Daniel Breton Movies
- 1999
Devoted father and two-bit hood Milt (William Forsythe) plans an interesting father-son activity: a bank heist. The plan hinges on double crossing his long-time partner in crime Fury (Colm Meaney) and Milt's son (known simply as The Kid) fleeing with the cash to a rendevez point up north. After the heist, the Kid wanders about waiting for his dad for four days, not realizing that pops had been shot during his getaway. Meanwhile, the enraged Fury along with Milt's ex-girlfriend Feather (Anne-Marie Cadieux) are hot on the Kid's trail. On the road, the Kid stumbles upon Crystal (Lolita Davidovich), a free-spirited live wire hell-bent on angering her jealous husband. Crystal flirts with the lad, convincing her hubby that she has hooked herself a strapping young beau. Everyone's paths collide at the Paradise Lodge, off in the northern woods. This film was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Zegers, Lolita Davidovich, (more)
- 1999
- NR
A group of young poets verbally spar, both on and off the stage, at a coffeehouse's open mike night in this independent drama. Lance (Christopher Jaymes) is a short-fused hipster with a quick wit and rapid-fire verbal delivery. His buddy Clay (Ben Caswell) is easy-going and laid back, but a demon with real skills behind the microphone. Carolyn (Rachel Parker) has come to perform, but is emotionally sidetracked by relationship woes. And Kurt (Brian Gattas) balances his poetic ambitions with political activism, and has some surprises in store for Lance. These four friends interact and wait for their chance to read, while several real-life poets of note (including Bob Holman and Ellen Rooney) share their work with the audience. Originally titled Slam before another film about young poets with that name beat this to the theaters, Verses was screened at the 1999 Taos Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Jaymes, Brian Gattas, (more)
A brave and resourceful young woman keeps the spirit of the Three Musketeers alive in this historical adventure. Eloise (Sophie Marceau) is the daughter of the famed swordsman D'Artagnan (Philippe Noiret); while she has a remarkable gift with a blade herself, Eloise is devoting herself to her studies at a convent. However, when a slave escapes from the estate of the evil Duke of Crassac (Claude Rich) and seeks refuge in the convent, the Mother Superior (Pascale Roberts) is murdered in retaliation by the Duke's soldiers. In the midst of the attack, Eloise learns that the Duke and his men have even more dastardly plans in store; the murder of the Mother Superior is part on an ongoing scheme to throw the nation into disarray, making it easier for the Duke to overthrow the King and seize power. Joined by Quentin (Nils Tavernier), a poet, Eloise sets out to call her father and his old compatriots to action to stop the Duke; however, D'Artagan, who now lives a quiet life teaching fencing, isn't so sure he wants to wage a battle against the insurgent forces, no matter how awful they may be. La Fille de d'Artagnan (The Daughter of d'Artagnan) was released in the United States as Revenge of the Musketeers; leading lady Sophie Marceau does her own fencing on screen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sophie Marceau, Philippe Noiret, (more)
- 1994
Back in the Russia of 1918, Duncan's life was saved by fellow Immortal Drakov (Peter Firth).Out of gratitude, Duncan (Adrian Paul) promised never to fight or interfere with Drakov, no matter what the circumstances. 74 years later, Drakov, in the guise of security advisor Arthur Drake, has embarked upon a killing spree to prevent the signing of an international peace treaty. Duncan recognizes "Drake" and knows full well what he is up to -- but, bound by his promise, he can do nothing. Alas, by honoring his word, Duncan has placed two innocent lives in dire jeopardy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrian Paul, Stan Kirsch, (more)
- 1989
- R
One of the first films by Polish director Agnieszka Holland to gain international acclaim, this drama is a joint French-American production based loosely on the real-life story of the dissident Polish priest Jerzy Popieluszko. In the early 1980s, as the democracy and labor movement known as Solidarity was challenging Soviet authority in Poland, an outspoken priest, Father Alek (Christopher Lambert), defies martial law and continues to rally followers around the cause of Solidarity. The Soviet-controlled Polish government enlists a police official, Stefan (Ed Harris), to stop the priest. Stefan, a devoted party follower, finds that the only way he can silence Father Alek is to have him killed. Along the way, however, the priest has a profound influence on Stefan. Among those in minor roles are Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, Pete Postlethwaite, and Tim Roth. Holland would go on to direct The Secret Garden and Washington Square. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lambert, Ed Harris, (more)
Following the disastrous Pirates (1986), director Roman Polanski got back on creative track with this finely-wrought thriller that, while failing to impress at the box office, was nevertheless his most critically well-received film of the decade. Harrison Ford stars as Richard Walker, an American doctor who has come to Paris, where he's scheduled to deliver a paper to a medical conference. Richard has brought along his wife Sondra (Betty Buckley), because Paris was the site of their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Sondra picks up the wrong suitcase at the airport, which leads to her kidnapping and an ever-more complicated quest that takes Richard into the seedy and dangerous underworld of European drug smuggling and terrorist arms sales. Along the way, he is rebuffed by skeptical officials at the American Embassy and meets Michelle (Emmanuelle Seigner), a sexy courier who agrees to help him in exchange for the money she's owed for trafficking in narcotics. Playing cleverly on American fears about Europe's Byzantine politics and "decadent" society, Frantic received, from many observers, perhaps the greatest compliment possible for a thriller, comparison to the work of Alfred Hitchcock. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Emmanuelle Seigner, (more)
- 1985
In this slow-paced thriller set just before D-Day in Paris, Gus Lang (Ed Harris) is an American agent who has to make sure a captured U.S. officer is not forced to divulge the secret of the Normandy invasion. Since audiences know the invasion worked, the success of Gus Lang's espionage forays into Nazi officialdom, and the French resistance appears to be a foregone conclusion. At least Paris provides an excellent backdrop for his undercover work, both with the attractive Claire Jouvet (Cyrielle Claire) and the less-attractive Nazi military. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Harris, Horst Buchholz, (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)
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)
- 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)
- 1975
Old Gun (Le Vieux Fusil) stars Philippe Noiret as an aging, embittered French physician. During the occupation, Noiret loses his wife and daughter to Nazi bullets. He vows to personally kill every one of the Germans responsible (along with a few who weren't) in order to assuage his grief. Romy Schneider and Jean Bousse costar in this heart rending character study. Philippe Noiret was justifiably honored with the French Cesar Award for his towering performance in Old Gun. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Philippe Noiret, Romy Schneider, (more)
- 1972
In this decidedly offbeat and rather arty crime drama, a French fugitive heads for Canada and ends up joining a gang of desperate criminals who have been plotting to kidnap a crimelord's retarded daughter. Things go well until she accidentally dies. Despite the unfortunate turn of events, the crooks decide to keep on as if things were fine. The English language version was retitled to And Hope To Die and cut to 95 minutes. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Louis Trintignant, Robert Ryan, (more)
