French Film Fest: The Master List. (Just add wine.)

It all started with Joyeux Noël.

I watched it in January, fell in love, and decided I was missing out by not watching more foreign films.

Anton Tchékhov 1890 followed, seen in a Novosibirsk theater (Russian-dubbed), and then later in the summer I rented a few films advertised in the theater’s own French film festival. Add to that an upcoming trip to Paris, plus free Saturday evenings when I was good for nothing but staring at a screen … and suddenly I was hooked on French films.

Wine and chocolate helped a bit.

In any case, it’s been a great time, and such wealth must not go unshared. Below, you’ll find a (continually updated) list of the films I’ve watched in my own personal “French film fest,” along with a blurb about the plot, a rating, and a few quick thoughts of my own.

(Ratings: loved it, liked it, meh ok.)

Once you’ve picked a title, go pop a cork, watch your film … and come back to let me know what you think!

***

Joyeux Noël

2005 – Drama – History – “loved it”

This is the story of the unofficial Christmas truce of December 1914, as seen through the eyes of French, Scottish, and German soldiers on the Western Front.

What can I say about this film? For me, it was perfect. Drama, humor, music, multiple languages, people treating each other as fellow human beings in spite of war, fear and mistrust.

It’s not all sentiment and happy little rainbows, though. I spent the last 20 minutes of this film crying my eyes out. Sensitive souls be warned.

Watch the Joyeux Noël trailer here.

Anton Tchékhov 1890

2015 – Biography – Drama – “liked it”

This biopic of the famous Russian writer Anton Chekhov (one of my favorites!) focuses on his life from 1890 — the year he went to Sakhalin — until he begins to show signs of tuberculosis.

I watched the Russian dub, which was rather a shame, because I missed so much of the dialogue. On the other hand, even just by watching the actors and the scenes I felt transported into a Russia of long ago, into the (re-imagined) life of one of my favorite writers. I was in love. I think I’ll have to watch it again, this time with English subtitles.

The only thing I didn’t like was Lika. I constantly wanted to slap her and pull her out of the film.

Watch the French-language Anton Tchékhov 1890 trailer here.

The French Minister   (Quai d’Orsay)

2013 – Comedy – “liked it”

Freshly graduated from the National School of Administration, Arthur Vlaminck gets a job as a speechwriter for the French minister of Foreign Affairs. As it turns out, he has his work cut out for him, with difficult colleagues and his boss’s ever-changing demands.

This was a difficult movie for me, as much of the humor is verbal and I had trouble keeping up with the fast-paced subtitles. Even so, it was hilarious, and I’d take a difficult comedy like this over an empty-headed American comedy any day.

For some reason, the most memorable part for me was the scene with the bad highlighter. And all the scenes with the flying papers.

Watch the French Minister trailer here.

What’s in a Name?   (Le prénom)

2012 – Comedy – Drama – “loved it”

In a nutshell: a father-to-be announces his choice of a baby name to his family, and all hell ensues.

This was the French film that sealed the deal for me and got me started in earnest on this film fest. Not because it was a masterpiece, but because it hit the right spot at the right time.

I can’t go into too much detail with it, or else I’ll end up spoiling it for you … but this movie went in directions I never anticipated. I was expecting pure comedy; what I got was a mix of uproarious laughter with some cringeworthy moments that danced on the edge of spoiling the movie (but never did). A good comedy/drama reflection on the complexities of family relationships.

Watch the What’s in a Name? trailer here.

The Intouchables

2011 – Biography – Comedy – Drama – “liked it”

French “aristocrat” Philippe, paralyzed from the neck down in a paragliding accident, hires Driss, an ex-con from the projects, to be his caregiver. Hijinks ensue.

I watched this one twice — first in Russian, then in French with subtitles. The first time, it might as well have been a different movie. I missed so much of the drama and humor, which is more often than not communicated verbally. Lesson: always watch these things in French, if possible, with subtitles.

It’s a heartwarming movie, though not overly sentimental — there was plenty of edgy humor to offset any “sentimental” moments. Best part? Omar Sy was hilarious as Driss. Every time he smiled I couldn’t help but smile a little myself. Definitely worth a watch.

Watch the Intouchables trailer here.

Amélie   (Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain)

2001 – Comedy – Romance – “liked it/loved it”

A café waitress with a super-active imagination sets out to “fix” the lives of the people around her, but struggles to pluck up the courage to make her own dreams a reality.

I had to do a double-rating on this one, because on the one hand, I loved the cinematography, the fanciful story, and the characters … but on the other hand, sex scenes in movies tend to annoy me, and there were a number of ridiculous ones. Kind of humorous and kind of eyeroll-inducing.

Watch the Amélie trailer here.

Alphaville

1965 – Science Fiction – Noir – “meh ok”

Lemmy Caution, an American detective, arrives in the futuristic city of Alphaville in search of a missing person. As he investigates, he begins to uncover the disturbing reality of life in this “perfect” totalitarian society that allows no self-expression.

It’s a fascinating movie, and I particularly liked the bits celebrating the importance of poetry. Still, it was a bit too dark and intense for me. Maybe the dystopia was too real and plain, delivered without any of the comforting forward-action and fanfare of today’s dystopia films. It reached so far into my head that I felt like I needed to detox my mind afterward.

Watch the Alphaville trailer here.

Monsieur Vincent

1947 – Biography – Drama – History – “loved it”

The title character of the film, St. Vincent de Paul, sets out to serve the poor, whom he calls his masters. However, the task isn’t simple, nor romantic — Vincent runs into plenty of resistance, not only from the rich and powerful, but also from the people who join his mission and even the poor themselves.

This movie was a prayer experience for me, which is much of the reason why I loved it so much. Vincent’s openness to the guidance of the Spirit, his dedication to his mission, and his insistence on treating the poor with dignity (speaking their names, looking them in the face) were very inspiring to me. It echoed in my soul when Louise de Marillac and the other sisters claimed they simply couldn’t do it anymore, that they couldn’t love such people, that they were afraid of the poor. Such thoughts have been haunting me, lately, as well.

I had to lie back on the sofa afterward and just absorb everything for a while.

Le Silence de la Mer

1949 – Drama – War – “loved it”

During the Nazi occupation of France, an idealistic German soldier comes to live with an elderly Frenchman and his niece — both of whom refuse to talk to him or even look at him.

As you might expect from the title (“the silence of the sea”), this is a very quiet and intense film. Despite the war label, there are no battle scenes, nor is there any physical violence at all. All the intensity is psychological, as you listen to the German soldier wax poetic about his love of France and his dreams of France and Germany coming together in a Beauty and the Beast-like marriage. It’s as fascinating as it is disturbing. We, the viewers, know his dreams to be empty. With his hosts we sit silent, horrified by his self-delusion. When the inevitable disillusionment comes, it’s crushing. It’s amazing how much you grow to sympathize with this soldier over the course of the film, even as what he says repulses you.

The narrator of the film, the old man, tells us from the start what the ending will be … but in fact there’s no true closure. What really happened to the soldier? What did he decide to do, when he left their house? The film confirms nothing — we have only the old man’s assumptions.

I can’t stop thinking about this film. Highly recommended.

Jean de Florette

1986 – Drama – “loved it”

When an idealistic man from the city inherits land in Provence, the neighboring landowner and his nephew sabotage the spring (the land’s only water source) in order to ruin him and force him to sell.

I wasn’t expecting much from this film, based on the rather uninspiring description on IMDb. After a friend’s gentle nudge, though, I gave it a shot — and wow, have I been missing out.

This film was beautiful and ugly in all the right ways. From the moment you hear the opening theme, Verdi’s “La forza del destino,” you know it’s not going to end well. I tried to be detached, but it was hard not to fall in love with the idealistic charm and simple faith of the title character, Jean. It was even harder to watch his neighbors’ deceptions, along with his own misplaced trust, transform his idealism into a fatal naiveté.

Even more interesting was the figure of the landowner’s nephew, who does most of the dirty work. His conscience bothers him. You can see it flaring up now and then, only to be smothered at once by his calculating uncle. I hate him as much as I pity him. And now I must see part 2.

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The Chorus (Les choristes)

2004 – Drama – Music – “liked it”

Up for Love (Un homme à la hauteur)

2016 – Romantic Comedy – “liked it”

Marguerite

2015 – Drama – Music – “loved it”

War of the Buttons (La guerre des boutons)

2011 – Drama – Family – “loved it”