Patrice Leconte (1947-) is a French director and writer known for such films as The Girl on the Bridge (1999) and Man on the Train (2002). Much underrated, he is also the one who directed a historical drama-comedy and Academy Award-nominee Ridicule (1996), as well as an outrageous, black humour-suffused animation The Suicide Shop (2012)….
Tag: French Films
“The Return of Martin Guerre” Review
The Return of Martin Guerre [1982] – ★★★★ From Hitchcock’s Vertigo [1958] to Mangold’s Identity [2003], there is nothing like a film that makes the audience question the identity of a character, and The Return of Martin Guerre is not only one of those interestingly-premised films, but it is also one based on a true story…
The Greatest Film I’ve Never Seen Blogathon: Pickpocket (1959)
Debbie at Moon in Gemini is hosting The Greatest Film I’ve Never Seen Blogathon, which is a fabulous idea since it is an opportunity for everyone to discover or re-discover classic and “must-see” films, or even find hidden gems. I have chosen to write on Robert Bresson’s Pickpocket because it is considered one of the greatest…
Classic French Animations: Fantastic Planet, and The King & The Mockingbird
I. Fantastic Planet (La Planete Sauvage) [1973] – ★★★★1/2 Once in awhile comes one animation which is so powerful in its message and so unusual in its presentation, it becomes quite unforgettable. Fantastic Planet is precisely such adult-themed animation, co-produced between France and Czechoslovakia. A winner of the Cannes Special Prize in 1973, this French-language animation…
Jean Renoir: “La Règle du Jeu” (1939) & “La Grande Illusion” (1937)
Yesterday was Jean Renoir’s 124th birthday, and, to pay tribute, I am reviewing two of this eminent French director’s most famous cinematic creations, which both influenced numerous films made after them and are now considered cinema classics – The Rules of the Game (1939) and La Grande Illusion (1937). La Règle du Jeu (The…
“L’ Amant Double” Review
L’Amant Double (Double Lover) [2017] – ★★★1/2 François Ozon (Frantz (2016), In the House (2013)) is a French director who is uninhibited when it comes to portraying sexuality/erotica on screen and was exploring it freely in his previous films Jeune et Jolie (2013) and Swimming Pool (2003). His latest psychological thriller L’Amant Double is another…
Paris: 10 Great Films Set in the City
To follow from my Rome-location film list which I made last April, here is the list of 10 films that showcase the delightful City of Light – Paris, a permanent place for romance, charm, elegance and sophistication. As usual, this is a subjective, in no particular order, slightly “off the beaten path” films list.
“120 BPM (Beats Per Minute)” Review
120 BPM (Beats Per Minute) [2017] – ★★★★ This French-language film about ACT UP-Paris’s activities to promote AIDS-related issues in the early 1990s is defined by director Robin Campillo’s personal experience, which makes the film even more potent, significant and poignant. At the centre of the story is the ACT UP-Paris organisation itself, a non-violent…
20 Unmissable Erotically-Charged Films
Some of these films do not contain nudity or contain only limited nudity. The references to eroticism/erotica and sensuality may be only subtle, but powerful. Incidentally, three of the films below are by British director Adrian Lyne (Jacob’s Ladder (1990)) and two – by Italian film master Luca Guadagnino (A Bigger Splash (2015)). In no…
The Horrorathon: Les Diaboliques (1955)
Maddy at Maddy Loves Her Classic Films is hosting the Horrorathon, celebrating horror movies in the light of the forthcoming Halloween, and I have decided to contribute with a review of one intelligent and highly influential film which some view to be one of the precursors to the modern psychological horror/thriller genre. Les Diaboliques [1955] –…
The Colours Blogathon: Betty Blue (1986)
Catherine at Thoughts All Sorts is hosting The Colours Blogathon, and my contribution to this colourful parade of entries is a French cult classic film from 1983 titled 37°2 Le Matin or simply Betty Blue. Nominated in 1986 for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category, this film of a passionate, doomed…
“Raw” Review
Raw [2016] – ★★★★ 🥩 A staggering film debut with “unflinching” gore and disturbing atmosphere, reviving the best of what became known as the New French Extremity movement. Julia Ducournau’s debut feature film Raw provoked extreme reactions from critics and audiences alike. However, despite its grim story and graphic imagery, the film still managed to…
“Personal Shopper” Review
Personal Shopper [2016] – ★★1/2 In Personal Shopper, a film by Olivier Assayas (Paris, je t’aime (2006)), Kristen Stewart plays a young woman Maureen, who mourns the loss of her twin brother Lewis. Maureen visits the house where Lewis lived with his girlfriend, and believes that his ghost will try to communicate with her. In…
“Elle” Review
Elle [2016] – ★★★★ A Dutch director known for Basic Instinct (1992) and Total Recall (1990), Paul Verhoeven has produced his first French-language film to date – Elle, based on a novel by Philippe Dijan (who is also known as a writer behind Betty Blue (1986)). Elle has already competed for a Palme d’Or at…
Spotlight on Film 