(Born Nov. 12, 1947) Patrice Leconte is a French film director and screenwriter. He first came to international attention in 1989 with Monsieur Hire, which was shown at the Cannes film festival and which was a radical departure from his previous work. 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, whose appeal has been limited to France.