French movies kick ass

Saint Marcus · June 7, 2002, 16:17

French movies really kick ass. Vidocq, le Pacte des loups, le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre. All great recent French movies.

To be honest, they really took me by surpise. Go France!

Boris Godunov · June 7, 2002, 16:18

Don't forget Delicatessen, City of Lost Children, Amelie, The Dinner Guest...all great films.

Saint Marcus · June 7, 2002, 16:36

Amelie is already mentioned

I believe the full title was le Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain, if I'm not mistaken.

I haven't seen all of those other movies though. I think I'll rent them then.

I've seen La Cité des enfants perdus though. (city of the lost children).

wasn't dinner guest a romanian movie btw?

chequita guevara · June 7, 2002, 16:40

The French need to learn the art of editting. I walked out of the last French film I saw . . . twice!!! (I went back in cuz my friend was still in there and I got bored.)

I liked Le Belle et le Bet, Germinal, La Femme Nikita, and Assassin.

Boris Godunov · June 7, 2002, 16:41

No, The Dinner Guest was certainly French, and quite funny.

La Cage Aux Folles is another classic, of course.

Saint Marcus · June 7, 2002, 16:45

Quote:

I walked out of the last French film I saw

which movie was that?

btw, it's really nice to have an alternative for hollywood movies.

Boris Godunov · June 7, 2002, 16:49

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btw, it's really nice to have an alternative for hollywood movies.

Amen, I'm thankful there is a thriving Independent movie business in the USA.

Saint Marcus · June 7, 2002, 16:57

yeah, but we usually don't get to see them here in Holland.

chequita guevara · June 7, 2002, 16:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Saint Marcus
which movie was that?

L'Humanité

Saint Marcus · June 7, 2002, 17:01

haven't seen that one either...

Jay Bee · June 7, 2002, 17:40

Eric Rohmer is a genius. A pity that most Americans feel that his movies are just like watching a tree grow

PS. French actresses kick ass

Ned · June 7, 2002, 17:50

Saint Marcus, If you had to choose between Spider Man and The Piano Teacher, both currently showing in the US, which would you choose?

Zoid · June 7, 2002, 18:08

Don´t forget such classics as Luc Bessons earlier work, the post-apocalyptic Le Dernier Combat, Subway and Le Grande Bleu and Jean Luc Godards orwellian nightmare Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution

Hueij · June 7, 2002, 18:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Ned
Saint Marcus, If you had to choose between Spider Man and The Piano Teacher, both currently showing in the US, which would you choose?

To ask the question is to answer the question... and Spiderman is just one of those thirteen in a dozen...

chequita guevara · June 7, 2002, 18:13

Okay, Alphaville rules.

Chris Wilkinson · June 7, 2002, 18:21

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Delicatessen

Err...that film was just freaky

Wasn't it Belgian, anyway?

JohnIII · June 7, 2002, 18:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Ned
Saint Marcus, If you had to choose between Spider Man and The Piano Teacher, both currently showing in the US, which would you choose?

Is that supposed to be such an easy choice?

Zoid · June 7, 2002, 18:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Chris Wilkinson

Err...that film was just freaky

Wasn't it Belgian, anyway?

Nope, very french

moomin · June 7, 2002, 19:59

And then, of course, for all of those curious about what feminism is really all about, there's Baise-moi.

alva · June 7, 2002, 20:03

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
No, The Dinner Guest was certainly French, and quite funny.

La Cage Aux Folles is another classic, of course.

original title ; le dinner des cons

great movie!!!

funniest movie i had seen in years!!!

Buck Birdseed · June 7, 2002, 20:27

Jaques Tati!!! Francois Ozon!!! etc.

axi · June 7, 2002, 20:31

French cinema is at it's worst when it is trying to imitate Hollywood, which is exactly what Vidocq and Le Pacte des Loups are all about. French cinema is based on the talent of the actors, the genius of directors and the general coolness of the french spoken language.

I loved "Le Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain" and "La cite des enfants perdus" because I like the way Genet is directing. I also like all the films with Jean Reno, like "Les rivieres pourpres" because i think he's cool. I liked the twisted mind of Gaspar Noe and all his obscenity in "Un contre tous". I laughed my ass of with Louis de Funes. And think that I am not a big fan of the french actresses.

French cinema has many facets but in general I find it more interesting than American filmmaking, even the independent one. This is because American culture is so overexposed in films that it does us no difference any more.

The last french film I saw was Eric Rohmer's "Une nuit chez Maud" I have to admit that it was really slow, but the philosophical dialogues within were interesting and made you think about a couple of things.

Oh and Che:

Quote:

The French need to learn the art of editing.

No they don't. Their editing is fine. It's the American - Hollywood editing which is too fast. When a movie has something more to say than a pile of action scenes, a couple of gags or cliches, then a slower pace is needed. There are scenes where the viewer is supposed to study the scene a bit to notice something. There are times when the viewer must be given enough time to ponder a little bit and reach some not-so-evident assumption or conclusion. Films which are made for thinkers are slower because pondering does not occur in the flash of an eye.

God you should see some Teo Angelopoulos film...

Spiffor · June 7, 2002, 20:53

Did you see movies by Bacri & Jaoui ("Un air de famille", "le Goût des autres"...) ? They are extremely funny, at least to the French. Slow paced, but full of great dialogue IMO.
Another movie I'd recommand is "Le bonheur est dans le pré" which features the same actor as in "La cage aux folles". Again, extremely funny.

Chegitz :
When you say the French should learn to edit their films, I think you're wrong. The French way to make movies is different from the US way, and I'm fond of variety

Something very specific, that isn't noticeable at first glance, is that French movies don't alter the environment. To be clear : you can see a rain which doesn't serve any plot or aesthetics usage, it's even possible to see blue sky with clouds in it ! You can see the actors getting aged without their age being important to the plot ! In Hollywood movies, absolutely everything is reworked and unnatural : when it rains, it pours like hell, to show how oppressive the cut should be (think Matrix). I have yet to see a sky in a hollywood film which isn't either perfectly blue or horridly raining (granted, I'm not a big consumer of Hollywood

)

Saint Marcus · June 8, 2002, 14:11

Quote:

Saint Marcus, If you had to choose between Spider Man and The Piano Teacher, both currently showing in the US, which would you choose?

I haven't seen either yet, but I know I'm not going to watch Spiderman, so my choice is obvious

Quote:

French actresses kick ass

oh yeah. The hottest women in the world all live in France

Quote:

And then, of course, for all of those curious about what feminism is really all about, there's Baise-moi.

yep. Great movie.

Juggernaut · June 8, 2002, 14:39

I can't believe noone has mentioned La Haine yet. One of the best films ever.

Sarxis · June 8, 2002, 18:20

I love French movies too, what few of them I have seen.

Ridicule was good.

Zoid · June 8, 2002, 19:46

Quote:

Originally posted by moominparatrooper
And then, of course, for all of those curious about what feminism is really all about, there's Baise-moi.

Ohh great movie! Like Thelma and Louise on speed

Girl power!

Sikander · June 9, 2002, 01:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Don't forget Delicatessen, City of Lost Children, Amelie, The Dinner Guest...all great films.

I think the U.S. name is "The Dinner Game". You are correct, it's hilarious. "City of Lost Children" is also great, along with "Subway", "La Femme Nikita", and of course "Ridicule". The French make some great films, and I try to see as many as I can. I am much less impressed with their slower more dialogue driven films, in part because my French isn't good enough to follow the 'deep' vocabulary, and in part because their modern philosophy doesn't tend to make much of an impression intellectually. But they make as compelling a drama or as hilarious a comedy as anyone.

Bereta_Eder · June 9, 2002, 04:44

french cinema has some real jewels. real jewels. but unfortunately it has some real boring stuff in there too.

actually cinema is somethign that i am just now discovering. once you detach yourself from mass media prioducts (hollywood like films) a whole new world will unravel to you.

there are really some great films made you just have to look for them. the mass culture outles do not offer a chanel for them to be exposed to you usually.

Bereta_Eder · June 9, 2002, 05:03

err, i emm, very humbly, err made a thread about films that are outstanding but propably unknown to the wider audiance... emmmm, the thread went down like a rock...

it is a lonely road these films, *puts up upper sleeves of black coat*