Michel Audiard Movies
French screenwriter and filmmaker Michel Audiard co-wrote over one hundred films during the '50s and '60s. He was noted for his snappy dialogue. Prior to working in the film industry, he was an optician, bicycle racer, a journalist, and a novelist. He began writing movie scripts in the late 1940s, made his directorial debut in the late '60s, and went on to make many films, noted especially for their biting humor. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1985
On Ne Meurt Que Deux Fois, a French murder mystery based upon a novel of the same name, is an unusual, involving film with excellent performances by its entire cast. Police Inspector Staniland (Michel Serrault) is investigating the death of a pianist. While conducting his investigation and looking through the victim's apartment, he meets Barbara (Charlotte Rampling), the mistress of the murder victim. Barbara confesses to the crime, but Staniland, based on his observations and experience, does not believe her. He then sets out to find the truth, with surprising results. Both Serrault and Rampling are outstanding in this well-directed, well-paced film. On Ne Meurt Que Deux Fois was also released as He Died With His Eyes Open and won the Jury Prize at the 1985 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Serrault, Charlotte Rampling, (more)
- 1985
- PG13
Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault go through their well-worn passes in this third sequel to their international hit La Cage aux Folles. In La Cage aux Folles 3: The Wedding the element of Woman is introduced to the carefree world of the middle-aged gay couple of Renato (Ugo Tognazzi) and Albin (Michel Serrault). In this effort, Albin stands to inherit a large part of his Aunt Emma's money (and a large chunk of Scotland) on the condition that he marry a woman and father a child. Albin doesn't want to satisfy his Aunt Emma's will because he is what he is, but Renato needs the money to save his St. Tropez nightclub. So Albin grudgingly consults marriage broker Stephane Audran and tries to act like a conservative heterosexual. Albin runs the gamut in trying to conform, from considering going to Lourdes, to suicide. When all hope appears to be lost, the gay duo finally latch onto a pregnant girl, Cindy (Antonella Interlenghi), who decides that marrying Albin is a shade better than trying to kill herself. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Serrault, Ugo Tognazzi, (more)
- 1984
Considered more as a vehicle to display Jean-Paul Belmondo than as an independent, wartime action story, Les Morfalous rides the crest of the French actor's popularity and delivers a tale that highlights his persona. Belmondo is a member of the French Foreign Legion sent with others to Tunisia in 1943 to recover a fortune in gold from a certain French bank before the Germans get to it. Then the Legionnaires are ambushed by German troops and the few left alive manage to get hold of the treasure but they cannot agree on what to do with their booty. Between their disagreements and the surrounding German army, the action heats up. Belmondo fans will be disappointed that he does not perform any of his famous stunts in this film -- always a drawing card -- and some viewers may find the humor too crude. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jacques Villeret, (more)
Dog Day was originally distributed in France as Canicule. In one of his last film appearances, Lee Marvin portrays a gunman on the lam with girlfriend Tina Louise. He briefly takes refuge with a farm family whose idiotic excesses make Marvin's former criminal associates seem like choirboys. The wife of the household (Miou-Miou) falls in love with Marvin, to the extent of planning his escape when the law catches up with him. Also craving Marvin's sexual attentions is the wife's sister-in-law (Bernadette Lafont), the craziest and most pathetic of the bunch. Dog Day was based on Herman, a novel by Jean Vautrin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Marvin, Miou-Miou, (more)
In this suspense thriller inspired by the novel Eye of the Beholder by Marc Behm, Catherine (Isabelle Adjani), a serial killer, seduces men and then murders them just before moving on to the next victim. She spreads her mayhem through various countries in Europe, only slightly ahead of the mentally anguished detective (Michel Serrault) who tracks her -- he fantasizes she is his long-lost daughter and disposes of her trail of corpses to foil the police. Catherine pauses for a real love affair with a blind architect (Sami Frey) but the detective is overcome by jealousy and causes the man's death. This drives Catherine into despair -- and a return to her psychotic killing. As the police dragnet closes in, both Catherine and the detective are brought closer to a final confrontation with their internal demons. The version released in the U.S. runs only 96 min. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Serrault, Isabelle Adjani, (more)
- 1983
In another typical Jean-Paul Belmondo vehicle, the French action hero plays a policeman prone to advancing the cause of justice by any means necessary. On his agenda is a powerful drug cartel working out of Paris and Marseilles, with a drug lord (Henry Silva) who is essentially inaccessible -- but not immortal. Stunts (performed by Belmondo) and chase scenes on land and water enliven the story, but the scenes with Belmondo's love interest are rather marginal themselves. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Henry Silva, (more)
- 1982
Sebastien Grenier (Lino Ventura), a former French spy, is working as a financial analyst in Zurich and cultivating an on-going relationship with Anna Gretz (Krystyna Janda), a German teaching at the university. Then his peaceful existence starts to disintegrate when he is recruited by a top French intelligence operative (Michel Piccoli) to discover how one of their own secret agents was found out and executed in broad daylight by a gang of terrorists. Sebastien starts to work but is immediately put off by the fact that his contacts are being murdered before he can reach them. As he gets deeper and deeper into the case, he comes to realize that he is being used in an elaborate political scheme, a scheme that leads to the death of Anna and a vow to get the killers who have now ruined what is left of his life. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lino Ventura, Krystyna Janda, (more)
Joss Beaumont (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a French spy given the assignment of killing an African dictator, and when he arrives in Africa to do so, he is captured and put in prison. The political winds had changed - the dictator is now an ally - and the best way to handle the agent is to keep him in jail. Naturally at odds now with his former bosses and with an ax to grind for his own incarceration, the agent escapes after two years in prison and heads back to Paris where he announces that he is going to finish his assassination job during the coming diplomatic visit of the African leader. Once aware of his intent, the French government sets up one trap after another, but to no avail - the agent remains free and there is no doubt that he has the full capacity to do exactly what he says. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Michel Beaune, (more)
- 1981
This is a minimalist interrogation drama about a wealthy, influential attorney (Michel Serrault) in a small French town falls under suspicion in a double rape/murder case. The police bring the lawyer in for questioning; at first politely, and then less so, the interrogation team (Lino Venture, Guy Marchand) chips away at the suspect's alibi. An expertly wrought surprise ending makes up for the clumsiness of the English-language dubbing. This French film was based on the British novel Brainwash, by John Wainwright. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lino Ventura, Michel Serrault, (more)
- 1980
This standard comedy thriller is more a vehicle to show off Jean-Paul Belmondo's stunts than to convey a suspenseful tale to a hoodwinked audience. Belmondo plays a conman who gets tangled in a complex series of hassles that involve some well-placed kicks to straighten out. Everyone is after a microfilm he has, and when he is not hanging from a helicopter to escape his enemies he is bedding down one woman or another. Life, after awhile, seems fairly predictable as he goes from being airborne to bedridden or vice-versa. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Michel Galabru, (more)
- 1980
- PG
This sequel to Dear Detective suffers from the same trouble as most sequels in that it does not live up to the original film. Police director Lise Tanquerelle (Annie Girardot) marries Antoine Lemercier (Philippe Noiret), an expert in Greek history. While honeymooning in Greece, they are approached by Pochet (Francis Perrin), a young archaeologist who discloses his latest discovery to the couple. He has uncovered the buttocks of Venus Heroclitus. Agnes (Catherine Alric) is Pochet's disgruntled wife who allows the statue to be stolen by a Greek sailor. When the sailor is found dead, Antoine and Porchet are indicted for murder. The two escape in order to track down the real culprit in this crime comedy adventure. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Philippe Noiret, Catherine Alric, (more)
- 1980
The source for the French detective drama Heads or Tails? was the American novel Baroni by Alfred Harris. Phillipe Noiret plays a weary Bordeaux detective, hot on the trail of Michael Serrault. Serrault's domineering wife has allegedly committed suicide, but Noiret suspects murder. As hunter and hunted get to know one another, an unusual bond forms between them. When Noiret is forced to retire by his corrupt superiors, he accepts a bribe from Serrault, and the two men retreat to the freedom and comfort of the South Seas. A you-can-see-it-a-mile-away "surprise ending" caps this minor escapade, which was originally released in France as Pile ou Face. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Arditi, Michel Serrault, (more)
- 1979
A discontented concert pianist causes all sorts of heartbreak with his egotistical and womanizing antics, and all the people in his life attempt to force him to grow up in this French comedy/drama (with English subtitles). ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Rochefort, Nicole Garcia, (more)
- 1979
When the local police inspector was found dead in a prostitute's house, police division commissioner Stan Borowitz (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is sent to investigate the situation. Posing as the prostitute's long-lost brother "Antonio Cerruti," he discovers a mare's nest of police corruption. In fact, in this comedy thriller the whole town is corrupt. If they were closely examined, Stan's methods for pursuing this investigation might embarrass the police. For instance, he drives into a criminal's house in a fancy, expensive race car. In another incident, he callously blows up a casino owned by Musard (Georges Geret), one of the town's crime bosses. On that occasion, he first forces Musard to remove his clothes, and the poor criminal watches his casino explode from across the square while standing naked in a phone booth. Meanwhile, Stan seduces the lovely Edmonde (Marie Laforet). This box-office smash was the first of four wildly successful collaborations between Belmondo and director Georges Lautner. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Marie Laforêt, (more)
