Edouard Molinaro Movies

France, 1815. After his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon heads for exile. Royalists occupy Paris and attempt to restore the monarchy. However, the battle doesn't seem to be over. On July 6, Talleyrand (Claude Rich), a shrewd politician of flexible convictions, invites chief of police and zealous revolutionary Fouché (Claude Brasseur) to supper and tries to convince him to serve the king. Over the meal they insult each other, accuse each other, and, at first sight, look like mortal enemies. But they definitely have one thing in common: they are both power-hungry. Basically a stage two-hander, the picture looks frustratingly uncinematic and static, despite the vigorous performances by the two leads. It will be enjoyed most by viewers with a good knowledge of the French Revolution and the Restoration who will understand the dialogue's subtle political details. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide

In this standard romantic drama, a tangled web of relationships may not be that easy to straighten out for the people involved. Marc (Daniel Auteuil) is a lawyer married to Jeanne (Sophie Barjac), but his roving eye leads him into sexual encounters with other women on a regular basis -- and although his wife loves him deeply, she throws him out one day when she can no longer stand his philandering. After their split, she begins a romantic fling with Antoine (Jean-Pierre Marielle), who moves in with her after awhile. At the same time, Marc meets and falls in love with Samantha (Emmanuelle Beart), a prostitute who reciprocates his feelings. Circumstances place all four -- Marc, Samantha, Jeanne, and Antoine under the same roof -- a combination of cross-references that soon threatens to disintegrate, at least in part. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this standard human interest comedy, Susan Berlanger (Kristy McNichol) has been crippled since a child and has to wear a leg brace in order to get around, but that does not in any way prevent Sam (Robert Carradine) and several other men from being very attracted to her. Susan is a professional flautist with a ballet-company orchestra and is given a chance to travel to Europe for a concert tour, which she is more than happy to accept. Since she has doubts about relationships (do these men feel sorry for her?), she puts a cast on her leg and goes to a ski resort to find out what it is like to be treated "normally" by others. Once there, she meets a captivating photographer (Michael Ontkean) and falls in love -- but does not tell him the truth about her leg. Making matters even worse, a wealthy Frenchman courting Susan's roommate at the resort is an amputee -- he lost a leg in an automobile accident. Sooner or later, Susan will have to come to grips with her deception, her forthcoming marriage, and her interest in the photographer. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Having just seen a successful robbery, a man (Daniel Auteuil) and his roommate (Gerard Jugnot) are inspired to rob a bank themselves for some ready cash. When they burst in on the bank with their toy machine guns, most of the tellers and staff are frightened and wary, but in one case, a member of the bank staff has to show the robbers how to carry out their plan because they really do not know what they are doing. After getting to know the robbers better, the bank staff are struck by a serious conflict of interest -- should they remain loyal to the bank or not? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Sunday Lovers is a fitfully amusing study of weekend romantic techniques as practiced in four different cultures. Each episode was filmed by a separate unit in the country where the story was set. "The French Method" (directed by Eduoard Molinaro) finds a businessman (Lino Ventura) trying to secure an important contract through the sexual allure of his secretary (Catherine Salviat)--only to give up the whole enterprise when he discovers that the secretary would be more valuable as a business partner. "An Englishman's Home" (directed by Bryan Forbes) is all about a chauffeur (Roger Moore) who poses as his boss in order to impress a series of sexy stewardesses. "Armando's Notebook" (directed by Dino Risi) finds a middle-aged Italian husband (Ugo Tognazzi) arranging an affair when his wife leaves town. And "Skippy" stars Gene Wilder (who also directed the segment) as an American psychiatric patient who falls in love with the equally neurotic Priscilla Barnes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An international comedy sensation based on a successful French stage play, La Cage aux Folles depicts the farcical chaos that results when a gay man attempts to pose as straight for the benefit of his son's future in-laws. Renato (Ugo Tognazzi) owns a popular nightclub and is the long-time lover of Zaza (Michel Serrault), a female impersonator who is the club's main attraction. Unfortunately, Renato's son Laurent (Remy Laurent) has told none of this to his future father-in-law, an important figure in a morally conservative political organization. Not wanting to ruin his son's chance of happiness, Renato agrees to pose as a straight man, but he finds his familiar habits, and those of the even more flamboyant Zaza, getting in the way at every turn. Zaza is the one who comes up with what he thinks is an ideal solution: he'll dress in drag and pose as Renato's wife. Naturally, the plan does not pan out as expected. La Cage aux Folles' pleasant, unthreatening comic sensibility attracted a large mainstream audience in both Europe and the United States, which was at the time unusual for a film with a homosexual theme. Indeed, the film was popular enough to inspire two remakes: a stage musical and, nearly two decades later, the Hollywood comedy The Birdcage with Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Gene Hackman. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Christopher Lee dons the Count's legendary cape once again for this satirical French-made entry in the vampire genre (titled Dracula and Son for American release). It seems Dracula's son (Bernard Ménez) is a bit reluctant to carry on the family's blood-drinking tradition on account of severe squeamishness. This understandable rift is widened when the Dracula family is banished from Romania by the new communist regime, and they end up traveling their separate ways -- Ménez goes to France, while Lee, oddly enough, finds a lucrative career in British horror films (perish the thought!). They are reunited again at the premiere of one such film, where they meet and fall in love with the same woman). Directed by Edouard Molinaro, known best for his international comedy hit La Cage aux Folles, this was a very witty film prior to its decimation by an uncaring American distributor, who not only excised many of the jokes but also replaced them with horribly-written, sophomoric gags. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

This quirky French film examines a series of events during the German occupation of France and shows what might have happened if one thing had gone differently in each instance. The first story given this treatment concerns the assassination of a German officer by a young member of the Resistance. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Based on a true story, this French crime/action drama tells the story of three young prisoners who escape from their courthouse arraignment with a number of hostages. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This drama is based on a 1953 one-act play by Georges Amaudi. It details the confrontation between a determined young criminal and two brutal policemen who are bent on exacting a confession from him. The young criminal and his partner were caught after they attempted to rob a circus ticket booth. Even though they all know his partner killed the ticket clerk, the two policemen conducting the boy's interview have decided they want him to confess to the killing. During the interview, the policemen use every inducement they can think of to get the man to confess. Carrots failing, they then beat him almost to death. The town mayor, however, has overheard the whole affair, and is indignant. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Benjamin (Jacques Brel) is a country doctor who has a way with women with the exception of his fianceé. While other women yearn to play doctor with the handsome physician, his intended intends on saving herself for their wedding night. When the local Marquis feels he is snubbed by the wise cracking medico, he demands revenge. Benjamin is forced to place his puckered lips on the posterior of the pompous Marquis (Bernard Blier). He gets revenge by making love to the Marquis' wife. Benjamin even saves the choking nobleman, but not before he plants a kiss on the doctor's derriere. Swashbuckling swordplay and nudity appear throughout the film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Bertrand (Louis De Funes) is a victim of blackmail when a man asks for his daughter's hand in marriage in this madcap comedy of errors. The suitor offers money he has embezzled in exchange for permission to wed the young woman. The trouble is that the woman is not really Bertrand's daughter but a woman who had only borrowed her name. Bertrand agrees to let Oscar the chauffeur marry the woman without revealing that she is not really his own daughter. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide