Tag Archives: french

Artemisia (1997) Agnès Merlet, Valentina Cervi, Michel Serrault, Predrag Manojlovic, Biography, Drama, Romance

Artemisia (1997)
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) was one of the first well-known female painters. The movie tells the story of her youth, when she was guided and protected by her father, the painter Orazio Gentileschi. Her professional curiosity about the male anatomy, forbidden for her eyes, led her to the knowledge of sexual pleasure. But she was also well known because in 1612 she had to appear in a courtroom because her teacher, Agostino Tassi, was suspected of raping her. She tried to protect him, but was put in the thumb screws…
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Egon Schiele – Exzesse / Egon Schiele: Excess and Punishment (1981) Herbert Vesely, Mathieu Carrière, Jane Birkin, Christine Kaufmann, Biography, Drama

Egon Schiele Exzesse (1981)
Egon Schiele Exzess und Bestrafung, also known as Egon Schiele Excess and Punishment (English) and Egon Schiele, enfer et passion (French) is a 1981 film based on the life of the Austrian artist Egon Schiele. It stars Mathieu Carriere as Schiele with Jane Birkin as his artist muse Wally and Christine Kaufman as his wife Edith and Christina Van Eyck as her sister. The film is essentially a depiction of obsession and its constituents of sex, alcohol and uncontrolled emotions.Set in Austria during the Great War, Schiele is depicted as the agent of social change leading to destruction of those he loves and ultimately of himself.
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L’ennui (1998) Cédric Kahn, Charles Berling, Sophie Guillemin, Arielle Dombasle, Romance, Drama

L'ennui (1998)
A philosophy teacher restless with the need to do something with his life meets a young woman suspected of driving an artist to his death. He finds the very simple Cecilia irritating but develops a sexual rapport with her. Obsessed with the need to own and tormented by her inability to respond to him, he becomes increasingly violent in a quest he can’t name – a quest that slowly begins to undermine his certainties.
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Toutes les nuits / Every Night (2001) Eugène Green, Alexis Loret, Adrien Michaux, Christelle Prot, Drama

Toutes les nuits AKA Every Night (2001)
Re-adapting the themes of first love, the intoxication of desire, and failed ideological revolution (that culminated in the Revolution of 1848) to the May 68 generation through a chronicle of the parallel lives of a pair of childhood friends, the pragmatic Henri (Alexis Loret) and idealistic Jules (Adrien Michaux) as they leave their bucolic, rural hometown to separately pursue their baccalaureate – and real world – educations.
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Knock (1951) Guy Lefranc, Louis Jouvet, Jean Brochard, Pierre Renoir, Comedy

Knock (1951)
Saint-Maurice, an ordinary peaceful village, lived healthily so much so that the local doctor’s practice was scant. But that was before Dr. Parpalaid retired and was replaced by a charlatan by the name of Knock. A real genius this one, for he soon managed to persuade everyone that they were ill. And not only didn’t they resent him but they even loved their physician, who made a fortune and brought prosperity to the village by turning it into a big hospital.
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La race des seigneurs / Creezy (1974) Pierre Granier-Deferre, Alain Delon, Sydne Rome, Jeanne Moreau, Drama

La race des seigneurs (Pierre Granier-Deferre, 1974)
Julien Dandieu, leader of the socialist political party PRU is asked to be part of the new conservative government as minister of foreign affairs. However his reputation is somewhat tarnished by his adulterous relationship with Creezy, a fashion model seen on every magazine cover. Ready to sacrifice his family for his career, he is eventually faced with the ultimate choice: his career ambitions or a lifetime with his beautiful girlfriend, who has recently mysteriously disappeared.
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La mort d’un tueur / Death of a Killer (1964) Robert Hossein, Marie-France Pisier, Simón Andreu, Drama

La mort d'un tueur (Robert Hossein, 1964)
When Massa (Robert Hossein) is released from prison, he’s sure that Luciano (Simon Andreu), an old freind, is responsible for his incarceration. Massa proceeds to keep watch on Luciano, who has been living with Massa’s beloved sister Maria (Marie-France Pisier). Feeling doubly betrayed because of his unhealthy adoration for Maria, Massa is determined to get back at Luciano and ends up in a deadly game of roulette.
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Haut bas fragile / Up, Down, Fragile (1995) Jacques Rivette, Marianne Denicourt, Nathalie Richard, Laurence Côte, Comedy, Musical, Mystery

Haut bas fragile AKA Up, Down, Fragile (1995)
The film follows the story of three girls in contemporary Paris. One searches for her lost mother since she knows she’s adopted. The other has come out of a coma and needs to have a love relationship aside from his mysterious father. The third one is a crook who redeems herself through love. The action is commented by songs and dance routines.
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