French Cinema Now

One of my favorite film events of the year, the fourth annual French Cinema Now, is starting tomorrow. Venerable actresses like Emmanuelle Devos, Audrey Tautou and Cecile de France are all starring in new works so I'm quite quite excited. To add more fun actor Mathieu Amalric also directed a modern adaption of a 17th century play.

 Audrey Tautou in "Beautiful Lies."

Audrey Tautou stars in the light romantic comedy "Beautiful Lies." She plays Emilie, a meddling hair salon owner in the south of France. After she receives an anonymous love letter, she decides to doctor up her mom's (Nathalie Baye) pitiful love life by sending the same mots doux. It's a bit predictable but you can guess the requisite mistaken identities and embarrassments that ensue. The slapstick elements invoked by Tautou worked in the first part but it seemed too much by the end. Still, I enjoyed it and the actor Sami Bouajila carried an elegant air of dignity throughout the film.

"Le Havre" by Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki."Le Havre" is easily one of the favorites of the film festival. Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki does a brilliant job of juxtaposing a gorgeous, retro style amidst modern-day society. Down and out shoe shiner Marcel stumbles across a young African stowaway and tries to keep him from the authorities. Full of sly, deadpan humor and familiar faces (André Wilms and Kati Outinen), this is a sheer joy to watch. This film also won the FIPRESCI award at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

A scene from Mathieu Amalric's "The Screen Illusion."Working with talented members of the Comédie Française, Mathieu Amalric gives a fresh, modern twist to "The Screen Illusion," an adaptation to Pierre Corneille’s play, L'Illusion Comique. Set in present-day Paris, the entire film is presented in its alexandrine couplet format (no easy feat). A distraught father employs a mysterious hotel concierge to locate his long lost son, Clindor, and along the way we get to witness his son's misadventures as he pursues Isabelle, his romantic interest.

 French Cinema Now: October 27 – November 2

Info and tickets: www.sffs.org/Screenings-and-Events/Fall-Season-2011/French-Cinema-Now.aspx

Comments

[Carolyn Jung]

I adore Audrey Tautou! I can imagine her as a wacky hair dresser, too. She add charm to any role she tackles.

[Tami]

I love Tautou. I must have seen Amelie a dozen times. I can practically recite certain lines by heart. :P