Gérard Depardieu Movies
Despite his unorthodox visage, Gérard Depardieu has made a profound mark on the acting world, earning a recognition as one of Europe's most accomplished performers and appealing leading men. Perhaps a contributor to his consistently intense performances, Depardieu's childhood was one of extreme poverty. At twelve years old, he dropped out of school and hitchhiked across Europe on an informal tour funded primarily by the profits of stolen cars and assorted black-market products. Depardieu would likely have continued in his juvenile delinquency were it not for a friend who was attending drama school in Paris. Intrigued, Depardieu enrolled at the Theatre National Populaire, where he studied his trade alongside future co-stars Patrick Dewaere and Miou-Miou. In 1965, the young actor made his debut in a French short film by the name of Le Beatnik et le Minet, and began making regular appearances on French television shows.By the mid-'70s, Depardieu had co-starred in 11 French films, though he wouldn't enjoy widespread success until his role of a nihilistic but lovable petty criminal in director Bertrand Blier's Going Places (1974). Not long afterward, Depardieu could be found holding his own against acclaimed French actress Isabelle Adjani in Barocco and portraying a passionate Communist organizer in 1900 (both 1976). In 1978, Depardieu re-teamed with Blier for the Oscar-winning Get Out Your Handkerchiefs, and he went on to win France's prestigious César award for his performance as a resistance fighter in The Last Metro (1980). After his portrayal of a 16th century peasant in The Return of Martin Guerre (1982), Depardieu played the title role in Danton, and he stepped behind the camera as co-director for 1984's Le Tartuffe.
The 1990s were equally successful for Depardieu, particularly in the case of director Jean-Paul Rappeneau's 1990 version of Cyrano de Bergerac, for which Depardieu earned an Oscar nomination. He made his foray into American film in 1990's Green Card opposite Andie MacDowell . Though the bulk of his success still stemmed from French films (All the Mornings of the World [1991], Germinal [1993], A Pure Formality [1994], and Colonel Chabert [1994], to name a few) Depardieu nonetheless achieved moderate recognition in the American film market. Despite the failures of Ridley Scott's 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) and Steve Miner's English remake of My Father the Hero, Depardieu was praised for his performances in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996), Nick Cassavetes' She's So Lovely (1997), and Randall Wallace's The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), with Gabriel Byrne, John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Over the following years, Depardieu maintained his prowess in film. In addition to critically acclaimed performances in The Closet (2001), CQ (2001), City of Ghosts (2002), and Nathalie... (2003), Depardieu began work with internationally recognized French director Alain Chabat for RRRrrr! in 2004. Additional appearances throughout 2005 and 2006 included the title role in Boudu (2005), Alain in Quand j'étais chanteur (2006), and Chef Didier in Last Holiday. Depardieu made his directorial debut with 2000's The Bridge.
Depardieu has become somewhat notorious for his stormy offscreen life. He made a concerted effort to cut back on his alcohol consumption following a heart attack and an emergency quintuple bypass operation, in 2000. In 2003, he officially cut off contact with his son, Guillaume Depardieu when the young man threatened him with a gun and received a suspended prison sentence. On another note, the elder Depardieu was involved in both a plane collision and two motorcycle accidents as well (in 1998 and 2003), and officials attributed at least one of the incidents to abnormally high alcohol levels in the actor's bloodstream. In 2005, Depardieu allegedly scandalized European viewers when he crassly (and drunkenly) insulted a fellow guest on a French talk show for comments that the woman made about the cookbook he had authored.
The aforementioned cookbook was no one-hit wonder for Depardieu. A highly-regarded gourmand and gifted enologist, he opened the Parisian restaurant La Fontaine Gaillon, on the second arrondissement, along with Buffet froid co-star Carole Bouquet in fall 2003. In October 2005, Depardieu publicly announced his intention to retire from screen acting, following his starring role in Michou d'Auber (2007). ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 2009
Gerard Depardieu, Oliver Marchal, and Asia Argento star in this thriller about a Paris police officer who puts his own career on the line to help his lifelong friend, a crooked narcotics cop who does some drug trafficking on the side. Mat works the night beat in the city, and his best friend Franck works in the drug squad. But after busting the local drug dealers, Franck turns a tidy profit by selling their product at cut-rate prices. When Franck gets in over his head, it's up to Mat to help and old friend by taking matters into his own hands. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Olivier Marchal, (more)
- 2009
Two leading figures in the French cinema, actor Gerard Depardieu and director Claude Chabrol, collaborate for the first time in this breezy whodunit. Paul Bellamy (Depardieu) is a French police detective whose wife Francoise (Marie Bunel) has managed to persuade him to take a vacation for the first time in years. While she's enjoying the sights in Nimes, he's itchy to get back to work, but as it happens crime follows him to the hotel where he's staying. A fellow guest, Noel Gentil (Jacques Gamblin), confesses to a very unusual murder -- Gentil has had plastic surgery to heighten his resemblance to a homeless man, who Gentil and his wife planned to murder as part of an insurance scam. However, the scheme fell apart when Gentil's wife discovered he was having an affair, and now he's responsible for the death of an innocent man. While Gentil admits his guilt, Bellamy thinks something isn't right about his story, and he sets out to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, Bellamy has to deal with an unwanted distraction in the form of his half-brother Jacques (Clovis Cornillac), who is addicted to booze and gambling and is a constant thorn in the cop's side. Bellamy received its British premiere at the 2009 BFI London Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Clovis Cornillac, (more)
- 2008
A confidence man stumbles into a scam that's not only lucrative but might actually help people in this comedy-drama inspired by a true story. Paul (Francois Cluzet) is a minor league swindler who after getting out of jail finds himself in a small town in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, where the economy has been in the doldrums ever since a major road construction project was abandoned. Paul tries to pull a small scale con on someone while posing as a representative of a large construction firm, and when word gets around that one of the company's men is in town, word spreads that the highway project is on again, and local subcontractors are eager to give Paul cash payments to be part of the job. Soon Paul is managing a big road building operation, even though he doesn't know the first thing about construction, and a number of men who've been out of work for months are on his payroll. Paul also find himself working side by side with the town's mayor, a lovely widow named Stephane (Emmanuelle Devos), and the two drift into a romance, but how long can Paul keep up this game before he's found out? A L'origine (aka In The Beginning) also stars Gerard Depardieu, Vincent Rottiers and Soko. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Soko, François Cluzet, (more)
- 2008
Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's internationally popular cartoon characters Asterix and Obelix take on the world of athletics in this live-action comedy-adventure. It's 50 B.C., and short but wily Asterix (Clovis Cornillac) and his rotund sidekick Obelix (Gerard Depardieu) hit the road for Rome, where they hope to compete in the Olympic Games. Obelix figures he's a sure bet for a weight-lifting medal until he learns his special strength elixir is against the rules, and Asterix is soon distracted by the behind-the-scenes chicanery. Princess Irina (Vanessa Hessler), a beautiful member of the Greek royal family, is being wooed by well-meaning Lovesix (Stephane Rousseau), who is using love poems stolen from Obelix to win her heart, and untrustworthy Brutus (Benoit Poelvoorde), whose father is the Roman emperor Julius Caesar (Alain Delon). Brutus is eager to take over the throne from his father, and keeps trying to kill Caesar off to speed up the process. Asterix Aux Jeux Olympiques (aka Asterix At The Olympic Games) also features cameo appearances from a number of European sports stars, including Zinedine Zidane, Michael Schumacher and Tony Parker. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clovis Cornillac, Gérard Depardieu, (more)
