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Claude Lelouch on Howard Hawks's Bringing Up Baby and his own La Bonne Année as films to watch to cheer you up: "Very good choices!" Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

The Cannes Film Festival is gearing up for tomorrow's opening night screening of Arnaud Desplechin's Ismael’s Ghosts (Les Fantômes D'Ismaël) starring Mathieu Amalric, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Marion Cotillard with Louis Garrel and Alba Rohrwacher, and a score by Grégoire Hetzel. Claude Lelouch with Un Homme Et Une Femme, starring Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant, in 1966 had won Palme d'Or honours and with Pierre Uytterhoeven, a Best Screenplay Oscar.

Mr and Mrs Gallois (Charles Denner and Judith Magre) with Simon (Jean‑Louis Trintignant) in Le Voyou: "One must learn how to detect cheaters."

Driving with Fanny Ardant, Dominique Pinon, and Audrey Dana in Roman De Gare, Abbas Kiarostami and cars, Un + Une in India with Jean Dujardin and Elsa Zylberstein,...

Claude Lelouch with Anne-Katrin Titze on Quentin Tarantino and Le Voyou: "He told me if he hadn't seen that film he wouldn't have made Pulp Fiction." Photo: Sylvie Sergent

On the afternoon of the Focus on French Cinema screenings at the French Institute Alliance Française in New York of Un + Une (One Plus One) with Jean Dujardin, Elsa Zylberstein, Christophe Lambert and Alice Pol, and Un Homme Et Une Femme (A Man And A Woman), starring Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant, I met with the director/screenwriter Claude Lelouch at his hotel.

Disguises in La Bonne Année (Happy New Year) with Lino Ventura and Charles Gérard, kidnapping in Le Voyou (The Crook) with Trintignant and Christine Lelouch, traveling with Fanny Ardant, Dominique Pinon, and Audrey Dana in Roman De Gare (Crossed Tracks), influencing Terrence Malick, Abbas Kiarostami and cars, Howard Hawks's Bringing Up Baby, Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, dogs versus cats,...

A Man and His Women: Lelouch’s Latest a Lumbering, Bloated Ensemble

Nearing his 80’s and with over fifty credits to his name, Oscar and Palme d’Or winning director Claude Lelouch bows his latest venture, We Love You, You Bastard, co-written with writer/actress Valerie Perrin, a title that elicits the kind of chuckles the film itself does not. A dysfunctional family drama harpooned on a comedy of errors scheme flaccidly spins into an ellipses of Bunuelian progeny patterns before a sharp left into Agatha Christie territory extends the running time by an unnecessary forty five minutes. With a varied cast of major French talents, there are a handful of successful moments, but without pronounced payoff. At best, a fluff piece showcasing some industry pros, the increasingly erring narrative mistakes wonky details for subtle prowess and is unfortunately a grating effort from the master director, whose other more recent...

Salaud on t’aime

Director: Claude Lelouch

Writers: Claude Lelouch, Valerie Perrin

Producer: Jean-Paul De Vidas

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Sandrine Bonnaire, Johnny Hallyday, Jacky Ido, Irene Jacob, Valerie Kaprisky

While his 2007 film, Roman de Gare received notable art house play and served as an introduction to Lelouche’s new muse, Audrey Dana, his next film, 2010′s What War May Bring never received a Us release. But we’re thinking his latest film shouldn’t follow that same fate, featuring a stellar cast, headlined by the resplendent Sandrine Bonnaire, supported by Johnny Hallyday and Jacky Ido. But then, check it out, Irene Jacob and Valerie Kaprisky are in the supporting cast.

Gist: Lelouch describes the film as being about the four cardinal points of life: love, work, friendship and family.

Release Date: With an April domestic release in France, we’re thinking this might end up at Tribeca.

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (Spwa) and Samuel Goldwyn Films are partnering on the U.S. theatrical release in addition to jointly acquiring North American rights to Park Pictures Features. Robot & Frank, the 2012 Sundance Film Festival favorite, starring Academy Award® nominee Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Academy Award® winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking), James Marsden, Liv Tyler, Golden Globe® nominee Peter Saarsgard (Shattered Glass), Jeremy Sisto and Jeremy Strong. Additionally, Spwa has acquired all media rights for Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe including Russia.

The deal was negotiated by Spwa’s Executive Vice President of Business Affairs, Michael Helfand, and Joe Matukewicz, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions, with Peter Goldwyn, Vice President of Acquisitions, representing Samuel Goldwyn Films. CAA and ICM.s Jessica Lacy negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers. ICM represents Langella, Sarandon and Strong.

.We have loved this project from the script stage...

Pop & Hiss Reeve Carney, who previously appeared in Julie Taymor's Tempest and Julie Taymor's Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, has signed on to play Jeff Buckley in a biopic. Sure he looks right enough for the part, but sadly, at least thus far, he doesn't seem to be much of an actor. 

In Contention loves the motion picture soundtrack cover for Drive more than the movie posters. Fair enough... but omg what's inside!!!. I'm buying the crap out of that CD when it becomes available. I kept wishing the songs were originals so that I could be incensed when Oscar ignored them.

Reeve Carney as himself. Ryan Gosling in fetishized scorpion jacket.

Time Out Hk has a good lengthy interview with Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu of Bishonen fame. He's starring opposite fighting Russell Crowe (literally) soon in The Man With the Iron Fists

Cinema Blend has a funny thought.

*Sniffle* Take one long last longing look. You might not see this much glittery movie talent assembled again until the Golden Globes. Today there is no red carpet conversation for the lineup -- all of my blogging friends have vanished (was it The Rapture?) -- other than what you bring to the comments.

Twenty-three more to wrap up.

Left to right: Audrey Dana who was so awesome in Roman de Gare - remember that?, Ultimate being Milla Jovovich, statuesque jury queen Uma Thurman, and sexy French bitches Ludivine Sagnier & Raphaël Personnaz.

Left to right: Antonio Banderas had a good fortnight, didn't he? Ryan Gosling went blue but Drive was red hot, Jude Law juried (winners coming at'cha tomorrow), and Saïd Tagmaoui walked the red carpet (he'll finally be back on the big screen in Conan the Barbarian but given that he speaks four languages and is a very good actor...

• This week Claude Lelouch began lensing Ces amours-là, his 45th film is you can believe that. Filmed in parts of the Beaune region in France and in Romania's Bucharest, the picture is said to be some using vintage footage that Lelouch filmed over the past decades to compliment a story about one woman's romantic life. Audrey Dana (who was among the trio of leads in Lelouch's previous film Roman de Gare) plays the woman who reflects back the flings she had with a pair of French men, two Americans and a German. The film follows her over a twenty year span between 1940 all the way up to 1960. Looking at the time period, I'm guessing that the 2nd World War might offer on of the backdrops to one of the five narratives. Dana is re-teaming with Dominique Pinon and the film will also see legend Anouk Aimée, Judith Magre, Christine Citti,

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Paris -- Fanny Ardant will be back in the spotlight at the Festival de Cannes next month. The French actress will be the recipient of a festival homage as well as an out of competition screening slot for her directorial debut, "Ashes and Blood."

"Blood" stars Israeli actress Ronit Elkabetz as a woman who returns to Marseille after an 18-year absence to raise her children after the death of her husband.

Ardant has starred in five films that have played at Cannes, most recently Claude Lelouch's "Roman de Gare" in 2007. This year, she also will be seen in front of the camera in Tsai Ming-liang's Competition title "Face."

The homage and "Blood" screening are set for May 22 in Cannes.

• Thursday April 10th:. NYC: MoMA Presents the Cannes selected, Raphaël Nadjari's Tehilim from today all the way up to the 16th. Friday April 11th:. Errol Morris begins his run in Apple Stores across the land (L.A, San Francisco, NYC) for Standard Operating Procedure of course. Tonite he is at: Apple Store, Third Street Promenade. 7:00 p.m. Saturday April 12th:. L.A: Red Balloon day. Check out Janus Fims' newly restored reels for Albert Lamorisse's White Mane and The Red Balloon at the American Cinematheque and then try and find a rep theater playing Hou Hsiao-Hsien's The Flight of the Red Balloon. Sunday April 13th:. L.A.: Double Feature with Claude Lelouch In Person. See 1966 Palme d'Or winner A Man And A Woman and his latest film Roman De Gare. Starts 7:30 Pm. American Cinematheque  Monday April 14th:. In limited release. If you haven't caught yet,

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NEW YORK -- Roman De Gare, a thriller by Claude Lelouch, features murder, duplicity, romance and revenge along with enough red herrings and plot reversals to intrigue suspense fans. It's a typically messy and eccentric film from Lelouch, whose later work has jammed stories and genres together to accommodate his idiosyncratic narrative style. That approach didn't work in a film like Le Genre Humain: The Parisiens, but here the messiness provides the charm. Lelouch has dispensed with the normal tight structure that suspense requires, and decided to have fun playing around instead. The result is infectiously enjoyable.

Roman De Gare, which Lelouch directed, produced, and co-wrote, opened New York's yearly French Cinema bash, Rendez-Vous With French Cinema. Samuel Goldwyn release the film April 29. The special brew of crime and romance with a bit of comedy thrown in will delight many and confound some, but it's certainly Lelouch's best work in a while.

Roman de gare translates as "railway station novel," and is a term for popular literature. The plot features a famous novelist, a jilted girlfriend, a ghostwriter, a serial killer and an honest cop. The main story hones in on the ghostwriter, but Lelouch isn't afraid to go where he wants, spending time constructing interlinked subplots for the supporting characters. Some things aren't how they seem, and some things are. In spite of the story's many lurches, Lelouch's hand remains steady throughout, and the denouement is satisfying and logical.

Lelouch has sometimes been described as a visual stylist in search of a serious theme. Roman De Gare doesn't provide that. Like a bestselling novel, it's plot-driven rather than character driven. It races along from event to event, character to character, at breakneck speed.

Well-rounded performances from Dominique Pinon, Fanny Ardant and Audrey Dana add breadth and depth. Lelouch's stylistic touches are downplayed, and bar a shot of a champagne glass floating listlessly in the sea, the visuals are straightforward.

He originally directed the film under a pseudonym (Herve Picard) to see how critics would react to the film without his name attached, but the secret was out before the Cannes premiere.

ROMAN DE GARE

Samuel Goldwyn Films

Les Films 13

Credits:

Director: Claude Lelouch

Writers: Claude Lelouch, Claude Lelouch, Pierre Uytterhoeven

Producer: Claude Lelouch

Executive producer: Remi Bergman

Director of photography: Gerard De Battista

Production design: Francois Chavaud

Music: Gilbert Becaud, Alex Jaffray

Costume Designer: Marite Coutard

Editors: Stephane Mazalaigue, Jean Gargonne

Cast:

Louis: Dominique Pinon

Judith: Fanny Ardant

Huguette: Audrey Dana

Florence: Michele Bernier

Mother Huguette: Myriam Boyer

Running time -- 103 minutes

MPAA rating: R...

• Thursday Feb 28th:. NYC: Two more ops to catch a Q&A with Ramin Bahrani for Chop Shop. Click here for showtimes. Friday Feb 29th:. Claude Lelouch will kick off the 13th Rendez-Vous with French Cinema (Feb. 29 – March 9) at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater and IFC Center. See Roman de Gare at the Walter Reade Theater, at 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Saturday March 1st:. The Cinema Guild releases as of yesterday, Laura Dunn's excellent Sundance docu The Unforeseen in limited theater run. Sunday March 2nd:. Check your local listings for Oscar-winning documentary film by Alex Gibney Taxi to the Dark Side. Monday March 3rd:. Day Off. Tuesday March 4th:. DVD: Into the Wild (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition): includes features entitled: The Story, The Characters and The Experience. Wednesday March 5th:. NYC: David Gordon Green talks Snow Angels at the Apple Store - SoHo,

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• Finding film narratives that establish a healthy rapport with international audiences has helped veteran French helmer Claude Lelouch be a mainstay in French language film offerings for U.S audiences. This coming April is a continuation of that relationship. Today, we get a first look at Samuel Goldwyn Films artwork for Roman de Gare. Since splitting up with Roadside Attractions - SamGoldwyn have concentrated on foreign films with recognizable faces for adult audiences. The new Lelouch film sees three lives that are about to cross: a woman abandoned (Audrey Dana, Cesar nominee for Best Female Newcomer) a stranger awaiting his chance (Dominique Pinon,) and a best-selling author (Fanny Ardant,) who imagines the thriller of the year. Deceptively layered and intriguingly misleading, in a game with high stakes – and deadly consequences. ...

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Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired the World War II-era drama Fugitive Pieces and has set its U.S. premiere for Feb. 2 at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The deal was negotiated by Goldwyn vp acquisitions Peter Goldwyn and John Sloss of Cinetic Media on behalf of the filmmakers.

Goldwyn plans a May release for the film, which first bowed on opening night at the Toronto International Film Festival and garnered a best actor prize for Rade Sherbedgia at the Rome International Film Festival.

Jeremy Podeswa, who helmed such series as Showtime's Dexter and Six Feet Under, wrote and directed the film, produced by Robert Lantos (Eastern Promises).

Fugitive Pieces, based on the novel by Anne Michaels, revolves around Jakob Beer (Stephen Dillane), a Polish orphan who is saved by a Greek archaeologist and attempts to deal with his losses through writing and the discovery of true love.

The film is the latest addition to Goldwyn's 2008 slate, which includes Priceless, Roman De Gare and Trumbo.

NEW YORK -- The inaugural Middle East International Film Festival -- Abu Dhabi will launch Oct. 14 with the opening night screening of Joe Wright's Atonement.

The Focus Features/Working Title drama about the repercussions of a false accusation stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. The six-day event, presented by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, will also feature Todd Haynes' I'm Not There, Brian De Palma's Redacted, Gavin Hood's Rendition and Claude Lelouch's Roman de Gare.

The fest will be held in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi. It will also host the first annual Film Financing Circle conference on international co-productions from Oct. 15-17.

Joe Wright's Atonement will kick off the inaugural Middle East International Film Festival in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Oct. 14.

The opener was announced Wednesday by Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei, director general of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.

The Keira Knightley-James McAvoy starrer heads a list of films earmarked for MEIFF's Special Presentations sidebar that includes I'm Not There from director Todd Haynes. Themed around the music and life of Bob Dylan, the film won the special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Other MEIFF titles selected include Brian De Palma's Iraq war drama Redacted; Rendition, directed by Gavin Hood; and Claude Lelouch's Roman de gare.

Veteran choreographer Otis Sallid will direct the dance numbers for the opening- and closing-night galas.

"We are honored to present these outstanding films by such talented directors, and look forward to celebrating the art of filmmaking here in Abu Dhabi," Al-Mazrouei said.

"It is an honor to receive such outstanding support from international studios in our inaugural year," added executive director Nashwa Al-Ruwaini.

• With the intriguing tagline, "Some meetings are more fatal than others," it's hard to believe Claude Lelouch's Cannes '07 thriller Roman de Gare (Crossed Tracks) wasn't sold until now. Peter Goldwyn and Shane Starr of Samuel Goldwyn Films have just announced their acquisition negotiated with Les Films 13. Here is the only synopsis of Crossed Tracks that seems to be available:"Judith Ralitzer (played by Fanny Ardant), femme fatale and popular writer, is seeking characters for her next best-seller. A serial killer has just escaped from the Santé prison in Paris's 13th arrondissement. Huguette, a hairdresser in a top Parisian beauty salon, is going to change their destiny..." Setting the bar, Lelouch has this to say about the film, "I hope that in Crossed Tracks you will find melodrama, comedy, suspense, elements of the road movie, and the western, in short the genres and the kinds of cinema that

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More Toronto fest news

TORONTO -- Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to Claude Lelouch's new thriller "Roman de gare". The film premiered at the Festival de Cannes earlier this year and was released last month in France, where it became a box office success.

Cesar nominee Dominique Pinon and Cesar winner Fanny Ardant star in the film about a popular novelist who researches unlikely sources to find characters for her next bestseller.

Lelouch wrote, directed and produced the thriller, while Jean Paul de Vidas executive produced.

The move is the one of the first big acquisitions since Goldwyn and its distribution arm IDP split from its alliance with Roadside Attractions in May.

Goldwyn is eying a release scheduled for first quarter 2008.

"I feel that 'Roman de gare' is perhaps my best picture, so, I could not be more thrilled that Samuel Goldwyn Films is releasing it in the U.S.," Lelouch said. "It's a wonderful deluxe boutique shop for quality movies and I couldn't think of a better distribution team."

Goldwyn, which released "The Squid and the Whale" and "Super Size Me", has Julie Delpy's "2 Days in Paris" currently in theaters.