French Cinema - an appreciation

recently enjoyed Frantz and Une Nouvelle Amie (The New Girlfriend), both movies by Franciz Ozon...
also a pleasant romantic comedy Mon Pire Cauchemar with Isabelle Huppert
also La Doublure (The Valet), and Hors de Prix (Priceless), Les emotifs anonymes, and Amelie are charming romantic comedies
Haute Tension and A L'intereur (Inside).... good thrillers

from the past I enjoy comedies with Pierre Richard..... Le Jouet is still one of my favorites, love the movie and music by Vladimir Cosma, movie was later remade as The Toy..

also comedies of Louis De Funes..... especially Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob, La Grande Vadrouille, Oscar, and Le corniaud

 

Classic poster.

 

I'm surprised there's been no mention of (in my estimation) the master Claude Chabrol. My personal favourites of his are The Butcher (1970) and The Unfaithful Wife (1969). Although only some of his titles appear to have made it to BD, there are solid collections of his work on DVD.

Indeed, anyone with a Hitchcock, noir or giallo interest would be well served by viewing some Chabrol (who very clearly inspired Italian genre directors). He was a monumental filmmaker, sadly often overlooked - even though he shares the same Cahiers du Cinema pedigree as Truffaut and Godard.

 

This thread needs more poster examples !!!

 

To follow up on my previous post, this movie is now available on Blu-Ray.

And Diva was mentioned; it's been described as a popcorn movie for intellectuals. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.

Diva (1981) - IMDb

 

Hostile (2017) - post-apocaliptic survival movie mixed with a romantic movie, but closer to romance I think
Jeune and Jolie (2013) - a nice movie from Francois Ozon . I enjoyed a few of his movies..
Belle de Jour (1967) - similar prostitution topic to above, with Catherine Deneuve
La Boum ( 1980)- coming of age teenage drama with young Sophie Marceau and song Reality by Richard Sanderson playing a lot
Le Professionnel (1981) - a crime movie with Jean Paul Belmondo, Ennio Morricone Chi Mai theme music is great

 

Populaire (2012) - very pleasant light romantic comedy

 

I am not sure if I watched the uncut version, but it had a lot of nudity and topless women...

Does anyone have favorite Alain Delon movies? I watched Le Samourai, and to be honest I don't think it's as great as some people make it out to be...... and how did the police initially know where to find him?
La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) is nice, Romy Schneider and Delon are a nice couple..

I've also seen Un Flic, Le Choc, Le Battant...... they were amusing, but nothing that great

 

My late wife was French so I have around 400 French film in my Library. Bunuel, Kieslowski, Truffaut, Godard, Blier, Ozon, Chabrol, Besson, Malle, Demy, Vadim and Leconte to name a few.

My favourites include:
Three Colours Trilogy
Belle De Jour
The Double Life of Veronique
Prix de beaute
Sweetheart (Toutes Peines Confondues)
La Femme Nikita
A Heart In Winter
Cartouche
Monsieur Hire
The Swimming Pool
That Obscure Object Of Desire
Wages Of Fear
Yvonne's Perfume
Jules And Jim
Breathless
The Collectioneuse
The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoise
Blow Out
Wild Reeds

 

last weekend Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (Elevator to the Gallows) was on TCM, pretty good movie

 

I finally caught Breathless on TCM a few nights ago, and that has prompted me to go through Godard's work, at least until Weekend. Following Weekend, are there any more films that are required viewings? I know he gets very, very political in the 70's and I'm not sure if that's going to be my cup of tea.

 

TCM ran it recently as Elevator to the Gallows—a great movie, with a lot of similarities in style and tone to Breathless... made in ‘59, but not released here till ‘61, so often overlooked in the academic surveys of French New Wave ...

 

While no expert - I, like you, have always been drawn to those aspects you discuss about french cinema.
and agree Hollywood offers little of this now, and other cinemas that I'm exposed to such as the Indian film world seem to have gone down a tunnel I just don't feel adds anything to our humanity - It did have such films as the Apu Trilogy once upon a time..

But back to french films
Off the top of my head some faves

1st two Louis Malle films
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud
Les Amants

I actually like Zazie too (along with the book) but it is very much of its time a bit too much, in my opinion - but any Louis malle is worth the risk

Jules et Jim (of course)

my all time favourite film in any cinema is

Un Coeur En Hiver - just astounding acting from the 3 leads, such a depth of unspokeness that is very real
I really have always had a thing for Emmanuelle Beart as well, even my wife lets me off on this one haha,
Beart is actually a great actress and this film might be her best

Amelie is a delight and rightfully well known as such

Am excited about any recommendations this thread may throw out, as French film seems to have vanished from the UK. My town has an independent cinema that used to show a french movie every week, sadly new management has taken the theatre down the route of trying to fit with the town's identity politics rather than just loving film, and we get almost no french film now unless it fits the agenda in the manager's head. The town is called Hebden Bridge should you be wondering. I'm friendly with the projectionist - he too dispairs.

apologies for too long an entry.. town is in lockdown.. trying to stay sane

 

Cocteau's Orphic Trilogy is amazing have the DVDs here - amazing who some of his friends are who pop up in them too... I loved his La Belle et la Bête

 

L annee des meduses

 

Maybe try Plein Soleil (1960) but then I thought Le Samourai and Un Flic were terrific...

 

thank you, Plein Soleil is on my list to see, I only saw the US remake...

stumbled upon and watched Beau Pere (1981), controversial Lolita topic, but a nice movie, I found movie to be pretty sad actually

 

Oh I wish I could buy DVDs of French cinema. I love French cinema as well, there's just an artistic independence, and I couldn't articulate well but it's special haha.

One of my most favorite films is a French-Polish film, La Double Vie de Veronique. It is one of the most beautiful films ever.

Other favorites -

Un cœur en hiver
Claire's Knee
A Summer's Tale
Les amants du Pont-Neuf
La Haine
Hairdresser's Husband
Une Femme est une femme
The Colors Trilogy
The Red Balloon
Last Year At Marienbad
Alphaville

 

No DVDs of available from your list ?

 

No, I meant to say I'm poor

 

Library?

Ah! New member.
Welcome!!!!

 

Some films are available free on YouTube usually pre 1960( though you could get lucky ).

 

Thanks

No, atleast there's no such library near me, and the library that has a good collection is far from where I live in my city.