Katrine Boorman Movies
Writer and director Sofia Coppola puts a new spin on the life and times of one of Europe's most infamous monarchs in this lavish historical drama which fuses a contemporary sensibility with painstaking recreations of the look of the 18th century. Born to Austrian nobility, Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst) is only 14 years old when she's pledged to marry Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman), the 15-year-old king of France, in an alliance that has everything to do with politics and nothing to do with love. Sent to France and literally stripped of her former life, Marie weds Louis, but to the consternation of the royal court, he seems either unwilling or unable to consummate the marriage while their advisors clamor for an heir to the throne. Young and more than a bit out of step with the new life that's been thrust upon her, Marie gives herself over to the pleasures of life in Versailles, knowing and caring little of the political intrigue that surrounds her. In time, Marie's trusted older brother, Joseph (Danny Huston), is brought in to coach Louis on the finer points of marital relations, and before long the couple is finally blessed with a child. However, as Marie tends to her children in the gilded cage of her palace and enjoys an affair with a Swedish nobleman, political power plays are throwing France into chaos, and the growing ranks of the poor rebel against the royals and their life of privilege. Also starring Rip Torn, Judy Davis, Steve Coogan, and Asia Argento, Marie Antoinette was given a controversial reception when it premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, (more)
- 1997
The good witch Morgane bears a son and finds herself faced with a painful choice. Tradition requires that she select a godfather for the child at the exact moment of its birth. The moral alignment of the godfather will determine that of the child. The trouble is that there are only six witches left on the earth and the only eligible magical godfather, Molok, is a wicked warlock. If she refuses him, her only option is to select a mortal man who was born on the same day and time. Unfortunately if a mortal were to undergo the ceremony her son would lose his magic and the volunteer would literally lose his mind and become a living vegetable. This romantic French tale tells what happens when Morgane chooses the latter option. After much searching she and her remaining cronies narrow the eligible list down to three men. Unfortunately, Molok finds out and kills two of them, leaving only Michael, a handsome young New York inventor to fill the bill. Michael hates flying, but his business colleague Joel manages to convince him to go to Paris. There he meets Morgane who takes him to her grandmother's home. En route they pause to take magical potions and make love in the forest. Trouble brews when afterward Morgane finds herself falling in love with Michael and thinking twice about taking away his extraordinary intelligence. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vanessa Paradis, Jeanne Moreau, (more)
In this French comedy, a man discovers that he has something unexpected in common with his wife -- they're both involved with another woman. Loli (Victoria Abril) is a woman of Spanish blood married to a French businessman, Laurent (Alain Chabat). Loli is not especially happy as a housewife, though she'd likely be even less happy if she knew that her husband is chronically unfaithful and has had a string of mistresses. Laurent, on the other hand, is convinced that his wife isn't the type who would never have an affair, and what she doesn't know won't hurt her. One day, a truck breaks down in front of Loli's home, and Marijo (Josiane Balasko) asks to use their phone. Marijo is a gruff-looking lesbian who works as a plumber; as it happens, Loli has a stopped-up sink, so in exchange for using the phone, Marijo gets Loli's drain back in working order. Soon Loli and Marijo are getting to know each other a bit better, and Loli discovers that she's powerfully attracted to her new visitor. Marijo becomes Loli's bedmate and a permanent guest at the house, which is more than a bit perplexing to Laurent, but after he accidentally reveals his infidelities to Loli, he's not in much of a position to pass judgement. Josiane Balasko, who plays Marijo, is also the film's director and co-screenwriter. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Josiane Balasko, (more)
The troubled life of French sculptor Camille Claudel and her long relationship with legendary sculptor Auguste Rodin are portrayed in this passionate biographical drama, featuring an acclaimed performance by Isabelle Adjani. Beginning in the 1880s with a young Claudel's first meeting with Rodin, the film traces the development of their intense romantic bond. The growth of this relationship coincides with the rise of Claudel's career, helping her overcome prejudices against female artists. However, their romance soon sours, due to the increasing pressures of Rodin's fame and his love for another woman. These difficulties combine with her increasing doubts about the value of her work to drive Claudel into an emotional tumult that threatens to become insanity. First-time director Bruno Nuytten had previously served as a cinematographer, and he brings this experience to bear in his loving presentation of Claudel's sculpture and the lavish period setting. The dramatic approach is in tune with the impressive visuals, which present Claudel's life as a grandiose melodrama, a transformation that irritated some critics. However, few questioned the film's value as a dramatic showcase for Adjani, whose fervent portrayal was rewarded with an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The American release version was cut to 159 minutes. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isabelle Adjani, Gérard Depardieu, (more)
An affectionate reverie about war, childhood, and British stoicism, John Boorman's Hope and Glory is the veteran filmmaker's recollection of the bombing of London during World War II. Set on the British home front during the early days of the war, this episodic movie shows the blitz through the eyes of seven-year-old Billy Rohan (Sebastian Rice Edwards). At the war's outset, Billy finds himself alone in a house full of women, as all the men are called off to join the war effort. With wide-eyed wonder and an outsized imagination, Billy sees the war as a grand diversion, an extension of his world of knights, tin soldiers, and war games. As bombs fall and houses burn, Billy's mother (Sarah Miles) struggles to keep the family together in her husband's absence. Even as Billy seeks to escape the harem of aunts and sisters, Dawn (Sammi Davis), his older sister, falls for a Canadian soldier who gets her pregnant. After the Rohans' home catches fire (not, ironically, as the result of a bomb blast, but from a domestic accident), the family is forced to move in with Billy's cantankerous grandfather in the countryside, where they spend the rest of their summer and enjoy an unusual idyll amid the raging war. Nominated in 1987 for a Best Picture Academy Award, Hope and Glory proved to be another high point in the career of the remarkably protean Boorman. ~ Elbert Ventura, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sebastian Rice-Edwards, Sarah Miles, (more)
- 1985
Weak in script and plot, this comedy about the differences (or not) between royalty and the commoners that toil for a living has little to recommend it. Princess Charlotte (Anemone) is scheduled to marry a boring duke, but before that event happens, Paul (Thierry Lhermitte) has taken a bet that he can seduce her. He does, profits from his act, and then falls in love with her. Meanwhile, the wedding with the duke is still planned, and it remains to be seen whether Paul will give in and give up. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anémone, Thierry Lhermitte, (more)
- 1984
The film tells the tale of the adolescent son of two wealthy socialites who have left him home alone while they go out on the town. At home, the boy begins a series of wild daydreams. He finds himself aboard an elevator that takes him through the Earth and onto another planet. There he finds the "Nautilus," Captain Nemo's submarine. He also finds Nemo's ape/man assistant. Together they begin a series of spectacular adventures. They encounter many storybook characters along the way. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Seth Kibel, Jason Connery, (more)
- 1984
This anthology is comprised of six vignettes made by different Noveau Vague filmmakers. Each short film centers on a different aspect of Parisian life. The films and their directors include: J'ai Faim, J'ai Froid by Chantal Akerman; Place Clichy by Bernard Dubois; Rue Fontaine by Philippe Garrel; Rue Du Bac by Frederic Mitterand; Paris Plage by Vincent Nordon, and Canal Saint-Martin by Philippe Vernault. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria de Medeiros, Pascale Salkin, (more)
John Boorman directed this gloriously savage interpretation of Arthurian legend loosely based on Thomas Malory's novel Le Morte d'Arthur. By turns gleaming and filthy, tender and bloody, the film is a visually stunning epic which is never less than compelling. Nigel Terry is perfectly cast as Arthur, whose unwavering trust and faith are shown to be both quietly heroic and achingly naïve. Interestingly, the quest for the Grail is the least effective part of the film, despite bold cinematography by Alex Thomson (who was nominated for an Oscar) and a fine performance by Paul Geoffrey as Perceval, whose greatest desire is attained in his dying sight. It is the scenes of Camelot in which Boorman is at his most effective, as Arthur is betrayed by the burning passions of Guenevere (Cherie Lunghi) and Lancelot (Nicholas Clay), whose boiling internal forces cannot be denied, whatever the cost. The wicked Mordred (Robert Addie) and Morgana (Helen Mirren) are commanding when onscreen, and Nicol Williamson's performance as the grandiosely self-sacrificing Merlin is outstanding. Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart also appear in this dense, passionate, and stirring triumph featuring a marvelous Trevor Jones score. The gruesome effects by Peter Hutchinson and Alan Whibley, however, and sights such as a knight having sex in full body armor make this a fairy tale strictly for adults. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, (more)
