I too personally like Travernier a lot.  His earlier work is generally stronger, particularly the biting satire and great commentary of French colonialism in Africa, Clean Slate.  Two other good films are the Watchmaker of Toulouse (I think that's it) and a Week's Vacation; in the latter, Natalie Baye gives a fine performance of a teacher in crisis.  Among later work, two films stand out.  One is L627, the narco-epic; the other was a film released a couple of years ago, It all starts here about a kindergarten teacher working in a depressed factory town in eastern France.  To be sure, Travernier's work isn't innovative in technique and style, but it has a very good political edge to it.  TWo thumbs up!