Heidi Ellison
Zim and Co.
Suburban Trials of Fire Adrien Jolivet as Zim, in trouble with the law again. In France, the banlieue (suburbs) – less a haven for middle-class families than the equivalent of the American ghetto – seems to have become the subject … Read More
Voisins, Voisines
Neighborly Love Frédéric Diefenthal plays Paco, an ex-con. Although Voisins, Voisines, a new film directed by Malik Chibane, got good reviews when it opened in late July, it seems to be going more or less unnoticed by French movie-goers; only … Read More
La Moustache
Who’s Crazy Now? Emmanuelle Devos contemplates Vincent Lindon’s controversial lip brush in in La Moustache. The much-anticipated film La Moustache is now playing on French screens. Based on the novel by Emmanuel Carrère, with a scenario by Emmanuel Carrère (and … Read More
Imposture
Literary Reflections Who is the captor and who is the captive? Photo: Alain Potignon © 2005 EuropaCorp, TF1Films Production, Studio Lavabo Patrick Bouchitey directed, wrote (with Jackie Berroyer) and stars in Imposture, a new film about a French literature professor … Read More
Lemming
Alien Eyes Above: Zombie-like Charlotte Rampling catches the model couple kissing in the kitchen. Below: Charlotte Gainsbourg gets a shock. Photos: © Philippe Quaisse After all the hype at the current Cannes Film Festival and the success of Dominik Moll’s … Read More
Le Promeneur du Champ-de-Mars
Mitterrand’s Final Days Michel Bouquet and Jalil Lespert in Le Promeneur du Champ-de-Mars. Photo © FILM OBLIGE Eric Moulin The hot topic in France this past week has been the new film on the last days of former Socialist President … Read More
Les Choristes
Muddy Waters Jan. 25, 2004: The French film The Chorus (Les Choristes) has been chosen as a nominee for the Academy Awards’ Foreign Language Film category. The film, by first-time director Christophe Barratier, is a hard-to-believe heart-tugger that just manages … Read More
J’Attends Quelqu’un
Nice Slice of Life Sabine (Florence Loiret), on the outside looking in. Photo: © Patrick Glaize. J’Attends Quelqu’un, a sweet little film written and directed by Jérôme Bonnell, proves that the classic prescription for good writing – show, don’t tell … Read More
Angel
Nice Slice of Life Angel (Romola Garai), accompanied by her publisher (Sam Neill) gazes longingly at Paradise House. It takes moxie to make an old-fashioned moralistic film about the consequences of hubris, but Francois Ozon has managed to pull it … Read More
L’Homme qui Rêvait d’un Enfant
Big Baby Alfred (Artus de Penguern), on the left, meets his adopted “child,” Jules K. (Darry Cowl). L’Homme qui Rêvait d’un Enfant is a weird fairytale with plenty of charm, fine performances, visual appeal and a great score, but it … Read More