Directed by:
Jacques AudiardCinematography:
Jean-Marc FabreComposer:
Alexandre DesplatCast:
Mathieu Kassovitz, Anouk Grinberg, Sandrine Kiberlain, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Albert Dupontel, François Berléand, Philippe Harel, François Levantal (more)Plots(1)
Irony abounds in this French comedy that tells the tale of an unsophisticated, rather dim-bulbed country lad who follows the advice of a former French freedom fighter and tries to change himself into a hero of the recently ended French Resistance. Poor Albert is no stranger to deceit. For his first 12-years, his mother led him to believe that his father was a war hero. He is devastated to learn that his father really died of alcoholism. During the war, Albert does all he can to avoid fighting for the Resistance, even though the Nazis control his village. He marries and moves in with his wife's family, innocent of the fact that the whole time he is there, they are concealing downed British fliers. The night their town is freed, Albert leaves for Paris where he meets Dionnet, 'The Captain,' a bona-fide Resistance hero. It is he, who teaches Albert how to successfully change his identity. After much practice and memorization, Albert finally has a new identity and goes to work as a secretary for Mr. Jo, a former double agent. Albert stays in a boarding house, where a resident prostitute teaches him about lovemaking. Meanwhile, Albert becomes recognized as a courageous patriot, a role he manages to sustain only a little while before it all falls apart and the painful truth is finally revealed. Audiard´s movie was screened at Cannes Film Festival 1996 and it gained the Best Screenplay Award. It was nominated for Ceasar Awards in many film categories. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
Mathieu Kassovitz
France
Best movies:
Amelie (2001)
The Fifth Element (1997)
War and Peace (2016) (series)
Anouk Grinberg
Belgium
Best movies:
Fragments of Antonin (2006)
1, 2, 3, Freeze (1993)
Lucky Winners (2024)
Sandrine Kiberlain
France
Best movies:
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
Little Nicholas (2009)
The Apartment (1996)
Jean-Louis Trintignant
France
Best movies:
Three Colours: Red (1994)
A Man and a Woman (1966)
The Easy Life (1962)
Albert Dupontel
France
Best movies:
Irreversible - The Straight Cut (2019)
A Very Long Engagement (2004)
Love Me No More (2008)
François Berléand
France
Best movies:
The Chorus (2004)
Milou in May (1990)
Camille Claudel (1988)
Philippe Harel
France
Best movies:
The Banned Woman (1997)
A Self-Made Hero (1996)
Venus Beauty (1999)
François Levantal
France
Best movies:
The French Revolution (1989) (TV movie)
Hate (1995)
A Very Long Engagement (2004)
Philippe Nahon
France
Best movies:
Irreversible - The Straight Cut (2019)
Hate (1995)
I Stand Alone (1998)
Bruno Putzulu
France
Best movies:
In Praise of Love (2001)
Pourquoi pas moi ? (1999)
La Tranchée des espoirs (2003) (TV movie)
Patrick Ligardes
France
Best movies:
The Day of the Crows (2012)
150 Milligrams (2016)
Serial Lover (1998)
Georges Siatidis
Belgium
Best movies:
No Man's Land (2001)
Train of Life (1998)
Hell (2005)
Clotilde Mollet
Best movies:
Untouchable (2011)
Amelie (2001)
The Red Violin (1998)
Danièle Lebrun
France
Best movies:
Mother (1991)
Camille Claudel (1988)
It Only Happens to Others (1971)
Nadia Barentin
France
Best movies:
The Seventh Company Has Been Found (1975)
The Round Up (2010)
A Self-Made Hero (1996)
Isabelle Gruault
Best movies:
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
The Three Brothers (1995)
Romantics Anonymous (2010)
Philippe Berodot
Best movies:
A Self-Made Hero (1996)
Julie Lescaut (1992) (series)
Yves Verhoeven
France
Best movies:
La Cérémonie (1995)
Class Trip (1998)
Marcelino, pan y vino (1991)
François Chattot
Best movies:
Voleur de vie (1998)
District 13 (2004)
Journey To Greenland (2016)
Marc Marder
Best movies:
A Self-Made Hero (1996)
Beckett (2021)