Anémone Movies

In this broad farce from French director Jean-Marie Poire, a Parisian must scramble to save his house, marriage and livelihood -- all having been threatened as a result of his own dishonesty. Georges' (Philippe Chevallier) troubles began while vacationing in Italy with his hot young mistress Emmanuelle (Alice Evans) when she discovered he has a wife and his only source of income is an allowance from his mother-in-law (Stephane Audran) -- both facts Georges had gone out of his way to conceal. With the trip ruined, the pair returns home to Paris where Georges discovers his mother-in-law's intentions of selling the swanky apartment he and his wife live in. Soon, the adulterous Frenchman must fend off prospective buyers, a very vindictive Emmanuelle and her freakishly virile and extremely jealous boyfriend (Gotz Otto) -- with the unexpected assistance of Maurice (Regis Laspales), a man he ran into on the street. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi

The chronicle of a young Kurdish couple's journey from Kurdistan to Paris, Passeurs de Reves opens with longtime sweethearts Dolovan (Olivier Sitruk) and Zara (Rosanna Vite Mesropian) fleeing from their Mesopotamian village, which has been ravaged by ethnic warfare. As they make their way across the frigid Caucasian Mountains, Zara's parents, who are traveling with the couple, succumb to the elements. Dolovan and Zara eventually make it to a run-down evacuee camp presided over by a friendly Kurdish "tsar," where Zara discovers that her deceased father's suitcase is filled with cash. Although this is ostensibly good news, the cash makes the couple vulnerable to smugglers, dodgy guides, and counterfeiters, all of whom are eager to take advantage of Dolovan and Zara's newfound wealth. To further complicate matters, although they have money, the couple lack necessary visas to continue their journey, and soon Dolovan is taken away by the police. Abandoned in the Ukraine, Zara is robbed and then disappears, while Dolovan, traveling solo, eventually makes it to Paris to reunite with his love. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

Roger Planchon directed this French-Spanish biographical drama about artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Regis Royer). Accepted at the Beaux-Arts painting classes in Paris, Lautrec loses his virginity to an artist's model and then falls into an affair with painter Suzanne Valadon (Else Zylberstein). When she leaves him, Lautrec turns to absinthe, contracts venereal disease, and dies at age 37. Although little of his art is seen in the film, some scenes are designed to parallel both his pictures and the images of the Impressionists. Shown at the 1998 Venice Film Festival and the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

An aviation magnate takes desperate measures to regain custody of his kids after he is granted minimal visitation rights by a harsh female judge. It's true that Manu Barnes is free-spirited and for much of his twelve year marriage to Mathilde that he has been too centered on his career, but he does love his kids and believes he should see them more often than one weekend a month. The judge called him irresponsible and he decides to disprove her words by kidnapping Chloe, the judge's strong-willed adolescent daughter. He takes the girl to a remote, snow-bound mountain cabin. Unfortunately, she thinks Manu is sexually attracted to her. A disaster nearly occurs there, but Chloe manages to get back to Paris. Though he knows a private detective is trailing him, the determined Manu decides to abduct his kids and take them out of the country. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Two people with a similar fetish for the exotic Asian fabric have an odd relationship in this off-beat French romance set in 1914. In the beginning, Marie enters a Paris department store and carefully heads for the fabric part. With cat-like caution she moves beside a bolt of silk, suddenly pouncing upon it, slashing the fabric with a straight razor and the pressing its cool satiny smoothness to her body until she faints with pleasure. Upon regaining consciousness, Marie finds herself booked for shoplifting and sent to a psycho ward where she meets Doctor Gabriel who asks her surprisingly intimate questions about her fetish for stealing silk in public. He seems to relish every erotic detail. Knowing that she is unable to control her passionate urges, she decides that she needs to be imprisoned. While serving her time and finally leaning to read and write, Dr. Gabriel fights the Germans in North Africa. A wound prompts his discharge and this gives him the chance to pen his case study of Marie, "The Scream of the Silk." The newly literate Marie reads the article, sees herself and sends him a heartfelt letter of thanks. Gabriel responds, confessing that he too is a 'silko-phile' with a similar obsession. Via their letters, the two slowly fall in love while Gabriel's doting housekeeper watches over him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This unique French offering is a compilation of 30 short films focused on AIDS. The mini-films were based on over 3,000 ideas put in by French school children and were made by filmmakers on a voluntary basis. Most of the vignettes deal with heterosexuality and AIDS, but one deals with drug-usage, and one with homosexuality. It took four production houses three years to create this inspirational and informative film. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this affecting melodrama, a plucky ten-year old, who is the one delight her divorced parents enjoy together, is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. This news doesn't upset her particularly, and she maintains an even keel in the face of her parents' hysteria. On learning of this diagnosis, her father takes her away for a rambling drive through France, Italy and Switzerland. Her actress mother, meanwhile, must cope with the news while attempting to carry on with the production she is in. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In this romantic comedy, Paul (Simon de la Brosse), a good-looking gym teacher, falls hopelessly in love with Isabelle (Anemone) a very busy, professional fashion designer whose response to him runs both hot and cold, driving him to distraction. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi