FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL 2009
The 20th Alliance Francaise French Film Festival 2009, is again being presented by Palace Cinemas across Australia. The specific dates and venues are:
Sydney: 4-19 March
Melbourne: 5-20 March
Canberra: 18-29 March
Brisbane: 19-29 March
Perth: 25 March - 5 April
Adelaide: 26 March – 5 April
PARIS 36 (FAUBOURG 36)
This year's opening night film turns out to be an enjoyable combination of politics, drama and music set against the depression era in Paris and the brief rise of a left-wing Government. Gerard Jugnot (Les Choristes/The Chorus (04) and Monsieur Batignole (02)) stars as the stage manager of a small cabaret theatre who becomes involved in political rivalry, criminal activity and musical presentations. Christophe Barratier does a good job harnessing all these disparate elements to present an entertaining film with a historical commentary. As a follow-up to the well received The Chorus it may not have the same resonance, but is nonetheless an enjoyable film. It certainly captures the atmosphere and opposing political forces at play during a period when the world was set to plunge into war. Shot in Prague, the film's widescreen lensing of some particularly striking sets and scenery, demonstrates Barratier's ease with the camera, and the contemporary music which mimics the 1930s is well written and evocative of the time. The film has been picked up for commercial distribution after the festival, and is recommended. (Peter Krausz)
ULZHAN
Volker Schlondorff's (Tin Drum, 79) existential drama about a man seeking to obliterate himself in Kazakhstan is mostly a compelling, symbolic journey about the search for real meaning in life. Philippe Torreton plays the harried lead character whose attempts to find true solace and nirvana become enmeshed with the various encounters he has with a number of people. Jean Claude Carriere's script is both spare and occasionally confronting, challenging the audience to identify with the main character and to come to grips with the subtle spiritual commentary embedded in the story. I first saw this film at the June 2007 Munich Film Festival, and discussing the film afterward with Schlondorff, brought home to me the connections with his famous Tin Drum, and his expansive view on humanity and its loss of meaning and belief. A film to view and savour; highly recommended. (Peter Krausz)
JCVD (playing nationally in the festival, apart from Melbourne at ACMI)
This compelling piece of hybrid filmmaking, drawing on the persona of Jean Claude van Damme as well as the real person, is a kinetic mix of reality style story-telling and personal expose. Set around a bank robbery where JCVD is embroiled in the “actual” event, the film pursues the inventive notion of the coalescing of the real and the imaginary, reality and fantasy. Mabroulk el Mechri does a great job in harnessing the disparate elements of the narrative, and playing with audience expectations about the veracity of what they are experiencing. Almost like a docudrama but never quite sticking to a clearly identified genre, the film develops into a coruscating unpacking of the van Damme image, eventually leading to what appears to be a self-revealing sequence. As this year's French Film Festival has very few challenging films, this is one to savour and debate. Highly recommended. (Peter Krausz)
48 HOURS A DAY
With a plethora of French social and personal comedies in this year's festival, reflecting a key sub-genre of French filmmaking, this film manages to be both quietly amusing and a subtle observation of women in the workforce and the barriers they still face. Catherine Castel has fashioned a good-natured film about a female advertising industry worker who is frustrated by the late working hours her husband keeps, and his lack of contribution to the children's upbringing and the chores at home. She teaches him a lesson by inventing an overseas posting for herself, hiding in a friend's apartment, and witnessing how he copes with work and family by himself. Meanwhile, he gets advice from a tough office manager, played by Victoria Abril, who knows how to treat errant males. This mildly enjoyable comedy of manners never achieves the heights of satire and witty observation to which it aspires, but is nonetheless an amusing addition to the festival. (Peter Krausz)
ACTRESSES
This somewhat edgy piece by writer/director/star Valerie Bruni Tadeschi is an unusual tale of a middle-aged actress whose frustrating personal life teeters on the precipice of reality and fantasy as she rehearses the lead role in a Russian play. The juxtapositioning of the political and personal realities of the Turgenev play acts as a counterpoint to her own visions and observations. Just who actually exists in her world and who doesn't is part of the painful realities her character experiences. Also starring Matthieu Amalric as the theatre director and Louis Garrel as the young lead of the play, the film develops into a complex psychological tale which defies easy discussion or resolution. Recommended. (Peter Krausz)
BABY LOVE
There is so much plot in this 90 minute film about a gay couple who eventually wish to adopt a child, that a two part mini-series could have been made of it. Vincent Garenq, a noted documentary filmmaker, turns to a challenging story for his first narrative, with Lambert Wilson playing a middle-aged gay paediatrician and Philippe Pascal his partner and a lawyer, whose relationship is rocked by Wilson's desire to have a child. Wilson goes through a number of options involving surrogacy and adoption, until he becomes involved with a young South American woman who needs to marry to stay in the country. Is Wilson a closet heterosexual? Will his dream of having a child occur? Will their relationship survive? Do I hear “Green Card” 1991, Peter Weir? Anyway, the plot develops from there into a dizzying sequence of emotional events, revelations, and psychological observations. Above all, the issue about whether gay couples should be permitted to adopt children is explored in the story that evolves into a finely tuned, if slightly mechanical, narrative. The ending of the film will either appeal to the audience, or cause an outbreak of heated discussion. Overall, a good film that perhaps deserved a bit more running time to develop all the plot issues it raises. (Peter Krausz).
