Francis Veber
Francis Veber | |
---|---|
Veber in 2012 | |
Born |
Francis Paul Veber 28 July 1937 Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France |
Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, producer; theater playwright |
Spouse(s) | Francoise Veber |
Awards |
Academy Award nominee, La cage aux folles César Award winner, Le dîner de cons, and four-time nominee Lumière Film Award winner, Le dîner de cons |
Francis Paul Veber (born 28 July 1937) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer, and playwright.[1] He has written and directed both French and American films. Eight French-language films with which he has been involved, as either writer or director or both, have been remade as English-language Hollywood films: Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire (as The Man with One Red Shoe), L'emmerdeur (as Buddy Buddy), La Cage aux Folles (as The Birdcage), Le Jouet (as The Toy), Les Compères (as Fathers' Day), La chèvre (as Pure Luck), Les Fugitifs (as Three Fugitives), and Le dîner de cons (as Dinner for Schmucks). He also wrote the screenplay for My Father the Hero, the 1994 American remake of the French-language film Mon père, ce héros.
Some of his screenplays started as theater plays (for instance, Le dîner de cons). This theatrical experience contributes to his films' tight structure, resulting in what has been called "marvels of economy".[2]
Many of his French comedies feature recurring types of characters, named François Pignon (a bungler) and François Perrin (a bully).
Biography
Veber was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, the son of a writer mother and Pierre-Gilles Veber, a screenwriter. Veber's father was Jewish and his mother was Armenian-Russian (Veber was baptized at birth).[3][4] His grand-uncle was writer Tristan Bernard.[5]
Filmography
As director
- 1976 : Le Jouet (The Toy), starring Pierre Richard, Michel Bouquet, Fabrice Greco
- 1981 : La Chèvre (Knock on Wood), starring Pierre Richard, Gérard Depardieu
- 1983 : Les Compères (ComDads), starring Pierre Richard, Gérard Depardieu
- 1986 : Les Fugitifs, starring Pierre Richard, Gérard Depardieu
- 1989 : Three Fugitives, starring Nick Nolte, Martin Short
- 1992 : Out on a Limb, starring Matthew Broderick, Jeffrey Jones
- 1996 : Le Jaguar, starring Jean Reno, Patrick Bruel
- 1998 : Le Dîner de Cons (The Dinner Game), starring Thierry Lhermitte, Jacques Villeret
- 2000 : Le placard (The Closet), starring Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Depardieu
- 2003 : Tais-toi !, starring Jean Reno, Gérard Depardieu
- 2006 : La Doublure (The Valet), starring Gad Elmaleh, Alice Taglioni, Daniel Auteuil, Dany Boon, Virginie Ledoyen, Kristin Scott Thomas
- 2008 : L'emmerdeur (A Pain in the Ass), starring Richard Berry, Patrick Timsit, Virginie Ledoyen
As screenwriter
- 1969 : Appelez-moi Mathilde, directed by Pierre Mondy
- 1972 : Il était une fois un flic, directed by Georges Lautner
- 1972 : Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire, directed by Yves Robert
- 1973 : La Valise, directed by Georges Lautner
- 1973 : L'Emmerdeur, directed by Édouard Molinaro
- 1973 : Le magnifique, directed by Philippe de Broca
- 1974 : Peur sur la ville, directed by Henri Verneuil
- 1974 : Le retour du grand blond, directed by Yves Robert
- 1975 : Le Téléphone rose, directed by Édouard Molinaro
- 1975 : Adieu poulet, directed by Pierre Granier-Deferre
- 1976 : On aura tout vu, directed by Georges Lautner
- 1976 : Le Jouet
- 1978 : La Cage aux Folles, directed by Édouard Molinaro
- 1979 : Cause toujours... tu m'intéresses, directed by Édouard Molinaro
- 1979 : Coup de tête, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud
- 1980 : La cage aux folles II, directed by Édouard Molinaro
- 1980 : Sunday Lovers / Les séducteurs, directed by Bryan Forbes, Gene Wilder, Dino Risi and Édouard Molinaro
- 1981 : Buddy Buddy, directed by Billy Wilder
- 1981 : La Chèvre
- 1982 : Partners, directed by James Burrows
- 1982 : The Toy, directed by Richard Donner
- 1983 : Les Compères
- 1985 : The Man with One Red Shoe, directed by Stan Dragoti
- 1985 : Hold-Up, directed by Alexandre Arcady
- 1986 : Les Fugitifs
- 1989 : Three Fugitives
- 1991 : Pure Luck, directed by Nadia Tass
- 1994 : My Father the Hero, directed by Steve Miner
- 1995 : Fantôme avec chauffeur, directed by Gérard Oury
- 1996 : The Birdcage, directed by Mike Nichols
- 1996 : Le Jaguar
- 1997 : Fathers' Day, directed by Ivan Reitman
- 1997 : Le Dîner de Cons
- 1998 : Dead Letter Office, directed by John Ruane
- 2000 : Le placard
- 2002 : Tais-toi !
- 2006 : La doublure
- 2008 : L'emmerdeur
As producer
- 1982 : Partners, directed by James Burrows
- 1989 : Three Fugitives
- 1991 : Pure Luck, directed by Nadia Tass
- 1997 : Fathers' Day, directed by Ivan Reitman
- 2006 : The Valet
- 2010 : Dinner for Schmucks
Honors
- He was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur[6] on 21 September 1996,[7] and promoted to Officier (Officer) in 2008.[7]
- He was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre national du Mérite in 2001.[8]
References
- ↑ New York Times
- ↑ Terry Keefe (2008-01-19). "Francis Veber: The Hollywood Interview". The Hollywood Interview. Retrieved 2011-06-03.
- ↑ Insdorf, Annette (1985-07-28). "French Films, American Style". The New York Times.
- ↑ http://www.jewishnews.net.au/humour-with-a-trademark-french-twist/22621
- ↑ Indiewire.com
- ↑ "ORDRE DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR Décret du 3 avril 1996 portant promotion et nomination". JORF. 1996 (84): 5438. 07-04-1996. PREX9610753D. Retrieved 2009-03-22. Check date values in:
|date=
(help) - 1 2 "Décret du 21 mars 2008 portant promotion et nomination". JORF. 2008 (71): 5024. 2008-03-23. PREX0804596D. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- ↑ "Décret du 14 mai 2001 portant promotion et nomination". JORF. 2001 (112): 7695. 2001-05-15. PREX0104833D. Retrieved 2009-03-22.