In a Villeville bustling with the upcoming jousting tournament, two men covet young Isabelle Ginori: François de Baynes, womanizer and overbearing leader of the Protestants, and Henri de Rogier, a Catholic nobleman and Isabelle’s beloved. Queen Catherine de Medicis is aware of the conflict opposing the two men, and commands that the adversaries fight in the Tournament according to the Rules of Divine Judgement; the champion will win Isabelle’s hand.Read More »
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The beautiful Princess Elena Sokorowska (Ingrid Bergman, Intermezzo, A Woman’s Face) has decided to marry a rich but much older than her man (Pierre Bertin, Les tontons flingueurs) because she can no longer support her lifestyle. But on Bastille Day she meets the young and handsome aristocrat Henri de Chevincourt (Mel Ferrer, Lili, The Black Corsair), who introduces her to his good friend General François Rollan (Jean Marais, Orpheus, Le Masque de fer). The General is so impressed by her beauty that immediately asks if they could meet again. Later on, Elena and Henri end up in a bistro where they drink red wine and kiss. When a group of loud patriots enters the bistro, Elena disappears into the night.Read More »
Mr. Joly, Doctor Cordelier’s lawyer, is amazed to discover that his client and friend leaves his possessions to a stranger, Opale, a sadistic criminal. He needs this man to prove that people’s behavior can be adjusted at will…Read More »
Richard T. Jameson wrote:
Little known stateside but long esteemed in Europe, The Crime of Monsieur Lange is simply one of the very greatest films directed by Jean Renoir (it was made a few years before Grand Illusion and Rules of the Game). René Lefèvre (Le Million) takes the title role of a nebbish who clerks for a penny-press publisher by day, and by night writes feverish potboilers about a Western hero named “Arizona Jim”. Lange’s encyclopedically venal boss (Jules Berry) discovers his secret and immediately starts exploiting it, as he exploits everybody and everything within range. Life sublimely imitates pulp fiction and vice versa in the brilliant screenplay by Jacques Prévert (who would later write Children of Paradise). The movie blends sociopolitical protest, tender satire, and astonishing poetry without breaking a sweat, and its climax – an amazing synthesis of theme, dramatic, emotion, and inspired camerawork – is one of the transcendent moments in screen history.Read More »
IMDb wrote:
France, 1885. Celestine, a Parisian girl arrives in the rural Lanlaire mansion to work as the chambermaid. Barely alighting from the train, Celestine has already been rebuffed by the haughty valet Joseph (an excellently surly Lederer), and confides to the also newly arrived scullery maid Louise (a mousy and dowdy Irene Ryan) that she will do whatever in her power to advancing her social position and firmly proclaims that love is absolutely off limits, and the film uses the literal diary- writing sequences as a recurrent motif to trace Celestine’s inner thoughts.Read More »
A mild-mannered school teacher in a German-occupied town during World War II finds himself torn between collaboration and resistance.Read More »
In 1932, Michel Simon plays in “Boudu sauvé des eaux” under the direction of Jean Renoir.
Three years later, he was again invited to don the clothes of the famous tramp on the sets of Boulogne.
But it’s to shoot a film for advertising …Read More »
Inspector Maigret investigates the mysterious murder of a Dutch diamond dealer, found dead in a stolen car. The car belongs to an insurance agent, Michonnet, and has been abandoned in the garage belonging to Carl Andersen.Read More »
The story of a frozen girl who tries to sell matches during Christmas and dreams about a toy store. The film is based on the 1845 short story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen.Read More »