Jacques Rouffio Movies

This made-for-TV drama from France examines the life and times of Charles Pathe (played by Didier Bezace), a producer and entrepreneur who became one of the pioneering figures of the French film industry. The film examines the ups and downs of Pathe's career, as well as his encounters with American film trailblazer George Eastman (Ronald Guttman) and legendary French comedian Max Linder (Alain Fromager). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This parody of the detective-story genre merrily detours into spoofing French foibles as well, making it more of an exercise in verbal gymnastics than a narrative with a mission. Esther (Juliette Binoche) is a veterinarian who is certain that her sister has been murdered by her brother-in-law. She convinces two members of the Academie Francaise, the prestigious institution that protects the virginity of the French language, to investigate. Both men (Michel Serrault and Michel Piccoli) are enamored of the woman and are quite willing to enter into competition for her favors. As might be expected from academicians of any ilk, they are inept at digging into a murder mystery and bumble their way through one incident after another. Corpses continue to pile up (not in front of the camera, however) while the two men are sidetracked by their interest in language. Given their positions, they do not want that murdered either. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this story, the ambitions of the get-rich-quick crowd come crashing down around their ears as they hitch a ride on a speculation bubble involving sugar-commodities pricing. Raoul (Gerard Depardieu) is a hot-shot commodities broker who sweet-talks Adrien (Jean Carmet), a quiet and unassuming man, into taking his wife's inheritance and using it to speculate on the recent rise in sugar prices. Raoul is able to pry more money away from Adrien when he shows him how much his first, more conservative speculations have made. Commodities speculators know that when the market is going their way, their earnings multiply many-fold. However, in the heat of the moment, they sometimes forget that when prices go the wrong way, their losses can also multiply. In this story, the con-man is taken in by his own con, for Raoul has also entered the sugar market, using every bit of money he can scrape together. When the market turns around, they both land in the soup together. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this sardonic crime comedy, Rene (Gerard Depardieu) and Marchand (Michel Piccoli) are best friends. What makes their friendship special is that Rene is a professional thief, and Marchand is a policeman, albeit somewhat corrupt. They have even shared the same girlfriend, for Krista (Sylvia Kristel) began as Rene's girl and then became Marchand's. During the German occupation, they were both sent to a German labor camp, and they teamed up to outwit the Germans and have as good a time as they could, under the circumstances. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Michel Piccoli is irresistibly slimy in the role of a conniving attorney. Making the acquaintance of two lovely sisters (Romy Schneider and Andrea Ferreol), Piccoli seduces them both. He then invites the sisters into his latest scam: marrying and murdering gullible men and women, then cheating their insurance companies. The noirish intrigues of Infernal Trio are all the more remarkable in that they are based on a true story. It shouldn't be too surprising to first-year French students that the original title of this French/Italian melodrama was Le Trio Infernal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Antonin (Jacques Perrin) is a young French soldier who returns home from World War I to recover from his wounds. When he falls in love with a young widow (Macha Meril), Antonin questions his role in battle and contemplates desertion as he recalls the horrors of war. He is pressured by his patriotic father (Rene Dary) to honor his military commitment even if it means he will die. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide