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
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
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
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
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
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
Unlucky Number George Babluani plays Sébastien. It seems unlikely that Hollywood would take an interest in such a dark film as 13 Tzameti, but critics were quick to see its potential as an American remake after the movie picked up … Read More
Love for Sale Ellen with her summertime lover, Legba, in Vers le Sud. Like many French directors, Laurent Cantet has always taken an interest in thorny social issues. His last two movies, L’Emploi du Temps (Time Out) and Ressources Humaines … Read More
Paris Police Blues Nathalie Baye plays a “super-flic.” Cop stories – we’ve seen a million of them on TV and in the movies. What new take on the theme could possibly be left? Director Xavier Beauvois’s Le Petit Lieutenant manages … Read More
Conscience-Impaired Youth Jérémie Renier plays the feckless Bruno. It’s difficult to understand why L’Enfant (The Child), written and directed by brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, won them a second Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year – it’s … Read More