- 2008
A guy who used to be the king of the dance floor tries to regain his title thirty years after the fact in this French comedy. In the mid-Seventies, Didier (Franck Dubosc) was a disco dancer who made the rounds of all the hottest nightspots in Le Havre with his pals Walter (Samuel Le Bihan) and Neuneuil (Abbes Zahmani), who performed as a trio called the Bee Kings. But in 2007, no one is calling Didier by his nickname "Travolta" anymore; he's out of shape, out of work, living with his mother, and trying to raise enough money to visit his son, who lives in Australia with his mom. Jean-François (Gerard Depardieu), a longtime friend of Didier who runs a local night club, the Gin Fizz, is holding a Seventies dance contest, and the prize money would be enough to pay for a trip to Australia. Didier figures this is his best bet to get the cash to see his son, and persuades Walter and Neuneuil to reform the Bee Kings and show the youngsters how it's done. But the former disco dandies realize they're very much out of practice, and they take some refresher lessons with France (Emmanuelle Beart), who spends more time teaching ballet to ten-year-olds than hitting the clubs these days. Disco includes a score of classic disco hits, featuring the Jacksons, Gloria Gaynor, Cerrone and Tina Charles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franck Dubosc, Gérard Depardieu, (more)
- 2008
French director Nicolas Bary's wacky, family-friendly fantasy comedy The Children of Timpelbach concerns the titular village, where the kids act so unruly and disobedient that all of the adults suddenly throw up their hands in disgust and decide to abandon the place. This, of course, leaves the children in charge of governing the community - which leads to a host of messy and wacky complications. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Joel Demarty, (more)
- 2007
Three aspiring moviemakers unexpectedly land a big break and their hometown comes out to celebrate in this warm comedy-drama. Gabriele (Paolo Briguglia), Nicola (Lele Nucera) and Marco (Lorenzo Di Ciaccia) are three young men growing up in Diamante, a small town in the Calabria region of Southern Italy where life moves at its own pace and not much happens. Gabriele, Nicola and Marco are serious film fans who have befriended the town's most famous citizen, Neri (Diego Abatantuono), a well known director waiting out a creative block who offers the boys advice on their dreams of working in the film industry. Gabriele has written a script based on the youthful experiences of his Aunt Caterina (Lucia Ragni), and he and his pals want to go to Rome in hopes of getting it made into a major motion picture. Neri is dubious, but introduces the boys to Francesco (Mimmo Calopresti), a friend and well-known actor who lives in the Eternal City. Francesco gets Gabriele, Nicola and Marco into a party thrown by an industry bigwig, and they're introduced to Amelie (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), Francesco's former wife who is currently Gerard Depardieu's significant other. In a remarkable stroke of luck, Amelie agrees to pass Gabriele's screenplay along to Depardieu, and the famed French actor agrees to appear in the film, guaranteeing the project a green light. Overjoyed, Gabriele, Nicola and Marco invite their new colleagues back to Diamante, where they want to shoot the picture, for a celebratory feast, and the stars get a close-up look at how the other half lives. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diego Abatantuono, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, (more)
- 2007
It is 1960. France encroaches on the wrap-up of the Franco-Algerian war, but for Gallic patriot and military veteran Georges (Gerard Depardieu), intense memories linger of hand-to-hand combat, and every Muslim - in France or abroad - is thus a potential enemy. Georges and his wife, Gisèle (Nathalie Baye) grow desperate for children given their inability to conceive, and have attempted to adopt on several occasions, with no success. On a note of great irony, the attempts finally pay off - with a little raven-haired Muslim boy named Mahmoud (Samy Seghir). Realizing that Georges will never permit this, Gisèle thus sets about disguising the tot as a WASPish European child - carting him back to their home in sunny Berry, France, she dyes his hair blonde, changes his name to Michel, and promptly informs him that he hails from Northern Europe instead of Algeria. So begins the nostalgic drama Michou d'Auber - a film-a-clef for screenwriter Messamoud Hattou, based very loosely on a glossy version of his own childhood. As the picture unfurls, George sets about instilling in the child French linguistics, French patriotism, and stark worship of the patriot Franco general Charles de Gaulle - little recognizing the deception or the ethno-cultural schism that linger before his eyes. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Nathalie Baye, (more)
Writer/director Olivier Dahan (Crimson Rivers II) helmed La Vie en Rose, the screen biopic of tragic French songstress Edith Piaf. Marion Cotillard portrays Piaf, the superstar once raised as a young girl by her grandmother in a Normandy bordello, then discovered on a French street corner -- as a complete unknown -- by cabaret proprietor Louis Leplée (Gérard Depardieu). The film segues breezily between various episodes from Piaf's life -- such as her lover, French boxer Marcel Cerdan's (Jean-Pierre Martins) championship bout in mid-'40s New York; her period in Hollywood during the '50s; Piaf's abandonment as a young girl by her contortionist father (and earlier by her mother, a street singer); her brushes with the law as an adult; and her 1951 car accident and subsequent morphine addiction that caused her to age well beyond her years and left her barely mobile; and, through it all, her ability (like Billie Holiday) to funnel personal tragedy and emotional struggles into her vocalizations -- dazzling audiences in the process. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, (more)
- 2007
This documentary details the life and career of French director Maurice Pialat through interviews with the filmmaker, and excerpts from his own films, as well as those that influenced him. With probing insights into Pialat's hopes, fears, and motivations, the film seeks to understand how each of his films sprung from his unique perspective. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Gena Rowlands penned and stars opposite longtime friend and Cassavetes collaborator Ben Gazzara in this short film set in the titular section of Paris. The two play a long-separated married couple, reunited on the eve of their divorce. Directed by Gérard Depardieu and Frédéric Auburtin, Quartier Latin was included in Paris, Je T'Aime, a collection of shorts by such filmmakers as Gus Van Sant, Alfonso Cuarón, and the Coen Brothers. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, (more)
- 2006
A small-time crooner of sentimental ballads enters into a May-December romance with a fragile young real-estate agent in this low-key romantic drama starring Gérard Depardieu and Cécile de France. Fifty-something Alain (Depardieu) is something of a local celebrity in Clermont-Ferrand, and few nights pass when the popular singer-of-standards doesn't exit the stage until well into the morning hours. But karaoke is making singers such as Alain a rare breed these days, and it seems as if his days under the spotlight may be numbered. One night, while serenading the audience from the stage, Alain spots beautiful and unfamiliar blonde Marian (de France) in the crowd. Though he eventually her to meet him the following day, the cautiously guarded Marian remains curiously immune to his charm. Nevertheless, Alain's quiet persistence and self-depreciating humor eventually pays off, and the two soon find themselves strangely drawn to one and other. As fate would have it, Marian is currently employed at a real estate company owned by Alain's friend Bruno (Mathieu Amalric) - who also has eyes for the emotionally troubled young woman. Though Alain's ex-wife and current manager Michele (Christine Citti) doesn't discourage the ageing singer's relationship with the younger woman, her concern with his apparently-waning career soon prompts her to consider how she will spend her own future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Cécile De France, (more)
- 2005
A group of students are eager to get an education while on a class trip in this comedy from Italy. Salvatore (Vincenzo Salemme) and Archimede (Massimo Boldi) are two teachers at a private high school for boys who have arranged for their students to travel to Spain for a learning holiday. While Salvatore and Archimede have academics in mind, their charges are more interested in meeting girls and having fun, and when they discover Maggie (Daryl Hannah), an American teacher, is leading a group of female students from a school in California through the same part of Spain, the goal becomes ditching their teachers and having a party with the girls. Meanwhile, Salvatore and Archimede keep getting into hot water of their own, especially after they become romantic rivals, each hoping to win the hand of lovely Maggie. Ole! was released in Italy in time for the Christmas season, an annual tradition for Massimo Boldi comedies (though this project found him paired with Vincenzo Salemme rather than his usual sidekick, Christian De Sica). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Gad Elmaleh, (more)
Euro screen legends Gérard Depardieu and Daniel Auteuil star, respectively, as French cops Denis Klein and Leo Vrinks, in Olivier Marchal's tough-as-steel policier 36 Quai des Orfevres. The story unravels at the titular Parisian police headquarters, where Klein (who heads up the department's anti-crime unit) and Vrinks (who manages the "search and action squad") go head-to-head -- competing with one another not only to succeed their boss, but to be the first to solve an ongoing series of security-van robberies. Ultimately, the men resort to sabotaging one another, and thus set the stage for an ongoing series of twists, turns, reversals, and betrayals. Valeria Golino and Catherine Marchal co-star; Olivier Marchal co-authored the script with Dominique Loiseau, Julien Rappeneau, and Franck Mancuso. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Depardieu, (more)
A worldly construction supervisor travels to Tangier to ensure that a complicated job is completed by the projected date, only to find the torch he carries for a long-lost love rekindled with melancholy passion in director Andre Techine's pensive romantic drama. It's been thirty-years since Antoine (Gerard Depardieu) and Ceclile (Catherine Denuve) called it quits, but time has only seemed to amplify Antoine's longings for the woman that stole his heart so many years ago. Though Antoine has never married, Cecile is now the host of a successful radio show whose extended marriage to Moroccan doctor Nathan (Gilbert Melki) has yielded a now-grown son named Sami (Malik Zidi). When Antoine arrives in Northern Morocco to watch over his latest project, his attention soon diverts to Cecile - who has always been close in Antoine's mind despite the physical and emotional distance between them. Cecil isn't as willing to let go of her blissfully predictable routine, however, and as Antoine dejectedly ponders a means of making her change her mind, the appearance of Cecil's closeted son - who has recently arrived home with his troubled Moroccan girlfriend (Lubna Azabal) in tow - begins to cause complications of its own. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, (more)
A middle-aged woman fears that her husband is cheating on her -- and chooses a very unlikely method for verifying her paranoia -- in this psychological drama from the writer of Une Liaison Pornographique. Catherine (Fanny Ardant) is a successful Parisian gynecologist whose long-term marriage to Bernard (Gérard Depardieu) has been passionless as of late. When she checks his cell phone messages one afternoon, she discovers a suggestive "thank you" from a young colleague of his, which creates an even wider chasm between the two. Desperate, Catherine goes to an upscale strip club nearby to solicit the services of Nathalie (Emmanuelle Béart), a matter-of-fact prostitute. It seems Catherine wants Nathalie to seduce Bernard and report back to her each week, an assignment that's initially off-putting to the young woman, but one she begins to relish as the weeks pass. Soon, Nathalie is using intimate details to fuel Catherine's rage toward her husband. Nathalie... had its gala North American premiere at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Béart, (more)
The directorial-debut of screenwriter Brad Mirman (Truth or Consequences, N.M.), Crime Spree stars Gerard Depardieu as Daniel, the head of a trio of French crooks who cross the pond for a job in Chicago. Unfortunately, what was to have been a routine heist turns ugly when Daniel and his cohorts realize that they've ripped off Zammeti (Harvey Keitel), the head of a powerful crime family. Before they know it, the threesome find themselves strangers in a strange land being hunted by both the mafia and the FBI. Co-starring Johnny Hallyday, Renaud, and Saïd Taghmaoui, Crime Spree had its premiere at the 2003 Valenciennes Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Johnny Hallyday, (more)
The legend of Jacques D'Artagnan (Michael York) gets a gender-bending update in this swashbuckling adventure from stuntman-turned-director Steve Boyum. Though legendary swordsman Jacques D'Artagnan's best days may be well behind him, he has schooled his daughter Valentine (Susie Amy) well in the way of the sword. Now it's time for Valentine to strike out on her own. With her father's sword and a letter of introduction to Commander Flint (Roy Dotrice), the eager young novice sets out to seek her fortune in Paris. Though a woman has never before been appointed the rank of swordsman, Valentine is determined to prove her worth by taking on a deadly mission to rescue the bride-to-be of King Louis XIV from a band of fearsome kidnappers, teaming with the sons of the legendary musketeers who rode with her father. There's more to the mission than meets the eye, however. After discovering that a mysterious stolen letter which could destroy the reputation of the king rests in the possession of the wicked Lady Bolton (Nastassja Kinski), Valentine is framed for murder and imprisoned by the venomous villain. Now it's more than a rescue mission, and in order to survive, Valentine must trust in the skills of her fellow musketeers to bring back the princess and bring Lady Bolton to justice. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Michael York, (more)
