ENTRE LES MURS ("The Class")

I saw it a while back, this little French film, but failed to put it on record. My friend Hot Pocket recently joined the WGA and gets a couple perks like film screenings free of charge--cha-ching (that's the sound of my wallet smiling). And she knew this film, which won the 2008 Palme d'Or at Cannes, would be just the right one for me, Francophile Extraordinaire.

ENTRE LES MURS, literally "Between the Walls" (though the wide-release title is "The Class"), displays the relationship between a group of students in a low-performing high school and their teacher. It centralises on the lives they live "between the walls" of the classroom--and the elements of these lives that are only visible between the lines, to the hyper-observant, in the words unsaid. The film's message is universally relevant, because it shares a compendium of stories that play out daily in schools across France and the world. Education is in peril, this film seems to say--but so are the people who impart it.

In watching ENTRE LES MURS, you can't help but note how the educational system is simultaneously corrosive and constructive. No one is ever 100% right--not the students, not the teachers--and neither is the system itself, neither in design nor in implementation. Eventually, society pays for it. In one way, it frustrated me, because it makes that aspirational fight for educational equality seem so worthless. "These kids will never make it." Both the instructors in the movie and I at different moments thought it. And then I would feel guilty. You see, I mentor at a middle school in a dodgy part of Fire City...so shouldn't I think every kid has the potential to "make it"? And if I don't...am I a hypocrite?

M.Marin, our central character, played by the man who wrote the book upon which this film is based, seems to ponder the same. And I think watching him struggle to handle these bad students--and then watching him handle them badly--might make people take note that teaching, working in education and working with kids is all hard stuff. Whether they're in the dodgy end of town or much further up the street, who knows if they'll make it? It's a crap shoot. The class in this film, played so brilliantly by a host of non-actors (all the students in the film are actual students at the high school depicted--and in fact, the majority of parents played themselves, too), is a crap shoot, too. Are they acting in just one more long-winded, slice-of-life French film...or are they going to reverberate off the walls and slowly effect the world?

plot: Pubescent students are a handful.
thought: At least they can act.
in five: 3.5/5

learn a little (in french): http://www.entrelesmurs-lefilm.fr/site/

learn a little (en anglais): http://www.sonyclassics.com/theclass/

AFI Wrap-Up

Despite my rabid posting, I saw a surprisingly small number of movies during AFI Fest 2008. That's right, I saw a total of...three. Blame Halloween, the elections, and everything else that happened the first week of this month. But here are the two that I liked most, and five facts about them.

UN CONTE DE NOEL (website)
1. translation: "A Christmas Tale"
2. director: Arnaud Desplechin
3. stars: Catherine Deneuve, Mathieu Almaric (also in 007), Emmanuelle Devos
4. premiered: Last May in France; this weekend in the US
5. awards to date: One nomination - Palme d'Or at Cannes 2008

KISSES (article)
1. filmed in: Ireland, Sweden
2. director: Lance Daly
3. why we liked it: Five reasons - 1)The two kids are cute; 2)The bad world in which they live begs our compassion; 3)The use of color or lack thereof to intensify the mood; 4)The unshakable sense of hope; 5)It's kind of funny
4. awards to date: Two - Won "Best Irish Feature" and "Best Irish Feature Film" (what's the difference, exactly?) at the 2008 Galway Film Fleadh
5. when you get to see it: Oh, if only I knew....

So there you have it; the AFI Film Festival. You're welcome. No, but seriously; next year I'll (try to) do better.

--letop5

tres cool: ENTRE LES MURS [AFI Preview]

Enter the star of the festival. ENTRE LES MURS, or THE CLASS (or literally "Between the Walls"), is the film adaptation of an award-winning novel written by and based on the real-life teaching experiences of François Bégaudeau, a French journalist who played literature teacher for a short time in an inner city middle school in Paris. Interestingly, Bégaudeau is also a movie critic for the French version of Playboy. So what exactly was he teaching these children?

The director, Laurent Cantet, won the Golden Palm (Palm d'Or, the highest prize) at the 2008 Cannes Film festival in May, hence the acclaim of AFI getting a hold of this great film so quickly. Definitely the one I'm most interested in viewing, and definitely going to be a packed showing.

Buy your tickets after reading a few words from AFI:

Laurent Cantet, already a hero to cineastes for his class-strife studies TIME OUT and HEADING SOUTH, breaks into the international spotlight with this Palme d'Or-winning story of Francois who, along with his fellow teachers, is preparing for a new year at a high school in a tough Parisian neighborhood. Armed with the best intentions, these teachers brace themselves against the inevitable discouragement. Can they give their students the best education possible in an unfriendly environment? THE CLASS powerfully presents one high school as a microcosm of contemporary France, with its sometimes explosive cultural and class differences. But this is also a film about everyday heroism. By creating an atmosphere that's neither stuffy nor severe, expecting the highest performance from his students and providing them with the kind of honesty they need and deserve but only rarely encounter, Francois demands success from his students. Of course, faced with the rising standards, some students rebel … Based on the autobiographical novel by Francois Begaudeau, THE CLASS's immediacy and intimacy arises from its use of real students and teachers and from carefully deployed video cameras, which give the story its gritty, street-level feel. And this startling, inspiring story shows Paris like we've never seen it before.

The trailer (in French): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz5svwJqoVU

Press conference with the director (in French):

Entre les murs - Conf de presse
Uploaded by CANNES_LEXPRESS_STUDIOMAG

The film's website (oh, and you guessed it; it's also in French): http://www.entrelesmurs-lefilm.fr/site/

tres cool: L'HEURE D'ETE [AFI Preview]

Did I say Catherine Deneuve was the female Depardieu? I might correct myself and say Juliette Binoche is fast becoming him. But seeing her earlier this year in DANS PARIS, reminded me how much I like her, even if she is a bit...over-worked, we'll say, and that's why I'm looking forward to SUMMER HOURS. Even better news: this one's a comedy. Well, it's a French comedy.

IMDB says, "Two brothers and a sister witness the disappearance of their childhood memories when they must relinquish the family belongings to ensure their deceased mother's succession." But for a more flourishing synopsis, here are a few words from AFI:

Hélène (Edith Scob) gathers her children and grandchildren at her French country estate to celebrate her 75th birthday. Their gift of a tricky-to-use mobile phone, however, seems to symbolize the 21st-century pressures that are closing in on her precious way of life. The growing sense the exquisite Hélène—the niece of a famous artist—has of her own mortality leads her to bequeath her most valuable artwork and furniture to her closest family: her eldest son Frédéric (Charles Berling), daughter Adrienne (Juliette Binoche) and brother Jérémie (Jérémie Renier). Director Olivier Assayas’s gently beautiful meditation on connection and loss traces the journey of one family’s treasures from their home to their final resting place in glass cases, where they receive only the passing consideration of museumgoers (like Hou Hsiao-hsien’s FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON [AFI FEST ’07], SUMMER HOURS was commissioned by the Musée d’Orsay to celebrate its 20th anniversary). As he did in his LATE AUGUST, EARLY SEPTEMBER, Assayas uses elliptical jumps in time and unexpected shifts in perspective to tell an ensemble story in oblique, multilayered fashion. Gradually, carefully, Assayas shows how family ties, even in decent and affectionate families, inevitably erode over time. The haunting late-afternoon melancholy is well served by Eric Gautier’s fluid camera and, combined with Assayas’s confident, inventive storytelling, makes SUMMER HOURS a bittersweet elegy about love and memory and the ways in which we hold them.

Trailer (in French): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzLvHaE64cQ

tres cool: UN CONTE DE NOEL [AFI Preview]

This is the movie I'm second most excited about seeing at this year's festival, among the French entries. Not only does it feature the female counterpart to Gerard Depardieu (that would be Catherine Deneuve, appearing in almost every French film in the past two years, even the animated ones), but it co-stars Mathieu Amalric (of last year's depressing but beautiful LE SCAPHANDRE ET LE PAPILLON, which I saw but about which I apparently failed to write), it's directed by Desplechin AND it opened at the New York Film Festival earlier this month to favorable reviews.

Frankly, given the above, I don't care what it's about. But for those who might, here are a few words from AFI:

AFI FEST honoree Arnaud Desplechin (LA SENTINELLE, MY SEX LIFE … OR HOW I GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT, KINGS AND QUEEN) has demonstrated a knack for working with ensemble narratives. His latest is set during a bittersweet holiday season, when three generations of the Vuillard family gather at their home for what may be the last time. The matriarch, Junon (played with witty cool by Catherine Deneuve), has been stricken by a rare genetic condition. And her adult children, Henri (Mathieu Amalric from MUNICH), Elizabeth (Anne Consigny) and Ivan (Melvil Poupaud of DIARY OF A SEDUCER, BROKEN ENGLISH), and their wives and girlfriends, played by Desplechin regular Emmanuelle Devos and Chiara Mastroianni, are all at each other’s throats, replaying long-simmering resentments about financial misdeeds and thwarted romance. Desplechin mixes and matches dark comedy, psychological anguish and philosophical speculation, creating a world both entertaining and unpredictable. He renders the interaction between characters—their frivolous games, seething resentments and frustrations—so vividly that they seem as familiar as people in our own lives.

And here's the trailer (English version): http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi979632153/

tres cool: L'AIMEE + LA VIE DES MORTS [AFI Preview]

The only thing better than getting to see a movie for free in Fire City is...well, nothing. Maybe getting free popcorn, too? But another treat that ain't half mauvais is getting to see two movies for the price of one. During AFI, I'll get that chance--and so will you, if you buy a ticket to see these two films from Arnaud Desplechin, the great director behind the Emmanuelle Devos starrer ROIS ET REINE as well as LEO, EN JOUANT DANS LA COMPAGNIE DES HOMMES, and another 2008 AFI premiere, UN CONTE DE NOEL.

A few words from AFI:

Two lesser-known works by the master of contemporary French cinema showcase his versatility and explore themes of family and transition: his award-winning debut LA VIE DES MORTS tells the story of a reunion built on a tragedy, and the documentary L'AIMEE reconstructs his own family's past.

Can't find any trailers for these, but regarding L'AIMEE, here's an interview with the director (in French) about the picture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn9-v2qY6fM

AFI Film Fest French Film Schedule

...in chronological order (see below...way below).

There are five French film screenings. Perhaps they heard I was coming. And hence we have--
LETOP5 SUGGESTS FIVE FRENCH FILMS FOR NOVEMBER (alphabetically):
1. A CHRISMAS TALE (UN CONTE DE NOEL) - stars Catherine Deneuve!
2. THE CLASS (ENTRE LES MURS) - won Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival!
3. L'AIMEE + LA VIE DES MORTS - two Desplechin films for the price of one!
4. SUMMER HOURS (L'HEURE D'ETE) - stars a blonde-haired Juliette Binoche!
5. TOKYO! - part one was directed by Michel Gondry!

The AFI show dates and screening times, alas, do overlap here and there, but that's nothing that can't be remedied with some scheduling. You will see them all if you want to, trust.
- A CHRISTMAS TALE shows: Sunday, Nov 2 at 6.45pm & Friday, Nov 7 at 7.30pm
- THE CLASS shows: Sunday, Nov 2 at noon & Saturday, Nov 8 at 10pm
- L'AIMEE and LA VIE DES MORTS shows: Sunday, Nov 2 at 12.45pm
- SUMMER HOURS shows: Saturday, Nov 1 at 3pm & Wednesday, Nov 5 at 7pm
- TOKYO! shows: Saturday, Nov 1 at 3pm & Saturday, Nov 8 at 9.30pm

That is confusing. Well, to satiate your inner croissant-loving francophile, letop5 suggests the following schedule:
1. See TOKYO on Saturday, Nov 1st at 3pm.
2. See L'AIMEE + LA VIE DES MORTS on Sunday, Nov 2nd at noon forty-five.
3. See NOEL on Sunday, Nov 2nd at 7pm.
4. See SUMMER on Wednesday, Nov 5th at 7pm.
5. See CLASS on Saturday, Nov 8th at 10pm.

Voila. Now let me figure out what each of these movies is about. If they're showing at the festival, I assume they're "tres cool." But I guess we'll see.

letop5 presents...2008 AFI Film Festival

Clearly, clearly, clearly--and at least from everything that is evident about me from any number of my online haunts--clearly, I am a Francophile. Francophile, cinephile, not a pedophile, maybe a bit of a food-o-phile (otherwise known as a "foodie")...yeah, my vices are evident. Film, food and France, mostly. No porn, just movie trailers.

And hence, AFI Fest is going to be my addiction at the end of the month. Not only does it feature two of my vices (France and film) in tandem, on repeat, for about a week, but it also is mostly showing at the Gritwood ArcLight, and I think we know of a couple not-too-shabby food spots in the area. Baja Fresh, for one! <---That's a joke.

But I'm going to start profiling the French films showing at this year's AFI Fest, should any of you potential readers and perusers be so artistically curious. If you read about one you like, holla at a girl, 'cause you better believe I'll be ready to see it. For starters, here's a tip for you:

- See THE CLASS (en fait, il s'appelle ENTRE LES MURS) with UCLA Extension: http://www.uclaextension.edu/emailblasts/9461A.html

We'll be in touch.

NE LE DIS A PERSONNE

I love Guillaume Canet. He can do no wrong. NE LE DIS A PERSONNE (or TELL NO ONE, the English title and actual translation) is the film he directed that swept the French Oscars (Les Cesars) last year. It is suspenseful, almost scary at times, and the story is...mystifyingly mysterious. I liked it a lot.

I've always felt that Canet has a knack for music, I think, since I saw him grooving to slick tunes in ENSEMBLE C'EST TOUT, where he co-starred with Audrey Tatou. I don't know if he chose the music in that movie at all, but since then, I've imagined he has a good musical ear. And in this film, he proves it, justly. The soundtrack, though at times hitting a little on-the-nose, as the French are wont to do, showcases expressive music fitting for every scene of this psychological thriller cumme love story. There are some moments very close to the end, between our lead male and his wife's father, that annoyed me in their Americanness (together, the two tie up all the plot points that we as viewers are wondering about, with a neat little monologue on the father's part that, as a plot device, is irksomely unoriginal), but it's based on an American novel, so I guess that explains it. Plus, the rest of the film was so good--and as a true teller of emotive merit, left me tearful upon close--that I'll forgive Monsieur Canet. Hopefully, he'll come stateside sometime soon to accept said forgiveness in person. 'Cause I can't ship it. It's in my pants. Me-ow!

the plot: "A wife's disappearance finally explained."
the thought: "Come and get it, Canet...."
in five: 3.5/5 (I grudgingly dock half a point for that monologue)

tell someone: http://www.tellno-one.com/

COLCOA Film Festival

COLCOA stands for "City of Lights, City of Angels," and it's my favorite film festival of the year in Fire City--officially, I just decided--because it's the French Film Festival. Offering a fanfare of world, US, California and Los Angeles premieres, COLCOA graced me this year with two films "tres attendus" (that means "very awaited"): Cedric Klapisch's PARIS and Claude Lelouch's ROMAN DE GARE, the latter of which I'd missed seeing while living in Paris. I also caught Jan Kounen's latest mean feature, 99 FRANCS, and saw the slightly bland but harmless comedy, LA VIE D'ARTISTE. In order, from love to "bof" (that means "whatever"), I rate them....

1. J'adore ROMAN DE GARE. It's the film that introduced me to the genius of Claude Lelouch, the French director who has been making films for 50 years--who has made 41 films to date--and sadly whose films, for some reason, I hadn't previously seen. It beautifully combines four major film genres (psychological thriller, romantic comedy, drama and mystery...and AWESOME!) and keeps you guessing right up to it's suddenly cliche but somehow still delightful conclusion.
PLOT: Nothing is what you expect. (Vague, but that's the plot.)
THOUGHT: Start thinking and enjoy it.
IN FIVE: 4.5/5

2. Je veux achete 99 FRANCS. This film is dark, twisty and wonderful, right from its greasy opening shots: move from fabulous overblown street advert, to man attempting suicide (and succeeding), to washed up ad exec recovering from a bad drug trip--and the journey has just begun. It hates the ad industry it extols from start to finish, and it isn't scared to stab itself in the eye. And I don't even know what that means, but that's the truth. Oh, and the soundtrack was off the hook.
PLOT: Everything is definitely for sale.
THOUGHT: Might as well buy it.
IN FIVE: 4.5/5

3. Comme la ville soi-meme, PARIS m'a vraiment boulverse. Maybe that's because I'd wanted to see it for so long. I first caught the trailer from the L'AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE director about two months ago online, and I'll admit, it made me cry. I longed to go back to that city the minute she appeared on scene. And naturally, the film lived up to the fantasm (is that a word?) of images I'd conjured in my head based on the romantic trailer alone. Like a bittersweetly un-violent version of CRASH, Oscar winner of '06, PARIS pans a city and its regulars with an unflinching eye, catching them at their best, their worst, their most alive. And yes, it made me cry. Again, great music.
PLOT: There is nowhere like here.
THOUGHT: So can I get there?
IN FIVE: 4.5/5 (notice a trend? perfection is hard to attain)


4. Je ne veux pas etre coincee dans LA VIE D'ARTISTE. No thank you. The one "bof" of the weekend, the Fitoussi film chronicled the sadly depressing lives of a number of struggling artists fumbling towards failed ecstasy in the City of Lights. That's not why I wasn't that intrigued--I can deal with a depressing movie, don't worry--it's simply this film...had no salt, no spark. It was a little typical, a little too French. It was a cornucopia with no fruit. And again, I don't know exactly what that means, but it's the truth.
PLOT: Being famous is mostly luck.
THOUGHT: The rest is probably fruit.
IN FIVE: 2.5/5

THE FESTIVAL: http://www.colcoa.org/2008/home/index.asp

THE FILMS (in the order i saw them):
99 francs - http://www.99francs-lefilm.com/
roman de gare - http://www.lesfilms13.com/romandegare/
paris - http://www.lefilm-paris.com/
la vie d'artiste - http://www.hautetcourt.com/fiche.php?pkfilms=129

HALF NELSON

http://www.halfnelsonthefilm.com/
plot : My teacher is a pusher.
thought : Not only in the 'hood.

