watched from beginning to end without interruption, tedium takes over. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Gélin, Margaret Mazzantini, (more)
- 1983
Set during the Algerian war for independence in the 1950s and early '60s, this undistinguished drama centers on Jean (Maurice Garrel) who works covertly for the FLN, the Algerian independence fighters, and although he does not know it, the woman he loves (Mouche, played by Emmanuelle Riva), is also a covert operative for the FLN. When Jean sees the SAO (the Algerian Secret Army Organization) assassinate Mouche, his world disintegrates. Eventually, after the armed conflict has ended, he meets a French Algerian named Gemina and begins a new relationship with her -- and optimistically expects it to last because peace is at hand. Although director Philippe Garrel seems to have intended certain parallels between Jean's personal life and Algerian-French politics, they are weakened by the vague script, and a stiffness or artificiality in the main characters. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emmanuelle Riva, Maurice Garrel, (more)
- 1983
A tall and gangly Victoire (Liselotte Christian) arrives in Paris looking for the ideal French lover -- and because she stands well above many of her preceding romantic partners, that is an added dimension to consider. As she finds and drops a series of possibilities -- a free-wheeling sociologist, an up-tight intellectual, and a dentist fixated on sports -- she begins to wonder if this simple quest may turn out to be an impossibility after all. Although director Annette Carducci) tends to stereotype the male characters, their characterizations fit the premises of a light comedy. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liselotte Christian, Anémone, (more)
- 1982
Based on a novel by Frederic Dard who also co-scripted with director Jean-Pierre Mocky, this satire on French politics is centered around an official whose earlier rise to power had some sordid aspects that are about to be uncovered by the death of his uncle. While he is trying to contain any potential scandal, the man becomes enamored of the daughter of his uncle's maid. This new romance inspires him to forget worries about a public image and focus on a new life -- not any easy objective when unsavory friends and foes have their own agendas in mind. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Lanoux, Marion Peterson, (more)
- 1982
- R
Giovanni (Lou Castel) comes home after his brother's suicide to encounter the same family problems that have been around for years: his mother is a religious fanatic now obsessed with her son's errant spirit, his older brother has a cold and uncaring relationship with his children and his wife, and Giovanni's uncle who runs the wealthy family's house is always out to turn a profit for himself. When Giovanni goes to berate his dead brother's lover for not even coming to his funeral (his brother gave her an apartment and an income, and then she broke off with him because she did not love him), an unexpected attraction starts that builds in intensity as time goes on. Eventually, they start an emotionally-charged relationship that goes up and down like a roller coaster, their conflicts fueled in part by the ghost of the dead brother, by the fact that she is pregnant with his child, and by the difference in their economic status. As their relationship continues, it becomes a question of whether or not they will be able to overcome their differences -- a question that looms larger every day. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Castel, Ángela Molina, (more)
- 1975
Into a timeless, pastoral community, which lies along the river Fango, come two restless men on horseback, their heads filled with citified ideas and schemes. The men encounter the simple folk of the place, and start to make some friendships. However, when one of them wants to run off with a local girl, it causes big problems for them both. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emmanuelle Riva, Rufus, (more)
Love, death, sainthood and murder figure in this French film by Spanish director Fernan Arrabal, better known for his film Viva La Muerte. Aden Rey (George Shannon) is an epileptic boy whose life has been stunted by the heavy religiosity and repressiveness of his mother (Emmanuele Riva), who has had numerous lovers. When she is found killed, the boy (who did not kill her) is the primary suspect. He flees, and goes to the desert. There, he finds a small-statured man (Hachemi Marzouk), a hermit. The hermit is very innocent, saintlike and free. Aden returns to the city with the hermit, who gets work as a circus performer until he frees the show's animals and Aden is wounded by pursuing police. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emmanuelle Riva, George Shannon, (more)
- 1972
This is a French World War II action/adventure film. In the story, four French nurses and a doctor are caught by the German advance into North Africa. They are protected from being raped by their captors by a stiff-necked German captain. The doctor then heroically prevents the Germans from ambushing the rescue plane sent to pick them up. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1970
When a married man picks up a hippie hitchhiker who promptly picks the driver's pocket, the two are strangely drawn to each other and develop a relationship. The passenger is a young man who is part of a gang that preys on homosexuals by robbing them after luring them with offers of sex. The married man and the hitchhiker engage in a homosexual affair, and the two men also make love to the man's wife. When the boy returns to his gang, the husband desperately searches for the boy by scouring all the neighborhood gay clubs and hangouts. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emmanuelle Riva
- 1970
A husband (Maurice Ronet) recalls his past experiences as he travels by train to Rome from Paris. He has just left his wife (Emmanuela Riva) for his mistress (Sylva Koscina), and flashbacks are employed to tell his story. He thinks of his future in Rome with the mistress as he fondly remembers the highpoints of his past relationship. Taken from the novel by Michel Butor, this marks the directorial debut for Michel Worms. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maurice Ronet, Emmanuelle Riva, (more)
- 1967
Doucet (Jacques Brel) is a dedicated and happily married schoolteacher in a small town. One day he is accused of making sexual advances toward a fourteen-year old girl. One of his young students has come home with a ripped dress and a story about the tutor's misconduct. The police and the mayor are called in to investigate the allegations, and another girl accuses him of seduction. Yet another girl comes forward to indicate the teacher also made advances towards her. A series of flashbacks tell why each of the girls has made these serious charges against the concerned scholar. He maintains his innocence while the investigation threatens to destroy his marriage, career and life. Director Andre Cayatte is a former attorney who draws upon his legal experiences to reveal social injustice. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacques Brel, Nadine Alari, (more)
