Vatel

May 1, 2000

2h 5m

★ 6.1

Some men are too noble to live among aristocracy.

Overview

In 1671, with war brewing with Holland, a penniless prince invites Louis XIV to three days of festivities at a chateau in Chantilly. The prince wants a commission as a general, so the extravagances are to impress the king. In charge of all is the steward, Vatel, a man of honor, talent, and low birth. The prince is craven in his longing for stature: no task is too menial or dishonorable for him to give Vatel. While Vatel tries to sustain dignity, he finds himself attracted to Anne de Montausier, the king's newest mistress. In Vatel, she finds someone who's authentic, living out his principles within the casual cruelties of court politics. Can the two of them escape unscathed?

Genres

History

Drama

Romance

Production Companies

Gaumont

Légende Films

Nomad

Timothy Burrill Productions

TF1 Films Production

Vatel Trailers

Cast

Francois Vatel

Gérard Depardieu

Anne de Montausier

Uma Thurman

Marquis de Lauzun

Tim Roth

Gourville

Timothy Spall

Prince de Conde

Julian Glover

Louis XIV

Julian Sands

Philippe d`Orleans

Murray Lachlan Young

Colbert

Hywel Bennett

Dr. Bourdelot

Richard Griffiths

Princess de Conde

Arielle Dombasle

Athenais de Montespan

Marine Delterme

Duchesse de Longueville

Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu

Michel takes up pickpocketing on a lark and is arrested soon after. His mother dies shortly after his release, and despite the objections of his only friend, Jacques, and his mother's neighbor Jeanne, Michel teams up with a couple of petty thieves in order to improve his craft. With a police inspector keeping an eye on him, Michel also tries to get a straight job, but the temptation to steal is hard to resist.

7.6

Three Colors: Blue

Sep 8, 1993

The wife of a famous composer survives a car accident that kills her husband and daughter. Now alone, she shakes off her old identity and explores her newfound freedom but finds that she is unbreakably bound to other humans, including her husband’s mistress, whose existence she never suspected.

7.4

Three Colors: White

Jan 26, 1994

Polish immigrant Karol Karol finds himself out of a marriage, a job and a country when his French wife, Dominique, divorces him after six months due to his impotence. Forced to leave France after losing the business they jointly owned, Karol enlists fellow Polish expatriate Mikołaj to smuggle him back to their homeland.

8.3

Paths of Glory

Oct 25, 1957

A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916.

7.2

Don't Worry, I'm Fine

Sep 6, 2006

A 19-year-old searches for her twin brother after he runs away from home, following a fight with their father.

5.9

Krotoa

Aug 4, 2017

Krotoa, a feisty, bright, 11-year-old girl is removed from her close-knit Khoi tribe to serve Jan van Riebeeck, her uncle’s trading partner and the first Governor of the Cape Colony. She is brought into the first Fort established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652. There she grows into a visionary young woman who assimilates the Dutch language and culture so well that she rises to become an influential translator but ends up being rejected by her own people as she tries to bridge the gap between the two cultures about to collide.

6.0

Resurrection

Oct 21, 1958

Young Prince Nechljudov is summoned as a judge in a murder trial. A rich merchant was found dead in the room of the inn where he was staying and the prostitute Maslova was accused of the crime. Nechljudov recognizes in the woman the maid of the aunts he had seduced and abandoned years before and tries to convince the authorities of her of his innocence but to no avail. Convinced that he is responsible for her moral fall, he follows her to Siberia where she must serve her sentence.

6.3

Could This Be Love?

Feb 8, 2007

Lucas, a wealthy, 43 year-old divorced businessman, is irresistibly attracted to Elsa, a 38 year old renowned sculptor from whom he has commissioned a piece to decorate the reception at his office.

7.2

Christmas with a Prince: Becoming Royal

Nov 3, 2019

One year after Dr. Tasha and Prince Alec met and fell in love, Tasha is on her way to spend the holidays in San Saverre and get a taste of royal life. When Alex surprises her with a royal engagement, she spends her first magical days there trying to stay grounded while managing the task of planning a royal wedding. But when Miranda starts scheming to break the two up, it will take a big sacrifice and a Christmas miracle to make sure they get the holiday royal wedding of their dreams.

7.0

Chocolat

Dec 22, 2000

A mother and daughter move to a small French town where they open a chocolate shop. The town, religious and morally strict, is against them, as they represent free-thinking and indulgence. When a group of gypsies arrive by riverboat, the Mayor's prejudices lead to a crisis.

7.4

Paris 1900

Oct 7, 2019

In 1900, the eyes of the whole world are on Paris. The World's Fair welcomed 50 million amazed visitors, and the city celebrated itself in a glamorous era. This period went down in history as the "Belle Époque." Elaborately restored and colorized historical photographs bring to life the exciting life in Paris between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of World War I in 1914. Bicycles, cars, airplanes, moving pictures, newly founded film studios, revolutionary composers and painters, avant-garde ballet performances, fashion houses, summer resorts on the Atlantic coast – life was intoxicating. People celebrate in the variety shows, cabarets, and revue theaters of Paris. Moulin Rouge, Folies Bergères, Bal Tabarin—in Paris, the nights are long and life is too short to sleep through. It is a dance on the volcano, given the political developments in the world.

6.6

Benedetta

Jul 9, 2021

A 17th-century nun becomes entangled in a forbidden lesbian affair with a novice. But it is Benedetta's shocking religious visions that threaten to shake the Church to its core.

7.4

La Vie en Rose

Feb 14, 2007

From the mean streets of the Belleville district of Paris to the dazzling limelight of New York's most famous concert halls, Edith Piaf's life was a constant battle to sing and survive, to live and love. Raised in her grandmother's brothel, Piaf was discovered in 1935 by nightclub owner Louis Leplee, who persuaded her to sing despite her extreme nervousness. Piaf became one of France's immortal icons, her voice one of the indelible signatures of the 20th century.

6.6

Games of Love and Chance

Nov 25, 2003

A group of teenagers living in a housing project in the outskirts of Paris rehearse a scene from Marivaux's play of the same name. Krimo is determined not to take part, but after developing feelings for Lydia, he quickly assumes the main role and love interest in the play.

5.3

A Real Young Girl

Jun 1, 1976

Reluctantly, a sulky adolescent returns to her parents' house for yet another boring summer vacation, dabbling in desire and the art of desirability, eventually mixing reality with vision, caged fantasies with the fierce female sexuality.

6.8

May Fools

Jan 24, 1990

During the events of May 1968 in France, different worldviews of conflicting relatives collide in their family estate.

7.5

Au Revoir les Enfants

Oct 7, 1987

Au revoir les enfants tells a heartbreaking story of friendship and devastating loss concerning two boys living in Nazi-occupied France. At a provincial Catholic boarding school, the precocious youths enjoy true camaraderie—until a secret is revealed. Based on events from writer-director Malle’s own childhood, the film is a subtle, precisely observed tale of courage, cowardice, and tragic awakening.

7.3

La Cérémonie

Aug 30, 1995

Sophie, a quiet and shy maid working for an upper-class French family, finds a friend in the energetic and uncompromising postmaster Jeanne, who encourages her to stand up against her bourgeois employers.

0.0

The French Democracy

Nov 22, 2005

The French Democracy is a short film by French filmmaker Alex Chan. The film was made in the 2005 PC game "The Movies," a business simulation game that allowed users to create their own films using pre-rendered scenes and tells the story of three Moroccan immigrants in France who turn to rioting after facing different forms of discrimination. The film was made as a response to the 2005 French riots which resulted from the deaths of two young boys who were electrocuted while hiding from police in a power substation. The civil unrest called attention to racism in France and abusive policing tactics. On its release, The French Democracy sparked controversy in mainstream media both as a political statement and as an example of the then-emerging Machinima genre tackling mature, political themes.