ASTERIX AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
French, English subtitles 116 minutes [PG] adapted from comic books of Gosciny & Udorzo by 7 writers, including Thomas Langmann, [D] Frederic Forestier & Thomas Langmann, [A] Gerard Depardieu, Clovis Cornillac, Benoit Poolevoorde, Alain Delon, Vanessa Hessler, Bouli Lanners
What a curious thing to think that a classic French tale would have so many parallels with a classic English tale, namely the Lord of the Rings series. Aside from the enormous budget, (this is, apparently, the most expensive French film ever made, and it's not hard to see where the money went), this is an ambitious project, bringing to the screen a story set centuries past, with a swag of special effects and respected stars. At the beginning and end there is much made of the involvement of the revered Alain Delon who, as Julius Caesar, spends the film either admiring himself in the mirror, or telling his son off for being stupid.
From the opening aerial shots, this comedy aims to dazzle, impress and overwhelm you with size, and that's just the ample muscles and girth of Obelix (Depardieu). Well-known faces even to non-French-film-going audiences appear; their identity I'll leave, as they form part of a running gag about sport.
Asterix's (Cornillac's) young friend Alafolix (Stephane Rousseau) is in love with beautiful Princess Irina (Hessler) and seeks her hand in marriage from her father, Samagas, King of the Greeks (Lanners). But not only will her father have nothing to do with this non-Roman citizen from Gaul, Irina is already, unwillingly, betrothed to the odius Brutus (Benoit), who spends most of his time unsuccessfully plotting to murder his father Julius Caesar. Asterix's quest is to help Alafolix win the hand of Irina, by helping Alafolix beat Brutus in the 50 BC Olympic Games.
There is a cast of thousands in the post-production crew list, which is where an enormous amount of effort has been made. Unfortunately, despite the visuals and quality cast, the story is too muddled to make this film as good as it wants to be; too much time is spent on diversions away from the main storyline, and the sequences are too long. One exception to this is the climax, the chariot scene, which is a very funny take on Ben-Hur and takes some well-placed swipes at American blockbusters (check out Princess Irina's hairdo). Every opportunity to make a modern joke about vehicles is taken, and it is not letting on too much to say that there is an amusing cameo by Michael Schumacher (yes, the Formula 1 driver). However, unlike Lord of the Rings, where, for example Legolas slides down the steps in the battle scene on a shield as if on a skateboard, most of the anachronism jokes in Asterix are obvious, and the film generally tries too hard to be funny.
Even though there is a Druid, potions and treachery afoot, Asterix himself doesn't have that much to do in this story, which is a real pity, as it would have been great to see him use some more of his renowned rat cunning.
Asterix is billed as a family film, which is where it is likely to find its largest audience. It is screening as part of the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival.
Emma Flanagan
BORN IN '68
Filmmakers Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau have collaborated on a number of films with gay themes such as Jeanne & The Perfect Guy (98), Funny Felix (00), My Life (02), Cockles & Muscles (05), with each one taking an unusual slant on gay life, usually with an upbeat tone. This film, an almost 3 hour epic saga of a group of hippies embroiled in the social and political developments in France from 1968 to the present day, is both decisive and languorous in its observations. The central focus is Catherine (played by Laetitia Costa), who together with her friends experiences the joys and miseries of 40 years of romance, political upheavals, health issues, and in particular the scourge of AIDS. The latter is depicted through the relationship one of her sons has which eventually leads to tragic events. At times the film seems quite repetitive and overlong, yet there is no denying the forcefulness in the way it represents key turning points in French society, and not resiling from the tragedy endemic in most of the characters' lives. There is judicious use of historical news and documentary footage to provide the backdrop for the evolving years, and the epic style of the film allows for good, if occasionally sporadic, character development. The main message of the film seems to be that right wing politics that has developed recently in France and exemplified by the election of Sarkozy has exacerbated the ramifications of the political and social optimism, albeit haphazard, established since the left-wing revolution in France in the late 60s. Overall, despite some flaws in the narrative, and its occasional attempts to over-simplify complex political issues, this is a well made film that highlights the effective partnership of these two filmmakers. Recommended. (Peter Krausz)
A CHRISTMAS TALE
It is always exciting for a film critic to see films from particular directors who provide us with challenging, thoughtful films. Arnaud Desplechin is one such filmmaker whose films (Esther Kahn, 00; Kings & Queen, 04) exemplify the human condition from an unusual perspective, forcing the audience to re-evaluate the formulaic approach to character development that he eschews. This film focuses on a possibly dying matriarch (Catherine Deneuve) whose children, and indeed the whole family, are affected by a child who died of a rare genetic condition 40 years previously. Each of her three surviving children have lived fraught lives which all comes to a head when they unite for a Christmas dinner. Anne Consigney, Matthieu Amalric (Diving Bell and the Butterfly, 07), and Melvil Poupaud (Time to Leave, 06) play her children, and they all have an incredible array of experiences to relay, alongside the news that their mother may need a bone marrow transplant. What Desplechin achieves in an essentially tragic story of a fated family, is a lot of mordant humour and incisive observations about the human condition and its ability to survive any tragedy. Despite its almost 150 minute running time, the film never becomes dull or repetitive; a major achievement from a significant director. Highly recommended. (Peter Krausz)
IT'S HARD BEING LOVED BY JERKS
Fascinating documentary about the impact free speech, the media and religious vilification issues had on the publication in 2007 of 12 Danish cartoons, portraying Muslims in a derogatory or facetious manner. The court case that arose from this is presented in this wide-ranging film that interviews all the main protagonists and lays bare the whole issue of media rights and freedom of speech. How far can you go? A sense of humour pervades this fast-moving account of the events that led up to the trial and the outcome. Issues of religious tolerance, political manipulation, coercion, and social responsibility all come into play here. Daniel Leconte brings a playful, yet very informative, style to this film that I am sure will lead to a lot of debate afterwards. By the way, the provocative title refers to a quote in the film made at the height of the court debate. Highly recommended. (Peter Krausz)
CROSSFIRE (LES INSOUMIS)
First-time director, Claude-Michel Rome, clearly understands the police action crime drama genre as he directs this kinetically shot widescreen about a tarnished city police detective (Richard Berry) who is sent to Marseilles to investigate a series of murders and drug-related activities. The local police, headed by a pregnant detective ready to take leave, a tough police officer, and a collection of poorly regarded police, become involved in Berry’s unusual approach to police investigation. The station is going to be closed in 3 months so no-one particularly cares about the local crimes; at least until Berry arrives and with his Arabic background, adopts a crash through or crash approach to the local lawlessness. The film seems to be a combination of The French Connection, 71 and Assault on Precinct 13, 76 and remade in 2005, with a sturdy combination of drugs, gangs, brutal action scenes, world-weary police, and a final massive shoot-out. Overall, a good genre piece deserving a wider release. Recommended. (Peter Krausz)
DADDY COOL (original French title at screening is 15 and a half)
This highly predictable, yet moderately amusing tale of a widowed scientist (Daniel Auteuil) living 9 months a year in the USA, who returns to his French home to parent his teenage daughter, steers a well worn path in generational differences, yet has some flashes of humour and wit. Directors Francois Desagnat and Thomas Sorriaux explore the age and attitudinal differences between the father and daughter as well as the attitudes towards appropriate parenting, as seen through the books and videos of Auteuil’s brother, who not surprisingly may not be such an expert. Where the film falters is by way of a device used by Woody Allen in Play It Agaiin Sam, 72, where Allen imagines seeing Bogart who is advising him about his life choices. That worked reasonably well, but in this film Auteuil imagines conservations with Albert Einstein, which seem quite silly for a scientist such as him to have, and indeed there are some other fantasy sequences which threaten to throw the film off the rails. Fortunately they are brief and the film eventually settles on the strong bond between father and daughter leading to a pleasant resolution, with a somewhat ironic post-credit sequence. A reasonable genre piece with a number of flaws. (Peter Krausz)
DISCO
Alternately hilarious and cringe-worthy, Fabien Onteniente’s comedy about a former disco star who seeks to re-energize his life by entering a local Disco contest so he can visit his son in the USA, is full of disco music and high campery in its production. Franck Dubosc (who previously collaborated with the director on Camping, 06) stars as the 40 year old John Travolta fan who has little meaning in his dreary life until he discovers a way to re-discover his former bliss. Together with two shipping yard mates (the film is set in the picturesque seaside town of Le Havre) they try to put together a disco sequence for the contest, but discover they need help. Along comes Emmanuellle Beart, in a change of pace role for her, as a dance instructor who is enlisted to help them. The dance contest promoter, played by a very flamboyant Gerard Depardieu, tries to help them but is caught up in his own issues with his venal wife. The musical numbers are well staged and evoke the frisson of excitement engendered by such films as Saturday Night Fever, 76 and Thank God It’s Friday, 77. Predictable elements enter the film: a possible romance, sexuality issues, tension between the three disco men, finding meaning in life; but overall the film remains a jaunty, upbeat confection for audience enjoyment. (Peter Krausz)
FAMILY VALUES
Good to see a black comedy that plays with the notion of a cohesive, seemingly straight-laced family embroiled in a criminal act. Constructed in a Rashomon-like way as a four part narrative told from the perspective of the mother, father and daughter, followed by an epilogue, Claus Drexel’s film plays with audience expectations and delivers a clever punch at the end. A major robbery has occurred at the local soccer match ground, who was responsible and who is culpable? The film addresses this from the three viewpoints, adding some wry tongue-in-cheek humour, and playful notions of a middle class family up to no good. Noted French actors Miou-Miou and Andre Dussolier play the couple who are inveigled into a crime that they may be responsible for, and as the narrative develops the audience is left in some doubt as to who the main perpetrators are, and where the sizable monetary haul is; at least until the epilogue. A good film-nourish tale, well told. Recommended. (Peter Krausz)