A Guide to French Cinema

Denerick · 02-01-2012 04:51PM #1

When I was a younger man I went through something of a French Film phase (Loved La Haine, also thought Hidden was excellent after the first viewing, Irreversible, C.R.A.Z.Y, and of course Amelie etc.) I'd appreciate a few pointers from someone who knows a thing or two about this rich cinematic tradition and some recommendations as well. Thanks.

Hank_Jones · 02-01-2012 05:10PM

Start with some of the French New Wave anyway, The 400 Blows and Breathless.

If you wanted to go back further, you could have a look at the films of Jean Vigo and Jean Renoir, such as La Grand Illusion and Zero du conduite.

Would also have a look at the Three Colours Trilogy, Blue, White and Red.

And the films directed by Jacques Audiard, if you haven't already.

Not exactly a guide, but some food for thought anyway.

Nolanger · 02-01-2012 05:13PM

Bob the gambler.

johnny_ultimate · 02-01-2012 06:20PM

Yep the New Wavers are a good start, although IMO tend to be of mixed quality. 400 Blows (wonderful) and Breathless are indeed the best starting points. I'd also throw in the delightfully playful Day for Night and Jules et Jim from Truffaut. Week End is a personal favourite, and one of the rare occasions when I don't find Jean Luc Godard an insufferable git of a director.

I'll admit to a fondness for Umbrellas of Cherbourg - one of the very few musicals I've ever enjoyed. But the art and visual design as well as the music are magnificent, and it's an accessible but bittersweet romance at the core.

I've only seen My Night with Maud - which I really enjoyed as an offbeat relationship drama - but Eric Rohmer would be another big name director. Jacques Tati is another one I've been meaning to check out in detail after being wooed by the charming comedy of Mon Oncle and The Illusionist (a recent animated film from the makers of the glorious Belleville Rendezvous based on an unmade script of Tatis).

In more contemporary terms, you've mentioned a good few of the big names already. If you liked Hidden, I'd strongly recommend Haneke's other French language highlight The Piano Teacher. Enter the Void is basically Irreversible on steroids. And while I personally think Amelie is Jean Pierre Jeunet's strongest work Delicatessen, City of Lost Children and A Very Long Engagement are all well worth a watch.

+1 on Audilard's stuff - A Prophet certainly brought new life to the stale prison movie 'genre'. The Mesrine double bill is well worth the time investment, although I thought the first was a much stronger film. I've Loved You So Long is an absolute gem of a character study.

And of course how could we have a discussion about contemporary French cinema without mentioning some of their hyper-violent horror films

Inside and Martyrs aren't for the squeamish, but they're two of the most magnificent horror movies of recent years.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 02-01-2012 06:26PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlT4vaqSXWQ

had to be done, sorry

but yeah as above, a prophet and the two mesrine movies are fantastic. martyrs is.. martyrs

Nolanger · 02-01-2012 06:31PM

Emmanuelle

Hank_Jones · 02-01-2012 06:58PM

Just to add a couple more.

You've probably already seen Nikita, but in case you haven't.

Also Les Amants de point neuf, it's quite slow moving, but is one of the stand out films from around that period, for me anyway.

Galvasean · 02-01-2012 09:43PM

Brotherhood of the Wolf is one I really enjoy. It's a sort of supernatural action movie that rivals the top American ones in terms of choreographed fight scenes, but still manages to be very clever in parts.

Leon: I know it's not in French but its stars Jean Reno and is directed by Luc Besson so counts as French in my book. It's also an action movie, but much classier than your average American one with superb acting by both Reno and a young Natalie Portman.

The Bear & Quest for Fire - two films by Jean Jaques Annuad that prove you don't need much (or any!) dialogue to tell a great story. The former is about an orphaned bear (who knew!?) cub, while the latter concerns cavemen on an epic journey (think 10,000BC, but good).

Riducule - a brilliant cynical comedy that i find hard to describe. i really have not seen anything quite like it.

Belleville Rendevouz (AKA The triplets of Belville) - a quality animated feature with great music, animation and a bonkers story jam packed with fun characters.

The Fifth Element is a cool sci-fi flickby Luc Besson with great art design and lots of cool ideas. Besson also wrote everybody's favourite 'Liam Neeson kicking ass epic' Taken (although i feel I am pushing the boundaries of what constitutes french auterism now so i think I'll stop now).

Nolanger · 02-01-2012 09:46PM

Diaboliques

sillo · 02-01-2012 10:09PM

Hank_Jones wrote: »

Would also have a look at the Three Colours Trilogy, Blue, White and Red.

Do those really count as French? Not trying to be contrary, it's a real question. Kieslowski was polish, but the movies obviously deal with the themes of the french revolution & the flag;

as kieslowski himself said:

"The words [liberté, egalité, fraternité] are French because the money [to fund the films] is French. If the money had been of a different nationality we would have titled the films differently, or they might have had a different cultural connotation. But the films would probably have been the same."

Either way, of course, they are badass movies and you should check them out. If you're feeling adventurous afterwards make sure to check out Dekalog - a series of 10 one-hour movies about the ten commandments.

Jarren · 02-01-2012 11:14PM

Comedy wise I really enjoyed
Taxi 1,2,3,4
Anything that says Le Gendarme with Luis de Funes
Les Visiteurs 1,2 with Jean Reno
Anything that was produced in France with Gerard Depardieu

The last one I watched was Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis and really couldn't stop laughing

Technocentral · 02-01-2012 11:21PM

Hank_Jones wrote: »

Start with some of the French New Wave anyway, The 400 Blows and Breathless.

If you wanted to go back further, you could have a look at the films of Jean Vigo and Jean Renoir, such as La Grand Illusion and Zero du conduite.

Would also have a look at the Three Colours Trilogy, Blue, White and Red.

And the films directed by Jacques Audiard, if you haven't already.

Not exactly a guide, but some food for thought anyway.

Love them, but would consider them Polish because the director is and the sensibilities are very East European of the time.

Technocentral · 02-01-2012 11:26PM

Technocentral wrote: »

Love them, but would consider them Polish because the director is and the sensibilities are very East European of the time.

L'appartement with Vincent Cassel is fantastic. Jean de Florette and its sequel Manon des Source are also great.

Narcissus · 02-01-2012 11:35PM

I really enjoyed Ne le dis à personne (Tell No One). Great film

jam_mac_jam · 03-01-2012 12:04AM

I really like La reine Margot. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110963/

seosamh · 03-01-2012 12:14AM

The Class was a good gritty film about a teacher and his pupils in an inner-city school.

WatchWolf · 03-01-2012 12:32AM

Hank_Jones · 03-01-2012 04:25AM

sillo wrote: »

Do those really count as French? Not trying to be contrary, it's a real question. Kieslowski was polish, but the movies obviously deal with the themes of the french revolution & the flag;

as kieslowski himself said:

"The words [liberté, egalité, fraternité] are French because the money [to fund the films] is French. If the money had been of a different nationality we would have titled the films differently, or they might have had a different cultural connotation. But the films would probably have been the same."

They are still French though, with the majority of the trilogy based within the French language.

By that logic, any film that is directed by an foreign director must be from that country.

03-01-2012 01:20PM

Hank_Jones wrote: »

They are still French though, with the majority of the trilogy based within the French language.

By that logic, any film that is directed by an foreign director must be from that country.

Much like if a film is written by/directed/starring/craft services by an Irish person it's instantly an Irish film in the minds of many over here.

Technocentral · 03-01-2012 01:55PM

Hank_Jones wrote: »

They are still French though, with the majority of the trilogy based within the French language.

By that logic, any film that is directed by an foreign director must be from that country.

No thats not true necessarily, a lot of the time producers will get a foreign director to shoot their film, for instance getting John Woo to direct their American action films but the films are in no substantial way Chinese, whereas Kieslowski was the very Polish vision behind those films, to raise money in later life he needed co - production finance which is why they were probably set in France even though the feeling was very East European. I think the directors vision is the main component that dictates the "nationality" of the Film, one of my favourite directors is David Lean, a very English film maker, though Lawrence is set in the Middle East and Dr. Zhivago in Russia they are British films not Middle Eastern or Russian. Anyways, however you consider their nationality the 3 Colours films are masterpieces that any lover of good cinema should see before they die.

AnonoBoy · 03-01-2012 02:32PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Much like if a film is written by/directed/starring/craft services by an Irish person it's instantly an Irish film in the minds of many over here.

If the granny of the best boy once passed wind in Co. Kerry then it's an Irish film. Don't you know anything?

Ellian · 03-01-2012 03:16PM

Cyrano De Bergerac is great although the end does kind of rival Lord of the Rings for dragging on a bit.

Also Les Apprentis is one of my lesser known faves. Closest thing I could describe it as is a sort of French Withnail and I?

Tell No-One - great thriller.

Amelie - lovely film and I met Audrey once and she was (in the words of Stephen Fry, the ratherest thing)

If you want to go really old school - check out Un Chien Andalou - weird surreal thing with one of the most famous and visceral images ever put on film (hint: the Pixies reference it in Debaser)

tricky D · 03-01-2012 03:51PM

Adding to what's already mentioned...

No one has yet mentioned the weird and nutty Betty Blue, 37°2 le matin (Jean-Jacques Beineix).

Also worth a watch is the comedy Les Valseuses (The Bollocks) (Bertrand Blier) with Depardieu.

And the partially french The Big Blue (Luc Besson) which is quite charming except when Arquette is whinning.

Diva (Jean-Jacques Beineix) and Subway (Luc Besson) are good outings of french 80's new wave style.

jarecki1976 wrote: »

Les Visiteurs 1,2 with Jean Reno

They made a sequel, todo list updated.

Nolanger · 03-01-2012 06:41PM

And God created woman.

AaronEnnis · 03-01-2012 06:48PM

Unmissable stuff.

Denerick · 03-01-2012 11:29PM

Thanks for all the recommendations. I downloaded Delicatessen last night and will look for a couple more over the week. Planning a grand French movie marathon this weekend (I live dangerously) This is a nice thread I've got to say, might make enquiries about German films in a month or so, broaden my cinematic horizons a bit

Can anyone offer opinions on good historical/political films? Perhaps based on French literature? (I'm still a sucker for Les Miserables with Liam Neeson) Preferably in French with a French director, but even if its inspired by French politics or history I'd be content. Something along the vein of those Tony Blair biopics with Michael Sheen (The Special Relationship etc.) or the biopics on Churchill (The Gathering Storm, Into the Storm) Basically those films but about French political figures.

Galvasean · 03-01-2012 11:32PM

Denerick wrote: »

Can anyone offer opinions on good historical/political films?

J/K
It's about as French as American Pie.

Denerick · 03-01-2012 11:35PM

Also I'm only really interested in films written in the modern era (1970 onwards) I find a lot of films before that period in any culture are un-necessarily hard work, its like acting methods and plot development are greviously undeveloped and tend to deliberately confuse profundity for boredom. Generally speaking there are some great exceptions (Off the top of my head: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Waterfront, Twelve Angry Men) but even at that I liked the film in spite of the directorial epoch, which I generally find derisory.

To quote; 'To each man his own'.

Bodhisopha · 03-01-2012 11:41PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIk7T61lC28

TheUsual · 03-01-2012 11:44PM

Agree with Mesrine, film is from a true story as well. Not a story based on, the guy was nuts.

"Angel-A" is a great movie from Luc Besson. In black and white but Paris never looked so good.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473753/

"36 Quai des Orfèvres" is great, I can be sure Hollywood will remake it in english. Really good acting and story.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390808/

Also "MR 73" another great story and great acting from actor Daniel Auteuil.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0920470/

kraggy · 04-01-2012 06:18AM

A Very Long Engagement is a very good film also. Stars Audrey Tautou from Amelie and has the same director too.

Beatifully shot with a story gorgeously told.

A Guide to French Cinema

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