News & Events > French film reviews > DVD
 Bofinger - Paris Beautiful poppies near Antibes Lyon life - a tranquil setting onion johnnies of Roscoff street performance - Aix en Provence Camargue horses Rue Mercier - Lyon Ancient millhouse - Vernon Brancion countryside |
DVD
DVDs - French movies with English subtitles
Paris, Je T’aime Stories of love from the heart of the city A Paris extravaganza with eighteen very different genre of mini movie takes on the city by separate directors. Stories are set in Montmartre, Quais de Seine, Le Marias, Tuileries, Loin de 16th, Porte de Choisy, Bastille, Place des Victoires, Tour Eiffel, Parc Monceau, Quartier des Enfants Rouges, Place des Fête, Pigalle, Quartier de la Madeleine, Père La-Lachaise, Faubourg Saint-Denis, Quartier Latin, 14th Arrondissement. 4.5 / 5 comment on this movie The Last Metro A tension filled love story/drama set in Nazi occupied France, with the engaging Gerard Depardieu and French Starlet Catherine Deneuve. Filmed in 1980 centred in a small theatre, where gentile owner Marion Steiner (Catherine) launches a new play staring actor Bernard Granger (Gerard) to keep the theatre going and protect her Jewish husband Lucas (Heinz Bennent) who is hiding there in the cellar. 4 / 5 comment on this movie Frenchtwist The marriage of Laurent (Alain Chabat) and Loli (Victoria Abril) is set on its head, when Marijo’s (Josiane Balasko) accidentally enters their lives in this entertaining comedy. Laurent long term womanizer has to deal with the intimate relationship that develops between the two women. 4 / 5 comment on this movie Le Bonheur est dans le pre (Happiness is in the Field) “Life is like a box of pâté and you're the duck” Not only does the health of husband and family man Francois Bergeade (Michel Serrault), take a turn for the worse, but he is scorned by his family, his toilet-seat business is going down the drain and the tax man is on his tail. As the result of being mistaken for a ‘missing person’ in a TV Show, however, his life suddenly changes. 3.5 / 5 comment on this movie Milou en Mai A comedy/ drama/farce set in May 1968, in a French village, following the death of the Vieuzac family matriarch. Her funeral and the settling of the estate, bring family members to the country house where she lived with the eldest son, aristocrat (Michel Piccoli). Everyone wants to sell except Milou and as a decision is reached, secrets are uncovered and personalities revealed. Politics and strikes upset the arrangements against a backdrop of charming countryside photography. 4 / 5 comment on this movie Jean de Florette reviewed 19.11.08 Beautifully set in a simple French Provence village and surrounding country side in the 1930s. Another successful pairing of Gerard Depardieu as city-dweller Jean de Florette who inherits a rural property and Daniel Auteuil, the easily led next door land owner, Ugolin with Yves Montand as his uncle. Nephew and uncle seal over Jean’s natural spring to drive him away, with dire consequences. The tragic ending of the bafta film award winner, cries out for revenge. It comes in the form of Manon of the Spring. 4.5 / 5 comment on this movie Manon des Sources – Jean de Florette Part 2 The tragic story continues in Provence, where Manon (Emmanueolle Beart), daughter of Jean de Florette who died so appallingly, is now a beautiful young woman shepherdess. Manon plots to avenge his death with dire consequences for Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil) and Le Papet (Yves Montand). 4/5 comment on this movie Tatie Danielle – Auntie Danielle At the heart of this dark comedy is the appalling behaviour of 82 year old Tatie Danielle (Tsilla Charlton). She makes the life of her elderly housekeeper a misery through nasty words and actions and then does the same to her nephew and his wife and children in Paris when she moves in with them following the accidental death of the housekeeper (poor old soul fell off a ladder cleaning a chandelier at the insistence of Tatie). Tatie pretends to be ill and plays tricks on everybody, till she meets her match when the family goes on holiday and a young woman is employed to look after her. Also staring Catherine Jacob, Isabelle Nanty, Neige Dolsky and Eric Prat. 4/5 comment on this movie 36 Quay Des Orfèvres reviewed 19.11.08 Fast moving Paris set modern thriller pits Daniel Auteuil as Leo Vrinks and Gerard Depardieu as Denis Klein. Klein heads the Search and Action Squad and Vrinks the Anti-Crime Unit. The story sees the two clash in their separate bids to catch a violent local gang. A good plot with some heartbreaking moments. 4.5 / 5 comment on this movie Un Secret This 2007 production is set mainly in Paris, following the second world war. The autobiographical story by Philippe Grimbert, follows the effect of Nazi occupation, on a Jewish family. Weaving events of the past in colour, with the present in black and white, the story unfolds through the eyes of Francois as a child and as an adult. Francois is superbly played at aged seven by Valentine Vigout, aged 14 and fifteen, by Quentin Dubuis and as an adult, by Mathieu Amalric. A sinister undercurrent prevails alongside the passionate relationship of Cecile de France (Tania, mother of Francois) and Patrick Bruel (Maxime, father of Francois). Also starring, Laudivind Sagnier and Julie Depardieu. 4/5 comment on this movie Children of the Marshlands Les Enfants du Marais A story of friendships set on the Marshlands of rural France between the World wars. Garris (Jacques Gamblin) a returning soldier from the WW1 helps neighbour Riton (Jacques Villeret), a likeable drinker with a needy young family. The gentle story with a happy ending evolves around their interactions with Amedee (a romantic dreamer), Pepe (a now wealthy ex marsh dweller), a boxer and Riton’s little girl Cri Cri who as an adult tells the tale as a flashback. Some areas drag a little but in general it’s a very pretty, pleasing film. 4/5 May 2010 comment on this movie |