Andre Melancon Movies
A young boy still recovering from his mother's recent death teams with his two best friends to turn a regular pooch into a stunt-performing super-dog in this affectionate comedy for the whole family. Losing a parent is never easy, but for 11 year old Daniel it's been especially hard; when his father dives into work in an attempt to keep his grief at bay, Daniel starts causing mischief around the neighborhood with his best friends William and Colin. When the kids catch wind of a canine competition that's coming to town, they focus on training lovable canine named Gypsy into a true contender. Trouble is, Daniel's father has forbidden him from hanging out with William and Colin after the trio destroyed a neighbor's barn. But good friends are just what Daniel needs most right now, and by secretly teaming with his pals to teach Gypsy some outrageous new tricks, the troubled young boy develops the courage to overcome any problem that life throws his way. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Matthew Harbour, Patrick Goyette, (more)
- 1996
- NR
Episodic and unflinchingly realistic, this docudrama offers a seldom-seen look into the lives of Montreal's homeless as it tells the story of a veteran beggar, Marcel, and his neophyte panhandler-buddy Joseph. Most of the time, the down-and-out duo spend their days walking about, talking to their equally less-fortunate and very eccentric peers. Though such wandering is seemingly aimless, Marcel is actually quietly searching for his long-lost and suicidal friend Stanley, in hopes of saving his life. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gaston Lepage, Benoit Briere, (more)
In this gentle comedy, Alex (Michael Riley) seems to be blundering through his life like a misguided housefly. After an absence, he returns to Montreal to discover that his best friend Arto is leaving for a long stay in Cairo. He briefly consoles and then becomes the bedmate of Arto's former girlfriend, and then becomes friendly in an intimate way with a neighbor-woman, a single mom with two kids. None of his prospects, romantic or otherwise, inspire him much. It's just as well that the other inhabitants of his apartment building are so friendly and supportive, from the rather odd landlord to the elderly gay couple. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Riley, Martine Rochon, (more)
- 1992
- R
In this cheerfully surrealistic romance, a poet named Oliverio (Darío Grandinetti) lives by his wits in Buenos Aires, winning dollars by reciting his poems to passing motorists who stop at red lights or by occasionally trading a poem for a steak from a sympathetic restaurateur. His friends include an eccentric Canadian sculptor and Death (Nacha Guevara) himself, who often encourages him to get a regular job. When he grows tired of the women he is sleeping with, his bed becomes a doorway to elsewhere, and they simply disappear. This all changes somewhat when he falls in love with a high-class (and evidently very gifted) hooker. Their lovemaking sessions literally result in the couple levitating. Increasingly obsessed with meeting her fee, the free-spirited poet gets a job in advertising. At one point, their sexual encounter literally sends them flying over the city. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Darío Grandinetti, Sandra Ballesteros, (more)
- 1990
It is Christmas Eve, and it's snowing hard. For reasons of his own, Pouliot (Claude Blanchard) tells his two friends (Guy Thauvette and Marcel Leboef) that he won't join them in their attempt to rob a department store. After some discussion, the two (who are brothers) go ahead with their planned theft. They have been followed by a radio reporter (Denis Bouchard), who is aware of the whole scheme. When one of them is caught by the police as they leave the scene of the crime, having killed someone in the confusion, the reporter suggests that the remaining thief take him hostage - at his radio station. Once they are ensconced at the radio station, they are beseiged by advertisers insisting that they interrupt their live-crime broadcast with ads, since everybody is listening to it. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denis Bouchard, Marcel Leboeuf, (more)
This award-winning film by André Melançon -- set on a ranch on the pampas of Argentina -- tells the story of three children spending a summer with their grandfather. The youngest, Felipe, makes friends with a puppy; his older brother, Daniel, breaks and train his first horse; their 13-year-old sister, Laura, struggles with the transition between childhood and growing up. The kids find it difficult to adapt to their proud and stubborn grandfather, and he learns that he has to change his ways and try to understand them as they all experience the joys and sorrows of growing up and growing old. ~ Alice Duncan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Héctor Alterio, China Zorrilla, (more)
- 1988
The modestly produced children's film The Tadpole and the Whale (La Grenouille et la Balleine) was honored with Canada's equivalent of the Emmy award. The "tadpole" in question is 12-year-old Elvira, who is fascinated with life under the sea -- so much so that she has developed the ability to breathe underwater. Elvira befriends a frolicsome dolphin, whom she names Elvar. In the course of their many adventures, girl and dolphin are introduced to all manner of deep-sea denizens, including an easygoing whale. Since there must be a plot, the scripters give Elvira a grandfather who is in danger of losing his seaside hotel. In addition to its Canadian award, Tadpole and the Whale was also the recipient of the London Film Festival award and the International Ecological Film Festival Award. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Fanny Lauzier, Marina Orsini, (more)
- 1987
Fanny (Mahee Paiement) is a young orphan girl who is sent to live with her detached Uncle Jonathan (Raymond Legault) when her grandmother enters a nursing home. As Jonathan prepares for an organ recital of music by Bach, he tries to provide a proper environment for his young niece. Fanny collects other animals in addition to her pet skunk Broccoli with the help of her upstairs neighbor Sean (Harry Marciano). Just before Fanny is to enter a foster home, Jonathan realizes he loves the little girl and makes a promise to keep her and her animal menagerie. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mahee Paiement, Raymond Legault, (more)
- 1986
This crime drama concerns Guillaume (Jacques Godin), who has just finished serving 10 years in prison for a crime he never committed. Now he is out seeking revenge against his old "buddy" who lied on the stand and put him in jail. He brings along his young granddaughter and drives like a maniac as he nears his destination. That sets three brutish thugs on his tail, anxious to corner him and end his days behind the wheel. So while Guillaume is chasing down his betrayer, he is being chased in turn. It's not a formula for continued good health. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jacques Godin, Ariane Frederique, (more)
- 1986
This French Canadian film details the aftereffects of a daring robbery. Veteran criminal Theo (Jacques Godin) and his novice gang - including his son, played by Eric Brisebois -- very nearly pull off the theft without a hitch, but the son panics and shoots two of the guards. The third guard (Robert Gravel) hides in the back of the armored car, locking himself in so that the criminals can't get either him or the loot. The efforts by Theo to extricate the guard from his stronghold end a shootout that proves fatal for everyone involved. Blind Trust was inspired by James Hadley Chase's novel The World in My Pocket previously filmed in 1962 and 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marie Tifo, Pierre Curzi, (more)
- 1986
Filmed in Quebec, this children's fantasy was originally released as Tales for All #5. The principal character is a lovable goblin who befriends a group of children. The magical dwarf is visible only to the kids, leading to all sorts of complications with the local adult population. In the end, the children save the goblin from the evil machinations of the human villain, a despotic land-grabber. The film's lilting musical score, written by G. Trepanier and N. Dube, has been made separately available on tape. Great Land of Small was part of a series of kid's films designed for the dual market of TV and theaters. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Karen Elkin, Michael Blouin, (more)
The Canadian Dog Who Stopped the War is a children's film. More specifically, it is a children's Christmas film, and as such proved popular on the American cable-TV market. Even more specifically, it is an allegory, though not a heavy-handed one. Engaging in an after-school snowball fight, a group of kids learn a valuable lesson about the horrors of war-and, as indicated by the title, a little dog shall lead them. Cedric Jourde and Julien Elie head the cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cedric Jourde
- 1973
In this early work from director Denys Arcand (Jesus of Montreal), Vincent Padovani (Jean Lajeunesse) is a French-Canadian contractor whose new superhighway is about to open. At a party he throws with the local money-men and political honchos, Padovani willingly indulges in the sort of debauchery that is permissible only in the highest social circles. The revelry is interrupted -- briefly -- when the ex-wife of the highway financier turns up; the financier's bodyguards promptly rub her out and have her body dumped in cement...and by film's end, the unfortunate woman winds up a left turn on Padovani's highway. The anti-establishment ambience of Réjeanne Padovani has a bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you feel, inasmuch as the film was financed by a government grant. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.