John Berry Movies

Sophie Blondy directs this romantic drama hailing from France. Babeth (Blondy) is a struggling actor and part-time assistant teacher unhappily involved with downbeat artist Remi (Paul Tang). Meanwhile, Arthur (Guillaume Depardieu) longs for the comely Babeth. He picks up his numerous girlfriends while discussing sex, love, and the meaning of life. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

While hiking in the countryside near a coastal town in Normandy, two young lovers have a spat and separate. The woman is run down by a ghostly Land Rover and disappears. Meanwhile, her beau comes to a big old house where he is taken in by an old and lonely man. It doesn't take long for the young man to realize that his host is wacko and terrified of dying and is willing to take extreme measures to prevent this from happening. Though billed as a thriller, director Michael Ferry chose to focus on the inner thoughts and fears of the protagonists rather than exciting action sequences. All of the violence occurs off screen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Set in the 1960s this comedy, based on the autobiographical novel of the same title by Haitian author Dany Laferriere this comedy centers on the sexploits of an aspiring African writer living in Montreal. When not clacking away on his novel (same as the title), he is out picking up white women from the local cafes. Known only as "Man," his women remain similarly anonymous, though he does ascribe them names based on the qualities he uses to differentiate them. "Miz Literature" is his main squeeze. The whole idea behind the film is to take a deeper look at racial stereotypes. Unfortunately it only succeeds in leeringly reinforcing them. The title of this film generated considerable controversy in the US. Many major newspapers refused to run the complete title, opting for ellipsis or publishing it in French. The NAACP lobbied unsuccessfully to have the name changed and some theaters refused to show the film. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A French music lover befriends a once-great American jazz artist and attempts to save him from self-destruction in this moody drama. Saxophonist Dexter Gordon portrays Dale Turner, a fictional musician inspired by a number of famed jazz figures, including Bud Powell and Lester Young. Largely forgotten in his home country, Turner has moved to Paris in search of a more appreciative audience. He finds it in the form of Francis Borler (Francois Cluzet), a bebop aficionado who befriends the expatriate player. Borler soon becomes familiar with Turner's darker side, including his struggles with alcoholism, drug addiction, and depression. Fearing for the musician's life, the fan becomes his caretaker, an arrangement that leads to a brief improvement in Turner's health and fortunes but places great emotional strain upon them both. Director Bertrand Tavernier pays great attention to the visual and aural details of the jazz world, with outstanding musical supervision provided by Herbie Hancock. 'Round Midnight's greatest asset, however, is Gordon's Academy Award-nominated performance, informed by his own life experiences. His naturally fascinating presence combines with the film's obvious love of the music and its milieu to provide what many have hailed as one of the more authentic and affectionate presentations of the jazz world on the silver screen. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Maya Angelou may be eminently qualified for her position as America's poet laureate, but her skills as a scriptwriter areat play in Sister Sister. Diahann Carroll plays a Southern schoolteacher who lives in the large house willed to her by her pullman-porter father; here she takes care of younger sister Irene Cara, striving to keep the girl on the straight and narrow. Into this proper household descends Carroll's other sister, Rosalind Cash, an uninhibited swinger. The inevitable confrontation is spiced by the fact that the "saintly" Carroll has been busy helping her preacher boyfriend (Dick Anthony Williams) siphon church funds in order to finance his political career. Set in North Carolina, the made-for-TV Sister Sister was actually filmed in Alabama. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A gangster who was wrongfully executed for a killing is promised leniency from Satan if he returns to earth in the body of a lawman who is trying to stamp out evil. Trouble is, the dead man has a hard time being evil enough to get revenge. ~ All Movie Guide

In this comedy based on a play by Herb Gardner, a zany, disparate couple tries to beat the odds and stay together. The man runs a posh private school and cannot see why his lover prefers teaching in the Lower East Side where they were raised. The two temporarily split, and each of them has an affair. The experience teaches them that they are meant to be together. Unfortunately, when the humbled two return to their luxurious apartment, they again begin arguing. In the heat of anger, the man grabs the gun her father gave him and fires three shots into the ceiling. With the police sirens encroaching, the woman realizes that inside, he is still the wild and crazy guy she fell for years before, and romantic bliss ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Claudine (Diahann Carroll) is an impoverished African-American Harlem resident. Unmarried, Claudine supports herself and her six children by working as a maid--albeit secretly, so she can still qualify for welfare. Garbageman James Earl Jones falls in love with Claudine, and after strenuous effort manages to win the affections of her suspicious kids. Just when it seems as though there's a marriage in the offing, Jones runs off. Claudine's kids hunt him down and shame him into returning to their mother. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Young Terry Bowen (Jay North) joins his big-game hunting father Hugh (Clint Walker) in India after his mother dies in this sentimental adventure. Hugh loses his courage after an incident with a tiger, and Terry loses respect for his father after he shoots a young cheetah that Terry was nursing back to health. He runs away and meets Raji (Sajid Khan), a young Hindu boy who promised his dying father he would deliver a white baby elephant named Maya to a sacred jungle temple. Terry agrees to help Raji, setting the stage for colorful jungle adventures in their quest. Highlights are the Indian jungle scenes and the exotic wildlife of the region. The feature spawned a short-lived television series. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

At the time of this film, director John Berry was still working in France where he landed after being blacklisted in the early 1950s by the House Un-American Activities Committee. This routine light comedy interspersed with songs is mainly a vehicle for talents like singer Dario Moreno as, not surprisingly, Dario the bank teller who longs to be a singer. Comics (Alberto Sordi as Nando) add touches of humor, while other actors such as Michel Serrault as a police inspector do their best with a script that is slight enough to come off as somewhat bland. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Horse-faced farceur Fernandel is definitely not the title character in the Franco-Spanish spoof Don Juan. Like Bob Hope in Casanova's Big Night, our hero is merely the servant of the the legendary Latin lover. To save Don Juan from political intrigue, Fernandel disguises himself as his boss, with results that are both hilariously predictable and uproariously unexpected. The sexiest of this ersatz Don Juan's amours is played by Carmen Sevila. Don Juan was directed by John Berry, a Hollywood helmsman who was forced by the Blacklist to work in Europe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide