Christine Laurent Movies

Jacques Rivette co-wrote and directed this intimate story of familial bonds and the life of the artist. Kate (Jane Birkin) was raised on the road, touring with the small circus run by her father, but after a disagreement she left her dad to run the show on his own. Fifteen years later, Kate gets word that her father has died, and his partners in the circus ask her to come back to help keep the show running. To the surprise of many, Kate agrees, taking care of the box office and looking after the business. While traveling to the next show, Kate's car breaks down, but she gets a ride from Vittorio (Sergio Castellitto), a good-natured drifter. Vittorio sticks around to attend the show, and despite the shabby circumstances of the performance, he enjoys what he sees and becomes part of the company. But as Vittorio is integrated into the circus family and develops a relationship with Kate, it's still not clear why she and her father parted ways years before, and why she's come back now that he's gone. 36 Vues du Pic Saint-Loup (aka Around a Small Mountain) received its world premiere at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Jacques Rivette's Histoire de Marie et Julien (The Story of Marie and Julien) stars Emmanuelle Béart and Jerzy Radziwilowicz as a pair of ex-lovers who get back together after their lives change. Julien (Radziwilowicz) is a clock repairman whose girlfriend has left him. Marie (Béart) is a mysterious woman who does not bleed after being cut. Her boyfriend has died. Marie and Julien had once engaged in an affair when they were each involved with other people, and now that they have no emotional entanglements, they slowly begin a new relationship. This film started decades before as a project in Rivette's "Scenes From a Parallel Life" series and abandons the majority of the formal rules imposed by the filmmaker on the other films in the cycle. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

In this French-Portuguese film -- directed by Jacques Rivette's screenplay collaborator Christine Laurent -- French vocalist Laure Constant (Laurence Cote) goes to Montevideo, Uruguay, to see her old lover Colossus (Jose Olivera), but when he's a no-show, she becomes involved with several other men, while listening to advice from some older French women who are costume designers. Shown at the 1997 Locarno Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Jacques Rivette directed this richly detailed six-hour drama based on the story of Joan of Arc. In Part one, "Les Batailles," Jeanne the Maid (Sandrine Bonnaire) leaves her childhood home in Domremy after hearing what she is sure was the voice of God. She believes that she can help lead France to victory on the battlefield, and she persuades Charles, dauphin of France (Andre Marcon) to allow her to guide his troops. Part two, "Les Prisons," concerns the sad aftermath of Jeanne's defeat at Orleans. Jeanne is sent to prison, where in two separate trials she is tried for heresy and impersonating a man, with both her life and the sanctity of her mortal body at stake. A four-hour version, with each of the two parts trimmed down to two hours, is also available. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this fascinating and unconventional examination of the creative process, an artist near the end of his career finds new inspiration in a young model. Edouard Frenhofer (Michel Piccoli) is a famous and well-respected artist who lives in a comfortable estate in the French countryside. At the age of 60, Frenhofer considers his career as a painter to be over; he says he no longer feels any inspiration to create, and his last attempt at a major work, a nude study of his wife Liz (Jane Birkin) called "La Belle Noiseuse" (The Beautiful Nuisance), has sat unfinished for ten years. Just as Frenhofer has lost his enthusiasm for his art, he has also lost his passion for Liz; their relationship is polite and friendly, but without enthusiasm. When Frenhofer tells Nicolas (David Bursztein), his young protégé, that he no longer feels the desire to paint, Nicolas suggests that he needs a more inspiring subject, and he offers his girlfriend Marianne (Emmanuelle Béart) as a model. Frenhofer is taken with Marianne's beauty, and, with Liz's cool approval, he and Marianne spend several arduous sessions together, exchanging ideas and opinions as Frenhofer methodically attempts to create a final masterpiece. While La Belle Noiseuse runs 240 minutes, director Jacques Rivette also prepared an alternate version, La Belle Noiseuse -- Divertimento, which runs 120 minutes, features a different framing sequence, and incorporates takes unused in the original cut. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Danuta Zarasik plays Isabelle Eberhardt in this biographical drama. At the turn of the 20th century, Isabelle fell in love with the African desert, donning men's clothing to travel and record her adventures in writing while her Moslem husband patiently waited at home. This visually stunning feature shows the overwhelming majesty and beauty of the forces of nature. Director Christine Laurent relies upon her expertise as a painter and designer to bring an added dimension of artistic beauty to the film. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Ania Francos, this tragi-comedy follows the diagnosis and internment of lawyer Lola Friedlander (Carole Laure) in the cancer ward of a large clinic. There Lola encounters Marie-Aude (Jeanne Moreau) and Cathy (Dominique Labourier), two very different patients from opposite walks of life who each contribute to Lola's adjustment. Given that the doctor at this clinic is a media-star, there is a certain aura of unreality to the story that also permeates some of the episodes involving subsidiary characters like Lola's boyfriend or her archetypal Jewish family. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This thriller looks at the defection of a terrorist and focuses on frequent violence and repetitive sex scenes with full frontal nudity. Henri (Hubert Lucot) belongs to a terrorist gang that orders him to kill the sister of one of their members. The member himself died when he single-handedly carried out an attack on a carload of American military advisors in Paris. Henri balks at this assignment, since the gang only wants the sister assassinated because they believe that she would name them to the authorities. Instead of following through, Henri runs away, and the others soon follow in hot pursuit. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Produced on behalf of the HBO cable service, The Blood of Others is a rare venture into English-language filmmaking by Claude Chabrol. Set during World War II, the film stars Jodie Foster and Michael Ontkean as a pair of French resistance fighters. If you can swallow that, then you'll accept New Zealand native Sam Neill as a German businessman. Chabrol's wife Stephane Audran costars as Gigi, while other prominent members of the cast include Alexandra Stewart, Jean-Pierre Aumont and Micheline Presle. Oh, yes, the plot: based on a novel by Simone de Beauvoir, The Blood of Others concerns Jodie Foster's confused loyalties: should she continue in her underground activities, or succumb to the charms of the seemingly civilized Neill? This French-Canadian coproduction was originally telecast August 23, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Thomas (Sylvain Joubert) works on his grandfather's land, boxes in his spare time, and dreams of becoming a veterinarian. He is equally happy to beat up trespassing hippies or thieves when they come onto the land. When he is seriously injured during an anti-nuclear demonstration, he seeks death rather than live as a disabled man. This drama was first shown on French television before being released to movie theaters. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

A detective is on a case of homicide and he gets more involved than his police department may have intended in this French mystery. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi