Thierry Lhermitte Movies
One of France's most popular actors, writers, and producers, Thierry Lhermitte has been appearing in films since the 1970s. Perhaps best known for work in farcical comedies, the tall, handsome actor has appeared in some of France's more outrageous films over the course of his prolific career.Born in Paris on November 24, 1957, Lhermitte began his career as one of the founding members of the comedy troupe Le Splendid. Among the troupe's other founders were Patrice Leconte, Josiane Balasko, and Michel Blanc, all of whom Lhermitte would collaborate with on future films. After his film debut in Bertrand Blier's Les Valseuses (1974) and a supporting role in Bertrand Tavernier's Que La Fête Commence... (1975), Lhermitte had his first screen collaboration with his Le Splendid colleagues, co-writing and acting in Leconte's Les Bronzés (1978). A farcical satire about a group of French tourists vacationing in Africa, the film proved to be phenomenally popular in France, inspiring a sequel the next year and a dedicated cult following.
Lhermitte subsequently made his mark starring in a number of comedies, including Les Hommes Preferent les Grosses (1981) with Balasko, Jean-Loup Hubert's L'Année Prochaine...Si Tout Va Bien (1981) with Isabelle Adjani, and Blier's La Femme De Mon Pote (1983). He maintained a prolific work schedule throughout the '80s and '90s, continuing to play the romantic lead in comedies of every possible variety for a diverse array of directors.
Lhermitte also continued to collaborate with his Le Splendid colleagues, starring in Leconte's 1993 Tango as a man intent on murdering his wife after she leaves him, and alongside Balasko in Grosse Fatigue, a comedy that featured Michel Blanc both directing and acting in a double role. In 1998, Lhermitte had one of his greatest successes to date as one of the stars of Francis Veber's Le Dîner de Cons. A witty comedy of manners, it featured the actor in top form as an arrogant publisher put in his place by the seemingly moronic man (Jacques Villeret) he has invited to his weekly dinner of idiots. One of the most popular films to be released in France in years, it was a phenomenal hit with critics and audiences alike.
In addition to acting, Lhermitte has continued to work as a screenwriter and producer. In 1994, he wrote, produced, and starred in the children's comedy Un Indien dans la Ville; three years later he served as the associate producer for its American remake, Jungle 2 Jungle. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
Directed by Bruno Podalydès (who helmed the "Montmartre" segment of the omnibus Paris, I Love You), Bancs Publics chronicles three intersecting stories in the city of Versailles: an office worker who hangs a banner reading "Lonely Man" beneath his window, the feuding families and couples in a busy town square, and the employees and customers of a local shop. This sprawling and droll exploration of the estrangement of modern life boasts a star-studded supporting cast that features a veritable who's who of French cinema, including Olivier Gourmet, Emmanuelle Devos, Mathieu Amalric, Chiara Mastroianni, Hippolyte Girardot, Pierre Arditi, and the grande dame herself, Catherine Deneuve. ~ Sandra Bencic, Rovi
- 2009
This unusual, French-language period outing unfolds at a boarding school in 1950s Belgium, where 17-year-old student Laurent Matagne (Milan Mauger) still recoils from the pain of his father's disappearance during a 1940 air raid. The memory of the loss has haunted Laurent for years; then, in the midst of boarding school, a mysterious newcomer turns up in the form of Vapeur (French screen veteran Thierry Lhermitte of The Dinner Game), a wondrous professor who enchants all of the students with his enthusiasm, and even inspires Laurent to become a novelist. But the story doesn't end there; something about Vapeur strikes Laurent as distinctly familiar, and he begins to suspect that Vapeur is in fact his father. Matagne teams up with his friend Boulette (Benoit Cauden) to find out definitively; meanwhile, the young man also begins to author his first novel. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Thierry Lhermitte, Milan Mauger, (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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Thierry Lhermitte, Julie Ferrier, (more)
- 2008
Léa Fazer's workplace-oriented romantic comedy Notre univers impitoyable (Our Pitiless World) stars Jocelyn Quivrin and Alice Taglioni as Victor and Margot. A couple deeply entrenched in the throes of love, the two also happen to work in the same law consultancy firm - and find themselves placed in an extremely difficult position when the company announces that it plans to promote one employee to legal partner. This forces the lovers to go head to head with one another in a most unwelcome competition. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alice Taglioni, Jocelyn Quivrin, (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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc, (more)
- 2006
Jointly written by an eight-member French comedy troupe called Les Quiches (Alexandre Brik, Vanessa Pivain, Deborah Saiag, Benoit Petre, Mayane Delem, Mika Tard, Morgan Perez and Isabelle Vitari) and co-directed by four of the eight (Petre, Saiag, Tard and Vitari), Foon is a kitschy, campy Euro musical comedy that sends up contemporary American high school life. The creative team authored the script in a deliriously silly cross-pollenization of French and English ("Franglais") that yields expressions from 'Si vous please' to 'Thank you beaucoup.' The action at the heart of the story centers around the revered prom -- an event that functions as the battleground for a classical rivalry between the in-crowd (called "Foons" as an amalgam of "Fun" and 'Cool") and the dorks. Foon also satirizes numerous motion pictures, with satirical references to films such as Carrie, What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?, and the Zapruder footage of the Kennedy assassination. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alexandre Brik, Mayane Delem, (more)
A winning game show contestant falls prey to an opportunistic actress who seeks to deceive him by seduction, and take him for all he's worth. Jalil has just won big on "Mr. Average," Germany's most popular game show. When a beautiful woman named Claire walks into his life shortly thereafter, Jalil falls hopelessly in love. But what Jalil doesn't know could break his heart: Claire is an actress playing a role, and Jalil is her ticket to the big time. But the deeper Claire sinks into her role, the more difficult it becomes to maintain her performance. The greater the lie grows, the more confused Claire becomes about her true feelings and convictions. Will Claire discover her conscience in time to realize that true love is actually within reach, or is it too late to tell Jalil the truth and finally make amends for her cruel act of deception? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Caroline Dhavernas, Khalid Maadour, (more)
Based on the 1997 National Book Award-nominated novel of the same name by Diane Johnson (co-writer of the script for Stanley Kubrick's The Shining), Le Divorce is a romantic comedy from director James Ivory. Revisiting the "Americans in France" theme that Ivory explored in 1998's A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries, the film stars Kate Hudson as Isabel Walker. When she receives word that her pregnant poetess sister Roxy (Naomi Watts) has been left by her philandering French husband, artist Charles-Henri de Persand (Melvil Poupaud), Isabel offers her help and moral support. As the depressive Roxy struggles with the separation proceedings -- which include the rights to ownership of a work of art that's a family heirloom -- Isabel takes a job with author Olivia Pace and has a fling with the bohemian Yves (Romain Duris). But things get complicated when the younger, more impudent sister decides instead to pursue Charles' uncle, the snooty, married diplomat Edgar (Thierry Lhermitte), and when a mysterious man (Matthew Modine) starts stalking Roxy. Eventually, the rest of the plucky Walker clan has to come to the aid of the siblings. Stockard Channing and Sam Waterston co-star. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kate Hudson, Naomi Watts, (more)
- 2003
Directed by Guillaume Nicloux, Cette Femme-La (That Woman) follows divorced police captain Michele Varin (Josiane Balasko), whose grief comes to a head with the swiftly approaching anniversary of her young son's death. Alone except for her late son's sick rabbit, Michele is dealing with crippling insomnia, and what little sleep she does get is marred by nightmares. Meanwhile, along with her co-worker Sylvain (Eric Caravaca), Michele tries to solve a strange suicide case, and meets several mysterious people along the way: a private investigator (Thierry Lhermitte), a strange young boy who lives near the suicide location, and Daniel (Frederic Pierrot), a lumber yard worker. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Josiane Balasko, Eric Caravaca, (more)
Jean Becker's Effroyables Jardins (Strange Gardens) is a tale of survival during WWII. At the beginning of the 1960s, French teenager Lucien (Damien Jouilleot) is deeply embarrassed by the quirky behavior of his father Jacques (Jacques Villeret), as well as Jacques' ongoing performances as a clown at public celebrations. Lucien's mother, Louise (Isabelle Candelier), does nothing to stop her husband. Jacques' friend Andre (Andre Dussollier) tells Lucien about Jacques' experience during the war, a time when both Jacques and Andre were in love with Louise. After doing their part for the French resistance, Jacques and Andre are captured by the Nazis and informed that they may well be executed in less than twenty-four hours. Their unusual relationship with a Nazi guard makes all the difference, and reveals to Lucien the motivation behind his father's actions. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jacques Villeret, André Dussollier, (more)
- 2002
A throwback detective attempts to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of a young Parisian student named Rachel in this noirish mystery from director Guillaume Nicloux. His life a smoky and meaningless haze of women and seedy investigations, private eye François Maneri (Thierry Lhermitte) agrees to take the case of a missing student in an investigation that grows increasingly complex. First speaking to Rachel's family and friends, François soon discovers a dark and complicated past that few of those who were close to Rachel knew about. As François moves ever closer to discovering the truth behind Rachel's disappearance, facts become blurred and the truth a complex maze of sordid details that threatens to envelop the detective in the same darkness that swallowed Rachel. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Thierry Lhermitte, Marion Cotillard, (more)
- 2002
- PG13
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Valentin (also known as And Now...Ladies and Gentleman) is directed by Claude Lelouch and features Jeremy Irons as Valentin, a criminal mastermind whose jewel-stealing business, despite having made him rich, does not offer him much room for personal growth. Hoping to find meaning for his existence, Valentin buys a boat and sets off on a one-man sailing trip around the world, with the police at his heels. At the same time, a burned-out jazz singer named Jane (Patricia Kaas) is in Morocco trying to forget an ill-fated love affair. Valentin, after being struck by a serious illness, makes an emergency landing on the Moroccan coast. Jane soon crosses paths with the suave con artist, and they begin a relationship. Valentin, filmed in France, England, and Morocco, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. The supporting cast of Valentin includes Xavier Lecoeur, Romula Walker, and Laura Mayne-Kerbrat. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeremy Irons, Patricia Kaas, (more)
- 2002
La Bande de Drugstore is the debut feature from writer/director Francois Armanet, who adapted the script from his own novel. Set in Paris during the 1960s, a group of stylish teenagers hang out at a club called the Drugstore. Shy Philippe Challes (Mathieu Simonet) wants to meet a girl but he doesn't know how to go about it. Experienced Nathalie (Alice Taglioni) invites him and his friend Marc (Aurelien Wiik) to the birthday party of the also quite shy Charlotte (Cecile Cassel). Philippe and Charlotte develop a strong interest in each other, but neither one seems to know what to do about it. Philippe also tries to pick up girls with his friend Pierre (Laurent Pialet), while Nathalie finds herself attracted to Charlotte's father (Thierry Lhermitte). The '60s pop rock soundtrack features Aretha Franklin, Sonny & Cher, and Otis Redding. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mathieu Simonet, Cecile Cassel, (more)
- 2001
In this comedy, five French students in their early twenties decide it's time they saw a bit more of the world, so Clementine (Ludivine Sagnier), Caroline (Veronique Balme), Lionel (Pascal Reneric), Bruno (Thomas Blanchard), and Brigitte (Marie Gili-Pierre) buy cut-price rail passes and set out to visit 15 of the great cities of Europe. But it doesn't take long for their great plans to unravel, as the group's desire to see the important sights gets sidetracked by their fondness for partying and the opposite sex, and as they roll through Amsterdam, Berlin, Athens, and Bologna, they stumble into a wide variety of misadventures and meet all manner of unlikely people, from a former teacher who has come rather dramatically out of the closet to a washed-up dance-pop star. Bon Plan was the first feature film from writer and director Jerome Levy. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ludivine Sagnier, Veronique Balme, (more)
While there are plenty of stories about gay men who have pretended to be straight for the sake of their careers, this tart comedy from France considers the dilemma of a straight man doing just the opposite. Francois Pignon (Daniel Auteuil) is an accountant whose personality is bland to the point of being nonexistent; he's been down in the dumps ever since his wife left him two years ago, and he becomes even more depressed when he learns that his boss is planning on firing him after 20 years of loyal service. Francois is seriously considering suicide until his next-door neighbor Belone (Michel Aumont) comes up with a plan to save his career. Belone finds some photos snapped at an especially randy gay nightclub, and using his computer, he pastes Francois' face over that of one of the participants. He sends copies of the doctored picture to several of Francois' co-workers, and soon everyone at the office is convinced the quiet little man has a flamboyant secret life. The firm's CEO, Kopel (Jean Rochefort), now has second thoughts about firing Francois, since letting an employee go who is known to be gay could invite a sexual discrimination suit. Meanwhile, the firm's public relations man, Guillaume (Thierry Lhermitte), is dealing with Felix (Gérard Depardieu), an employee relations executive who is well known as a narrow-minded thug. In order to counter charges that he's a rampant homophobe, Guillaume instructs Felix to make friends with Francois, and soon Felix is spending so much time with Francois (while fighting his own internal revulsion) that his wife wonders if he's seeing another woman. Le Placard was writer and director Francis Veber's first film after his international hit Le Diner de Cons -- in which the leading character was also named Francois Pignon. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Depardieu, (more)
- 2001
A couple whose ages are separated by 25 years face an uncertain future in this romantic drama. Roman (Thierry Lhermitte) is a cartoonist in his early fifties who for the past five years has been involved with Lulu (Claire Keim), an attractive actress in her mid-twenties. Roman and Lulu have been very happy together, and while there are no outward flaws in their relationship, Roman can't shake the feeling that Lulu would be better off spending her life with someone her own age. When Lulu lands a movie role in America, she begins packing her bags for a trip to California, but the weekend before she leaves, Roman decides to tell her that it's time they parted ways -- a decision she hardly agrees with. Le Roman do Lulu was directed by Pierre-Olivier Scotto, who also appears in a supporting role as a publisher. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Thierry Lhermitte, Claire Keim, (more)
- 2000
Two teachers find themselves at odds in this drama from France. Hippolyte (Yvan Attal) and Alexandre (Jean-Hugues Anglade) have been friends since childhood; now they're both instructors and assistant principals at the same high school. They're both dedicated to making education exciting and fun for their students, and they want to teach them the importance of not blindly following in the paths of others, but lately they find themselves arguing over the best way to implement these goals. It doesn't help that they've both fallen for the same woman (Helene de Fougerolles), and neither wants to step aside and let the other man win her hand. Le Prof was based on a novel by Alexandre Jardin, who also directed and co-wrote the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean-Hugues Anglade, Yvan Attal, (more)
- 2000
A stuffy French military man is transformed into a legendary Polynesian warrior in this light comic adventure tale. Capt. Alfred de Morsac (Thierry Lhermitte) is a French naval officer who, after distinguishing himself in battle against the enemy in Morocco, is sent to Tahiti in 1914, where his assignment is to persuade the natives to join the French army and fight in the trenches. However, when Morsac arrives in Tahiti, he finds that the island is ruled by Lefebvre (Francois Berleand), the French military governor who minds his charges with an iron hand, and is intent upon getting revenge on Meoata (Marie Trintignant), the widow of the last man who attempted to overthrow Lefebvre's martial regime. While Morsac, all starched uniforms and stiff upper lip, is a fish out of water in Tahiti, he soon decides that something must be done about Lefebvre's tyrannical oppression of his people, and Morsac attempts to intervene; while earning the admiration of the Tahitians, he ends up in prison for his troubles. But Reia (Anituavau Lande), Meoata's son, is convinced that Morsac is "Tefa'aora," a brave leader of local legend who will rise up to lead the Tahitians in a revolt to win their freedom. Morsac himself is less convinced, but he manages to escape from prison with the help of con man and fellow jailbird Barnabe (Patrick Timsit), and attempts to organize the islanders into a fighting force that can overthrow Lefebvre. Le Prince du Pacifique was directed and co-written by Alain Corneau, who previously worked with co-star Patrick Timsit in the international success Un Indien Dans La Ville (later remade in the United States as Jungle 2 Jungle). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Thierry Lhermitte, Patrick Timsit, (more)
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