Studiocanal will co-produce and is handling international sales on Fred Cavayé’s adaptation of Victor Hugo’s epic novel Les Misérables.
Set to shoot at the end of 2024, Les Miserables is produced by Olivier Delbosc’s Curiosa Films, whose notable behind The Taste Of Things, and Richard Grandpierre’s Eskwad, f recent films Like A Son and Spring Blossom.
No cast is yet attached. Studiocanal will release the film in France.
Cavayé’s most recent credits include the World War II-set drama Farewell Mister Haffmann and period comedy This is the Goat! starring Dany Boon which is set for release...
Set to shoot at the end of 2024, Les Miserables is produced by Olivier Delbosc’s Curiosa Films, whose notable behind The Taste Of Things, and Richard Grandpierre’s Eskwad, f recent films Like A Son and Spring Blossom.
No cast is yet attached. Studiocanal will release the film in France.
Cavayé’s most recent credits include the World War II-set drama Farewell Mister Haffmann and period comedy This is the Goat! starring Dany Boon which is set for release...
- 2/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Following a fully online 2021 event, a hybrid 2022 and last year’s 2023 comeback edition that saw most European distributors still struggling to stay afloat in a barely post-pandemic world, this year’s Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in Paris was a “typical” market. And in 2024, typical is great.
“We haven’t had a typical market in four years. Everyone was back,” enthused Gilles Renouard, head of cinema for Rendez-Vous organiser Unifrance.
“Buyers are definitely more future-oriented,” he continued. “Last year, they were scared to buy films for theatrical release, but now they are confident in films that can work in their territories...
“We haven’t had a typical market in four years. Everyone was back,” enthused Gilles Renouard, head of cinema for Rendez-Vous organiser Unifrance.
“Buyers are definitely more future-oriented,” he continued. “Last year, they were scared to buy films for theatrical release, but now they are confident in films that can work in their territories...
- 1/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
A record 54 market premieres will be hosted at the Rendez-Vous showcase held by the French film promotion org Unifrance in Paris which will kick off Jan. 16 with the world premiere of Pascal Bonitzer’s “Auction.”
The biggest film market dedicated exclusively to French movies, the Rendez-Vous in Paris will welcome 420 buyers from 50 countries and 47 sales companies. As many as 1,000 professionals have registered for the week-long event. Since Unifrance has now merged with TV France International, the event will also gather 100 TV buyers from 27 countries.
“After returning last year with a post-pandemic edition, we’re back to normal with over 400 buyers — and we even have new buyers from Quebec and Africa, along with about 15 Latin American distributors,” said Gilles Renouard, Unifrance’s co-managing director.
More than 80 completed movies will screen at the Rendez-Vous, 54 of which have never been shown at an international festival or market. Renouard says the large roster of...
The biggest film market dedicated exclusively to French movies, the Rendez-Vous in Paris will welcome 420 buyers from 50 countries and 47 sales companies. As many as 1,000 professionals have registered for the week-long event. Since Unifrance has now merged with TV France International, the event will also gather 100 TV buyers from 27 countries.
“After returning last year with a post-pandemic edition, we’re back to normal with over 400 buyers — and we even have new buyers from Quebec and Africa, along with about 15 Latin American distributors,” said Gilles Renouard, Unifrance’s co-managing director.
More than 80 completed movies will screen at the Rendez-Vous, 54 of which have never been shown at an international festival or market. Renouard says the large roster of...
- 1/9/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
"Only an ass would defend a goat!" Pathe in France has revealed an official trailer for a new French comedy called This Is The Goat!, which is the fun English title of the original Les Chèvres (which translates to simply The Goats). Here's the pitch: Did you know that in 17th-century France, animals could be judged for committing crimes? In 1644, a goat is accused of murder... A failing lawyer in France decides to take on the case of defending young, innocent Josette, wrongfully accused of murder - only to realize later that Josette is actually a goat. Caught in the trap, he can't back down, being already the one who never saved a single one of his clients, he doesn't want to become the one who can't even save a goat! This time, he must win... by whatever means necessary. A film by Fred Cavayé, starring Dany Boon, Jérôme Commandeur,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Gaumont is launching “Night Call,” a high-concept thriller set over the course of a night, directed by rising filmmaker Michiel Blanchart.
Blanchart, who is repped by WME and Itaka Media, previously directed the short film “You’re Dead Hélène,” which was a festival standout and played at Clermont-Ferrand and Sitges, among other festivals. It also made the live action Oscar shortlist last year. Blanchart is set to direct a U.S. feature adaptation of “You’re Dead Hélène,” produced by Sam Raimi.
“Night Call” follows Mady, a student who works as a locksmith by night. He helps Claire get into her apartment and soon realizes that she lied to him about her identity and robbed something that belonged to a dangerous man, Yannick. Mady gets embroiled in a manhunt and will have one night to prove his innocence.
The thriller is set in a Brussels, shaken by demonstrations pitting Black Lives Matter activists against police.
Blanchart, who is repped by WME and Itaka Media, previously directed the short film “You’re Dead Hélène,” which was a festival standout and played at Clermont-Ferrand and Sitges, among other festivals. It also made the live action Oscar shortlist last year. Blanchart is set to direct a U.S. feature adaptation of “You’re Dead Hélène,” produced by Sam Raimi.
“Night Call” follows Mady, a student who works as a locksmith by night. He helps Claire get into her apartment and soon realizes that she lied to him about her identity and robbed something that belonged to a dangerous man, Yannick. Mady gets embroiled in a manhunt and will have one night to prove his innocence.
The thriller is set in a Brussels, shaken by demonstrations pitting Black Lives Matter activists against police.
- 10/31/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Leo Maidenberg’s Paris-based company Place du Marché Productions is developing a slate of French and international films and TV series with acclaimed talents, including Daphna Levin, the creator of the Israeli series “Euphoria,” as well as Sarah Kaminsky (“Raid Dingue”) and Leïla Sy (“Banlieusards”).
Maidenberg, who launched Place du Marché in 2018 after a career in diplomacy and made his producing debut with Caroline Fourest’s politically charged action film “Sisters in Arms,” has teamed with Kim Younes at Elvie Productions on a pair of high concept Israeli series.
The first title produced by the two banners is “The Truth,” a police thriller series co-written and directed by Levin, whose credits also include the original Israeli series “In Therapy.” Set in Tel Aviv, “The Truth” opens on the day of the final verdict for the most controversial murder case in Israel, 10 years after the incident which took place in a high school gym.
Maidenberg, who launched Place du Marché in 2018 after a career in diplomacy and made his producing debut with Caroline Fourest’s politically charged action film “Sisters in Arms,” has teamed with Kim Younes at Elvie Productions on a pair of high concept Israeli series.
The first title produced by the two banners is “The Truth,” a police thriller series co-written and directed by Levin, whose credits also include the original Israeli series “In Therapy.” Set in Tel Aviv, “The Truth” opens on the day of the final verdict for the most controversial murder case in Israel, 10 years after the incident which took place in a high school gym.
- 4/21/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
With its impressive stunt scenes, pimped cars and groomed cops, Netflix’s “Lost Bullet” marks a big departure from the typical French thriller with run-down cops on the verge of depression or retirement.
Sara May, a Quebec-born executive who joined Netflix in 2018, has been a driving force behind a new wave of French action thrillers such as the “Lost Bullet” franchise that have been global hits on the streamer.
Released two weeks ago on the platform, the second opus of “Lost Bullet” currently ranks as the most-watched non-English language movie on Netflix, and it’s also in the top 10 across 80 countries. The movie also tops the charts across 80 territories including France, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Thailand and Jamaica.
Set in Southern France, in Marseille, “Lost Bullet 2” brings back the French cast including Alban Lenoir, Stéfi Celma and Pascale Arbillot. Lenoir (pictured above), who started his career as a stuntman on movies like “Taken,...
Sara May, a Quebec-born executive who joined Netflix in 2018, has been a driving force behind a new wave of French action thrillers such as the “Lost Bullet” franchise that have been global hits on the streamer.
Released two weeks ago on the platform, the second opus of “Lost Bullet” currently ranks as the most-watched non-English language movie on Netflix, and it’s also in the top 10 across 80 countries. The movie also tops the charts across 80 territories including France, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Thailand and Jamaica.
Set in Southern France, in Marseille, “Lost Bullet 2” brings back the French cast including Alban Lenoir, Stéfi Celma and Pascale Arbillot. Lenoir (pictured above), who started his career as a stuntman on movies like “Taken,...
- 11/30/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The historical drama is a follow-up to ‘Coda’ for Vendôme Films and Pathé.
Following their Oscars triumph with Coda, France’s Vendôme Films and Pathé have been quietly laying the ground work for the North American release of follow-up production, Second World War drama Farewell, Mr. Haffmann.
Directed by Fred Cavayé and starring Daniel Auteuil, Gilles Lellouche and Sara Girardeau, the French-language film has been well received by audiences on the festival circuit in North America.
It most recently won the audience award at the Gold Coast International Film Festival following awards at the Ottawa Film Festival (jury’s prize...
Following their Oscars triumph with Coda, France’s Vendôme Films and Pathé have been quietly laying the ground work for the North American release of follow-up production, Second World War drama Farewell, Mr. Haffmann.
Directed by Fred Cavayé and starring Daniel Auteuil, Gilles Lellouche and Sara Girardeau, the French-language film has been well received by audiences on the festival circuit in North America.
It most recently won the audience award at the Gold Coast International Film Festival following awards at the Ottawa Film Festival (jury’s prize...
- 11/21/2022
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
TF1’s production division adds Paris-based firm to its group of labels.
French production powerhouse Newen Studios has acquired Vanessa Djian’s Paris-based Daï-Daï Films, the latest addition to its growing group of European production labels.
Since its launch in 2017, Daï-Daï Films has co-produced several ambitious French and international projects including Fred Cavaye’s Farewell, Mr. Haffmann alongside Vendôme Pictures and Pathé, and Alexis Michalik’s Cyrano My Love.
Newen Studios is the production subsidiary of French media giant TF1 group and houses more than 40 labels.
Djian was an associate producer on Laure De Clermont-Tonnerre’s English-language Sundance title The Mustang,...
French production powerhouse Newen Studios has acquired Vanessa Djian’s Paris-based Daï-Daï Films, the latest addition to its growing group of European production labels.
Since its launch in 2017, Daï-Daï Films has co-produced several ambitious French and international projects including Fred Cavaye’s Farewell, Mr. Haffmann alongside Vendôme Pictures and Pathé, and Alexis Michalik’s Cyrano My Love.
Newen Studios is the production subsidiary of French media giant TF1 group and houses more than 40 labels.
Djian was an associate producer on Laure De Clermont-Tonnerre’s English-language Sundance title The Mustang,...
- 11/14/2022
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Entertainment industry heavyweights from France are sharing thoughts on their successes, the challenges they faced in a year overshadowed by Covid, as well as predicting what’s in store for the movie business in 2022.
Some of the country’s milestones in 2021 include the implementation of the E.U.’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (Avms) to get global streamers like Netflix, Amazon and Apple TV Plus to start investing 20% of their annual revenues in French content, which broadcasting authorities (CSA) expect to be from €250 million ($282 million) to €300 million ($330 million) on average annually.
The country’s strict windowing rules are also getting a significant revamp which will allow streamers to have an earlier access — possibly 15 months — to newly released movies, compared with the current 36 months. While the indie film biz and the box office have been weakened by the pandemic, the French industry managed to get local pay TV group Canal Plus...
Some of the country’s milestones in 2021 include the implementation of the E.U.’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (Avms) to get global streamers like Netflix, Amazon and Apple TV Plus to start investing 20% of their annual revenues in French content, which broadcasting authorities (CSA) expect to be from €250 million ($282 million) to €300 million ($330 million) on average annually.
The country’s strict windowing rules are also getting a significant revamp which will allow streamers to have an earlier access — possibly 15 months — to newly released movies, compared with the current 36 months. While the indie film biz and the box office have been weakened by the pandemic, the French industry managed to get local pay TV group Canal Plus...
- 12/31/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
France’s leading film group Pathé isn’t done earning critical laurels with Sian Heder’s “Coda,” having just won the Hollywood Critics Association’s Spotlight Award, as well as the Hamilton Behind The Camera award for the film’s craft team.
“Coda,” produced by Philippe Rousselet’s Vendôme Group and Pathé as part of their production partnership, also received a pair of nods at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards — one for outstanding song, independent film for the song “Beyond the Shore,” and another for outstanding musical performance of a song, for Emilia Jones’ on-screen performance of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.”
An English-language remake of the 2014 French box office hit “La Famille Belier,” the movie stars Oscar-winning actor Marlee Matlin and Jones. Pathé sold the movie to Apple after scooping four awards at Sundance.
The film follows 16-year-old Ruby, the only speaking member of a deaf family,...
“Coda,” produced by Philippe Rousselet’s Vendôme Group and Pathé as part of their production partnership, also received a pair of nods at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards — one for outstanding song, independent film for the song “Beyond the Shore,” and another for outstanding musical performance of a song, for Emilia Jones’ on-screen performance of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.”
An English-language remake of the 2014 French box office hit “La Famille Belier,” the movie stars Oscar-winning actor Marlee Matlin and Jones. Pathé sold the movie to Apple after scooping four awards at Sundance.
The film follows 16-year-old Ruby, the only speaking member of a deaf family,...
- 11/19/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Mars Films, the Paris-based distribution company that released Oscar winners “12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlight,” has finalized its restructuring plan with minority shareholder Vivendi Content, a branch of Universal Music Group and Canal Plus Group’s parent company.
Founded by Stephane Celerier and Valerie Garcia in 2007, the once thriving company has been in the process of financial restructuring and monitoring since Aug. 2019.
Vivendi, which had acquired a 30% stake in the company back in 2015, will convert its €11.2 million ($13 million) debt into equity and is acquiring Mars Films’ library of more than 200 titles for all rights in France.
The Mars catalogue includes hit French co-productions such as “La Famille Belier,” the hit French heart-warming comedy that was remade into “Coda,” “Two is a Family” with Omar Sy, Fred Cavayé’s “Le jeu”; and award-winning indies such as Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” Asif Kapadia’s “Amy,...
Founded by Stephane Celerier and Valerie Garcia in 2007, the once thriving company has been in the process of financial restructuring and monitoring since Aug. 2019.
Vivendi, which had acquired a 30% stake in the company back in 2015, will convert its €11.2 million ($13 million) debt into equity and is acquiring Mars Films’ library of more than 200 titles for all rights in France.
The Mars catalogue includes hit French co-productions such as “La Famille Belier,” the hit French heart-warming comedy that was remade into “Coda,” “Two is a Family” with Omar Sy, Fred Cavayé’s “Le jeu”; and award-winning indies such as Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” Asif Kapadia’s “Amy,...
- 8/20/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Director Michel Hazanavicius and actress Bérénice Bejo, Oscar winner and Oscar nominee respectively for “The Artist,” will present individual Masterclasses at the 26th Sarajevo Film Festival this year. Also delivering Masterclasses are directors Michel Franco and Rithy Panh.
The Masterclasses, which like the rest of the festival are running online via ondemand.sff.ban, are organized in cooperation with Variety, and will be available worldwide via the Variety Streaming Room.
Hazanavicius shot his first feature-length film, “Mes Amis,” in 1999. In 2006, he directed his second feature, “Oss 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies,” and then, three years later, “Oss 17: Lost in Rio.”
In 2011, he made “The Artist,” the silent, black-and-white film starring Bejo and Jean Dujardin, which won five Academy Awards in 2012, including best film, director and actor for Dujardin, while Bejo was an Oscar nominee for supporting actress.
The film premiered at Cannes, as did Hazanavicius’ “The Players” and “Redoubtable.
The Masterclasses, which like the rest of the festival are running online via ondemand.sff.ban, are organized in cooperation with Variety, and will be available worldwide via the Variety Streaming Room.
Hazanavicius shot his first feature-length film, “Mes Amis,” in 1999. In 2006, he directed his second feature, “Oss 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies,” and then, three years later, “Oss 17: Lost in Rio.”
In 2011, he made “The Artist,” the silent, black-and-white film starring Bejo and Jean Dujardin, which won five Academy Awards in 2012, including best film, director and actor for Dujardin, while Bejo was an Oscar nominee for supporting actress.
The film premiered at Cannes, as did Hazanavicius’ “The Players” and “Redoubtable.
- 8/6/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
At a standstill since March, the director has resumed filming on his film starring Daniel Auteuil, Gilles Lellouche and Sara Giraudeau, a Vendôme production sold by Pathé. First started on 20 January and halted mid-March as a result of the Coronavirus lockdown, filming on Fred Cavayé’s Farewell Mr Haffmann started up again yesterday to enter into its final two-week film shoot. This will be the filmmaker’s 6th feature following on from Anything For Her, Point Blank, Mea culpa, Penny Pincher! (2.9 million in 2016) and Nothing to Hide (1.63m viewers in 2018). Shining bright at the head of the cast are Daniel Auteuil (Best Actor award in Cannes 1996, nominated 14 times for the Best Actor César – including this year for La Belle...
Following weeks of heated debate and clashes, France’s film and audiovisual guilds as well as labor unions have finally agreed a set of production guidelines for filming during the pandemic.
The guidelines were approved by the Cchcst and have now been submitted to the labor minister for green-lighting.
The 40-page rulebook calls for the hiring of additional people on set, including a caregiver, a counselor specialized in coronavirus, and an assistant to clean all props; as well as private transportation for cast and key crew members. Further, gatherings on set will be limited to 50 people, while exterior shoots are banned unless they are in an area that can be made fully private and cleaned before and during filming. Catering is limited to individual meal trays.
For kissing and other intimate scenes, as well as crowds or fights, if the production refuses to re-write the scenes or have actors wear masks,...
The guidelines were approved by the Cchcst and have now been submitted to the labor minister for green-lighting.
The 40-page rulebook calls for the hiring of additional people on set, including a caregiver, a counselor specialized in coronavirus, and an assistant to clean all props; as well as private transportation for cast and key crew members. Further, gatherings on set will be limited to 50 people, while exterior shoots are banned unless they are in an area that can be made fully private and cleaned before and during filming. Catering is limited to individual meal trays.
For kissing and other intimate scenes, as well as crowds or fights, if the production refuses to re-write the scenes or have actors wear masks,...
- 5/25/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon and Netflix are preparing to restart production on their respective series in France, with “Voltaire, Mixte” and “Arsene Lupin” with Omar Sy set to resume shooting after both were halted when the country went into lockdown mid-March.
Produced by En Voiture Simone, “Voltaire, Mixte” is expected to restart filming in mid-July in the south of France, while “Arsene Lupin,” which Gaumont is producing, won’t shoot again before September due to talent availability, according to several sources. The series was filming at the Louvre museum — which can reopen from June 2 — when production stopped.
“Voltaire, Mixte” is set in an all-boys high school in the 1960s, which is turned upside down when it starts welcoming girls. “Arsene Lupin,” meanwhile, is a modern-day retelling of the story about the eponymous burglar and master of disguise.
Elsewhere, the first two domestic productions set to resume in June are a pair of big-budget...
Produced by En Voiture Simone, “Voltaire, Mixte” is expected to restart filming in mid-July in the south of France, while “Arsene Lupin,” which Gaumont is producing, won’t shoot again before September due to talent availability, according to several sources. The series was filming at the Louvre museum — which can reopen from June 2 — when production stopped.
“Voltaire, Mixte” is set in an all-boys high school in the 1960s, which is turned upside down when it starts welcoming girls. “Arsene Lupin,” meanwhile, is a modern-day retelling of the story about the eponymous burglar and master of disguise.
Elsewhere, the first two domestic productions set to resume in June are a pair of big-budget...
- 5/18/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
France’s President Emmanuel Macron outlined in a televised address on Wednesday new relief measures for the culture sector, including a temporary indemnity fund for canceled or postponed TV and film shoots during the pandemic.
Macron said the temporary indemnity fund will be launched by the National Film Board (Cnc), in collaboration with the regions and private partners, including banks, loan institutions and insurers. “Everyone will have to take their responsibilities… We won’t be able to do it on our own,” said Macron, alluding to insurers’ systemic exclusion of pandemic-related risks from their coverage.
On a case-by-case basis, the fund will aim to help French producers if they are forced to pause or reschedule filming because of the coronavirus crisis but aren’t covered by insurance. The initiative will be accessible to shoots scheduled in the months to come.
Among the 23 shoots that were stopped when France went into...
Macron said the temporary indemnity fund will be launched by the National Film Board (Cnc), in collaboration with the regions and private partners, including banks, loan institutions and insurers. “Everyone will have to take their responsibilities… We won’t be able to do it on our own,” said Macron, alluding to insurers’ systemic exclusion of pandemic-related risks from their coverage.
On a case-by-case basis, the fund will aim to help French producers if they are forced to pause or reschedule filming because of the coronavirus crisis but aren’t covered by insurance. The initiative will be accessible to shoots scheduled in the months to come.
Among the 23 shoots that were stopped when France went into...
- 5/6/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount Pictures International has signed a landmark distribution partnership with Italy’s leading independent distribution company Eagle Pictures. Under the deal, Eagle Pictures will release Paramount titles in the country starting in March with John Krasinski’s anticipated horror film “A Quiet Place 2.”
Since 2017, Paramount Pictures has had its films released by Fox in Italy, and prior to that, by Universal. Following the Disney/Fox merger, however, the U.S. studio has been searching for another solid partner among independent distributors in the region.
A number of distribution outfits were considered, including Medusa, Rai, Leone, Notorious and Lucky Red, according to an industry insider.
The timing is auspicious for Eagles Pictures, which has had a banner year. The outfit was Italy’s top distribution company, and the only local player ranking in the B.O.’s top 10, leading with “Green Book.” Eagle was also the only Italian banner to...
Since 2017, Paramount Pictures has had its films released by Fox in Italy, and prior to that, by Universal. Following the Disney/Fox merger, however, the U.S. studio has been searching for another solid partner among independent distributors in the region.
A number of distribution outfits were considered, including Medusa, Rai, Leone, Notorious and Lucky Red, according to an industry insider.
The timing is auspicious for Eagles Pictures, which has had a banner year. The outfit was Italy’s top distribution company, and the only local player ranking in the B.O.’s top 10, leading with “Green Book.” Eagle was also the only Italian banner to...
- 1/21/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Point Blank
Stars: Anthony Mackie, Frank Grillo, Marcia Gay Harden, Stuart F. Wilson, Buster Reeves, Christian Cooke, Teyonah Parris, Boris McGiver, Reggie Willis, Shanessa Sweeney, Nik Pajic, Markice Moore | Written by Adam G. Simon | Directed by Joe Lynch
Point Blank, directed by Joe Lynch, is a remake of Fred Cavayé’s À bout portant, which was originally released in 2010. The film stars two actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Frank Grillo and Anthony Mackie as Abe and Paul, respectively. Paul has to break Abe out of custody in a hospital as his brother has taken Paul’s pregnant wife hostage. What commences is an unorthodox buddy-action comedy, in what is sadly yet another dull and tedious action-adventure.
It is hard to watch Point Blank and not debate why this was made, or even distributed by Netflix. Everything from its plot, actors and actress, or even filmmaking evokes a sense of direct-to-dvd nature.
Stars: Anthony Mackie, Frank Grillo, Marcia Gay Harden, Stuart F. Wilson, Buster Reeves, Christian Cooke, Teyonah Parris, Boris McGiver, Reggie Willis, Shanessa Sweeney, Nik Pajic, Markice Moore | Written by Adam G. Simon | Directed by Joe Lynch
Point Blank, directed by Joe Lynch, is a remake of Fred Cavayé’s À bout portant, which was originally released in 2010. The film stars two actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Frank Grillo and Anthony Mackie as Abe and Paul, respectively. Paul has to break Abe out of custody in a hospital as his brother has taken Paul’s pregnant wife hostage. What commences is an unorthodox buddy-action comedy, in what is sadly yet another dull and tedious action-adventure.
It is hard to watch Point Blank and not debate why this was made, or even distributed by Netflix. Everything from its plot, actors and actress, or even filmmaking evokes a sense of direct-to-dvd nature.
- 7/31/2019
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
Empire International and Film Clinic board as co-producers.
Gulf region partners Dubai-based Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the Kuwait National Cinema Company have acquired Arabic-language remake rights to Italian hit Perfect Strangers (Perfetti Sconosciuti) from Rome-based Medusa Film.
Dubai and Beirut company Empire International and Film Clinic, the Cairo-based production house behind Cannes titles Yomeddine and Clash, have also boarded the project as co-producers.
Produced by Medusa Film, Leone Film Group and Lotus Productions, Paolo Genovese’s comedy drama Perfect Strangers grossed more than $20m at the Italian box offic and $31m internationally in 2016.
It also picked up several David...
Gulf region partners Dubai-based Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the Kuwait National Cinema Company have acquired Arabic-language remake rights to Italian hit Perfect Strangers (Perfetti Sconosciuti) from Rome-based Medusa Film.
Dubai and Beirut company Empire International and Film Clinic, the Cairo-based production house behind Cannes titles Yomeddine and Clash, have also boarded the project as co-producers.
Produced by Medusa Film, Leone Film Group and Lotus Productions, Paolo Genovese’s comedy drama Perfect Strangers grossed more than $20m at the Italian box offic and $31m internationally in 2016.
It also picked up several David...
- 10/23/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Yórgos Lánthimos’s “The Favourite,” Luca Guadagnino’s “Suspiria,” Claire Denis’s “High Life” and Ethan Hawke’s “Blaze” are among the many well-received films from Venice and Toronto set to be having their French premiere at La Roche-sur-Yon Festival which is headed by Paolo Moretti, the new topper of Cannes’s Directors Fortnight.
The international competition lineup of this 9th edition is headlined by “The Favourite,” Timur Bekmanbetov’s “Profile,” Mia Hansen-Løve’s “Maya,” and Berlin’s Golden Bear winner “Touch Me Not” directed by Adina Pintilie.
“Our idea is to shed light on contemporary films that were discovered in other festivals than Cannes in order to give our audiences an alternative image of cinema,” said Moretti.
Among the stars and filmmakers expected to attend La Roche-sur-Yon is Hawke who will be on hand to present his latest directorial outing, “Blaze” (pictured), as well as Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed” in which he stars.
The international competition lineup of this 9th edition is headlined by “The Favourite,” Timur Bekmanbetov’s “Profile,” Mia Hansen-Løve’s “Maya,” and Berlin’s Golden Bear winner “Touch Me Not” directed by Adina Pintilie.
“Our idea is to shed light on contemporary films that were discovered in other festivals than Cannes in order to give our audiences an alternative image of cinema,” said Moretti.
Among the stars and filmmakers expected to attend La Roche-sur-Yon is Hawke who will be on hand to present his latest directorial outing, “Blaze” (pictured), as well as Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed” in which he stars.
- 10/10/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Joseph Baxter Jun 20, 2019
Netflix actioner Point Blank, a remake of 2010 French film, teams Marvel movie stars Anthony Mackie and Frank Grillo.
Point Blank, an upcoming Netflix movie, will showcase the onscreen, high-impact buddy-actioner team-up of Avenger Falcon and unscrupulous assassin Crossbones – well, the actors who played them in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, anyway, Anthony Mackie and Frank Grillo.
The film is a remake of the 2010 film of the same name (À Bout Portant), touting the novel idea that its protagonist – in the case of the American remake, an ER nurse (Mackie) – is not some untouchable badass slayer of hapless goons, but just an ordinary person who’s thrust into some deadly circumstances when on the run, joined by an injured murder suspect (Grillo).
Point Blank Trailer
The trailer for Netflix’s remake of Point Blank has arrived!
Video of Point Blank | Official Trailer | Netflix
Point Blank Release Date
Point...
Netflix actioner Point Blank, a remake of 2010 French film, teams Marvel movie stars Anthony Mackie and Frank Grillo.
Point Blank, an upcoming Netflix movie, will showcase the onscreen, high-impact buddy-actioner team-up of Avenger Falcon and unscrupulous assassin Crossbones – well, the actors who played them in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, anyway, Anthony Mackie and Frank Grillo.
The film is a remake of the 2010 film of the same name (À Bout Portant), touting the novel idea that its protagonist – in the case of the American remake, an ER nurse (Mackie) – is not some untouchable badass slayer of hapless goons, but just an ordinary person who’s thrust into some deadly circumstances when on the run, joined by an injured murder suspect (Grillo).
Point Blank Trailer
The trailer for Netflix’s remake of Point Blank has arrived!
Video of Point Blank | Official Trailer | Netflix
Point Blank Release Date
Point...
- 6/22/2018
- Den of Geek
Marvel Cinematic Universe players Anthony Mackie and Frank Grillo are teaming with Everly filmmaker Joe Lynch for Netflix’s Point Blank remake.
The film will be an American take on Fred Cavayé‘s French crime drama Point Blank (A bout portant).
The film will be an American take on Fred Cavayé‘s French crime drama Point Blank (A bout portant).
- 6/21/2018
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
New acquisitions include superhero action film ‘Valentine’ starring Estelle Linden.
UK sales outfit Carnaby International has added three genre titles to its Cannes slate on the eve of this year’s market.
Adventure thriller The Boat stars Joe Azzopardi as a lone fisherman who boards an abandoned sailboat. Discovering no signs of life, he emerges back on deck to find his own boat disappeared. The film, which is completed and screening to buyers in Cannes, is directed by Azzopardi’s father Winston Azzopardi.
Valentine is a superhero action vehicle directed by Agus Pestol and Ubay Fox. The film stars Estelle...
UK sales outfit Carnaby International has added three genre titles to its Cannes slate on the eve of this year’s market.
Adventure thriller The Boat stars Joe Azzopardi as a lone fisherman who boards an abandoned sailboat. Discovering no signs of life, he emerges back on deck to find his own boat disappeared. The film, which is completed and screening to buyers in Cannes, is directed by Azzopardi’s father Winston Azzopardi.
Valentine is a superhero action vehicle directed by Agus Pestol and Ubay Fox. The film stars Estelle...
- 5/8/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
The film is a remake of Italian hit Perfect Strangers, and stars Bérénice Béjo, Suzanne Clément and Roschdy Zem.
French sales company Playtime has acquired international rights to Fred Cavayé’s dinner party-set comedy Nothing To Hide, on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival and Marché du Film next week.
A remake of Paolo Genovese’s Italian hit Perfect Strangers (Perfetti Sconosciuti) which grossed more than $22m at the box office and became a major talking point in Italy, its starry French cast features Bérénice Béjo, Suzanne Clément, Roschdy Zem and Vincent Elbaz.
The picture, entitled Le Jeu in French,...
French sales company Playtime has acquired international rights to Fred Cavayé’s dinner party-set comedy Nothing To Hide, on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival and Marché du Film next week.
A remake of Paolo Genovese’s Italian hit Perfect Strangers (Perfetti Sconosciuti) which grossed more than $22m at the box office and became a major talking point in Italy, its starry French cast features Bérénice Béjo, Suzanne Clément, Roschdy Zem and Vincent Elbaz.
The picture, entitled Le Jeu in French,...
- 5/4/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The Sicilian Clan
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1969 / Color B&W / 2:35 widescreen / 122 min. (French, without exit music); 118 min (American) / Le clan des Siciliens / Street Date February 7, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring Jean Gabin, Alain Delon, Lino Ventura, Irina Demick, Amedeo Nazzari, Danielle Volle, Philippe Baronnet, Karen Blanguernon, Elisa Cegani, Yves Lefebvre, Leopoldo Trieste, Sydney Chaplin.
Cinematography: Henri Decaë
Production design: Jacques Saulnier
Original Music: Ennio Morricone
Written by: Henri Verneuil, José Giovanni, Pierre Pelegri from a novel by Auguste Le Breton
Produced by: Jacques-e. Strauss
Directed by Henri Verneuil
American crime fanatics wary of European imports now have access to a fully Region-a disc of a big-star, big budget French-Italian-American gangster film from 1969, Henri Verneuil’s exciting The Sicilian Clan. It was filmed in two separate versions, a multi-lingual European original and a less exciting, English language cut for America. A huge hit overseas, The Sicilian Clan didn’t...
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1969 / Color B&W / 2:35 widescreen / 122 min. (French, without exit music); 118 min (American) / Le clan des Siciliens / Street Date February 7, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring Jean Gabin, Alain Delon, Lino Ventura, Irina Demick, Amedeo Nazzari, Danielle Volle, Philippe Baronnet, Karen Blanguernon, Elisa Cegani, Yves Lefebvre, Leopoldo Trieste, Sydney Chaplin.
Cinematography: Henri Decaë
Production design: Jacques Saulnier
Original Music: Ennio Morricone
Written by: Henri Verneuil, José Giovanni, Pierre Pelegri from a novel by Auguste Le Breton
Produced by: Jacques-e. Strauss
Directed by Henri Verneuil
American crime fanatics wary of European imports now have access to a fully Region-a disc of a big-star, big budget French-Italian-American gangster film from 1969, Henri Verneuil’s exciting The Sicilian Clan. It was filmed in two separate versions, a multi-lingual European original and a less exciting, English language cut for America. A huge hit overseas, The Sicilian Clan didn’t...
- 1/24/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
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Want a quality action film, but you only have an hour and a half? Step this way...
Looking back over the genre, action films definitely haven’t suffered from the trend to make everything longer. They’ve always been pretty long, regularly clocking in at over two hours. Perhaps because of all the slo-mo? But while the sweet spot for action classics seems to be the 100-110 minute mark, there are those that have cut the genre right down to basics, and succeeded all the more for it.
Below is my pick of 25 great action films 90 minutes or under. Even more so than other genres, action crosses many other films - picking a pure ‘action’ flick is all but impossible. So below I’ve chosen films that retain action sequences as their main narrative device, and keep the action at the heart of the movie, rather than as a extra.
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Want a quality action film, but you only have an hour and a half? Step this way...
Looking back over the genre, action films definitely haven’t suffered from the trend to make everything longer. They’ve always been pretty long, regularly clocking in at over two hours. Perhaps because of all the slo-mo? But while the sweet spot for action classics seems to be the 100-110 minute mark, there are those that have cut the genre right down to basics, and succeeded all the more for it.
Below is my pick of 25 great action films 90 minutes or under. Even more so than other genres, action crosses many other films - picking a pure ‘action’ flick is all but impossible. So below I’ve chosen films that retain action sequences as their main narrative device, and keep the action at the heart of the movie, rather than as a extra.
- 3/10/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
It’s a good thing Fred Cavayé’s new-school French crime flick keeps the pace high, because there’s not much under the hood
A tough-nosed French policier of the new school, which means moody lighting, shiny cars and copious bloodletting. Fred Cavayé, whose first film Anything for Her was remade as the Russell Crowe thriller The Next Three Days, is the mastermind here; he brings together grizzled duo Vincent Lindon and Gilles Lellouche as a former cop and his still-on-the-force erstwhile partner; they buddy up to protect Lindon’s son from an extremely stabby drug gang after the kid witnesses a murder. Cavayé pumps up the car chases and shootouts, and pumps down the plausibility; but it all moves along at such a lick it doesn’t matter much. Still, it’s a tad too birdbrained for a remake, I’d have thought.
Continue reading...
A tough-nosed French policier of the new school, which means moody lighting, shiny cars and copious bloodletting. Fred Cavayé, whose first film Anything for Her was remade as the Russell Crowe thriller The Next Three Days, is the mastermind here; he brings together grizzled duo Vincent Lindon and Gilles Lellouche as a former cop and his still-on-the-force erstwhile partner; they buddy up to protect Lindon’s son from an extremely stabby drug gang after the kid witnesses a murder. Cavayé pumps up the car chases and shootouts, and pumps down the plausibility; but it all moves along at such a lick it doesn’t matter much. Still, it’s a tad too birdbrained for a remake, I’d have thought.
Continue reading...
- 12/4/2014
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
“The Target” follows “Cold Eyes” in the recent trend of Korean studios remaking films from around the world, being based upon the 2010 French action thriller “Point Blank” by director Fred Cavayé. Former music video helmer and director of popular horror hit “Death Bell” Chang steps behind the camera for this new version (replacing original director Juhn Jai Hong), with actor Ryu Seung Ryong cementing his leading man status after his success with “Miracle in Cell No. 7” by taking on the title role of a dangerous man on the run. The film enjoyed both critical and commercial success, playing in official selection at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival in the Midnight Screening section, as well as pulling in more than 2 million admissions at the domestic box office. The film opens with Ryu as Yeo Hoon, injured and being chased by armed men before being hit by a car and rushed to hospital,...
- 10/14/2014
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
Sneak Peek the first trailer revealing footage from the French 'omnibus' comedy feature "The Players", starring Jean Dujardin and Gilles Lellouche, who also wrote and directed two of the segments:
Other directors include Emmanuelle Bercot, Fred Cavayé, Alexandre Courtès, Jean Dujardin, Michel Hazanavicius, Jan Kounen, Eric Lartigau and Gilles Lellouche.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Players"...
Other directors include Emmanuelle Bercot, Fred Cavayé, Alexandre Courtès, Jean Dujardin, Michel Hazanavicius, Jan Kounen, Eric Lartigau and Gilles Lellouche.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Players"...
- 3/28/2014
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Now this is more like it. You can always rely upon South Korea to produce an adrenaline pumping action thriller, and the trailer for The Target suggests that we have another hit on our hands. The Target, directed by Chang, is a remake of 2010 French film "Point Blank" directed by Fred Cavayé. Director Juhn Jai-Hong was first hired to direct the movie "Point Blank," but was removed prior to filming. According to distributor Cj E&M, the director and his production company, Yong Film, suffered 'creative differences' that led to his departure. The old 'creative differences' chestnut, ah. Filming was postponed until October 17, 2013, with Chang taking on filming duties in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The Target looks like it hits the spot, but we'll know for sure on April 30th when it's released back home. The Target stars Ryoo Seung-Ryong, Lee Jin-Wook and Yu Jun-Sang, and you can check out the teaser trailer below.
- 3/11/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Some 100 locations agencies attended the Ile de France Film Commission’s location expo in Paris last week.
In spite of the recent alarm bells over French film production levels for the coming year, the mood at the Ile de France Film Commission’s annual location salon last week was quietly optimistic.
Some one hundred exhibitors attended the event unfolding over two days (Feb 13-14) at the City of Fashion and Design on the banks of the River Seine in Eastern Paris.
They ranged from historic sites such as the Chateau de Neuville, backdrop to classics such as Cyrano de Bergerac and Dangerous Liaisons, to the region of the Nord Pas de Calais, which hosted the shoots of Adele; Chapters 1 & 2 (aka Blue is the Warmest Colour) and the TV series The Tunnel.
Although French productions levels are expected to fall in 2014, the impact of changes to tax incentives for local productions and improvements to the Tax Rebate for International...
In spite of the recent alarm bells over French film production levels for the coming year, the mood at the Ile de France Film Commission’s annual location salon last week was quietly optimistic.
Some one hundred exhibitors attended the event unfolding over two days (Feb 13-14) at the City of Fashion and Design on the banks of the River Seine in Eastern Paris.
They ranged from historic sites such as the Chateau de Neuville, backdrop to classics such as Cyrano de Bergerac and Dangerous Liaisons, to the region of the Nord Pas de Calais, which hosted the shoots of Adele; Chapters 1 & 2 (aka Blue is the Warmest Colour) and the TV series The Tunnel.
Although French productions levels are expected to fall in 2014, the impact of changes to tax incentives for local productions and improvements to the Tax Rebate for International...
- 2/17/2014
- ScreenDaily
Audience award of Dinard British Film Festival goes to Charlie Cattrall’s Titus.
Clio Barnard’s The Selfish Giant has won the Golden Hitchcock Award at the 24th edition of the Dinard British Film Festival in Brittany, France.
The prize comes with distribution support. The film also won the Cine+ Award, to promote the film during its theatrical release in France, as well as the Heartbeat Award “Le Prix Coup de Coeur” for a film with French distribution to get a special boost in Western France.
In addition, the film won the Technicolor Award for Best Cinematography.
Chris Coghill won Best Screenplay for Mat Whitecross’ Spike Island.
A special mention was given to a trio of actors — Nora Tschirner, Rob Knighton and Madeline Duggan — for Everyone Is Going To Die.
The jury included Alice Eve, Toby Jones, Michael Smiley, David Parfitt, Eric Cantona, Natalie Carter, Fred Cavayé, Hippolyte Girardot and Amanda Sthers.
Dinard opened...
Clio Barnard’s The Selfish Giant has won the Golden Hitchcock Award at the 24th edition of the Dinard British Film Festival in Brittany, France.
The prize comes with distribution support. The film also won the Cine+ Award, to promote the film during its theatrical release in France, as well as the Heartbeat Award “Le Prix Coup de Coeur” for a film with French distribution to get a special boost in Western France.
In addition, the film won the Technicolor Award for Best Cinematography.
Chris Coghill won Best Screenplay for Mat Whitecross’ Spike Island.
A special mention was given to a trio of actors — Nora Tschirner, Rob Knighton and Madeline Duggan — for Everyone Is Going To Die.
The jury included Alice Eve, Toby Jones, Michael Smiley, David Parfitt, Eric Cantona, Natalie Carter, Fred Cavayé, Hippolyte Girardot and Amanda Sthers.
Dinard opened...
- 10/5/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
An American version of last year's Point Blank is in the works from Working Title and Leverage Productions, Variety reports. The original film was directed by Fred Cavayé and written by Cavayé with Guillaume Lemans. In the film, Samuel is a happily married nurse working in a Paris hospital. When his very pregnant wife is kidnapped before his helpless eyes, everything falls apart. After being knocked unconscious, he comes to and his cell phone rings: he has three hours to get Sartet, a man under police surveillance, out of the hospital. Samuel quickly finds himself pitted against rival gangsters and trigger-happy police in a deadly race to save the lives of his wife and unborn child. Producers on the remake include Stephen Levinson and Mark Wahlberg, with no mention as of yet...
- 11/2/2012
- Comingsoon.net
The Raven; Mirror Mirror; The Players
There's a tell-tale significance to the fact that adaptations of the works of Edgar Allan Poe have been a feature of every decade of cinema since the invention of the moving picture itself. For more than a century, film-makers have found inspiration in Poe's weird tales, which blend suspenseful psychodrama and sensational shocks in a manner perfectly suited to the mainstream movie palette.
Perhaps most enduring are the films of Roger Corman, with titles such as The Pit and the Pendulum, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Masque of the Red Death and Tomb of Ligeia all proving enduring low-budget favourites. In Europe, fans of the Italian "giallo" genre have seen directors as influential as Mario Bava and Lucio Fulci variously draw upon the writings of the so-called godfather of modern horror, while a collaboration between Dario Argento and George Romero...
There's a tell-tale significance to the fact that adaptations of the works of Edgar Allan Poe have been a feature of every decade of cinema since the invention of the moving picture itself. For more than a century, film-makers have found inspiration in Poe's weird tales, which blend suspenseful psychodrama and sensational shocks in a manner perfectly suited to the mainstream movie palette.
Perhaps most enduring are the films of Roger Corman, with titles such as The Pit and the Pendulum, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Masque of the Red Death and Tomb of Ligeia all proving enduring low-budget favourites. In Europe, fans of the Italian "giallo" genre have seen directors as influential as Mario Bava and Lucio Fulci variously draw upon the writings of the so-called godfather of modern horror, while a collaboration between Dario Argento and George Romero...
- 7/28/2012
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
We’ve all seen Jean Dujardin play the part of George Valentin in the fantastic Oscar winning movie, The Artist but if you’re expecting more of this same from The Players then think again as this couldn’t be more different where Dujardin plays five characters – Fred, Olivier, François, Laurent and James ! Momentum Pictures have sent us this new Nsfw trailer for the movie which hits Cinemas for a limited run on 6th July and on DVD and download 30th July.
I’ve embedded it below but note that you need to be over 18 to watch it. The movie also stars Guillaume Canet (The Beach) and Dujardin’s wife Alexandre Lamy (Possessions) and is helmed by seven (yes seven!!) directors including Oscar winner Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) Fred Cavayé (Point Blank), Eric Lartigau (The Big Picture), Emmannuelle Bercot (Backstage), Alexandre Courtès (The Incident), Jean Dujardin, and Gilles Lellouche.
The...
I’ve embedded it below but note that you need to be over 18 to watch it. The movie also stars Guillaume Canet (The Beach) and Dujardin’s wife Alexandre Lamy (Possessions) and is helmed by seven (yes seven!!) directors including Oscar winner Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) Fred Cavayé (Point Blank), Eric Lartigau (The Big Picture), Emmannuelle Bercot (Backstage), Alexandre Courtès (The Incident), Jean Dujardin, and Gilles Lellouche.
The...
- 6/29/2012
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Jean Dujardin/The Players: World Trade Center Joke Cut. [Photo: Marion Cotillard.] Also, in his piece Berretta mentions Marion Cotillard, who angered some after telling Paris Première that she questioned the official story about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Some publicity-hungry Christian pastor may have demanded that the Academy take back Cotillard's Best Actress Academy Award for La Vie en Rose, but the actress not only has kept her Oscar statuette but continues to be cast in major Hollywood films, e.g., Rob Marshall's Nine, Steven Soderbergh's Contagion, Christopher Nolan's Inception and the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises. As per The Hollywood Reporter, which recently reviewed The Players, the latest Jean Dujardin comedy "is only as sustainable as its outlandish premise, and it eventually plays out like only an above-average addition to French cinema's long-standing fling with unfaithfulness." The Players' directors are Dujardin, Gilles Lellouche, Emmanuelle Bercot, Fred Cavayé, Alexandre Courtes,...
- 3/1/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Two Teasers Arrive for French Anthology Film Featuring ‘Players’ From ‘The Artist’ and ‘Point Blank’
Jean Dujardin and Michel Hazanavicius have accumulated heaps of awards buzz this year for The Artist, and whatever they do next is bound to receive a good modicum of attention. However, they’re both taking a mutual directing detour with The Players, an anthology film from their native land of France.
Two teasers have arrived for the project, which is said to focus on “the glories and pitiful disasters of male infidelity in all its desperate, absurd and wildly funny variety.” Fred Cavayé and Gilles Lellouche, respective director and star of this year’s Point Blank, are also lending segments, as are Emmanuelle Bercot, Alexandre Courtes, Jan Kounen, and Eric Lartigau. Among several others, Dujardin, Guillaume Canet, Mathilda May, and Sandrine Kiberlain will be in front of the camera. These teasers sadly derived of the necessary subtitles, but you can pretty much figure out — and then laugh — at what’s going on here.
Two teasers have arrived for the project, which is said to focus on “the glories and pitiful disasters of male infidelity in all its desperate, absurd and wildly funny variety.” Fred Cavayé and Gilles Lellouche, respective director and star of this year’s Point Blank, are also lending segments, as are Emmanuelle Bercot, Alexandre Courtes, Jan Kounen, and Eric Lartigau. Among several others, Dujardin, Guillaume Canet, Mathilda May, and Sandrine Kiberlain will be in front of the camera. These teasers sadly derived of the necessary subtitles, but you can pretty much figure out — and then laugh — at what’s going on here.
- 12/21/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Chicago – Excluding its rather unnecessary epilogue, Fred Cavayé’s latest thriller, “Point Blank,” clocks in around one hour and fifteen minutes. It’s a fast paced film, but it oddly never feels rushed. All of the set-pieces and dramatic revelations are present and executed to perfection. What’s lacking here is the extra padding so often found in bloated Hollywood blockbusters.
Though Paul Haggis’s “The Next Three Days” aimed to imitate the expertly paced tension of a Cavayé’ picture by remaking his 2008 effort, “Anything for Her,” the original managed to tell the story in half the time and was twice as entertaining. As long as Americans can accept reading subtitles, there is no reason to remake Cavayé’s transcendently entertaining work, which has the power to thrill audiences on any continent.
Blu-ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
In some ways, “Point Blank” is a mirror image of “Anything for Her,” with its wronged protagonist on the run,...
Though Paul Haggis’s “The Next Three Days” aimed to imitate the expertly paced tension of a Cavayé’ picture by remaking his 2008 effort, “Anything for Her,” the original managed to tell the story in half the time and was twice as entertaining. As long as Americans can accept reading subtitles, there is no reason to remake Cavayé’s transcendently entertaining work, which has the power to thrill audiences on any continent.
Blu-ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
In some ways, “Point Blank” is a mirror image of “Anything for Her,” with its wronged protagonist on the run,...
- 12/21/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Countdown to Top Ten 2K11 is a column with one simple goal: to help you decide what films you need to see before making your end of the year top ten list. Each installment features my thoughts on a critically acclaimed 2011 movie, a sampling of other critics' reactions, the odds of the film making my own list, and the reasons why it might make yours.
This time we're covering "Certified Copy," the acclaimed new film from Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. But is it a genuine work of art? Let's find out.
Movie: "Certified Copy"
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Plot Synopsis: The author of a new book about the meaning and importance of authenticity in art (William Shimell) joins a fan (Juliette Binoche) for a tour of the Italian countryside. But their relationship might not be as simple or as casual as it first appears.
What the Critics Said: "[Like] a middle-aged 'Before Sunrise,...
This time we're covering "Certified Copy," the acclaimed new film from Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. But is it a genuine work of art? Let's find out.
Movie: "Certified Copy"
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Plot Synopsis: The author of a new book about the meaning and importance of authenticity in art (William Shimell) joins a fan (Juliette Binoche) for a tour of the Italian countryside. But their relationship might not be as simple or as casual as it first appears.
What the Critics Said: "[Like] a middle-aged 'Before Sunrise,...
- 12/16/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Countdown to Top Ten 2K11 is a column with one simple goal: to help you decide what films you need to see before making your end of the year top ten list. Each installment features my thoughts on a critically acclaimed 2011 movie, a sampling of other critics' reactions, the odds of the film making my own list, and the reasons why it might make yours.
This time we're covering "The Descendants," in which George Clooney plays a family man besieged by personal and professional crises. The film's already racked up a Best Picture award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a Best Actor and Supporting Actress from the National Board of Review. But is it worth selling your first born child to see it? Let's find out.
Movie: "The Descendants"
Director: Alexander Payne
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Plot Synopsis: A distant father and husband (Clooney) is forced to reassess...
This time we're covering "The Descendants," in which George Clooney plays a family man besieged by personal and professional crises. The film's already racked up a Best Picture award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a Best Actor and Supporting Actress from the National Board of Review. But is it worth selling your first born child to see it? Let's find out.
Movie: "The Descendants"
Director: Alexander Payne
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Plot Synopsis: A distant father and husband (Clooney) is forced to reassess...
- 12/14/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Countdown to Top Ten 2K11 is a column with one simple goal: to help you decide what films you need to see before making your end of the year top ten list. Each installment features my thoughts on a critically acclaimed 2011 movie, a sampling of other critics' reactions, the odds of the film making my own list, and the reasons why it might make yours.
This time we're covering "We Need to Talk About Kevin," the disturbing story of a mass murdering kid and his shell-shocked mom. But will this mother-son drama end up as the big daddy on your year-end top ten list? Let's find out.
Movie: "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
Plot Synopsis: A woman struggles to come to grips with her teenage son's brutal crimes, which have left her a pariah and an outcast in her hometown.
What the Critics...
This time we're covering "We Need to Talk About Kevin," the disturbing story of a mass murdering kid and his shell-shocked mom. But will this mother-son drama end up as the big daddy on your year-end top ten list? Let's find out.
Movie: "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
Plot Synopsis: A woman struggles to come to grips with her teenage son's brutal crimes, which have left her a pariah and an outcast in her hometown.
What the Critics...
- 12/14/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Countdown to Top Ten 2K11 is a column with one simple goal: to help you decide what films you need to see before making your end of the year top ten list. Each installment features my thoughts on a critically acclaimed 2011 movie, a sampling of other critics' reactions, the odds of the film making my own list, and the reasons why it might make yours.
This time we're covering "Point Blank," an arthouse thriller from France. But is this European import important enough to make your top ten list? Let's find out.
Movie: "Point Blank"
Director: Fred Cavayé
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Plot Synopsis: A nurse's assistant is blackmailed into helping a criminal escape from the hospital. If he doesn't do as he's told, his pregnant wife will be killed.
What the Critics Said: "My nerves are still jangling," Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
"Preposterously exciting," Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
"A classic Hitchcock plot,...
This time we're covering "Point Blank," an arthouse thriller from France. But is this European import important enough to make your top ten list? Let's find out.
Movie: "Point Blank"
Director: Fred Cavayé
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Plot Synopsis: A nurse's assistant is blackmailed into helping a criminal escape from the hospital. If he doesn't do as he's told, his pregnant wife will be killed.
What the Critics Said: "My nerves are still jangling," Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
"Preposterously exciting," Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
"A classic Hitchcock plot,...
- 12/12/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
As year-end rituals go, remembering those we've lost over the past twelve months is the solemn twin of list-making, though it's often no less an act of celebration. In the new issue of the Brooklyn Rail, Charles Bernstein and Susan Bee look back on the life of George Kuchar, "one of the most creative, original, and influential filmmakers of our time, straddling two generations of North American iconoclasts, from Stan Brakhage, Ken Jacobs, Rudy Burckhardt, Kenneth Anger, and Michael Snow to Warren Sonbert, Ernie Gehr, Abigail Child, and Henry Hills. Often collaborating with his twin brother, Mike, George Kuchar started making films as a Bronx teenager, and the brothers' early films already show the ingenuity, exuberance, and do-it-yourself charm that would pervade scores of their subsequent films."
More from Clara Pais in the freely downloadable December issue of One + One, which also features Diamuid Hester on Jacques Tati, Donna K on Brent Green,...
More from Clara Pais in the freely downloadable December issue of One + One, which also features Diamuid Hester on Jacques Tati, Donna K on Brent Green,...
- 12/11/2011
- MUBI
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Dec. 6, 2011
Price: DVD $26.98, Blu-ray $29.98
Studio: Magnolia
Gilles Lellouche leaps for love in French thriller Point Blank.
Gilles Lellouche (Tell No One) stars in the fast-moving 2010 French crime action-thriller film Point Blank, written and directed by Fred Cavayé (Anything for Her).
Lellouche is Samuel, a nurse who is working at a hospital when his pregnant wife (Elena Anaya, Room in Rome) is kidnapped before his very eyes before he’s knocked unconscious. When he comes to, he discovers that a dangerous criminal named Sartet (Roschdy Zem, The Girl From Monaco) is responsible, and if he’s ever to see his wife again, he must do Sartet’s bidding. Samuel quickly finds himself pitted against rival gangsters and trigger-happy police in a race to save the lives of his wife and unborn child.
The foreign-language movie received a limited released to U.S. theaters in July, 2011, where it...
Price: DVD $26.98, Blu-ray $29.98
Studio: Magnolia
Gilles Lellouche leaps for love in French thriller Point Blank.
Gilles Lellouche (Tell No One) stars in the fast-moving 2010 French crime action-thriller film Point Blank, written and directed by Fred Cavayé (Anything for Her).
Lellouche is Samuel, a nurse who is working at a hospital when his pregnant wife (Elena Anaya, Room in Rome) is kidnapped before his very eyes before he’s knocked unconscious. When he comes to, he discovers that a dangerous criminal named Sartet (Roschdy Zem, The Girl From Monaco) is responsible, and if he’s ever to see his wife again, he must do Sartet’s bidding. Samuel quickly finds himself pitted against rival gangsters and trigger-happy police in a race to save the lives of his wife and unborn child.
The foreign-language movie received a limited released to U.S. theaters in July, 2011, where it...
- 11/11/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Bilal Ahmed of Oregon files lawsuit against film-makers for using his likeness in scene showing wanted terrorists
An Oregon man is suing the makers of the Russell Crowe thriller The Next Three Days claiming they used his image in a scene showing wanted terrorists.
Bilal Ahmed says he has been forced to change his hairstyle and cut his facial hair following the release of the film, which was directed by the Oscar-winning film-maker and screenwriter Paul Haggis. He fears he may struggle to find future work and is claiming more than $300,000 for "impairment to future earning capacity, damage to reputation, mental anguish and suffering, humiliation and embarrassment".
In his suit, filed at Los Angeles superior court last week, Ahmed states that he was "depicted as a wanted fugitive along with other known or alleged terrorists or fugitives, including Osama Bin Laden". Nothing, he says, could be further from the truth.
An Oregon man is suing the makers of the Russell Crowe thriller The Next Three Days claiming they used his image in a scene showing wanted terrorists.
Bilal Ahmed says he has been forced to change his hairstyle and cut his facial hair following the release of the film, which was directed by the Oscar-winning film-maker and screenwriter Paul Haggis. He fears he may struggle to find future work and is claiming more than $300,000 for "impairment to future earning capacity, damage to reputation, mental anguish and suffering, humiliation and embarrassment".
In his suit, filed at Los Angeles superior court last week, Ahmed states that he was "depicted as a wanted fugitive along with other known or alleged terrorists or fugitives, including Osama Bin Laden". Nothing, he says, could be further from the truth.
- 11/11/2011
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
French action-thriller Point Blank is making its way to DVD and Blu-ray this December 6th from Magnet Releasing:Point Blank Get Ready For A Non-Stop Adrenaline Rush As The Action-Packed Film Point Blank Thrills On Blu-Ray And DVD December 6 From Magnolia Home Entertainment "It leaves you with an endorphin high. An exhilarating adrenaline rush." - New York Times "Make a note to see it. Propulsively entertaining." - Boston Herald From producers Cyril Colbeau-Justin and Jean-Baptiste Dupont (36) and writer/director by Fred Cavayé (The Next Three Days, Anything For Her), Point Blank is a "skillfully directed French thriller that plays like an Alfred Hitchcock wet dream" (Paper). Gilles Lellouche (Tell No One) stars as Samuel, a nurse who is working at a hospital when his pregnant...
- 11/6/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Senna; Point Blank; The Housemaid; Chalet Girl
The very best documentaries should not only inform and entertain viewers with a working knowledge of their areas of scrutiny but also engage the interest and emotions of those who know little (and perhaps care even less) about the subjects. Recent homegrown examples include Julien Temple's brilliant Oil City Confidential, which proved a satisfying and thoroughly cinematic experience for non-aficionados of Dr Feelgood's brand of "Thames Delta blues"; and TT3D, which found in Guy Martin a voluble mouthpiece for the madness of the Isle of Man motorbike races that almost every year claim lives.
Equally remarkable is the emotional conjuring trick performed by director Asif Kapadia with Senna (2010, Universal, 12), which delves into the world of Formula One racing, arguably the most elitist, non-inclusive sport in the world. In a crucial and telling moment, the film's eponymous enigma reveals a longing...
The very best documentaries should not only inform and entertain viewers with a working knowledge of their areas of scrutiny but also engage the interest and emotions of those who know little (and perhaps care even less) about the subjects. Recent homegrown examples include Julien Temple's brilliant Oil City Confidential, which proved a satisfying and thoroughly cinematic experience for non-aficionados of Dr Feelgood's brand of "Thames Delta blues"; and TT3D, which found in Guy Martin a voluble mouthpiece for the madness of the Isle of Man motorbike races that almost every year claim lives.
Equally remarkable is the emotional conjuring trick performed by director Asif Kapadia with Senna (2010, Universal, 12), which delves into the world of Formula One racing, arguably the most elitist, non-inclusive sport in the world. In a crucial and telling moment, the film's eponymous enigma reveals a longing...
- 10/1/2011
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
When you think of genre films from France, you probably think about hard-edged horror fare like High Tension, Martyrs, or Inside -- but there's at least one French filmmaker who seems intent on delivering slick and nifty "thrillers." His Anything for Her from a few years back was good enough to get Americanized into something called The Next Three Days (with Russell Crowe), and now Fred Cavayé is back with another flick that feels a little like an old-school Hitchcock premise crossed with some of the outrageously energetic DNA of Run Lola Run. Sam Pierret (an excellent Gilles Lellouche) is a sweet guy: he's a good nurse, he has a gorgeous wife (Elena Anaya), and a baby daughter on the way. In other words, he's...
- 9/4/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Director: Fred Cavayé Writers: Fred Cavayé, Guillaume Lemans Starring: Gilles Lellouche, Roschdy Zem, Gérard Lanvin, Elena Anaya, Mireille Perrier, Claire Perot, Moussa Maaskri Point Blank is a dark, relentless, and stylishly directed new French crime thriller that drops an innocent man into a paranoid world of kidnapping, corruption, hopelessness, and betrayal. Director Fred Cavayé seems equally inspired by the unsettling, claustrophobic world of American film noir and that rich period of French crime films in the eighties and early nineties that gave us masterworks by Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita) and Jean-Jacques Beineix (Diva). Yet for all of its momentum and sheer kinetic energy, the film loses sight of the essentials--character, emotion, and motivation--far too much of the time, resulting in a film that isn’t nearly as thrilling or as suspenseful as it should be. Samuel (Gilles Lellouche) is a nurse’s aide who works in a hospital where...
- 9/2/2011
- by Dave Wilson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
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