- 1979
In July of 1976, the Societé Générale of France was robbed of well over $10 million dollars by a group burrowing through the sewers of Paris. This movie is based on a book by the thieves' mastermind, Albert Spaggiari. The famous theft won the nickname, "the great drain robbery," and this romanticized cinematic retelling of the true story stars Francis Huster as Spaggiari. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Huster, Jean-François Balmer, (more)
- 1977
Xavier Marechal (Alain Delon) is a businessman whose long-time business partner and friend is Philippe Dubaye (Maurice Ronet) a member of the French parliamentary assembly. In the film, Philippe has just killed Cerrano, a fellow assemblyman who threatened to disclose Philippe's involvement in political corruption. After killing the man, he steals his notebook which contains blackmail information implicating many members of the government. Philippe comes to Xavier afterward for help but only has time to tell him where the notebook is hidden before he is killed. Xavier and Philippe's girlfriend Valerie (Ornella Muti) become the objects of a manhunt by the worried politicians and their henchmen. Mort d'Un Pourri was basically an Alain Delon project; he funded the production of this action thriller, lent his name to it, and invited well-known action- and comedy-director Georges Lautner to direct it. This virtually guaranteed enough money for a polished production, with an all-star cast. Alain Delon here remains faithful to his image as a lone wolf, proud warrior and "samurai" devoted to friendship. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alain Delon, Ornella Muti, (more)
- 1977
Jean-Paul Belmondo plays Michel Gauché, a stunt double and trickster who is crazy in love with his former fiancee, work-mate, and fellow stunt performer Jane (Raquel Welch). She, however, is so angry with him for landing her in the hospital due to a badly performed stunt that she breaks off the engagement. Belmondo also plays Bruno Ferrari, the movie star he is doubling for, an effeminate homosexual who lusts after his stuntman. Because Jane is angry with Michel, she falls into the arms of a film producer, and arranges for Michel to re-do the same stunt over and over again endlessly. She also tries to woo Bruno the movie star and discovers that he is not interested in women. Michel tries hard to win her back, sometimes pretending to be the movie star, which confuses her to no end. Just as she is about to marry a dull aristocrat, Belmondo appears in an old gorilla outfit and abducts her from the aisles of the church. Belmondo was famous for doing all his own stunts, and he continued that tradition in this film. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Raquel Welch, (more)
- 1977
Dear Inspector and Dear Detective were the English-language titles of Philippe De Broca's Tendre Poulet. Annie Girardot plays the old flame of Greek professor Philippe Noiret. The prof tries to rekindle the flames of passion, but Girardot seems curiously preoccupied. It turns out that she's a detective on the trail of a murderer. The film served as the basis for the 1979 American made-for-TV movie Dear Detective, starring Brenda Vaccaro and Arlen Dean Snyder. A DeBroca-directed sequel, Jupiter's Thigh, was filmed in 1979, again with Annie Girardot and Philippe Noiret. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annie Girardot, Philippe Noiret, (more)
- 1976
Francois (Jean-Paul Belmondo) was framed as a drug-trafficker by none other than the head trafficker himself and spent seven years in prison for his supposed crimes. Now an ex-con, the vengeful Francois carefully arranges things so that the kingpin's own henchmen murder him, as they believe that they are also about to fall victim to the mobster's ruthless schemes. Flashbacks show that Francois had a rewarding, though tumultuous life before his imprisonment. Now he has a new girlfriend, and a new life, in this movie based on a book by Marceau. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Bernard Blier, (more)
- 1976
When he is not working as a stage performer, Emile (Yves Montand) works as a small-time con-man. He has a brand-new plan for a big job and needs the services of one of his former assistants. He also persuades a young actress to help out with part of the plan: kidnapping the child of a very shady arms merchant who will be pressured to keep the police off their backs. Emile is a kindly man with more charm than skill. When his plans go badly awry, he sends the two assistants away as a couple, along with the baby they had planned to substitute for the child in the arms merchant's house. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yves Montand, Claude Brasseur, (more)
- 1975
Right after his release from prison, Victor (Jean-Paul Belmondo) resumes his con-man activities. He rents apartments he doesn't own, sells nonexistent fighter planes to African countries, and by turns pretends to be a gardener, lawyer, private detective, governmental official, and even a transvestite in order to fool his unsuspecting victims. He does it all under the nose of his charming but naive parole officer Marie-Charlotte (Genevieve Bujold). When Victor finds out that Marie-Charlotte's father curates the museum that has an extremely valuable painting, he and his friends decide to steal it. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Geneviève Bujold, (more)
- 1974
Feature-film director Michel Audiard tackles what he believes to be the mistakenly heroic status given to Charles De Gaulle. In this documentary film, he uses humor, among other things, to demythologize him. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1974
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
