Heidi Ellison
Quand J’étais Chanteur
Sentimental Song Depardieu is thoroughly convincing as a mildly successful dance hall singer. Gérard Depardieu, that workhorse of French cinema (and bull of a man), puts in yet another fine performance in Quand J’étais Chanteur, the story of Alain Moreau, … Read More
Un Ami Parfait
Perfect Friend, Imperfect Film The confused Julien gets some comfort from the person claiming to be his girlfriend. Director Francis Girod’s new film, Un Ami Parfait, is about a man trying to solve the mystery of his own life, or … Read More
Paris
Klapisch Comes Home Karin Viard as the bitch-troll-from-hell bakery owner. In his new film named after a city we all know and love, director Cédric Klapisch wants to show the world what it’s really like to live in Paris. In … Read More
Didine
Not Lookin’ for Love Didine (Géraldine Pailhas) claims to love her single lifestyle. Didine, a new film directed by Vincent Dietschy and written by Anne Le Ny (writer and director of the recent Ceux qui Restent) is a pleasingly quirky … Read More
Ceux qui Restent
Behind Closed Doors Bertrand (Vincent Lindon) gets some much-needed household help from his sister (director Anne Le Ny). The talented actress Anne Le Ny has made a promising start with Ceux qui Restent (Those Who Remain), her first film as … Read More
Persepolis
Personal History Lesson Marjane visits her uncle, a political prisoner. Persepolis, the animated film version of Marjane Satrapi’s two-volume autobiographical comic book of the same name, brings the recent history of Iran to life by showing its effects on one … Read More
American Vertigo & Kings of the World
Facile Rider The cops seem to be brutalizing this man in this scene from American Vertigo, but since the film offers no commentary, we don’t know what is really happening. One fine day, French pop philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy (commonly known … Read More
Anna M
Sartorial Insanity Anna takes an incriminating photo of her stalkee. If being badly dressed is a sign of insanity in Paris, then it should have been clear to everyone right from the start that something was seriously wrong with Anna … Read More
Belle Toujours
The Death of Desire Séverine and Husson recall transgressions of yesteryear. “He’s an odd bird,” a waiter says of the main character at the end of this film, and the same might be said of Belle Toujours, a famous Portuguese … Read More
Ne Touchez pas la Hache
Distant Love The duchess (Jeanne Balibar) pushes away the importunate general. Jacques Rivette’s Ne Touchez pas la Hache (Don’t Touch the Axe), an adaptation of Balzac’s novel La Duchesse de Langeais, is an object lesson in how to take a … Read More