Edith Scob

Time Regained
$29.95
Each film of Raoul Ruiz is very extraordinary! For people who enjoy metaphysical atmosphere, ambiance of sounds and visual images.
This film about Marcel Proust inner space movements will help think and feel about world around us from other viewing point or place. But for that is necessary to watch film with all kind of your senses.

Bon Voyage
$16.98
"Bon Voyage" may be the first in the history of film to consider the Nazis a nuisance. Okay, that may be an exaggeration. But this frothy French film uses World War II merely as a backdrop to play out some odd love tetrahedons, although the film never entirely finishes itself.

Struggling writer Frederic Auger (Gregori Derangere) receives a call from his ex-girlfriend, the famed actress Viviane Denvert (Isabelle Adjani) -- she just killed a man (accidently, she claims). Still besotted, Frederic helps dispose of the body, but ends up arrested for the crime, and Viviane doesn't help him. But several months later, as the Germans invade Paris, Frederic manages to escape prison.

Frederic goes to the overcrowded Bordeux, where Viviane is staying with her new lover, the minister of the Interior (Gerard Depardieu). He also befriends an earnest young assistant (Virginie Ledoyen) who is helping a professor smuggle a secret chemical out of the country. As France falls to Germany, Viviane will learn some hard lessons, and Frederic will figure out what he cares about most.

"Bon Voyage" is a pleasant movie that isn't romantic enough to be a romance, not dramatic enough to be a drama, and not comic enough to be a comedy. Instead it could be said to be a movie about a man getting over a crush on a manipulative actress, and finding out what love can really be about.

But it is quite an amusing movie -- one good scene has Viviane fleeing and throwing herself on the bed, weeping; at the same time, she peeks discreetly to see how the maiden-in-distress act is working. And quite a bit of humor is derived from how many of the French people aren't too concerned about the invasion. Sure, everything will work outself out.

A feeling of grimness seeps into some scenes, such as anything involving the potentially explosive "heavy water," and a few fight scenes involving the Germans. However, the main plot has a frothy flavor. The one problem is the ending -- while it has the basic wrap-up, it feels hasty and quickly tacked on. Especially since we never see exactly what happens to Viviane. It's hinted at, but we never hear or see.

Isabelle Adjani does a marvelous job with the shallow, man-hunting Viviane, the kind of gal who always has another guy lined up to take care of her, no matter what happens. Derangere and Depardieu give excellent supporting performances as the former boyfriend and the jealous present lover, but Ledoyen's character is too earnest and simplistic to seem like more than a convenient love interest.

"Bon Voyage" suffers from a weak ending, but the frothy World War II romantic-dramedy is still a pleasant story. Bon Voyage!

That Day
$29.95
Livia is a slightly mad heir to a vast Swiss fortune. Pointpoirot is a psychotic killer with diabetes who is released from the local asylum with the "mission" to kill her. However after Livia reasons with him through the judicious swing of a hammer, Pointpoirot becomes quite besotted with the lovely, but equally nutty, Livia. But this doesn't stop him from murdering Livia's conniving relatives.

This gloriously sweet love story is an absolute delight. Elsa Zylberstein couldn't be any more gorgeous in her depiction of the ever-so-slightly insane Livia. We fall in love with her immediately. This is a performance to rival that of Audrey Tautou in Amelie.

Equally good (though not quite as cute!) is Bernard Giraudeau as Pointpoirot, providing much of the comedy as he carefully checks and rechecks the blood sugar levels of his victims. Jean-Francois Balmer is also good as Livia's trusty and staid butler, Treffle.

A beautifully sweet film despite the body count.

One Deadly Summer (L'ete Meurtrier) [VHS]
$59.98
A sultry summer tale of revenge, violence, desire, sexuality and deception, this psychological thriller is gripping throughout. Shown from two different viewpoints and with the aid of flashbacks, it's long (2 1/4 hrs.) and fairly hard-to-follow upon first viewing but features superb momentum-inducing acting by Alain Souchon as the hopeful "boyfriend", Suzanne Flon as the deaf aunt - watch her facial expressions!, and especially Isabelle Adjani in an outrageous but moving part. As the lead character - known only as "She" - you either hate or sympathize with her. Either way, Adjani is at the top of her form - which is saying a lot! I shouldn't write any more without revealing the denouement, except, having won four Cesar Awards, this 1983 film seriously needs to be released on DVD format.