Patrice Leconte

Patrice Leconte (; born 12 November 1947) is a French film director, screenwriter and comic strip writer.

Life and career Leconte grew up in Tours, and began making little amateur films at 15. He went to Paris in 1967 and studied at Institut des hautes études cinématographiques. While attending film school in the late 1960s, Leconte also worked as a cartoonist, in particular for comics magazine Pilote. In 1976, Leconte directed his first feature film, Les vécés étaient fermés de l'intérieur, a parody of crime films, scripted by Pilote author Gotlib and starring Jean Rochefort and Coluche. The film was a commercial failure.

In 1978, Leconte found success by directing the comedy troupe of Le Splendid in French Fried Vacation (Les Bronzés) based on one of their own plays. The film was a major commercial hit in France. Leconte then directed the sequel, French Fried Vacation 2, followed by three other successful comedies. Leconte remained associated with Le Splendid by working with troupe member Michel Blanc, who starred in his films and co-wrote the scripts with him. In 1985, Leconte changed register and directed the action film Les Spécialistes, which was another box-office hit.

In 1987, Leconte changed tone again by directing and writing with Patrick Dewolf the melancholic comedy drama Tandem, starring Jean Rochefort and an actor from Le Splendid troupe, Gérard Jugnot, who played his first serious role. In 1989, in a more radical departure from his previous work, he again directed a Le Splendid actor, this time Michel Blanc, in a dramatic role, in the crime drama Monsieur Hire. The latter film was shown at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival and helped Leconte gain international attention Although he had already directed more than half a dozen features, many foreign critics, unfamiliar with his previous work, essentially treated him as a newcomer. Since then, he has alternated between films such as Ridicule and L'homme du train which have had success in the international arthouse market, and others, like Les Grands Ducs, destined to the French mainstream market.

In the 2000s, Patrice Leconte received more recognition in the United States with the successful United States releases of Girl on the Bridge, The Widow of Saint-Pierre, Man on the Train and Intimate Strangers (Paramount Classics released three of these films in the United States ). Ryan Mottesheard of IndieWIRE wrote: "you could even argue that no other foreign filmmaker (INCLUDING Pedro Almodóvar) has had as strong of an impact on United States arthouses."

An English language remake of Leconte's film Man on the Train was remade by an independent Hollywood studio in 2011, and two others are in 'development': Intimate Strangers and My Best Friend. In 2006, he directed French Fried Vacation 3, with the former members of Le Splendid troupe reprising their roles 27 years after the first sequel. The film was another box-office success in France.

Patrice Leconte's film, The Suicide Shop, was screened at the Newport Beach Film Festival in Newport Beach, California, on 28 April and 2 May 2013. Also in 2013, he directed his first English-language film, A Promise.

Filmography Short film Year Title Notes 1969 L'Espace vital 1971 Le Laboratoire de l'angoisse 1973 La Famille heureuse (Famille Gazul) 1991 Pour Alexandre Goldovitch, URSS Segment of Contre l'oubli 1992 Le batteur du Boléro2007 Trac Dix films pour en parler

Feature film Year Title Director Writer 1976 Les vécés étaient fermés de l'intérieur 1978 French Fried Vacation 1979 French Fried Vacation 2 1981 Viens chez moi, j'habite chez une copine 1982 Ma femme s'appelle reviens 1983 Circulez y a rien à voir ! 1985 Les Spécialistes 1987 Tandem 1989 Monsieur Hire 1990 The Hairdresser's Husband 1993 Tango 1994 Le Parfum d'Yvonne 1996 Les Grands Ducs Ridicule 1998 Une chance sur deux 1999 Girl on the Bridge 2000 The Widow of Saint-Pierre 2001 Félix et Lola 2002 Rue des Plaisirs The Man on the Train 2004 Intimate Strangers 2006 French Fried Vacation 3 My Best Friend 2008 Beauties at War 2011 Voir la mer 2012 The Suicide Shop 2013 A Promise 2014 Do Not Disturb 2022 Maigret

Documentary film Year Title Notes 1993 The King of Ads Segment "Pilote commercial" 1995 Lumière and Company Segment "La Ciotat 1996" 2004 Dogora: Ouvrons les yeux

