Bernard Blier Movies

Two middle-aged victims of the war of the sexes, Paul and Albert (Jean-Pierre Marielle and Jean Rochefort) run away from their families at the same time. They indulge themselves by eating what they want to, when and where it pleases them. Trouble finds them in the form of their abandoned wives, and the film moves very much into the realm of symbolic and sexual fantasy from this point onward. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

The advertising business is the background for this drama about the struggles between a jaded old-timer (Bernard Blier) and his former employee (Francis Perrin), an idealistic young man who starts his own company and wants somehow to tell the truth about the products he is pushing. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

The famed Italian film director Pietro Germi (his sharply observant and satirical films include The Immoralist, and Divorce Italian Style) began work on this comedy, but died before he could do more than write the screenplay. However, he lived long enough to choose Mario Monicelli as his successor. In the story, four friends keep their friendship alive and their Tuscan town lively by means of an endless series of practical jokes and pranks of various sorts. Perozzi (Philippe Noiret) works on the night desk of a newspaper, reporting on crime. Mascetti (Ugo Tognazzi), an aristocrat, has seen better days. They are joined in mischief by Melandri (Gastone Moschin) and Necci (Duilio DelPrete), an architect and a cafe-owner by profession respectively. When the town doctor (Adolfo Celi) manages to outwit the collective efforts of the four, he is soon invited to join their little club. The rhythms of life in a cheerful provincial town are effectively unveiled in this zany and affectionate film. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this broad, slapstick crime comedy, a trio of burglars rob the wrong apartment, but decide to hold the inhabitants hostage over the weekend, until they can get to the bank to cash a check written by their captive. Things don't work out smoothly, and they have to flee to the countryside. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Hélène (Lea Massari) has a lovely family, and lovely children. She is not discontented with things just as they are: her young lover is attentive, her husband is pleasant -- all is just as it should be. In this French suspense film, Hélène's cozy life begins to unravel when she finds her lover is dead. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this French comedy, Pierre (Pierre Richard) is the peace-loving, good-natured son of an arms merchant. His bumbling attempts to help people result in humorous chaos. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this French comedy/satire, director Jean Yanne plays Benoit, an economist who sets out to prove that, with money, one can get away with doing almost anything. Fired from the company he works for, he persuades a relative who is an important union organizer to invest union funds in helping him take over a bicycle factory. When he makes a big success of that, he begins taking over other failing businesses and making successes of them. Then he starts to play with the power of money. One of his stunts is to set up a church with very unusual doctrines in order to please a friend. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this wacky French spy comedy, the chief of the French secret service wants very much to keep his job and stoops to chicanery to prevent rivals from closing in. He points to a man chosen at random from a crowd of people (Pierre Richard), and identifies him to his rival as an important spy who must be followed at all costs. In fact, he is François, a bumbling, good-natured musician. However, his lack of any notable spy-like failings only serves to convince his watchers that he is more skillful and professional than they. At every turn, they redouble their efforts, leading to many absurd situations. For instance, they send a beautiful woman to try to get his secrets from him. Instead, convinced of his innocence, she falls in love with him. This extremely popular film became actor Pierre Richard's signature role, and he often used the character's name in other films. This was one of the first successful screenplays by Francis Veber, who went on to write the screenplay for La Cage Aux Folles and many other successful comedies. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Jean Yanne directs and stars in this French comedy. He plays a radio reporter who is fired when he recounts on the air just how his brave colleagues report on Latin American revolutions: from a lounge chair next to the pool of a luxury hotel, or from cabanas along the beach. He is briefly hired back to run the station but gets fired yet again when he airs an exposé of phony name-brand products. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this characteristic French farce, Louis De Funes in the role of Antoine spoofs the 1959 American classic black comedy, Gazebo. In Jo, De Funes is being investigated by the police because his name was on a list kept by a missing blackmailer who is presumed to be dead. Antoine has good reason to know, as he was there when the fellow died; in the moment he almost managed to shoot the man, someone else kills him. He is stuck with the body, and he keeps having to move it while the police are watching him. Fortunately for him, they are somewhat inept. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This French language film is a typical action/crime film by director Georges Lautner. Serge (Jean Yanne) is a jewel thief, doing time in prison for a robbery. He was turned in by his wife (Mireille Darc), who is now the mistress of the head of the gang. The police let Serge out of prison, hoping that he will lead them to the missing loot. Instead, he runs into trouble with the gang members, who are not entirely happy to see him back, since they set him up to take the fall for them. He is also at risk from the police who are following him, as not all of them are on the up-and-up. Fortunately, his back is being covered by an old prison friend who helps him stay alive. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide