Gérard Jugnot Movies
- 2009
The war in Iraq intensifying, a prominent radio journalist and his technician pretend to report live from Baghdad after losing their plane tickets and money in this adventure comedy starring Gerard Lanvin and Gerard Jugnot. As the duo hide out in the Barbes area of Paris in an attempt to pull off the ultimate scam, the listeners tune in awaiting the latest word from the front lines of the war. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Lanvin, Gérard Jugnot, (more)
A star is born in a time of both celebration and instability in this historical drama with music from director Christophe Barratier. In the spring of 1936, Paris is in a state of uncertainty; while the rise of the Third Reich in Germany worries many, a leftist union-oriented candidate, Léon Blum, has been voted into power, and organized labor is feeling its new power by standing up to management. While such matters might normally seem unimportant to Germain Pigoil (Gérard Jugnot), who runs a small vaudeville house in the Faubourg district, the chaos of the city seems to be impacting his life and his work -- his wife, Viviane (Elisabeth Vitali), has run off with her lover, she demands custody of their son, Jojo (Maxence Perrin), and unscrupulous local entrepreneur Galapiat (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) threatens to put Germain's theater out of business. With the help of a local political organizer, Milou (Clovis Cornillac), and veteran entertainer Jacky Jacquet (Kad Merad), Germain strikes a deal with Galapiat to reopen the theater, but business is slow until a lovely young woman with a remarkable voice, Douce (Nora Arnezeder), comes looking for a spot in Germain's show. Faubourg 36 (aka Paris 36) received its North American premiere at the 2008 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Jugnot, Clovis Cornillac, (more)
- 2008
Laurent Chouchan's comedy Ca Se Soigne? follows the plight of Tom Bledish (Thierry Lhermitte of The Dinner Game), a musician who appears to have everything going for him; with a ravishing wife and a covetable new appointment to a job as the head of the Parisian symphony orchestra, it seems that circumstances could not possibly improve - and indeed, his fate soon takes a cruel downturn when he's stricken by a bout of severe clinical depression. Despite a myriad of treatments, nothing seems to work, and indeed Tom begins to wonder if he'll ever regain his zest for life. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thierry Lhermitte, Julie Ferrier, (more)
- 2008
This French remake of Claude Autant-Lara's black comedy classic details the adventures of a group of travelers who stop for a rest at Auberge du Croûteux, an inn in the Pyrenees. Little do these wayfarers realize that the establishment is run by a group of psychopaths with a penchant for systematically murdering and robbing guests; when a clergyman opts to hear the confession of the innkeeper's wife, and learns about the impending fate of the travelers, he makes a series of comical attempts to get everyone to leave without violating his confidentiality rule. Gérard Krawczyk directs; the cast features Josiane Balasko, Christian Clavier and Gerard Jugnot. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christian Clavier, Josiane Balasko, (more)
- 2006
Six of France's greatest screen comedians reunite in this long-awaited sequel to the classic box-office hits Les Bronzes and Les Bronzes Font du Ski. Skirt-chasing Popeye (Thierry Lhermitte) has settled down and married beautiful Graziella (Ornella Muti), and together they run an upscale resort hotel in Sardinia. However, Popeye still has his eye on the ladies rather than the bottom line -- he's carrying on with a beautiful young cook -- and Graziella warns him that he has to stop giving free rooms to his old friends. Unfortunately, this edict comes down just as Popeye's pals arrive, expecting a stay on the house. Jerome (Christian Clavier) was making a fortune as a plastic surgeon until a malpractice suit ended his career; now he hopes to reconnect with his former wife Gigi (Marie-Anne Chazel). However, when Gigi shows up it's clear she's also been seeing a plastic surgeon, and has brought along her new beau, upscale wig salesman Jean-Claude (Michel Blanc). And wealthy and smug Bernard (Gerard Jugnot) and Nathalie (Josiane Balasko) arrive with their dog in tow, though their vacation goes through a rough patch when Bernard makes a potentially disturbing discovery about their son. Les Bronzes 3: Amis Pour La Vie (aka Les Bronzes 3: Friends Forever) was directed by Patrice Leconte, who was also behind the camera for the original two films. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc, (more)
- 2006
With his Springtime in Paris, long-inactive French helmer Jacques Bral both resuscitates and pays homage to the classic European caper film, crafting a small, occasionally humorous crime thriller in the mold of Rififi and Bob le flambeur, that focuses almost entirely on the aftermath of a crime in lieu of the heist itself. The film opens with thief-turned-convict Georges (Eddy Mitchell) released from prison after a five year stint, and dragged immediately back into the underworld by several nefarious pals. He teams up with fellow thief Pierrot (Sagamore Stevenin) to lift a bejeweled necklace from a safe in a private residence. The operation progresses smoothly; the aftermath turns deadly. Several in-the-know parties make the foolish decision to open their traps, which inadvertently pulls the cops in; soon after, events begin to spiral rapidly out of control. From there, Bral packs in a series of unforeseeable twists, turns, and double-crosses to keep the viewer in a permanent state of suspense. Pascale Arbillot and Pierre Santini co-star; Bral authored the original script. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddy Mitchell, Sagamore Stévenin, (more)
- 2006
As World War I looms ever closer on the horizon, an elite police task force organized by Minister of the Interior Georges Clemenceau (aka "The Tiger") mobilizes to apprehend the gang responsible for the first motorized hold-up in French history. The year is 1912, and despite operating in the shadow of the guillotine French gangsters continue to flourish. In order to ensure the safety of the public Minister of the Interior Clemenceau creates a dozen "mobile brigades" consisting of policemen with automobiles and fingerprinting equipment and deploys them nationwide. One such unit, fronted by straight-arrow cop Valentin (Clovis Cornillac, and consisting of sardonic brute Pujol (Edouard Baer), badge-toting pugilist Terrasson (Oliver Gourmet), and Italian immigrant Achille (Stefano Accorsi), is assigned the task of tracking down the gang led by notorious anarchist Jules Bonnot (Jacques Gamblin). An ambitious criminal mastermind whose recent heist involving a getaway car set a new standard in armed robbery, Bonnot has grown dangerously emboldened while establishing himself as France's most wanted. Meanwhile, as the Paris opera prepares to stage a new version of Ivan the Terrible and Russian princess Constance Bolkonski (Diane Kruger) embarks on an affair with Bonnot behind the back of her unsuspecting husband (Alexandre Medvedex) - who is furtively attempting to establish a self-serving three way alliance between Russia, England, and France - crack journalist Jean Jaures (Andre Marcon) struggles to bring it all together in the headlines as World War I and the Russian Revolution loom heavy on the horizon. Director Jerome Cornuau collaborates with screenwriters Xavier Dorison and Fabien Nury to resurrect the popular French television series of the 1970s with a multi-layered period thriller that is likely to evoke memories of the similarly themed Untouchables for stateside audiences. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clovis Cornillac, Diane Kruger, (more)
French producer and musician Christophe Barratier makes his directorial debut with the drama Les Choristes, inspired by the 1947 film La Cage aux Rossignols. Wildly successful orchestra conductor Pierre Morhange (Jacques Perrin) returns home when his mother dies. He recollects his childhood inspirations through the pages of a diary kept by his old music teacher Clément Mathieu (Gérard Jugnot). Back in the late '40s, little Pierre (Jean-Baptiste Maunier) is the badly behaved son of single mother Violette (Marie Bunel). He attends a dreary boarding school presided over by strict headmaster Rachin (François Berléand). New teacher Mathieu brightens up the place and organizes a choir, leading to the discovery of Pierre's musical talents. Featuring performances by Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc Choir. Les Choristes was shown at the Berlin Film Festival in 2004. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Jugnot, François Berléand, (more)
Writer/director Yves Lavandier presents the story of Eglantine (Émilie Dequenne), a troubled 17-year old whose family situation is as confusing as her romantic entanglements. Raised by a coddling mother and an absent father, Eglantine navigates life with a warped perspective that ends up affecting her relationship with Sébastien (Cyrille Thouvenin), an older boyfriend that's become frustrated with Eglantine's unwillingness to take things to the next level. Only her therapist has the chance to help her break down the walls that are interfering in this critical step into adulthood. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Émilie Dequenne, Gérard Jugnot, (more)
- 2000
Gerard Jugnot directs and stars in this comedy about a doting father and his daughter who managed to get cast in a film. Yvon Rance (Jugnot), who runs a hair salon in Brittany, only wants his beloved teenaged daughter Laetita (Berenice Bejo) to be happy, something he believes she'll be able to achieve by completing high school and then following in her father's professional footsteps. When Laetita tells him that she has been cast in the latest movie by renowned director Stephane (Antoine Dulery), he is initially unimpressed. He grudgingly relents when he learns that the money she will make for a couple months of work is twice what he makes in a year. This film was screened at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Jugnot, Bérénice Bejo, (more)
- 1997
This Great War drama opens in the trenches during an artillery bombardment. Receiving bayonet wounds, young Simon (Guillaume Depardieu) drops out of the action, joining other injured soldiers at a Brittany hospital. One day he meets schoolteacher Marthe (Clotilde Courau), who lives in the household of the hospital's head doctor (Bernard Giraudeau). Soon a romance begins to develop. Cinematography by Kevin Jewison, son of director Norman Jewison. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clotilde Courau, Guillaume Depardieu, (more)
- 1996
On the way to his wedding, Bernard (Gerar Jugnot) experiences car trouble. What could be more natural than to stop at the nearest respectable looking house and ask for help? How could he have known that at that very moment the house's residents, members of a cult, are busily committing mass suicide? Bernard escapes with his own life, and takes with him Sebastien (Francois Morel), an addled cult member who has somehow avoided his compatriots' fate. However, he has also incurred the wrath of the cult's leader, "Magic" (Jean Yanne) and his assistant (Martin Lamotte), both of whom are very much alive. This sinister duo follows Bernard to his fiancee's house, where a social disaster is in progress. In a high point of this French comedy, Bernard's upper-crust fiancee Constance (Michele Laroque) handles the intruders with wit, invective, and well-bred intolerance. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Jugnot, François Morel, (more)
- 1996
Aimed at younger audiences, this special-effects filled French comedy centers on the afterlife adventures of two recently deceased fellows, Georges, a gentle chauffeur and his ruthless corporate tiger of an employer, Phillipe. Unfortunate Georges meets his demise at the hands of a gunman just as he discovers that he has won the lottery. Shortly thereafter, his boss Phillipe is murdered by his business rival Martigues. As ghosts, no living soul can see or here Georges and Phillipe who set out together to put their earthly affairs in order before taking off to their respective final resting places. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Philippe Noiret, Gérard Jugnot, (more)
- 1994
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anémone, Daniel Gélin, (more)
- 1994
This comedy was shot in Tahiti. It focuses on the rocky relationship between Cohn, a local con man, and author Jack Baker who wants to profile Paul Gauguin in an upcoming book. Cohn, an obnoxious crook and pathological liar originally from Paris, has been the bane of the local population for years, yet despite his annoyances they will not arrest him. Hearing that Cohn owns an authentic Gauguin, Jack Baker makes his acquaintance. They do not get off to a great start, but eventually become friends after Cohn's secret is discovered. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Jugnot, Jean-Marc Barr, (more)
- 1994
- R
More than a dozen years ago, Patrick (Gerard Jugnot) and Alicia (Victoria Abril) began their relationship by chance at the Peace Inn Hotel on a Mediterranean island. However, despite the fact that they have returned to the place where they first fell in love, it will take more than that for their relationship to survive. For one thing, Alicia is not about to forgive him for the one episode of his infidelity that she knows about. For another, they are no longer wide-eyed young people. Others at the hotel have their own romantic preoccupations, such as the hotel's charming gay male owner, who is being beseiged by a clueless young woman who has developed a crush on him. Surely the people at the hotel long for this vacation to end, along most of the problems that have come with it, but they are taken hostage in a local civil war and have even more difficulties. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Valérie Lemercier, (more)
A burned out actor begins to question his sanity in this French comedy that stars the writer/director Michel Blanc in a dual role. In the first role Blanc plays himself as an exhausted actor. He has been doing too much TV and too many movies. Odd things begin to happen and Blanc becomes convinced his sanity is slipping away. He is seen going berserk at Cannes with a series of starlets. At Cannes, he meets festival head Gilles Jacob whom he persuades to give the room number of Gerard Depardieu. After Blanc is accused of attempted rape, he goes to a psychiatrist who prescribes peace and quiet in the country. He goes to the Provencial estate of his friend Carole Bouquet. It is there Bouquet and Blanc meet Blanc's devilish double Patrick Olivier. After a lengthy chase the two sit down and decide that Blanc will take only the high quality roles while Olivier will do the rest. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Blanc, Carole Bouquet, (more)
- 1991
All five stories in this anthology comedy are tied together by their theme: they concern the encounters of a youthful psychiatrist (Thierry Lhermitte) with his patients, or with people so crazy they ought to be his patients. Each one is filmed by a different director. The first situation occurs when the doctor takes refuge at a country inn on a very stormy night. That very night, the inn's ancient maid, who has suffered endless abuse at their hands, kills her addled employers. Not only that, but she insists that the young doctor keep her company. In another scene, an honest television game show has produced a winner whom everybody dislikes: he is a brilliant performer, but he is an obnoxious racist besides. Every attempt to trip him up and get him off the show fails, and the increasingly agitated host eventually has a mental breakdown. The bigger segments are tied together by scenes taking place in the psychiatrist's waiting rooms. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thierry Lhermitte, Jacques Villeret, (more)
- 1991
Like the factory boss in The Full Monty, Berthier (Gérard Jugnot) is a former executive who finds it easier to pretend to his family that he wasn't fired than to suffer their concern and pity, and possibly the loss of their love. He goes off to "work" each day and returns home with presents for his family. Instead of a regular job, however, he has fallen in with an informal association of amateur thieves and con-men, led by the charming and even occasionally genuinely helpful Toubib (Richard Bohringher). Each of the men is touchy about something and may fly off the handle if not approached in the right way. Though the leader Toubib will double-cross any one of them for fun, when things get really serious, he exerts himself to help out. These lads are not sweethearts, and they do some pretty awful things, but there is a fundamental innocence about them which their unlawful and sometimes violent deeds cannot sully. Eventually, Berthier disappears into the streets for several months and must finally cope with his fears when he returns to his wife. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Jugnot, Richard Bohringer, (more)