Television Year Title Notes 1988 Sueurs froides 1 Episode

Box-office Year Title Performance Ref. 1976 Les vécés étaient fermés de l'intérieur $3,483,367 1978 French Fried Vacation $17,314,830 1979 French Fried Vacation 2 $11,518,357 1981 Viens chez moi, j'habite chez une copine $21,151,267 1982 Ma femme s'appelle reviens $8,916,300 1983 Circulez y a rien à voir ! $8,133,292 1985 Les Spécialistes $39,896,565 1987 Tandem $4,483,185 1989 Monsieur Hire $5,980,540 1990 The Hairdresser's Husband $2,687,602 1993 Tango $4,798,440 1994 Le Parfum d'Yvonne $1,191,270 1996 Les Grands Ducs $3,755,175 Ridicule $35,519,611 1998 Une chance sur deux $7,926,075 1999 Girl on the Bridge $11,171,846 2000 The Widow of Saint-Pierre $12,990,288 2001 Félix et Lola $480,382 2002 Rue des Plaisirs $1,873,072 The Man on the Train $7,582,447 2004 Intimate Strangers $7,460,079 2006 French Fried Vacation 3 $83,897,719 My Best Friend $13,186,926 2008 Beauties at War $3,016,611 2011 Voir la mer $248,092 2012 The Suicide Shop $2,229,885 2013 A Promise $385,486 2014 Do Not Disturb $7,551,502 2022 Maigret $4,420,841

Awards and nominations Year Title Notes 1981 Viens chez moi, j'habite chez une copine Nominated – Chicago International Film Festival – Best Feature 1987 Tandem Nominated – César Award for Best FilmNominated – César Award for Best DirectorNominated – César Award for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation 1989 Monsieur Hire Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language FilmFrench Syndicate of Cinema Critics – Prix Méliès – Best French FilmGuldbagge Award – Best Foreign FilmNational Board of Review Award for Top Foreign FilmsNominated – Cannes Film Festival – Palme d'OrNominated – César Award for Best FilmNominated – César Award for Best Director 1992 Le batteur du Boléro Kraków Film Festival – Don Quixote Award 1990 The Hairdresser's Husband Louis Delluc PrizeNominated – BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English LanguageNominated – César Award for Best FilmNominated – César Award for Best DirectorNominated – César Award for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation 1996 Ridicule BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English LanguageCritics' Choice Movie Award for Best Foreign Language FilmChicago International Film Festival – Best FilmCésar Award for Best FilmCésar Award for Best DirectorDavid di Donatello for Best Foreign FilmFlorida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language FilmLondon Film Critics' Circle Award for Foreign Language Film of the YearLumière Award for Best FilmNational Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language FilmSan Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Foreign Language FilmSociety of Texas Film Critics Award – Best Foreign FilmAwards Circuit Community Awards – Best Foreign Language FilmKansas City Film Critics Circle Awards – Best Foreign FilmOnline Film & Television Association – Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – Academy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – Cannes Film Festival – Palme d'OrNominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – Satellite Award for Best Foreign Language Film 1999 Girl on the Bridge Cinemania Film Festival – Audience AwardKarlovy Vary International Film Festival – Don Quijote Award – Special MentionLas Vegas Film Critics Society Awards – Best Foreign FilmNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English LanguageNominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – César Award for Best DirectorNominated – César Award for Best FilmNominated – Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – Crystal GlobeNominated – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNational Board of Review Award for Top Foreign FilmsNominated – Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards – Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – Robert Festival – Best Non-American Film 2000 The Widow of Saint-Pierre Moscow International Film Festival – Russian Film Critics AwardNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – American Film Institute – Grand Jury PrizeNominated – Film Critics Circle of Australia – Best Foreign-Language FilmNominated – Moscow International Film Festival – Golden St. George 2001 Félix et Lola Nominated – Berlin International Film Festival – Golden BearNominated – Verona Love Screens Film Festival – Best Film 2002 The Man on the Train Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language FilmLos Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNational Board of Review Award for Top Foreign FilmsVenice Film Festival – Audience Award – Best FilmSeattle Film Critics Awards – Best Foreign-Language FilmNominated – David di Donatello for Best Foreign FilmNominated – European Film Academy People's Choice Award for Best European FilmNominated – Venice Film Festival – Golden LionNominated – Central Ohio Film Critics Association – Best Foreign-Language FilmNominated – Online Film & Television Association – Best Foreign Language FilmNominated – Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards – Best Foreign Language Film 2004 Intimate Strangers Nominated – Berlin International Film Festival – Golden BearNominated – European Film Academy People's Choice Award for Best European FilmNominated – Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival – Grand Prize 2006 My Best Friend Nominated – David di Donatello for Best European Film 2011 Voir la mer Nominated – Taormina International Film Festival – Golden Tauro 2012 The Suicide Shop Nominated – European Film Academy Young Audience Award 2013 A Promise Nominated – Magritte Award for Best Foreign Film in Coproduction