Simone Signoret

Henri Langlois was, in many respects, the ultimate film fan. In 1936, at the age of 22, Langlois became (along with Jean Mitry and Georges Franju) one of the founders of the Cinémathèque Française, a theater and museum devoted to preserving the history of the motion picture. Initially a tiny operation financed by private funds, the Cinémathèque, with time, grew into Europe's most important film archive, collecting and preserving prints of rare films from all over the world and protecting many rare gems of the French cinema from destruction during the Nazi occupation of World War II. Langlois' enthusiasm for sharing the treasures of his collection with others helped spawn a film-crazy generation who created the French New Wave of the '50s, and in time, the French government acknowledged the importance of the Cinémathèque's work by financing their endeavors. In 1968, the French minister of culture, André Malraux, responded to Langlois' difficult personality and sloppy bookkeeping by pulling the government's financing of his projects, which led to an international outcry leading to the shutdown of the Cannes Film Festival by activists and film buffs. The Cinémathèque's funding and Langlois' leadership were later restored, and in 1973, his work in film preservation was honored with a special Academy Award. Henri Langlois: The Phantom of the Cinémathèque is a documentary which chronicles the life, times, and passions of the legendary archivist and includes interviews with his friends, contemporaries, and colleagues -- including Claude Berri, Claude Chabrol, Jack Valenti, and Daniel Cohn-Bendit. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Not just another documentary on the French resistance movement, this film focuses on one particular group of underground fighters in France: those from Eastern Europe. Many were Jews and all had fled their native countries before the war broke out. They were among the most staunch and fearless enemies of fascism, as shown here in personal interviews and memoirs of war-time experiences. But the most famous of these immigrants were 23 who were rounded up among several hundred Parisians in 1943, tried for their activities, and executed -- all were immigrants under the leadership of the Armenian poet Manouchian. After their execution, Paris was papered with posters decrying these 23 martyrs as "foreign communists." ~ Eleanor Mannikka, 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

L'Adolescente (The Adolescent) was the second directorial stint for French film star Jeanne Moreau. This possibly autobiographical piece is set during the early war years. Laetitia Chauveau plays a twelve-year old girl whose future is determined by the events of one long summer holiday in the country in the period just before the outbreak of the Second World War. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Madame Rosa (Simone Signoret) is an aging former prostitute who, in her dotage, makes a living by caring for the children of other prostitutes in Paris' Arab community. Haunted by memories of her experiences in a Nazi concentration camp, Rosa is seized with the notion that the Gestapo is still after her. She thus begs one of her young charges (Samy Ben Youb) not to give away her "hiding place." Madame Rosa was based on Momo, a novel by one Emile Ajar (better known as Romaine Gary). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The heiress Claire (Charlotte Rampling) in this movie is the daughter of the Miss Blandish of the film No Orchids for Miss Blandish. She has been raised under the unsympathetic eye of her aunt (Edwige Feuillere), who has no intention of seeing her receive her large inheritance. A somewhat violent girl (her father was a mentally retarded killer), she has been confined in a mental asylum. All the men who help her meet tragedy and death in the course of the film, but Claire gets help from other quarters, and her prospects look good. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

The very modest lawyer (Jean-Louis Trintignant) in this case of murder finds much more than he is looking for and then must decide what to do with the unwelcome information. He is defending a woman who is accused of killing her lover. It turns out that the lover was actually killed during a holdup, and was a member of a gang which did bullying favors for local politicians; and the trail doesn't end there. This French film is directed by Trintignant's wife, Nadine. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

A Georges Simenon novel was the basis for the French Le Chat. Not much happens in the way of plot, nor are many words of dialogue spoken; the character relationships (or lack of same) are the focal point here. Jean Gabin and Simone Signoret, long married, plainly despise one another. Rather than call it quits, Gabin and Signoret spend their days in a crumbling mansion, figuring out ways to make each other's lives a hell on earth. The only thing Gabin truly cares about is his pet cat--and you can bet Signoret will do something about that. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Nolan (Serge Reggiani) was set up to take the fall for a crime committed by his whole gang, and as a result, his brother is dead and he is forced to do a stint in prison. Nolan comes out of prison looking for his former compatriots, and not just to shake their hands. He runs into an old girlfriend, Madeleine (Jeanne Moreau), now a respectable doctor's wife. Another woman he encounters, Lea (Simone Signoret), betrays him to an enemy. The remaining cast includes a number of fine French actors who add depth to this suspense thriller (Charles Vanel, Marcel Bozzuffi, Andre Pousse, Michel Bouquet, Amidou and Jean Desailly). This is a French language film, with no dubbing or subtitles. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This documentary follows noted film archivist Henri Langlois as he returns to Paris. Over 60,000 prints exist in his Paris museum, with 15,000 in the United States and 6,000 in Russia. Ingrid Bergman, Lillian Gish, Jeanne Moreau, Simone Signoret, Catherine Denueve, Francois Truffaut, and Viva all give commentaries about Langlois and the importance of his work to the world film community. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

A man returns to France after living in America for 11 years to find the old hometown has changed. Bruno (Jean-Louis Trintignant looks up some old friends that he left behind. One man was killed in the war with Algeria, and others are resigned to live out their lives in a sullen acceptance of fate. Leone (Simone Signoret) runs the local bar where the old gang used to meet. Flashbacks are employed to give historical reference to the stories of the characters. Bruno's return is met with a strange mix of suspicion and envy by the locals who have remained in the small town. Director Marcel Bozzuffi plays Jackie, the former football hero who struggles to make it after his athletic career has ended. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

This is one of several film versions of the classic play by Anton Chekhov. The depressing tale of unrequited love begins when an aging actress Arkadina (Simone Signoret) and her arrogant writer companion Trigorin (James Mason) travel to a small Russian town to visit her brother, an ailing public official in retirement. Nina (Vanessa Redgrave) is the neighbor girl who falls for Trigorin. The simple country girl is degraded by the older, more worldly author as she follows him to the big city and falls victim to the debauchery of urban life. Arkadina also deals with a hateful son who is driven to suicide in this somber and depressing film. Although there are some moments of comedy in the play, this film version is decidedly more downbeat. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

John LeCarre's Call for the Dead was the basis for this gloomy, complex spy story. James Mason plays a British secret agent puzzled by the sudden suicide of Foreign Office higher-up Robert Flemyng. Mason had worked on Flemyng's security clearance himself, and can't fathom what personality quirk he might have missed. The agent suspects that the dead man's wife (Simone Signoret), a concentration camp survivor, may hold the answer to Flemyng's despair, but the Foreign Office wants Mason to drop the case. Mason hires retiring Inspector Harry Andrews to do some private detective work. What Mason and Andrews find out is more insidious than they've imagined; worse, Mason is saddled with a new dilemma--his wife (Harriet Andersson) has been unfaithful with a colleague (Maximillian Schell). The Deadly Affair is not for the spell-things-out James Bond crowd, but those willing to stick with it will find the experience rewarding, if ultimately depressing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide