Jacques Richard Movies

Henri Langlois was, in many respects, the ultimate film fan. In 1936, at the age of 22, Langlois became (along with Jean Mitry and Georges Franju) one of the founders of the Cinémathèque Française, a theater and museum devoted to preserving the history of the motion picture. Initially a tiny operation financed by private funds, the Cinémathèque, with time, grew into Europe's most important film archive, collecting and preserving prints of rare films from all over the world and protecting many rare gems of the French cinema from destruction during the Nazi occupation of World War II. Langlois' enthusiasm for sharing the treasures of his collection with others helped spawn a film-crazy generation who created the French New Wave of the '50s, and in time, the French government acknowledged the importance of the Cinémathèque's work by financing their endeavors. In 1968, the French minister of culture, André Malraux, responded to Langlois' difficult personality and sloppy bookkeeping by pulling the government's financing of his projects, which led to an international outcry leading to the shutdown of the Cannes Film Festival by activists and film buffs. The Cinémathèque's funding and Langlois' leadership were later restored, and in 1973, his work in film preservation was honored with a special Academy Award. Henri Langlois: The Phantom of the Cinémathèque is a documentary which chronicles the life, times, and passions of the legendary archivist and includes interviews with his friends, contemporaries, and colleagues -- including Claude Berri, Claude Chabrol, Jack Valenti, and Daniel Cohn-Bendit. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Jeanne (Christine Boisson) takes care of her parents, husband and children along with her eccentric sisters while successfully running a resort hotel and eatery. With the arrival of the new landlord Pierre (Benoit Regent), Jeanne must choose between her husband and the sexually forward visitor. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Naive but devout villagers find themselves victimized by two conniving grifters in this French crime drama. The con artists are a former priest and his lover, respectively, who have come to town proclaiming themselves "Holy Father' and "Holy Mother." Soon, the awe-struck villagers are handing their land and savings over to the wicked duo. One farmer's daughter sees through the scam and accuses the townsfolk of worshiping Satan. They in turn accuse her and try to exorcise the demons from her by beating her severely. She dies, and the con artists try to frame her father for the death. Fortunately, Angelique, a beautiful nun with a gift for prophecy, saves him and the rest of the town. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A doctor gains a new perspective on her life and career when she faces a life-threatening illness in this drama. Francoise (Annie Girardot) is a French physician with a very busy schedule. While she's well respected by her patients and colleagues, she has precious little time to spend with her husband Gerard (Francois Perier), her pregnant teenage daughter Elisabeth (Isabelle Huppert), or her sullen son Julien (William Coryn). She somehow manages to find time for her lover Daniel (Jean-Pierre Cassel), but Francoise's life is already starting to fray at the edges when she receives the upsetting news that she has cancer. Francoise, however, learns to put on a brave face and faces her disease and its difficult treatment with optimism and a fierce resolve. Annie Giradot's performance in Docteur Francoise Gailland earned her a Cesar (the French Academy Award). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this French police thriller, Le Guen (Jean Gabin) is an old-style police inspector, near retirement. When Gassot (Fabio Testi) escapes from the mental institute for the criminally insane, Le Guen is the best man to track him down. After all, he put him away years before. Gassot leaves behind a string of corpses and takes up with a prostitute while Le Guen chases him. Gerard Depardieu makes one of his first screen appearances here, in a small part. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

A woman (Regine) seemingly welcomes circumstances that can only be described as self degrading. She has a job doing voice overdubs and mimics a duck by putting a clothespin on her nose and marbles in her cheeks. Her date with an actor goes wrong when the man has an insatiable foot fetish. Her spare time is spent giving false information as a witness to accident she never observed and torturing herself to see how much she can take. She engages in prostitution just for fun and writes letters to the police claiming she shot a man when she finds the bleeding victim. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

In this melodrama a prodigal son returns to his home village after he is acquitted of his stepfather's death to find that most of his former neighbors now shun him. At least his best friend sticks by him. Soon the young man finds himself drawn to his loyal buddy's lover. He and the woman have an affair. Later his friend finds out and vows to kill him. He cannot do it. At the same time, the young man cannot keep hurting his only true friend. As a result he spurns the woman, who runs off into the darkness and gets hit by a car driven by her first lover's mother's car. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Guts in the Sun (Les Tripes au Soleil) proved too controversial to be released in its native France. The story takes place in a small Gallic village, where tourists are regaled by street entertainers and brash prostitutes. One of the tourists, a black girl named Bessie, falls in love with local villager Bob, and he with her. Soon racial tensions erupt volcanically among tourists and townsfolk alike. All is forgiven when the respective parents of the hero and heroine save the village's water supply. Guts in the Sun has its moments, but tackles too many issues at once to maintain a consistent point of view. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide