Marin Karmitz Movies

Director Alain Resnais faithfully adapted his script for Melo from a 1929 play by Henry Bernstein--the first time that Resnais handled his own screenplay. Violinists and lifelong friends Pierre Arditi and Andre Dussolier have each found happiness in adulthood, but only Dussolier has become famous. Ardati leads a contented life with his wife, Sabine Azema, little suspecting that she is enamored of Dussolier. An abortive plan to murder her husband leads to Azema's suicide, but Ardati remains blissfully unaware of her infidelities. When the truth is revealed to Ardati, Dussolier honors the memory of Azema by insisting that no illicit romance ever occurred. One of the more "linear" of Resnais' works, Melo, filmed in 1986, was given a general American release three years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In a routine murder mystery based on a novel by Dominique Roulet, a cruel, wheelchair-bound invalid (Stephane Audran) who consistently terrorizes her teen son Louis (Lucas Belvaux) into abject obedience, is threatened with the loss of her home by a conniving trio who want her property as part of a deal for a lucrative development project. The three men are comprised of a butcher (Jean-Claude Bouillaud), a doctor (Jean Topart), and a notary (Michel Bouquet). Louis is a postal worker who is fending off the attentions of Henriette at the office (Pauline Lafont), and brings his mother all the mail scheduled for their trio of enemies, whereupon she steams it open and keeps herself informed about their plans. In retaliation for their attempts to seize his home, young Louis pours sugar into the butcher's gas tank which ultimately causes a fatal accident, and in fact, the doctor's wife has also died in a car accident. And now the notary's mistress is missing. Enter, at last, the imperious and heavy-handed Inspector Jean Lavardin (Jean Poiret) to finally go after the clues and the suspects until the case is solved. He succeeds admirably, and as a consequence, appears on his own in 1985's Inspector Lavardin. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

One year after director Yilmaz Guney escaped from a Turkish prison, he started shooting his film the Wall on the injustices of the military regime in Turkey and at the same time, director Patrick Blossier began shooting this documentary on the techniques used by Guney to elicit the best performances from his actors. Guney himself comes across as often angry and impatient; he slaps a young actor so as to make him cry for a scene and shows about as much warmth as December in Moscow. Unfortunately, none of this contributes to garnering sympathy for his anti-military cause. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this polemical look at a revolutionary released from prison and bent on getting back at the right-wing conservatives who got him into prison in the first place, director Romain Goupil uses a heavier hand than in his earlier, well-received film, Mourir a 30 Ans. There is a certain amount of stereotyping in the way the fascists and leftists look and act, something that may have worked against the director's portrayal of fascists in the police force, or idealized revolutionaries. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Coup Pour Coup is a film about a worker's strike at a textile plant, and is written and enacted by the actual striking workers. This film was a collaborative and collective effort. Videotapes of upcoming scenes were discussed by the workers, and camera angles as well as dramatic refinements were agreed on before any film was exposed. Given that the film presents the worker's point of view and is a largely amateur effort, reviewers found it surprisingly effective as a dramatic piece. One interesting feature of the film, and of the strike itself, is that it was organized and led by women. While there had been male union leaders, they were bypassed or ousted for their lack of leadership, understanding, or negotiating skills. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

A musician employed by the ballet is married and has a young daughter but he feels alienated and uncertain about the future. When the ballet goes on tour, he falls in love with a pretty ballerina. He contemplates leaving his wife, but his adoration for his daughter prevents him from acting on his thoughts. The film contains many backstage scenes as the dancers prepare for the performance and talk about love, life and the character flaws of the men who love them. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide