Vernier, Pierre

Under the Sand

François Ozon's Under the Sand revolves around a tender, frightening contrast not easily forgotten: the dead live on only as long as we remember them. Marie (a luminous Charlotte Rampling) and Jean (Bruno Cremer), a middle-aged couple, are on vacation. As they ready the beach house almost wordlessly, a long-standing, intense love is immediately understood. While Marie naps on the shore, Jean goes off for a swim from which he never returns. Six months later, back in her empty Paris apartment, Marie goes about her life as if Jean is still there with her, reading in bed, massaging her feet, sitting at the breakfast table. At dinner parties and lunch dates, her close friends are visibly appalled her behavior. It becomes clear that Marie's place in society is increasingly precarious with a ghost at her side: her husband's bank accounts remain frozen because no body has been identified, her lectures at the university end abruptly in silence, her untimely laughter frightens a new lover. Ozon does not manipulate the viewer with surprise endings or try to charm with gags. Instead, we are intimately drawn into Marie's refusal to let go and her awful panic as Jean begins to fade. --Fionn Meade

Named one of People Mag's "Most Beautiful People", Charlotte Rampling gives one of her most acclaimed performances in Francois Ozon's mesmerizing tale of loss and grief. For many years, Marie and Jean have happily spent their vacations together at their country house. One day at the beach, Marie naps in the sand while Jean goes for a swim. When she awakens, he is gone. Did he drown? Did he run off? Distraught, Marie notified the authorities but after an extensive search, no body is found.

Les Misérables [Region 2]

This brilliant film manages to reinterpret the story of Victor Hugo's classic novel, critique it, and investigate the nature of art and life on top of that--all in three hours that zip past, fueled by the dynamic performance of French icon Jean-Paul Belmondo (Breathless, Le Doulos). In 1900, Henri Fortin (Belmondo) is wrongfully imprisoned for murder; his loyal wife is forced into menial labor and prostitution; then in the beginning of World War II, Fortin's son (Belmondo again) helps a Jewish family elude the Nazis, setting in motion his own imprisonment, escape, and adventures as a criminal. Not only is that just the first half of the movie, there are also the story lines of the husband, wife, and daughter of the Jewish family, who each have their own struggles. The conclusion is joyous and heartbreaking. Director Claude Lelouch (A Man and a Woman) handles the entire movie with supreme skill, humor, and compassion. --Bret Fetzer

The Red & The Black

The acclaimed novel by Stendhal THE RED AND THE BLACK is brought to the screen in this 1997 adaptation. Set in early-19th century France the story follows Julien Sorel as he attempts to shake off his provincial background. But after taking a job as a tutor and embarking on a series of romantic entanglements Sorrel ultimately faces a capital trial leading to a tense conclusion to director Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe's film.System Requirements:Running Time 200 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: FOREIGN/LATIN Rating: NR UPC: 741952308591 Manufacturer No: KLF-DV-3085

Comedy of Power

Inspired by the "Elf Affair" an Enron-like scandal in France...Jeanne a tenacious magistrate known as "the piranha" pursues corrupt white collar criminals. After locking up an embezzling CEO she pushes the limits of her power even further and winds up in a dangerous game of threats and intimidation.DVD Extras: Theatrical TrailerSystem Requirements:Running Time: 110 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: FOREIGN/LATIN UPC: 741952310198 Manufacturer No: KLFDV3101

Palais Royal!

Itinéraire d'un enfant gâté [Region 2]

Le Professionnel

Hemingway

Stacey Keach does a star turn as "Papa" Hemingway in this 1988 made-for-television saga, working his way through nearly five on-screen hours of womanizing, drinking, and big-game hunting--and even manages to squeeze in time to write a few canon-bound books. Although director Bernhard Sinkel's epic look at the writer suffers from a lethargic pace and highly suspect (read: glamorized) portrayals of such luminaries as Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound, the film, based in part on Hemingway's letters, does offer abundant biographical glimpses into Hemingway's fabled history. Keach's portrayal, while well short of inspired, suits the medium, and won him a Golden Globe Award to boot. The film was shot on location around the globe, so Hem enthusiasts will at least be treated to a visual survey of the legendary writer's many habitats. Unfortunately, the extra features on this two-disc set are extraordinarily meager; the "Hemingway Biography" and "Keach on Hemingway" segments are merely a few screens of text outlining a scanty overview of these subjects. Nonetheless, as the only biopic available, Hemingway will no doubt be of interest to insatiable Hemingway and Modern Lit aficionados. But for a livelier, more entertaining look into the writer's life, a beaten paperback copy of A Moveable Feast will do. --Karl Wachter

Stacy Keach stars in the title role of this sweeping epic about the life and loves of adventurer, sportsman, war correspondent and Nobel Prize winning author Ernest Hemingway.

Stavisky

Could the true story of the financial scandal that shook France to the brink of civil war in 1933 be more timely? Jean Paul Belmondo is perfectly cast as Serge Alexander (a.k.a. Stavisky), the one-time underworld con man who charms his way to the top of the French financial world with bluff, cunning, and a bankroll of phony vouchers. Screenwriter Jorge Semprún (Z) weaves Stavisky's story through the tapestry of European politics: the rise of fascism, the stain of anti-Semitism, the shadow of impending war. The aloof style of Alain Resnais (Last Year at Marienbad) is warmed by the smiling charisma of Belmondo and by Charles Boyer's poignant turn as a sentimental, nearly bankrupt Baron. Elegantly shot by the great Sacha Vierny and accompanied by a lush Stephen Sondheim score, this multi-faceted gem is one of Resnais's most satisfying and accessible films. --Sean Axmaker

International sensation Jean-Paul Belmondo (Breathless, Le Professionnel) turns on the charm as Serge Alexandre, known to the world as Stavisky. Working his way from small time cons to high society stings, this rascal ignites a scandal in 1930s France by saturating the country with phony vouchers, causing a whirlwind of governmental and economic destruction shortly before World War II. Groundbreaking director Alain Resnais (Last Year At Marienbad, Hiroshima Mon Amour) guides a dazzling cast headed by screen idol Charles Boyer through this timeless saga of deception, romance, and fallen grace, accompanied by a lyrical score from Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim.

Stavisky... [Region 2] PAL DVD

Could the true story of the financial scandal that shook France to the brink of civil war in 1933 be more timely? Jean Paul Belmondo is perfectly cast as Serge Alexander (a.k.a. Stavisky), the one-time underworld con man who charms his way to the top of the French financial world with bluff, cunning, and a bankroll of phony vouchers. Screenwriter Jorge Semprún (Z) weaves Stavisky's story through the tapestry of European politics: the rise of fascism, the stain of anti-Semitism, the shadow of impending war. The aloof style of Alain Resnais (Last Year at Marienbad) is warmed by the smiling charisma of Belmondo and by Charles Boyer's poignant turn as a sentimental, nearly bankrupt Baron. Elegantly shot by the great Sacha Vierny and accompanied by a lush Stephen Sondheim score, this multi-faceted gem is one of Resnais's most satisfying and accessible films. --Sean Axmaker