French films are shit. Porquoi?

Anyone seen Two in the Wave. Probably wait for BBC4 to broadcast that one.

I just finished watching it about two minutes ago. Worth watching on BBC4, but there's nothing in it that you probably don't already know if you're interested in it. The footage and misc. ephemera is great.

Seraphine is pretty good, even if it can't resist the artists-are-nuts trope. Moreau's addled wandering in the last ten minutes reminded me of Isabelle Adjani's in The Story of Adele H.

This year's "French Cultures Fest" brings a set of 5 recent hit comedies to our MFA this weekend. The first night brought these two highly entertaining (but non-life changing) films:

The French Kissers-A pre-high school sex comedy, with plenty of good-natured scatological humor & such. One thing that impressed me--particularly after years of Hollywood takes on same--was how ugly all of the kids were. They're all pizza & braced-faced dorks--you know, like real kids that age. Emmanuelle Devos & Irene Jacob play the grown-ups (the latter--in a move that shows we're all getting old--appears as a MILF).

Heartbreaker-Romain Duris plays a con man hired to break up Vanessa Paradis' wedding. I'm imagining there's a screenwriter somewhere in Cali busily adapting this as a Bradley Cooper/Anne Hathaway vehicle with even more gratuitous 80s pop culture references (this film ropes in both Dirty Dancing and Wham!).

Saturday brings Potiche & OSS 117: Lost In Rio. Anybody seen the latter? The trailer ran before both movies tonight and it likes kinda like a less doofy Austin Powers. That might not be a good thing.

i really hate this thread title

Lost in Rio not as good as Cairo: Nest of Spies iirc.

Heartbreaker just reminds me that there must be loads of bad French comedies that relentlessly ape Hollywood conventions that are released every year that I never see or hear about. I didn't hate it though.

'Lost in Rio' better than 'Cairo', IMO although of course if you've seen the first the novelty has worn off somehow.

Saw both parts of Mesrine today. Superb, altough pt.1 (Killer Instinct) is a bit better (tighter and less meandering) than pt.2 (Public Enemy #1). Worth a look by fans of Carlos and The Baader Meinhof Complex.

I saw Conte d'Automne today. And it was all I could do to stay awake.

i wouldnt rave about coco chanel

i really hate this thread title

― Ask Nult What Your Country Can Do For You (Local Garda), Saturday, March 26, 2011 9:30 AM (4 weeks ago

Alain Resnais season at the bfi -- can't wait to watch je t'aime, je t'aime. The only ones his 60s films I haven't seen. Hope I'll get to see the short films.

For once I have aready watched quite a lot bar his work in the 70s -- Stavisky, anyone?

La guerre est finie is probably my favorite by him

i really hate this thread title

― Ask Nult What Your Country Can Do For You (Local Garda), Saturday, March 26, 2011 9:30 AM (4 weeks ago

― corey, maandag 25 april 2011 13:16 (2 months ago) Bookmark

Seriously, every time this thread title pops up... ugh

Title could do with a little spell-check.

It significantly contributes to its ugliness, I agree.

Alain Resnais season at the bfi -- can't wait to watch je t'aime, je t'aime. The only ones his 60s films I haven't seen.

Finally got to see that one @ a retro last year...fantastic, and probably the most subtly devastating film he did during the era.

Great! I am missing the men's singles final at Wimbledom tomorrow to watch this. Didn't make a single less than great film in that era so expectations are high.

People can ask the mod for a change of thread title -- doesn't bother me (partly cuz I've met Pete and know it was all tongue in cheek) but if it gets people to stop going on about it.

I rescreened Annie Hall last night and realized: je t'aime, je t'aime + Annie Hall= Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind

BTW, I saw you mentioned Stavisky--it was another one I caught during that retro. A biopic, it's pretty straight-forward film for Resnais, done in that 70s interpretation of the 30s style (think The Conformist or The Sting). Stephen Sondheim composed the score.

Stavisky has a couple of weird magical moments, like when they are visiting the house where Stavisky's dad has committed suicide (iirc)
soundtrack is pretty good though, lush.

Cool! Not sure I'll make to that actually...will try.

'je t'aime je t'aime' is one of his best. And one of the best SF films of all time by that stage, although thee isn't much competition w/the likes of '2001' about.

Really unbalanced season -- Marienbad is good but they are really going for how 'iconic' it is with the number of screenings. Say that as I missed Stavisky.

Mariebad must look gorgeous on the screen tho'. Only seen it on DVD.

Try and see some docs. Maybe one of the later, more straight ones like 'No Smoking'

Stavisky is OK but nothing special really.
I am generally not sold on Blu-Rays but the BR edition of Marienbad is pretty damn tempting.

Saw 'Night and Fog' along with severlal docs yesterday.

In terms of filming the tracking shots of camps, libraries or chemical factories all kinda morph into one thing, man-made, to be filmed by Alain Resnais. There is a measure of control (?) right there.

Cayrol's delivery on 'Night and Fog' is as clinical as the mix of images (colour, B&W and photographs), which really sounds right. Never actor-y (could I watch 'The World at War' after this?), the music is never too for effects and never too distant. Everyone is jumping through hoops and corners to do this thing thought. The partially blank 'who is responsible?' at the end is realy powerful (cf. The Chapman dolls being flogged at the moment).

Raul Ruiz has died.

urgggh. I guess I will go see Mysteries of Lisbon Sunday.

Yeah, I want to see that too.

can we finally change this thread title?

aw damn. i only just saw my first :(. everything i've heard about mysteries has been unrestrainedly positive.

One of the greats. I'm deeply saddened by this. RIP, you beautiful, ungraspable rapscallion!

A great filmmaker. One of my favorites of all time. So saddened by this news.

Damn. Les Trois Couronnes du Matelot is a classic.

have u guys seen - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_in_Paris

i thought it was p cool

Going to see Vivre Ensemble on Saturday, one of two films Anna Karina directed.

omg i didn't know she made films! Please report back

Vivre Ensemble was messy but interesting. It felt a bit like a shaggy-dog American film from that time, Scarecrow or something. There was a half-hour detour to New York that had a great period feel. Jonathan Rosenbaum spoke before and after, and he described the film well: post-'68, post-Godard (with title cards and sections and a 360-degree pan around Karina's bedroom), pre-feminist, highly autobiographical. The kind of thing I love: when the characters were hanging around Central Park, you could hear what seemed to be found singing in the background, and whoever it was, they were doing "Get Together" first, then the Byrds' "Here Without You."

Thanks - might be worth a watch if it ever make its way to the Lumiere

I liked House of Pleasures, which admittedly is a tough sit, esp with an early bit of gore and a late "Nights in White Satin."

trailer looked kinda schlocky to me - though redeemed by the awesome lee moses jam overlaid on top - but i'm pleased to hear you liked it, i might catch

a french film that is not shit = gremillon's 'lumiere d'ete' (occupation-era tragic romance set in provence, eclipse set forthcoming)

http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2012/07/16/97001-20120716FILWWW00341-deces-de-l-actrice-tsilla-chelton.php

Tatie Danielle has died.

ilx loves its traditions but someone nix this thread

^^

William Klein season at Tate: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/search?f[]=im_vid_47%3A1862

One for the Left Bank completists I guess..

Again: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/eventseries/william-klein-films-1958-99

Should I see Les Enfants du Paradis?

heh that's a bit conventional for you right

i have never seen it probably because 'theatricality' as a trope doesn't really appeal

maybe worth seeing some earlier carné first

Love it

a must, other Carné too sure.

Techine's Unforgivable from this past year was pretty good esp the acting.

Loved Le Quai des Brumes, and, guff about 'poetic realism' aside I guess that's fairly conventional.

Other thing is I'm watching Rivette's Out 1 which is big on theatre and what's outside the stage...of course what is outside here is v different.

Just don't know if its worth the three hours...xp