Category: France
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Demain Tout Commence [2016] ★★★
Omar Sy has developed an irresistible persona as a comedian, which has served him well in such films as “Les Intouchables” and last year’s underrated “Chocolat”. In that context, his latest film, “Demain Tout Commence”, is a charming, funny and touching family melodrama with another winning performance by Sy. In short: it’s a crowd-pleaser. Sy…
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Truffaut: the adventures of Antoine Doinel
Way before “ Boyhood ”, François Roland Truffaut, French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic, as well as one of the founders of the French New Wave, directed “ Les 400 coups ” (“ The 400 blows ”), a childhood movie featuring his own alter ego: Antoine Doinel. Years later, Doinel appears in four subsequent films (including one short: “ Antoine…
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La Famille Bélier [2014] ★★★
I’m a bit late coming to this movie, but having heard good feedback, I was looking forward to it. It’s easy to see why now. “La Famille Bélier” is a charming, funny film with winning performances; in short, a crowd-pleaser. Louane Emera (a semi-finalist in the second season of The Voice France) plays Paula, a young girl…
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Deux Jours, Une Nuit [2014] ★★★
I never thought a straightforward story could be so gripping, until I saw “Deux Jours, Une Nuit”. It gets inside your head and heart, rubbing your emotions raw. Marion Cotillard, who was Oscar nominated for her outstanding performance, plays a worker at a small factory who, upon being released from the hospital (where she has been…
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Diabolique [1955] ★★★★
Henri-Georges Clouzot’s most notorious film is still terrifying almost 60 years later. An unmerciful school master (Paul Meurisse, terrific) is murdered by his long suffering wife (Vera Clouzot) and mistress (Simone Signoret). But then strange things start to happen. Haunting, exciting thriller will you keep you guessing at every turn, right through the unforgettable finale. Hailed…
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Casse-Tête Chinois [2013] ★★★
I’ve been a sucker for french comedies for a while now; perhaps it’s because I haven’t practiced my french in a long time, or maybe it’s because they make so many good movies. Either way, I enjoyed Cedric Klapisch’s (“L’auberge Espagnole”) new movie a lot. It’s a commercial, crowd-pleasing piece of work with engaging performances…
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Amour [2012] ★★★½
What can you say about a film that is so vividly real, and so intense, that it holds you spellbound for two hours, without letup? “Amour” would be superior filmmaking under any circumstances. With rare subtlety and transforming art, the remarkable writer-director Michael Haneke takes us into the emotional heart of an old french couple. Both are…
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La Délicatesse [2012] ★★½
Not every movie has to be an event, or a blockbuster. Sometimes, all I ask of a film is that it offers an entertaining diversion for a certain period of time. That’s exactly what I got from “La Delicatesse”. During this current movie season, when it’s all about superheroes and visual experience, small movies tend…
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Comme Un Chef [2012] ★★½
I’ve been in the grip of a bad cold for almost 4 days; I somehow managed to work a little bit on my blog, but I hadn’t seen a movie since Tuesday (which in my book is about a century). By Friday afternoon I was frustrated, so I did what I’ve always done when I’m feeling…
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Intouchables [2011] ★★★½
How often does a seemingly simple film capture the imagination of the world? “Intouchables” does, with originality and charm. It’s so vividly real and touching, that it holds you spellbound for two hours, with no letup. The movie was a smash hit in France, with a staggering 5 million cinema-goers flocking to catch the film in…
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The Artist [2011] ★★★★
My favorite movie of the year is not a blockbuster or a superhero movie or even Harry Potter. It’s a movie called “The Artist”, a black and white silent film with subtitles and all. In many ways-hell in all ways-“The Artist” is a stunningly beautiful film. There were times when I forgot I was watching…
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Heartbreaker [2010]
As someone who, swimming against the tide, doesn’t care much for french comedies, imagine my surprise to find “Heartbreaker” so damn entertaining. Here’s a movie that starts in your face, and surprisingly, keeps coming at you. That’s a good thing. It stars talented actor Romain Duris as a guy who gets paid to break up couples…
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Sarah’s Key [2011]
A deeply touching human story filled with emotions and heartbreak is rare in any movie season, especially summer. That’s what makes “Sarah’s Key” an exhilarating gift. It’s one of the year’s nicest surprises, and I hope moviegoers will find a reason to watch it, despite the fact that multiplexes are filled with blockbusters, superheroes, and…
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Certified Copy [2010]
What we have here is a story of two people driving around Tuscani, talking, talking and talking about very little. Now I don’t usually have a problem with that, as long as it keeps me awake and interested. Afterall, I’m a huge fan of Woody Allen, and we all know how talky his movies can…
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The Diving Bell And The Butterfly [2007]
Jean-Dominique Bauby thought he had everything he wanted in life when a sudden stroke leaves him completely paralysed except for his left eye. But with the aid of his nurses, he manages to dictate his memoir, one blink at a time. Potentially sad and melancholic movie puts you inside the author’s mind from the word go, and…
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A Prophet [2009]
Fantastic movie about a young arab man (Tahar Rahim) who is sent to a french prison, where he befriends a mafia kingpin called Cesare Luciani. Luciani forces him to commit a terrible crime (which haunts him through the whole film), and then gives him support and protection in his gang. The young man also learns how to…
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Coco Before Chanel [2009]
Interesting look at the life of “Coco Chanel” before she became the legendary coutourier who inspired a generation of women, and became a symbol of “style” and “freedom”. Audrey Tautou is well cast as the title role, and she is surrounded by plenty of colourful characters aswell. This biography is told in a straighforward style, and…
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