CQ (2001)

Director:

Roman Coppola

Writer (WGA):

Roman Coppola (written by)

Release Date:

29 January 2003 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Every picture tells a story

Plot:

A story of a young film maker who moves to Paris to make Sci-fi films.

Plot Keywords:

Director | Secret Agent | Film Industry | Sabotage | Movie Producer

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jeremy Davies	...	Paul
Angela Lindvall	...	Dragonfly / Valentine
Élodie Bouchez	...	Marlene
Gérard Depardieu	...	Andrezej
Giancarlo Giannini	...	Enzo
Massimo Ghini	...	Fabrizio
Jason Schwartzman	...	Felix DeMarco
Billy Zane	...	Mr. E
John Phillip Law	...	Chairman
Silvio Muccino	...	Pippo
Dean Stockwell	...	Dr. Ballard
Natalia Vodianova	...	Brigit
Bernard Verley	...	Trailer Voiceover Actor
L.M. Kit Carson	...	Fantasy Critic
Chris Bearne	...	Fantasy Critic

Also Known As:

CQ (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for some nudity and language.

Runtime:

88 min | France:91 min (Cannes Film Festival)

Country:

USA | Luxembourg | France | Italy

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A | France:U | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Luxembourg

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

The design for the inner workings of the Dragonfly robot at the end of the film are based on Paul's wristwatch, which we see at the beginning of the film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Dragonfly swerves her car in reverse in the tunnel, there are skid marks already on the ground along the path her tires take.

Quotes:

Paul: I just want to capture what's real and honest.
Marlene: And what if it's boring?

Movie Connections:

References Le mépris (1963)

Soundtrack:

Ce Soir, Je Vais Boire

AUTEUR! AUTEUR!

CQ (2002) *** Jeremy Davies, Angela Lindvall, Elodie Bouchez, Gerard Depardieu, Giancarlo Giannini, Massimo Ghini, John Phillip Law, Jason Schwartzman, Dean Stockwell, Billy Zane. Filmmaker Roman Coppola proves to be a chip off the old block (his dad is Francis Ford, duh!) with this sweetly dark comic valentine to foreign films of France and Italy focusing on a struggling film editor/auteur wannabe (Davies in all his squirmy, milquetoasty glory) assigned to a disastrous sci-fi B flick where he winds up being a replacement director and falls deeply in love with his gorgeous starlet (Lindvall, the epitome of sex echoing the leonine good looks of Catherine Deneuve at her start) in the process. Coppola has a keen technical sense incorporating set and production design, costumes, camerawork, editing and low-key acting to make a picture perfect ode to the hurly-burly world of filmmaking then and now. If there is a criticism it is that it is a bit slight in its theme (filmmaker's navel gazing fails to see the big picture: love is all around) yet there's a nice homage to Coppola's relationship with his famous father in the interplay between Davies and his onscreen father Stockwell, an absent-minded businessman, echoing nicely. The title is a play on Seek You = CQ.