Elisabeth Vitali Movies

A star is born in a time of both celebration and instability in this historical drama with music from director Christophe Barratier. In the spring of 1936, Paris is in a state of uncertainty; while the rise of the Third Reich in Germany worries many, a leftist union-oriented candidate, Léon Blum, has been voted into power, and organized labor is feeling its new power by standing up to management. While such matters might normally seem unimportant to Germain Pigoil (Gérard Jugnot), who runs a small vaudeville house in the Faubourg district, the chaos of the city seems to be impacting his life and his work -- his wife, Viviane (Elisabeth Vitali), has run off with her lover, she demands custody of their son, Jojo (Maxence Perrin), and unscrupulous local entrepreneur Galapiat (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) threatens to put Germain's theater out of business. With the help of a local political organizer, Milou (Clovis Cornillac), and veteran entertainer Jacky Jacquet (Kad Merad), Germain strikes a deal with Galapiat to reopen the theater, but business is slow until a lovely young woman with a remarkable voice, Douce (Nora Arnezeder), comes looking for a spot in Germain's show. Faubourg 36 (aka Paris 36) received its North American premiere at the 2008 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A French road movie with an unlikely and mystifying title, Western is actually a romantic comedy-drama from writer-director Manuel Poirier. A charming Spanish shoe salesman, Paco (Sergi Lopez), picks up a Russian hitchhiker, Nino (Sacha Bourdo). Nino steals Paco's flashy car because Nino thinks that it will help him find a woman. Paco is befriended by Marinette (Elisabeth Vitali), and they fall in love, but he loses his job. Paco attacks Nino, but the two later become friends. Marinette tells Paco that she wants to have a trial separation before making a commitment, so Paco and Nino take a trip across the French countryside. At a hotel, two women reject the awkward Nino and sleep with Paco. Paco tries to help Nino by canvassing the town's women in a fake poll on their ideal man, but this scheme also backfires. As they continue their romantic misadventures, luck begins to shift from Nino to Paco. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

This French slice-of-life drama follows the laid-back exploits of a small group of people who leave Paris to experience the quiet country life. Lila, a recent ex-con in her twenties, decides to exchange Parisian life for live in the small village where her sister is living. There she meets Benoit, another Paris refugee in his late thirties. Though, not well suited, they fall in love. Both of them carry torches for former loves. Suddenly, Lila leaves; Benoit grieves. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Twenty-one-year-old Valentine (Sophie Marceau) works part time as a teacher while she prepares for her all-important final exams. She meets Edouard (Vincent Lindon), a rock musician who hopes to someday be a composer. Despite the fact that the two have different schedules and career agendas, they engage in a passionate affair. Valentine compares her relationship with Edouard to the dry dissertation of Moliere's The Misanthrope during her oral exams at the Sorbonne. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Mixing together the erotic and a theme of imminent death, director Michel Deville has fashioned an increasingly unsettling tale, based on the French novel Sur la Terre Comme au Ciel by Rene Belletto. When David (Christophe Malavoy) arrives at the home of Julia (Nicole Garcia) and Graham (Michel Piccoli) to teach guitar to their teenage daughter, a certain attraction starts between the student and teacher. That disappears when Julia seduces David at his apartment, and the two begin an affair, seemingly with the tacit consent of Julia's husband. Meanwhile, David's neighbor keeps snooping around, and at one point David is saved from a mugger just in the nick of time by a man who turns out to be an assassin for hire -- and hired to kill Graham, Julia's husband. As danger looms on the horizon for David, Graham, Julia, and the assassin himself, tension mounts, and someone's violent death seems inevitable. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide