Recommend me some French movies?

jeffreylebowski

Hey folks,

I'm currently dredging up my (barely adequate) secondary school French with an eye towards actually learning the language for real.

I'm listening to lots of French music (Serge Gainsbourg is in the process of changing my life) and watching some French stuff.

Some French movies etc that I have enjoyed up to now:

Jean Pierre Melville films (particularly Un Flic and Le Samourai, Alain Delon is too cool for school)
Some Leos Carax (Holy Motors skated right up to the edge of pretentious for me, but it never crossed the line, it was a really enjoyable watch)
Some Godard (Not his greatest fan to be honest, but I enjoyed Pierrot Le Fou and A Bout De Souffle)

A few French films I love, partly to give an idea what I'm into, partly to recommend them to anyone who hasn't seen them and partly to save anyone recommending them (though if you've seen them and feel like chatting about them, I'd be delighted)

A few thrillers first:
Sleepless Night

The Lost Son

36 Quai des Orfèvres

Tell No One

Anthony Zimmer

Some Comedies:

Both OSS 117 films, Cairo Nest Of Spies and Lost In Rio

Delicatessen

Diner De Cons

Le Placard/The Closet

8 Femmes

Heartbreaker/ l'Arnacoeur


Oh! And on the subject of Serge Gainsbourg, I forgot, my favourite French film I've seen this year (maybe ever?) is Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque)

In terms of TV, all I've seen in French is Spiral, which was great but depressing as all get-out.


So, anyone got any French films they'd think of recommending?

Thanks in advance to anyone that does!

Dermighty

Mesrine

jeffreylebowski

Thanks Dermighty! I missed that one, I love Vincent Cassell though.

Hallyington

A prophet.

jeffreylebowski

Hallyington wrote: »

A prophet.

Oh yeah I forgot about that one. That was pretty harsh, I didn't really like it but I could see its merits.

Outkast_IRE

Amelie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/

jeffreylebowski

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Amelie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/

Aww. Yeah, Amelie is super sweet.

e_e

Playtime. Maybe the most ingenious comedy I've ever seen.

jeffreylebowski

e_e wrote: »

Playtime. Maybe the most ingenious comedy I've ever seen.

Great! Thank you, I haven't seen this one so adding it to my list.

Zeek12

You mentioned you like Melville so you may have seen these already....but if not I definitely recommend Le Cercle Rouge and Le Doulos. Two of his best.

Michael Haneke has made some very powerful films in french, although they're not for the faint-hearted. Check out Caché and Code Unknown.

For something a little less intense but equally rewarding, try Jean de Florette and it's excellent sequel Manon des Sources.

jeffreylebowski

Zeek12 wrote: »

You mentioned you like Melville so you may have seen these already....but if not I definitely recommend Le Cercle Rouge and Le Doulos. Two of his best.

Michael Haneke has made some very powerful films in french, although they're not for the faint-hearted. Check out Caché and Code Unknown.

For something a little less intense but equally rewarding, try Jean de Florette and it's excellent sequel Manon des Sources.

Thanks!

I don't really like Haneke to be honest.

A friend lent me his copy of Le Cercle Rouge just this week! I haven't watched it yet, will this weekend most likely.

Zeek12

No worries. I know Haneke is not everyone's cup of tea :pac:

Enjoy Le Cercle Rouge, I have a feeling you will. Its another supremely cool performance from Monsieur Delon!

jeffreylebowski

Zeek12 wrote: »

No worries. I know Haneke is not everyone's cup of tea :pac:

Enjoy Le Cercle Rouge, I have a feeling you will. Its another supremely cool performance from Monsieur Delon!

Delon is ridiculously cool, isn't he?
Have you seen A Bittersweet Life? It's a Korean flick that I think has a lot in common with Le Samourai. I know John Woo is very influenced by Melville but A Bittersweet Life is really interesting too, with a pretty riveting performance from Lee Byung-Hun. If you haven't seen it, I'd really recommend it.

starlit

I watched this on rte 2 few months ago was very funny. Its called priceless the main actress is Audrey tautou she stared in the film Amelie.

jeffreylebowski

doovdela wrote: »

I watched this on rte 2 few months ago was very funny. Its called priceless the main actress is Audrey tautou she stared in the film Amelie.

I saw that one in the cinema! It's great, right? Very funny and charming.

Zeek12

jeffreylebowski wrote: »

Delon is ridiculously cool, isn't he?
Have you seen A Bittersweet Life? It's a Korean flick that I think has a lot in common with Le Samourai. I know John Woo is very influenced by Melville but A Bittersweet Life is really interesting too, with a pretty riveting performance from Lee Byung-Hun. If you haven't seen it, I'd really recommend it.

I have'nt seen that one but will look out for it. Thanks for the tip.
Melville was a hugely influential Director. Le Samourai's influence can also be seen in Walter Hill's excellent film The Driver. Best role of Ryan O'Neal's career.... very little dialogue really suited him!!

starlit

I remembered the actress for both films couldn't remember the name of it until I looked it up just knew what the film was about. Ya was very funny for a French film usually wouldn't watch one but I would watch the odd French film or tv programme if interested me. My French isn't great but can pick up a few things thank goodness for subtitles!


She was in the da Vinci code I knew I recognised her when I saw her in priceless.

Chocolate is good too but can't remember was it in French was set in france I think. Johnny depp was in it.

nervous_twitch

Eep, didnt mean to turn this into a list post, but below are some of the French films I've really enjoyed over the last while that have generally been well regarded. Mostly character dramas, which I don't know if you're into, but also a couple of light-hearted comedies etc.

Rust and Bone
Jeux d'enfants
Café de Flore
Little White Lies
Une vie meilleure
La vie en rose
La science des reves
The Intouchables
Paris, je t'aime
A Very Long Engagement
Heartbeats - Quebecois
J'ai tué ma mere - Quebecois
Monsieur Lazhar - Quebecois

Definitely a Cotillard buzz going on up there.

jeffreylebowski

nervous_twitch wrote: »

Eep, didnt mean to turn this into a list post, but below are some of the French films I've really enjoyed over the last while that have generally been well regarded. Mostly character dramas, which I don't know if you're into, but also a couple of light-hearted comedies etc.

Rust and Bone
Jeux d'enfants
Café de Flore
Little White Lies
Une vie meilleure
La vie en rose
La science des reves
The Intouchables
Paris, je t'aime
A Very Long Engagement
Heartbeats - Quebecois
J'ai tué ma mere - Quebecois
Monsieur Lazhar - Quebecois

Definitely a Cotillard buzz going on up there.

Thanks a lot for this, I saw something about not posting lists but... in this case it's extremely helpful so I can't see how it could be wrong.

jeffreylebowski

Zeek12 wrote: »

I have'nt seen that one but will look out for it. Thanks for the tip.
Melville was a hugely influential Director. Le Samourai's influence can also be seen in Walter Hill's excellent film The Driver. Best role of Ryan O'Neal's career.... very little dialogue really suited him!!

Ah so true! I like him in What's Up Doc but generally he's a bit dull, no? But yeah The Driver is incredible. I love Walter Hill. There's a kind of exaggerated reality present in Hill and Melville both, too. They have a lot in common in their representations of tough characters with a lot on their minds but not much to say.

I think Walter Hill once said something like "Character in my films is what you do when someone puts a gun in your face."

Tomohawk

"De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté" 2005

and my favourite from 1989 "Les amants du Pont-Neuf" by Leos Carax

jeffreylebowski

Tomohawk wrote: »

"De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté" 2005

and my favourite from 1989 "Les amants du Pont-Neuf" by Leos Carax

I just re-watched De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté this week! Isn't it fantastic? Romain Duris is a hell of a leading man.

e_e

Also if you don't mind nearly 3.5 hours of surrealism watch Celine and Julie Go Boating. Very playful, mysterious and completely off the wall.

Zeek12

jeffreylebowski wrote: »

I just re-watched De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté this week! Isn't it fantastic? Romain Duris is a hell of a leading man.

Great movie. Audiard is a fantastic Director.
I have yet to see Rust and Bone but have heard only good things about it.

humbert

La Haine and Angel-A are two French movies I enjoyed enormously.

jeffreylebowski

humbert wrote: »

La Haine and Angel-A are two French movies I enjoyed enormously.

Thanks! I'll check out Angel-A. La Haine is great, it's a tough ride but a great movie.

SuperGrover

Belleville Rendez-vous

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286244/?ref_=sr_2

jeffreylebowski

SuperGrover wrote: »

Belleville Rendez-vous

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286244/?ref_=sr_2

Nice one, I saw people talking about this when it came out but I missed it!

SuperGrover

jeffreylebowski wrote: »

Nice one, I saw people talking about this when it came out but I missed it!

Watch it. Magic.

PS - this pops in to my head as a favourite too... Les amants du Pont-Neuf

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101318/?ref_=sr_1

Creasy_bear

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brotherhood_of_the_Wolf

droidman123

One of the best movies i have ever seen, martyrs, uncomfortable to watch at times and harrowing,but the twist in the end,you will never see coming.

syklops

Creasy_bear wrote: »

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brotherhood_of_the_Wolf

Lol, Mrs syklops asked me for the link to this thread specifically so she could recommend that movie.

Also like that your username comes from one of my favourite movies.

Me: Whats the name of that movie we watched set in the mountains with Jean Renno and your man with the nose:
Mrs Syklops: Crimson Rivers.

Crimson Rivers OP.

Aseth

Creasy_bear wrote: »

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brotherhood_of_the_Wolf

D@mn, I was just about to post this one myself :P

Anyway old comedies with Louis de Funès were pretty good and funny.

HansHolzel

Lucie Aubrac (1997) (war film, French Resistance, true story, starring Carole Bouquet and Daniel Auteuil)

Diva (1981) (opera thriller, dir. Jean-Jacques Beineix)

Creasy_bear

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_13

HansHolzel

http://www.timeout.com/paris/en/film/100-best-french-films

Link to Time Out's 100 best French films

Gabbit

Tzameti is one you might be interested in.

jr22

Va Savoir

The beat that my heart skipped

Some Francophone ones that are really great;

The Barbarian Invasions (French-Canadian)

All the movies by Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne (Belgium)- Gritty but amazing. 'The Silence of Lorna' is my favourite.

Delirium

Really enjoyed the Hedgehog

Fysh

Gabbit wrote: »

Tzameti is one you might be interested in.

I was going to post this as well, an excellently tense film with a good slow build up.

I'd also suggest The City Of Lost Children, a great fantasy adventure film with the added bonus of Ron Perlman

herisson

As already mentioned:

La vie en Rose
Amelie
Les Jeux Enfants
A very long Engagement

All excellent films. I watch the particular two often.

This films i quite like, i used to watch them in French classes.


Nos jours heureux
Look at me, in french Comme un image
Joyeux Noel is a pretty good film. Its not entirely French however but a good section of it is French. Its still an outstanding film regardless of language.

What i do when watching french films, i look at it 3 times ( i was a student/unemployed so i had the time, highly recommend this if you have the time.) once with english subtitles, then with french subtitles then with no subtitles. It helped me out a great deal.

also im going a little OT here but there is an app called duolingo that helps you pick up french/german/italian and spanish so it would be worth looking into.

jeffreylebowski

Creasy_bear wrote: »

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brotherhood_of_the_Wolf

I really liked this one. It was totally nuts but really fun.

jeffreylebowski

Pixie-Fairy wrote: »

As already mentioned:

La vie en Rose
Amelie
Les Jeux Enfants
A very long Engagement

All excellent films. I watch the particular two often.

This films i quite like, i used to watch them in French classes.


Nos jours heureux
Look at me, in french Comme un image
Joyeux Noel is a pretty good film. Its not entirely French however but a good section of it is French. Its still an outstanding film regardless of language.

What i do when watching french films, i look at it 3 times ( i was a student/unemployed so i had the time, highly recommend this if you have the time.) once with english subtitles, then with french subtitles then with no subtitles. It helped me out a great deal.

also im going a little OT here but there is an app called duolingo that helps you pick up french/german/italian and spanish so it would be worth looking into.

That's incredibly helpful, thanks a lot. I'll check out the app and try that three-times viewing thing, it sounds like a great way to go.

tricky D

Subway for some early Besson
La Femme Nikita for slightly later Besson
Betty Blue for weird
Les Visiteurs for silliness
Going Places (French: Les Valseuses = the bolloxes) for stupid rompy
The Battle Of Algiers for top war film. RT says 99%/95%. Music by Ennio Morricone/Gillo Pontecorvo.

arodabomb

I know they've been mentioned already but I cannot speak highly enough of the Mesrine films and L'Haine. Brilliant films and I love the Mesrine ones for the accents alone, great for learning. You might not want to pick up too much french from L'Haine.

jeffreylebowski

tricky D wrote: »

Subway for some early Besson
La Femme Nikita for slightly later Besson
Betty Blue for weird
Les Visiteurs for silliness
Going Places (French: Les Valseuses = the bolloxes) for stupid rompy
The Battle Of Algiers for top war film. RT says 99%/95%. Music by Ennio Morricone/Gillo Pontecorvo.

Oh nice, I love Morricone.

I haven't seen Les Visiteurs, I love Jean Reno. And someone recommended Crimson Rivers, I like that flick a lot too!

Aidric

jeffreylebowski wrote: »

Tell No One

Really loved this movie. François Cluzet was brillant.

Zeek12 wrote: »

Michael Haneke has made some very powerful films in french, although they're not for the faint-hearted. Check out Caché and Code Unknown.

Not to mention 'Amour' from last year which was pretty damn impressive.

EhBenDisDonc

OP, I saw Gainsbourg, Vie Heroique in a cinema with a great sound system not knowing what to expect. It blew the audience away, me included.

Lots of great suggestions so far. Glad to see Mesrine getting acclaim - a must see.

Someone mentioned Le Herisson. You can't go wrong with Josiane Balasko. Le Gazon Maudit is priceless.

Tanguy
Brice De Nice
Enquête Corse

erkifino

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1149361/
Micmacs

jeffreylebowski

EhBenDisDonc wrote: »

OP, I saw Gainsbourg, Vie Heroique in a cinema with a great sound system not knowing what to expect. It blew the audience away, me included.

Lots of great suggestions so far. Glad to see Mesrine getting acclaim - a must see.

Someone mentioned Le Herisson. You can't go wrong with Josiane Balasko. Le Gazon Maudit is priceless.

Tanguy
Brice De Nice
Enquête Corse

I really envy you! I liked the look of the movie but hadn't heard his music yet so I thought I'd rent it once I had. I've been listening to his stuff a lot and talked a friend into renting it with me a couple of weeks ago, we were both blown away and he wished he'd bought it.

Cork boy 55

La 317eme Section by Pierre Schoendoerffer (also called The 317th platoon)
1965 French film
In 1954, the Indochina War begins to come to a close following France's defeat by the Viet Minh at the deadly Battle of Dîen Bîen Phû. Some French units are cut off and risk being overrun at every turn -- including the 317th Platoon, a unit of French soldiers and Laotian allies who are led by the idealistic but inexperienced sous-lieutenant Torrens and adjutant Willsdorf, a former soldier in the German Wehrmacht during WWII. Their survival depends on completing a trek through the dense, jungle-laden, expanse of enemy territory that stands between them and the safety of the nearest French outpost.
This movie is shown as part of French army training,

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiHhA8p8Ous