Jean Rougerie Movies

This smart, upbeat French comedy explores the differing attitudes surround children. Martin, a 35-year old advertising executive, is busily working upon ad campaigns for the Floppy dog-food company. It was his ex-wife's idea that he work for them. When the family au pair, 23-year old Sally tells Martin she is pregnant with his child as a result of their one-night stand, Martin seeks the counsel of his friends and family. Compounding the matter is the fact that Sally, who wants the baby, simple considers Martin to be a donor. Martin's militantly left-wing mother wants Sally to get an abortion because she believes it immoral to bring another European into the world. Julien, Martin's best friend, is an equally militant pro-lifer and will end the friendship if he allows Sally to abort. His barren ex-wife subversively influences Sally into keeping the baby. Meanwhile, Martin becomes friends with a pregnant teen who unexpectedly gives birth. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This 1990 French film presents idyllic episodes from the childhood of novelist and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol (1895-1974). Together, the episodes present a portrait of an ordinary family with an extraordinary ability to love. Set in Provencal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the film first introduces members of the family, including Marcel (Julien Ciamaca). When he is still a preschooler, his father Joseph, a teacher, takes him to classes to watch over him. Marcel, however, learns along with the other children and starts to read out loud in class. Astonished, Joseph (Philippe Caubère) writes a sentence on the blackboard and asks, "What does that say?" Marcel, reading the words, says, "The father is proud of his little boy." This little scene establishes the tone and meaning of the film. Flashing ahead seven years, the camera then follows the Pagnols after they leave Marseilles for a summer vacation in the Provencal countryside, there to bask in the simplicity of rural life. From then on, it is not what happens to the family that engages audiences; it is how it happens -- with a quiet exuberance and joie de vivre. Besides Marcel and his father, the vacationers include his mother, Augustine (Nathalie Roussel), a beautiful and kindly homemaker; Marcel's little brother Paul (Victorien Delamare); and his Uncle Jules (Didier Pain) and Aunt Rose (Thérèse Liotard). After they arrive at their cottage, 11-year-old Marcel wastes no time wading into the greenery in search of adventure. What he finds is another adventuresome boy, Lili de Bellons (Joris Molinas), a native of the region. They become friends and fellow explorers, capturing cicadas, climbing rocks, and even invading an eagle's cave. Sometimes they just have fun shouting to hear an echo boomeranging back. At meal times -- often outdoors -- fresh fruit and good-natured repartee satisfy appetites. For spectator sport, the diners listen to the occasional religious arguments between Uncle Jules, a God-fearing Catholic, and Joseph, a God-doubting agnostic. Augustine and Aunt Rose avoid the polemics, for they have more important matters on their minds: keeping house, watching children, and planning the next day's menu. And then the film takes a turn toward real drama. Uncle Jules, full of tales about his prowess as a hunter, persuades Joseph, full of ignorance about guns and hunting, to go on a bird hunt. Woe is Papa, Marcel thinks. When the day of the great hunt arrives, Marcel secretly follows Joseph and Uncle Jules into the woods, setting the stage for the film's climactic moment. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide

This adaptation of Gaston Leroux's indefatigable "grand guignol" piece The Phantom of the Opera stars British actor Charles Dance as Erik the Phantom. This adaptation by playwright Arthur Kopit soft-pedals the horrific elements of the story to concentrate on the love the tragic Erik bears toward innocent chorus singer Teri Polo. The film boasts a stronger supporting cast than was usual for a TV movie, including Burt Lancaster (as the masked phantom's father), Ian Richardson and Jean-Pierre Cassel. The 1990 Phantom of the Opera reunited director Tony Richardson and composer John Addison, who'd both won Oscar for Tom Jones. Filmed on location in France, Phantom was originally telecast in two two-hour installments. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Gerard Darmon and Anais Jeanneret star in this low-budget thriller from director Miguel Courtois. A journalist wrongly accused of murder enlists the help of a femme fatale to track down the real killer. The late Michel Auclair plays a shady film producer in his last screen role, and the feature is dedicated to him. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Antoine has a promising political career in front of him, if he can only keep from getting sidelined by inappropriate love affairs. He is a junior minister in France's socialist government, and he has had a hand in writing a number of important pieces of legislation. He has put his heart into crafting and promoting a bill to reform higher education. However, he is a little too young and idealistic to accept it when his party sacrifices his bill in order to gain a concession from the opposition on another important goal. Meanwhile, his love affair with a right-wing businessman's wife has been exceedingly difficult to consummate quietly. Antoine and Florence eventually decide they don't care that much about their reputations and throw caution to the winds. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Nothing more than a typical, formulaic comedy about a bumbling Boy Scout troop leader (director Gerard Jugnot), this story features the inept counselor facing off with a wild group of scouts in the middle of a camping trip. The Scoutmaster also has to parry a gay colleague who is out to question his sexual preferences, and there are even more disasters waiting to happen. It is enough to make anyone turn in their badge. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

With enough humor to make up for any minor shortcomings, this story about the bumbling Pinot (Gérard Jugnot), a Parisian patrolman with a heart of gold, works as both comedy and drama. Pinot is intent on straightening out the questionable lifestyle of Marylou (Josiane) (Fanny Bastien), a woman he meets in the line of duty. That meeting occurred when he caught her in the middle of something unacceptable, and tried to chase her down but she escaped. The next day, he comes across the fugitive Marylou again, and this time takes her into the police station (a good parody of a real police precinct). He feels sorry for this woman and tries to help her ease into a more normal life -- without knowing that she is an addict and her loser of a boyfriend deals in drugs. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this farcical look at a female detective/mystery story writer, Cathy Palmer (JoBeth Williams) is an ordinary housewife living in Ohio with a condescending husband who is far from ideal. When Cathy wins a writing contest and has the chance to go to Paris and meet the author of the romance novels she loves, her husband tries to prevent the trip. In the end, Cathy's interests prevail, though her husband still refuses to go with her. After arriving in Paris, Cathy is knocked down by a car and wakes up in the hospital with all memory of her past life erased. In its place, she believes she is Rebecca Ryan, the heroine in the romance novels she has read. Carrying her unconscious role to the hilt, she dresses in elegant clothes and meets the comically rattled Alan McMann (Tom Conti) who becomes her partner, of sorts. Little does she know that Alan is not Rebecca's secretary, but the actual ghost writer of the Ryan novels. Cathy begins to suspect that villains are lurking everywhere, and her intuition in that regard is unerring -- she has doubts about the klutzy leader of the French opposition party (Giancarlo Giannini), and it turns out her doubts are well-founded. As the plot thickens, it becomes apparent that sooner or later Cathy-cum-Rebecca will have to realize the truth about her identity, but in the meantime, much skullduggery awaits. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The French My Other Husband (Attention! Une Femme Peut en Cacher une Autre) would eventually suffer the indignity of an American TV-movie remake, which will go unnamed here to protect the guilty. The original film is a sprightly vehicle for the delectable Miou-Miou. Thanks to her resourcefulness and spunk, Alice (Miou-Miou) manages to get two well-paying jobs in two separates cities. She also acquires two husbands, airline pilot Philippe (Roger Hanin) and school teacher Vincent (Eddy Mitchell), and three children unevenly distributed between them. Our Heroine is found out when Philippe's schedule is changed and he chances to meet Vincent. Both men accept the situation philosophically, but a frantic Alice feels an explanation is necessary. It is that explanation that provides the heart and soul of this irresistible little film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This thriller about a mysterious psychopath was based on a novel by Georges Simenon. Edouard Binet (Philippe Noiret), an aimless Frenchman who has spent several years travelling in Northern Africa, is sailing to Belgium when he meets an attractive woman named Sylvie Baron (Fanny Cottencon). Edouard introduces Sylvie to Nemrod (Gamil Ratib), a wealthy Egyptian who is traveling with a cache of valuable jewelry. Sylvie and Nemrod hit it off and soon become lovers, which stirs an insane jealousy inside Edouard. Days later, Edouard arrives in blood-stained clothes at a rooming house owned by Mme. Baron (Simone Signoret), Sylvie's mother. It seems that Nemrod was killed aboard a train after his ship arrived in France, though Edouard claims no knowledge of the events. Sylvie suspects that Edouard is responsible for Nemrod's death, but the enigmatic Edouard has gained a trusted ally in Mme. Baron. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This French production concerns a gangster (Yves Montand) who retires to the countryside after living a full life of traditional crime. After settling into his new residence with his wife (Catherine Deneuve), his home is invaded by an unruly punk (Gerard Depardieu) who has some new-fangled ideas about the way crime should work. The film appears in French with English subtitles. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide