Jacques Perrin Movies

Winged Migration co-directors Jacques Cluzaud and Jacques Perrin re-team for this documentary produced for Walt Disney Studios' Dieneynature banner and exploring the many mysteries of our planet's oceans. Almost three-quarters of the earth's surface is covered by oceans, yet strangely we seem to know more about deep space than the world of the sea. There's no question that the ocean has played a crucial role in the history and sustenance of humankind, but what secrets does the underwater world hold? Follow filmmakers Cluzaud and Perrin beneath the ocean waves as they seek out the answer to this and explore the many dangers and mysteries of the deep. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A young, inexperienced detective is inducted into an elite Paris plainclothes unit in Le Petit Lieutenant, directed by Xavier Beauvois (Don't Forget You're Going to Die). Antoine (Jalil Lespert or Human Resources) is as gung-ho as they come, and eager to learn everything he needs to know to be a good cop, although he misses his wife (Bérangère Allaux), a schoolteacher who stayed behind in the country when Antoine took his new job. Antoine socializes with his new comrades, who seem to drink an awful lot, with the exception of the unit commander, Caroline (Nathalie Baye), an alcoholic who has just returned from a long stint on desk duty. The other experienced detectives that Antoine looks up to are the cynical Louis (Antoine Chappey), and the stalwart Solo (Roschdy Zem), who in addition to the rigors of the job faces bigotry due to his Moroccan origin. When a Polish immigrant is found murdered in a canal near the station, the unit begins a methodical investigation, eventually learning that the victim was last seen with a couple of Russians. When a second victim is rescued from the waters of the canal a few days later, the case takes on a new urgency. As Antoine tries to fit in and learn on the job, Caroline struggles with her addiction and forms an almost maternal bond with the rookie. Le Petit Lieutenant also features Jacques Perrin, and was shown by the Film Society of Lincoln Center as part of their 2006 Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Pierre Schoendoerffer has made many film about the French in Indochina, and Above the Clouds finds the 75-year-old director covering that territory again. A female journalist (Florence Darel) becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Henri Lanvern (Jacques Perrin), a filmmaker who disappeared while shooting in Thailand in 1978. Although it appears that many of the men in her life have some of the answers for which she is looking, the reporter remains cut off from the truth. Because this film features many performers who have previously worked with the director, Schoendoerffer utilizes clips from his old films in order to provide flashbacks for this film. Above the Clouds was screened out of competition at the Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Winner of the Audience Award at the 2002 Palm Springs Film Festival, Eugenio, I Love You is the story of Eugenio (Giancarlo Giannini), a grown man with Downs Syndrome. Eugenio lives in a spacious country home where he takes care of Federico (Jacques Perrin), his older brother. He also spends his time working as a gardener and volunteering in a hospital trauma center, where he meets Laura (Chiara de Bonis), who has been badly injured in a car accident. Eugenio makes the surprising discovery that Laura is the daughter of Elena (Giuliana De Sio), whom Eugenio loved as a teenager and has never really gotten over. When Elena reappears in Eugenio's life, he is forced to come to terms with the rejections he has suffered over the course of his life. Eugenio, I Love You was screened at the 2002 Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

Based on a true story, this murder mystery is steeped in accusation as it chronicles the investigation into the deaths of a pair of Montagnais Indian fisherman who may have been shot by white game wardens who find them illegally fishing for salmon. The story is set in 1984 along the northeastern coast of Quebec and begins on the Maliotenam reserve when Salomon Ispatau's bloated corpse washes ashore, pierced with what looks like bullet holes. This naturally causes a stir amongst the residents. Roxane Lalo is most upset, for her brother Ulysse had gone out fishing around the same time as Salomon. At the time Salomon's body is discovered, a French marine biologist, Jean-Pierre Lafond, is there studying local whale migrations. Since his arrival, he has become friends with Roxane and it is with her that they find Ulysse's blood-covered body on a beach. The latest discovery causes even greater conflict. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This French documentary is comprised of almost 300 clips from the past 100 years of cinema Francaise. The images within the documentary are free flowing and not in chronological order; they are also not hindered with unnecessary narration or lengthy introductions. The film represents the collaborative efforts of a collective of the country's finest filmmakers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This poignant Italian drama tells the tale of a producer who would do just about anything to have actress Kim Novak appear in his next film. Enrico, a producer, needs $250,000 so he can hire Kim Novak for his film. The problem is that he is almost broke. He wants to sell his palatial family home but cannot unless his wife Emilia consents to it. Unfortunately, they are separated and she is involved with a new man. She has tried to convince her son Luca, that his father is a rat. Enrico's passion for Kim Novak is revealed through his memories of his youth which included a series of orgies with a sexy barmaid who was the spitting image of Novak. Eventually Luca, returns to his father determined to help him out and the two share many wonderful times. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The seemingly endless chain of assassinations of judges who seek to end (or at least curtail) the pervasiveness of organized crime and deep corruption in Italian political life, is the topic of this political thriller. As the film opens, Carla (Carla Gravina) is the gynecologist wife of a judge (Jacques Perrin) who is determined to prosecute the country's gang lords with the help of an informant. His life is constantly under threat. Despite the pervasive presence of police bodyguards, the inevitable happens, and he and his informant are killed. Carla, infused with his mission and angry at his death, takes the notes he had hidden and contacts the widow of the informer. With that material, she produces a television documentary featuring the widows of assassinated judges. Of course, this puts her and many others in danger also. Despite this, it begins to appear that she has roused the women of the country to action. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This powerful, pointed and multi-layered political satire from Senegal's great director Ousman Sembene will provide considerable food for thought; especially amongst those who consider foreign charity a beneficial humanitarian action. It also provides insight into Sembene's thoughts on cultural genocide, AIDS, and corruption. The story centers around the funeral services of the outspoken Pierre Henri Thioune or Guelwaar (meaning Noble One) as his friends and family call him. Guelwaar was a prominent Catholic, the holdover religion from the now ousted French colonialists, who believed that most of his country's problems stem not from racism, nor even from colonialism, but from losing their self-respect by willingly accepting the food and supplies donated to impoverished Senegal by richer countries for the past three decades. Guelwaar maintained that these hand-outs have enslaved his people by causing corruption amongst those who exploit the international good-will for their own gain. It is something that destroyed the country's economy and has kept corrupt officials involved promote continued tension between Muslims and Catholics to keep the people fighting. Guelwaar's inflammatory opinions may well have caused his mysterious death. Afterward many important people come to visit the deceased's surviving family which is comprised of Nogoy Marie, his wife, Sophie, his daughter who sells her body in Dakar, and Barthelemy, his eldest son who loves the French and lives in Paris. His second son, Aloys is crippled and lives with his mother. All gather to mourn Guelwaar's death. The trouble begins when his corpse suddenly disappears from the town funeral home. Barthalemy calls the police and Officer Gora, a Muslim is sent to investigate. Gora is no fan of Guelwaar and his suspicious activities, but he always respected him. He despises Barthelemy because he has abandoned his culture in favor of French to the point that he refuses to speak anything but French. Tensions in town mount as rumors fly about the reason for the corpse's disappearance. But then Gora discovers that Guelwaar's body was accidentally buried in a Muslim cemetery and had nothing to do with ideological differences. Still, this is not the end, for now the Catholics want his body back for a proper burial while the Muslims refuse to defile their sacred burial ground by digging up the corpse. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Patrick (Hippolyte Girardot) is a news photographer in Lebanon who is captured and held hostage by one of the factions fighting in the civil war there. This hostage drama film is unusual in that it attempts to show what motivates the captors, as well as showing the brave attempts of the captive to maintain his dignity in daunting circumstances. Despite the fact that the captors' motives are better portrayed than ordinarily, they are not whitewashed, and Patrick endures a great deal of mental and some physical torture. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Marie has always been somewhat independent and is considered by some to be a bit of a tomboy. Though she is not quite a teenager, her photographer father has no qualms about leaving her alone for a while when he has to go off on an assignment. One day, while she is walking along, she gets run down by an automobile. The contrite woman driving that car sees to it that she is all right, and before long the two of them have become fast friends. Lilas, the driver, is a prostitute, and she discovers that she has a thing or two to teach the kid about femininity and men. Before long, the precocious youth is trying out her newfound powers of seduction on a family friend. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

The sentiments of producer, co-writer, and star Alain Delon provide the particular slant in this routine thriller about vigilante justice over other vigilantes. The angry hero (Delon) leaves France in a fury because of a technicality in the justice system that failed to convict the murderers of his wife. After lazing away his days in a Congolese village, sleeping with whatever woman he chooses or playing cards, he finds out that vigilantes have murdered his daughter because they are intent on ridding France of undesirables -- which include delinquents (a category mistakenly attributed to her) and North Africans, as well as drug dealers. Now really out of control, revenge propels the bereaved father to return home and murder the vigilantes one by one, maiming them first to watch them suffer. Justice, of course, is too blind to catch up with him. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide