December 2, 2015 - "The Clouds of Sils Maria" (2014)

Clouds of Sils Maria, 2014

Director: Olivier Assayas
Origin: France | Germany | Switzerland
Languages: English | French | German | Swiss German
Running time: 124 min

Twenty years after her breakthrough role as a young woman who beguiles and ultimately destroys her mentor, Maria Enders is invited -- in an ironic twist -- to play the part of the older woman in a stage production of the same drama. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Rated R for language and brief graphic nudity
U.S. box office: $1,811,138
Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ( '71, 3.5 stars)
Steve says: This film is heart-pounding, explosive, and confusing, much like the fighting between the nationalists and the unionists. Set at the beginning of the Irish "Troubles" in 1971, a British soldier is left behind in a war-torn area of Belfast where the IRA is becoming more violent and support from outsiders is fluid and dodgy. It's a welcome addition to the growing number of films about this era in Irish history.

September 16, 2015 - "Timbuktu" (2015)

Timbuktu, 2015
Director: Abderrahmane Sissako
Origin: France | Mauritania
Languages: French | Arabic | Bambara | English | Songhay
Running time: 97 min

In this piercing tale of oppression set in 2012, fear grips Timbuktu after the Malian city is seized by Islamic rebels determined to impose their extreme beliefs on the moderate Muslim populace. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Rated PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements
U.S. box office: $1,067,000
Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("White God", 3.5 stars)
Steven says: The three main characters (including one dog) experience and process loss in different ways, which determines the arcs of their lives within the parameters of this story. The film features great visuals and editing, dismal commentary on some humans, and a modicum of hope that things do get better.

June 10, 2015 - "Girlhood" (2015)

Girlhood, 2015
Director: Céline Sciamma
Origin: France
Language: French
Running time: 113 min

Set amid the projects of Paris, this absorbing depiction of a disaffected 16-year-old girl chronicles the transformation of her social identity after she falls in with a gang of female dropouts. (from Netflix.com)

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film (Force Majeure, 4 stars)
Steve says: For once, I agree with the new title for audiences outside of Sweden. This is an engrossing study of relationships after a traumatic experience for one family at a ski resort.  Beautiful acting and scenery, funky shots thrown in to keep the viewer off -kilter, and several questions to keep one discussing the film long after it is over. 

February 11, 2015 - "The French Minister" (2014)

The French Minister, 2014 
(screening at 7 p.m. in Forney Hall, B124)

Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Origin: France
Language: French
Running time: 113 minutes

Though French minister Alexandre Taillard de Worms cuts a striking figure among the power elite, not everyone is impressed by the pontificating politician, prompting him to hire a new young speechwriter -- who ends up in a political cyclone. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $3,800 
Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("Tabu", 4 stars)
Steven says: I don't think any of the short write-ups do this film justice. There is so much to ponder, to experience, to discover in both halves of the film. It will definitely provoke great discussion.

December 17, 2014 - "In the House" (2012)

The originally scheduled film for this week, "Restless City," was not available. We will try to work it in to the Winter 2015 season.

In the House, 2012

Director: François Ozon
Origin: France
Languages: French
Running time: 105 minutes

Moved by mesmerizing prose, a teacher pushes a student with extraordinary gifts to keep on writing -- even though he knows the young author's research methods involve a serious invasion of privacy. (from Netflix.com)

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

U.S. box office: $354,244
MPAA rating: R

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Review of last week's film ("Night Across the Street," 3 stars) 
Steven says: This film was not made for the casual or mainstream movie-goer. Surrealist director Raul Ruiz pays homage to several classic films while trying to find his own place in the history of film-making. It's fun to watch but doesn't make much sense unless you have lots of film background (or like surrealist films).

September 25, 2013 - "The Big Picture" (2010)

The Big Picture, 2010
Director: Eric Lartigau
Origin: France
Languages: French | Serbian | English
Running time: 114 min

Successful Paris attorney Paul Exben (Romain Duris) has everything going for him, including power, wealth and a picture-perfect family. But the mirror suddenly cracks when Paul discovers that his wife, Sarah, is carrying on an affair with a photographer. After a tragic error closes the door on all that he's achieved, Paul makes a fateful decision to escape, fleeing abroad to try and begin a new life as someone else altogether. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $158,411
Watch the trailer at IMDB.

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Review of last week's film (No, 4 stars)
Steven says: The Chilean people removed Augusto Pinochet from office in 1988 in a first-of-its-kind election; they just needed the push to get to the polls first. This movie goes behind the scenes, detailing the advertising campaign that helped bring about the change, to vote "No." It's a good history lesson and a good reminder of the power of mass media, no matter whose message is being disseminated.

August 21, 2013 - "The Other Son" (2012)

The first film of the Fall 2013 season, which will be announced early next week . . .
 
The Other Son, 2012
Director: Lorraine Levy
Origin: France
Languages: French | English | Arabic | Hebrew
Running time: 105 min

While preparing to enter the Israeli military for his compulsory service, young Joseph Silberg learns he was accidentally switched at birth with the son of an Arab couple from the West Bank -- a shocking revelation that sends both families reeling. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $1,160,773
Watch the trailer at IMDB.

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Review of the previous film (Starlet, 4 stars)
Steven says: This is a film about isolation - how we get there, how we remain there, how hard it is to reverse. In the midst of this are two women, a widow and a porn star (which it takes a while to realize) who find an unlikely friendship. It's sweet and frustrating, and even a little eye-opening.

June 19, 2013 - "The Well-Digger's Daughter" (2011)

The Well-Digger's Daughter, 2011
Director: Daniel Auetiel
Origin: France
Language: French
Running time: 107 minutes

Pascale, a widowed laborer, lives in Provence, raising five daughters alone until his eldest daughter returns home to help care for her sisters. But a young pilot and the approaching shadow of World War I change Pascale's hopes for the future. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $385,406
Watch the trailer on YouTube.

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Review of last week's film (The Pool, 3.5 stars )
Steven says:An American documentary director takes a shot at a fiction film that takes place in India, with a script in the native language. And he nails it. It's unassuming yet revelatory; beautiful yet realistic; tender among harsh conditions. The actual pool looms over Venkatesh, the main character. What is its grander significance? Why is it pristine in an overgrown garden? Why is it a focal point without swimmers? It ends as one chapter ends with so many possibilities for the characters' futures.

May 15, 2013 - "Chicken with Plums" (2011)

Chicken with Plums, 2011
Director: Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi
Origin: France | Germany | Belgium
Languages: French | English
Running time: 93 minutes

From the Oscar-nominated filmmakers of Persepolis comes a captivating live-action fairytale set in 1950s Tehran. After the destruction of his favorite violin, a renowned musician loses all taste for life and teeters on the edge of oblivion. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Rated PG-13 for some drug content, violent images, sensuality and smoking.

U.S. box office: $253,705

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

February 13, 2013 - "Romantics Anonymous" (2010)

It's our Valentine's Day offering . . .

Romantics Anonymous, 2010
Director: Jean-Pierre Améris
Origin: France | Belgium
Language: French
Running time: 80 min

Love and chocolates may yet win the day in this delightful romantic comedy, which follows the slow-burn romance of talented chocolatier Angélique and chocolate-factory owner Jean-René, lonely souls who secretly share a debilitating anxiety disorder. (from Netflix.com)

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("Oranges and Sunshine", 3.5 stars)
Steven says: The word "gripping" was used more than once by others to describe this film. How could it not be? Thousands of children were shipped (literally) from Britain to other countries, most often unknowingly leaving behind family members. The film is adapted from the book Empty Cradles, written by the main character, Margaret Humphreys. And so, the entire movie is seen from her point of view; we don't get full backgrounds, we don't get dramatized conversations, we don't get the explanations of why this could happen. Instead we experience everything with her: the disbelief, the shock, the outrage, the exhaustion. I was particularly struck by the performances of the orphaned children who are now adults. They made the film stand out, at least for me. Read more about the efforts: http://www.childmigrantstrust.com/

January 23, 2013 - "The Hedgehog" (2009)

The Hedgehog, 2009
Director: Mona Achache
Origin: France | Italy
Languages: French | Japanese
Running time: 100 min

Fed up with the world's hypocrisy, an 11-year-old makes plans to commit suicide on the eve of her 12th birthday. But an unlikely bond with her building's concierge and an older, elegant resident stands to alter her outlook on everything. (from Netflix.com)

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("Monsieur Lazhar",  4.5 stars)Steven says: At first glance, this is a story of tragedies, one that visits a school and one that visits its substitute teacher. With a deeper look, a theme of "substitutes" emerges. Characters become for others what they need or what was taken from them. Traditional roles are filled by non-traditional characters or even by rules and regulations. And while substitutes have their places, sometimes there is no substitute for a real friend, a real hug or real family.

September 26, 2012 - "Farewell" (2009)

Farewell, 2009
Director: Christian Carion
Origin: France
Language: French | English | Russian
Running time: 113 min

In this thinking man's spy thriller, KGB agent Sergei Grigoriev (Emir Kusturica) plans to hand over hard evidence that proves the depth of his agency's penetration of U.S. intelligence, in a one-man crusade to bring down the Soviet empire. French engineer Pierre Froment (Guillaume Canet) is drawn into this web of espionage against his will, but proves a surprisingly resourceful operative in the process. (from Netflix.com)

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film (Kinyarwanda, 4.5 stars)
Steven says: Inspired by true stories and including first-time actors from Rwanda, this film aims to illustrate the complexities of human life within a specific time and place. There is more to the Rwandan genocide than Hutu vs. Tutsi. There was blossoming romance and soldiers worried about their families back home; the role of faith and how Rwandans nearly lost theirs during the 100 days of hell; the soldiers who risked their lives to shepherd Tutsis to safety while innocent children helped teach lessons about truth-telling and perception. The director showed restraint in depicting violence and nearly went overboard in his creation of powerful scenes of faith and forgiveness. I look forward to more of his films.

September 12, 2012 - "Certified Copy" (2010)

Certified Copy, 2010
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Origin: France | Italy | Belgium
Languages: French | English | Italian
Running time: 106 min.

In Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's captivating meditation on art and love, British writer James Miller meets a beautiful gallery owner in Tuscany and begins -- or possibly continues -- a romance with her. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $1,337,384

Watch the trailer on IMDB

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Review of last week's film (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, 3.5 stars)Steven says: I can't speak to the cultural meaning behind the film. It is a satire that only those familiar with Romania will fully comprehend. However, the story line is readily accessible and relatable. It centers on healthcare, or lack thereof, and how you navigate an overtaxed system with only an ambulance nurse to speak out for you. And when alcoholism is the one trait you always exhibit, how do you get said system to take your health complaints seriously? The length of the film and the pettiness that overtakes the concern for human life leaves you almost as exhausted as the ambulance crew; but it also makes you want to be more aware about the future of our own healthcare system. 

August 1, 2012 - "The Tree" (2010)

The Tree, 2010
Director: Julie Bertuccelli
Origin: France | Australia | Germany | Italy
Language: English
Running time: 100 min

After her husband's sudden death, Dawn must provide for her four kids despite her grief, while young Simone is convinced her father's spirit now lives in a giant fig tree in the yard. But the tree's roots soon threaten the stability of their home. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $71,158

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Review of last week's film (Yi Yi, four stars)Steven says: This is a "let it soak in" film. At nearly three hours, there is a lot to take in, to process, to analyze. It is richly layered with everyday characters dealing with everyday events - school, ailing parents, money-borrowing relatives. It is how their stories intersect and interact that brings larger drama and larger questions. At the film's heart is the question: are you searching for something real in life or something magical? In the end, it seems that the magic is unattainable and even harmful, unless you give yourself over to something real first. I'm still thinking about it though, so these ideas may not hold true tomorrow.

March 28, 2012 - "Inch' Allah Dimanche" (2001)

Inch' Allah Dimanche, 2001
Director: Yamina Benguigui
Origin: France | Algeria
Languages: Arabic | French
Running time: 98 min

French-Algerian director Yamina Benguigi brings us the passionate story of an immigrant struggling against old world traditions. Zouina (Fjeria Deliba) leaves her homeland with her three children to join her husband in France, where he's been living for the past 10 years. In a land and culture foreign to her, Zouina struggles against her mother-in-law's tyrannical hand and her husband's distrustful bitterness as she adjusts to her life in exile.  (from Netflix.com)

Watch the trailer on YouTube.

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Review of last week's film ("When We Leave", 4 stars)Steven says: Great acting from the lead actress and a heartbreaking story line about families choosing between a daughter or the "community." Not easily forgettable.

February 1, 2012 - "Army of Crime" (2009)

Army of Crime, 2009
Director: Robert Guediguian
Origin: France
Languages: French | German
Running time: 139 min

This gripping historical drama recounts the story of Armenian-born Missak Manouchian (Simon Abkarian), a woodworker and political activist who led an immigrant laborer division of the Parisian Resistance on 30 operations against the Nazis in 1943. The Nazis branded the group an Army of Crime, an anti-immigrant propaganda stunt that backfired as the team's members became martyrs for the Resistance. Virginie Ledoyen co-stars as Manouchian's wife. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $35,416

Watch the trailer at IMDB.

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Review of last week's film, "Alamar" (3.5 stars)
Steven says: As one of the movie's song lyrics says, "I'm not in a hurry to get there." That's the pace of the film, which allows you to really drink in this slow moving lifestyle of the fishermen in the movie. The stunning cinematography showcases the Banco Chinchorro coral reef, while the minimalist storyline pays homage to the lessons passed from father to son.

November 2, 2011 - "Leaving" (2009)

Leaving, 2009
Director: Catherine Corsini
Origin: France
Language: French
Running time: 85 minutes

Bored with her life of leisure, Suzanne (Kristin Scott Thomas) decides to reestablish her career as a physiotherapist. But first, she'll need an office ... and that's where her troubles begin in this drama from Catherine Corsini. As soon as Suzanne meets the man her husband hired to construct her backyard office, she falls hard -- and the attraction is mutual ... and dangerous. Sergi López and Yvan Attal co-star. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Not rated
U.S. box office: $174,694

Watch the trailer at IMDB.

October 19, 2011 - "Of Gods and Men" (2010)

Of Gods and Men, 2010
Director: Xavier Beauvois
Origin: France
Languages: Arabic | French
Running time: 122 minutes

Awarded Grand Prix honors at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, this compelling historical drama relates the ordeal of seven French Trappist monks in the mountains of Algeria who are taken captive by Islamic fundamentalists. Before the monks' abduction, they have ample reason to believe they may be in danger, but their assumption that there can and must be common ground between Islam and Christianity leads them to remain at the monastery. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: PG-13 For a momentary scene of startling wartime violence, some disturbing images and brief language
U.S. box office: $3,954,651

Watch the trailer at IMDB.

August 31, 2011 - "White Material" (2009)

White Material, 2009
Director: Claire Denis
Origin: France | Cameroon
Language: French
Running time: 106 minutes

This is the second of two films we are screening by director Claire Denis.

Writer-director Claire Denis returns to Africa -- her childhood home and the site of her 1988 film, Chocolate -- to spin this tale of a country torn apart by civil war, as African soldiers force French nationals to abandon their land. At the center of the story is Maria (Isabelle Huppert), a white woman who ignores her family's fears and steadfastly refuses to leave her coffee plantation. Isaach De Bankolé and Christopher Lambert also star. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Not rated
U.S. box office: $302,819

More information about Claire Denis (on RottenTomatoes.com).

See the trailer at IMDB.

August 24, 2011 - "35 Shots of Rum" (2007)

35 Shots of Rum, 2007
Director: Claire Denis
Origin: France | Germany
Languages: French | German
Running time: 100 minutes

This heartfelt slice-of-life drama by filmmaker Claire Denis tells the story of widower Lionel (Alex Descas), a train driver, and his grown daughter, Sophie (Mati Diop). The two spend most of their time together, but change is in the cards. A neighbor (Grégoire Colin) becomes attracted to Sophie, a family friend retires and Lionel tries to maintain a friendship with his ex-girlfriend (Nicole Dogue). (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: PG
U.S. box office: $177,511

More information about Claire Denis.

See the trailer at IMDB.