Claude Leger Movies

Gerard Depardieu, Vincent Perez, and Jason Isaacs star in director Jean Beaudin's historical account of the battle waged between England and France in hopes of gaining a geopolitical foothold in Canada. When a fur-trapper (David La Haye) and a young widow (Noemie Godin-Vigneau) find themselves inexorably immersed a violent clash of nations, the heartbreak that follows will prove an intimate glimpse into the horrifying effects of war on all of humanity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Popular French filmmaker Gérard Pirès makes his first English-language feature with the slick action heist Riders. The film's confusing title history involves four working titles and an international release under the name Steal. A bleached-blonde Stephen Dorff plays Slim, the leader of an extreme sports criminal gang, consisting of Alex (Karen Cliche), Frank (Steven McCarthy), and Otis (Clé Bennett). They wear stylish clothes, rob banks, and get away on rollerblades. Slim's group is pursued by crazed cop Jake Macgruder (Bruce Payne) and Southern-style villain Surtayne (Steven Berkoff). She Spies actress Natasha Henstridge stars as femme fatale Karen. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

The life of the fabled Gallic leader Vercingetorix is brought to the screen in this epic international production. Young Vercingetorix came of age in 60 B.C., as soldiers of the Roman Empire ran roughshod over Gaul and his father was captured and executed by Romans. A wise and philosophical druid, Guttuart (Max Von Sydow), tells the angry Vercingetorix that he should seek justice by winning freedom for Gaul from the Romans. As an adult, Vercingetorix (Christophe Lambert) becomes a brave and insightful warrior, and at first joins forces with the charismatic Julius Caesar (Klaus Maria Brandauer). But in time Vercingetorix is betrayed by the great leader, and soon he raises an army of his own to defeat Caesar and bring Guttuart's prophesy to life. Ines Sastre also appears as Epona, the love of Vercingetorix's life. Vercingetorix was filmed on location in Bulgaria in both French- and English-language versions. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Archibald Belaney was a British man who grew up fascinated with Native American culture -- so much so that in the early 1900s he left the United Kingdom for Canada, where he reinvented himself as Archie Grey Owl and lived in the wild as a North American Indian trapper. He eventually became an environmental activist after renouncing trapping and hunting. Grey Owl is based on Belaney's true story, starring Pierce Brosnan in the title role. In 1934, Archie was living a largely solitary life when he met a young woman named Anahareo (Annie Galipeau), an Ojibway Indian nicknamed Pony. Pony is fascinated by Archie, largely because she wants to know about her people's heritage. Her father, Jim (Graham Greene), is a businessman who wears a suit to work and has little concern for his history; in Archie, Pony sees a link to her past that she can't find in her family. Archie has little use for Pony at first, but in time the two begin to bond, and it's Pony who convinces Archie to give up trapping and work to protect animals. She also encourages Archie to write a book about wilderness life in Canada. The book becomes a huge success and makes Archie something of a celebrity, but with recognition come nagging questions about Archie's true heritage. (In reality, Archie Grey Owl's true idenity did not become public knowledge until after his death.) ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A college student discovers that no good deed goes unpunished in the black comedy Cinq Minutes de Detente (aka A Five Minute Break). Phillippe (Jose Garcia) is a pre-law student at what is described as "a French University in North America." One day during gym class, Phillippe lets a stranger who claims to have a heart condition borrow his shoes for a few minutes. The man then walks across a tar roof, leaving prints from Phillippe's shoes, and shoots a man who's been sleeping with his wife, before returning the shoes to Phillippe. Soon Phillippe's shoes are matched to the crime and he finds himself behind bars. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Conner MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) returns in this, the third film in the Highlander series. MacLeod is an "Immortal," a 16th century Scottish soldier who has been both blessed and cursed with the gift of eternal life. After the death of his beloved wife (a common occurrence for him, but one he's never gotten used to), MacLeod travels to Japan during the feudal era where he encounters a fellow immortal, the wizard and swordsman Nakano (Mako). Nakano and MacLeod become friends, and the Scott learns many valuable lessons from the wise magician; however, when Nakamo's arch enemy Kane (Mario Van Peebles) -- an immortal who has pledged himself to evil -- finds the sorcerer's hideaway, he promptly chops off the magician's head. The attack causes Nakamo's cave to collapse with Kane trapped inside, and McLeod narrowly escapes. Moving into the 20th century, MacLeod is in New York City where he's become romantically involved with Alex Johnson (Deborah Unger), an archeologist who is planning a dig in Japan; however, the site she's excavating just so happens to be the cave where Kane remains trapped inside. Once the villain is freed, he sets out to find MacLeod and determine once and for all who is to be the final immortal. Highlander: The Final Dimension was trimmed of two sex scenes for its American theatrical release, though they were restored when the film was brought out on home video. Despite the suggestion of the title "The Final Dimension," a fourth Highlander film was released in 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Based on a best-selling novel, this drama, set amongst a remote Eskimo tribe in 1935, was -- at the time it was produced -- the most expensive Canadian motion picture ever made, with a budget of $31 million. Lou Diamond Phillips stars as Agaguk, the rebellious son of tribal leader Kroomak (Toshiro Mifune). The two men disagree strongly over the growing presence of white men in the area. Agaguk wants nothing to do with the interlopers, while his father has opened a fur trade with one of them, Brown (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu). Agaguk and Kroomak also clash over Igiyook (Jennifer Tilly), a beautiful woman whom both men want to marry, but Agaguk wins her hand. After he slays Brown in an argument, Agaguk is cursed and cast out of the tribe by his father. Agaguk takes Igiyook into the wilderness and struggles to survive there as she gives birth to a child, while Henderson (Donald Sutherland), a lawman, shows up to investigate Brown's death. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

A potentially moving story about a Cambodian orphan and his quest to return home is trivialized by overacting and exaggeration in this fantasy tale meant for family fare. Toby (Jonathan Starr) and Liz (Anick) live with their aunt and uncle in bucolic happiness, and one day a Cambodian orphan adopted by the aunt and uncle joins the family. Han (Ky Huot-uk) has a dream of returning home (the murderous Khmer Rouge are not mentioned). So when the youngsters come across the eccentric King of Peru (Mickey Rooney) and his magic locomotive, Han gets the idea of jumping on board and riding it back to Cambodia. The intended poignancy of his wish is unfortunately lost among the weak story, cutesy children, and a caricatured interpretation by Mickey Rooney. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Making a rare visit to Canada, Claude Chabrol cowrote and directed the low-pressure psychological melodrama Blood Relatives (Les Liens de sang). Donald Sutherland and Donald Pleasence head the cast in this story of the aftermath of a brutal murder. The victim, a 17-year-old girl, was apparently raped before she died, leading Carella (Sutherland) to believe that she was killed by a sex maniac. Pedophile Doniac (Pleasence) tops the suspect list, but don't be too sure. The truth is much "closer to home" than anyone realizes at first. Lisa Langlois, who made something of a career of Canadian scare flicks, makes her screen debut in Blood Relatives; also appearing, is Chabrol's wife Stephane Audran. Blood Relatives was based on a novel by Ed McBain (aka Evan Hunter), of 87th Precinct fame; the film was released in the US in 1981, three years after its completion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide