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French Movie ID

drumsdrums 83 Posts
edited July 2009 in Strut Central
Hello,There's a couple of movies I remember watching and enjoyed a long time ago. I think they were french. The thing is that I can't remember the titles or any actors starring in them. I've tried searching the internet (google, imdb etc) but since I just remember small parts of the movies I haven't had any luck. I thought I'd try my luck here.The first movie is about a man that is depressed and gets layed off of his job and decides to hire a killer to kill him off. The guy later meets a girl and are starting to enjoy life. He begins to try and locate the killer to cancel his request. I think it was in black and white. This is all I remember. I think it was a comedy. I remember it being funny anyway.The other one I can barely recall the plot. Also a foreign movie. Could be french. Could also be a short film. This one is about a man going to a job interview and gets lost in the building. Comedy.Any ideas?

  Comments

  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    Comedy.

    Indeed.



    The one you actually remember sounds like it could be the Finnish film 'I Hired a Contract Killer' (1990)

    After fifteen years' service, Henri Boulanger is made redundant from his job. Shocked, he attempts suicide, but can't go through with it, so he hires a contract killer in a seedy bar to murder him at some unspecified time in the future. But almost immediately he meets and falls in love with Margaret, a flower-seller, which makes Henri realise that his life has some meaning after all. But when he goes back to the bar to cancel the contract, he finds it has been demolished - and there's no way he can get in touch with the killer...
  • drumsdrums 83 Posts
    The one you actually remember sounds like it could be the Finnish film 'I Hired a Contract Killer' (1990)

    After fifteen years' service, Henri Boulanger is made redundant from his job. Shocked, he attempts suicide, but can't go through with it, so he hires a contract killer in a seedy bar to murder him at some unspecified time in the future. But almost immediately he meets and falls in love with Margaret, a flower-seller, which makes Henri realise that his life has some meaning after all. But when he goes back to the bar to cancel the contract, he finds it has been demolished - and there's no way he can get in touch with the killer...

    Yes! You're right! Thanks a million! I've been looking for this a LOOONG time. Much appreciated.
  • JuniorJunior 4,853 Posts
    That second one sounds like Jacques Tati's Play Time to me.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playtime
  • drumsdrums 83 Posts
    That second one sounds like Jacques Tati's Play Time to me.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playtime



    Damn! You guys are on point!

    Anybody know if these titles are available on DVD? It seems that atleast 'I Hired a Contract Killer' would be hard to get your hands on.
  • 3RD_Man3RD_Man 213 Posts
    Play Time was released by Criterion some time ago...



    http://www.criterion.com/films/651

    They also released Jacques Tati's first film featuring the same character, M. Hulot's Holiday... both great films!

    Looks like "I Hired a Contract Killer" was released in a PAL version... sounds interesting...

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/I-Hired-Contract-Killer-DVD/dp/B000BGPGYI
  • drumsdrums 83 Posts
    Thanks. Gonna have to check out his other films too then.
  • MintingDownMintingDown 34 Posts
    Tati has many good movies but Playtime is his masterpiece. Try to watch this on the largest screen possible (videoprojector, etc.) as it was filmed in 70mm and has an incredible level of detail (including jokes) going on in the background. I've also read somewhere that the picture on the French DVD is clearer than the Criterion (don't worry about subtitles as there's no dialogue).

    Kaurism??ki has movies for days, almost all in a similar slow-tempo black-humour style to the one mentioned above. The Match-Factory Girl is a fav...
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