The motivation to see this film was simple : what's that Ryan Gosling up to ? HALF NELSON garnered the once-NOTEBOOK star an Oscar nomination. I wanted to see why. From the poster, I figured he went into some project neighborhood and changed the lives of a few students, in a DANGEROUS MINDS meets SAVE THE LAST DANCE kind of way.

Sometimes I think I should start reading film synopses before watching the film.

For starters, the film is about a teacher named Dan DUNNE (Gosling) with a heavy drug problem who needs someone to step in and change his life. Gosling plays the part well, though I must admit I'm not quite sure why he got the Oscar nod. (Hollywood star playing a drug addict, does that qualify as acting ?...oh, did I go there ? I went there.) I was surprised, because I only believed him 75% of the time. But then again, when I did believe him, I was truley convinced.

But aside from Gosling--once I figured out the heart of the story, I naturally found it intriguing, because of my own obsession with this subject matter, i.e. the slow descent of an isolated individual under the eyes of a caring society. This happens in many forms : drug use, depression, eating disorders, etc. To see it happen, in this story, to a teacher who actively attempts to serve as a role model about 50% of his day, is very striking. And seeing the relationship this teacher thankfully establishes with one of his students, played by the spot-on young actress Shareeka EPPS (no relation to HOUSE MD's loveable Omar EPPS), renders the story that much more poignant.

Thank goodness for Gosling's Oscar nom, or HALF NELSON may have remained a completely overlooked gem of 2006. Lucky for me, France picked it up off the world market.

NOTE : I was also insanely PSYCHED to bear witness to the wonderful ear-gasm that is this movie's soundtrack. Broken Social Scene from start to finish. Amazing music matched to amazing footage makes for an amazing movie.

Overall rating : 4/5

HARRY POTTER V

http://harrypotter.warnerbros.fr/site/index.html
plot : Young Potter grows a pair.
thought : Guess I'll forgive your horse-humping.

As the fifth installement in the Harry Potter film franchise, HARRY POTTER ET L'ORDRE DU PHENIX (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, non ?) does not disappoint. The action is still building, the story surging forward, becoming darker, as promised, and hence, much more interesting. The biggest change--and a change for the better, I'd say--came from Harry.

In the first Potter film, I really found young Harry quite charming. Cute. Had that little scratch on his little forehead. Winced a lot. But every film since then, he has bored and annoyed me. I think I might be an isolated case, but I've consistently found the supporting cast of each Potter movie more engaging than its principal hero. Harry's mopey attitude made me think Daniel RADCLIFFE was feeling mopey about the contract he signed. But hark and lo and never say never : Phoenix's Harry has changed. Maybe it's just that Radcliffe has rediscovered the character. But perhaps it had something to do with is brief stint on the London stage earlier this year appearing in EQUUS when he humped that horse.

Phoenix's Harry has depth ; he's becoming a man. The film is dark and deals with some subject matter that, frankly, I'm not sure I'd want the original eight-year old Potter crowd to be watching--but this Harry can handle it, and he does. Without feeling too much like a financially-bloated commercial for the upcoming sequel (like a certain PIRATES movie that may or may not have come out summer '06), ORDER OF THE PHOENIX will leave you excited to see the continuation of what is becoming an epic fantasy adventure. And if you know how to read, you already know what happens next ! Lucky.

Overall rating : 4/5

2 DAYS IN PARIS

http://www.rezofilms.com/rezo.html
plot : Meet the very French parents.
thought : Best viewed while speaking Fringlish.

In short, it unrolled like BEFORE SUNRISE (sunset ?), but with more interesting conversation.

In long, Julie Delpy's first stab behind the camera is a more-or-less enjoyable romantic comedy--especially for those who understand all the social nuances between the French and Americans, or even more specifically between Parisians and New Yorkers. I'm not quite that person, but I still followed rather well. What I loved most, in fact--blame me for being an American Studies major and a French minor--was this exchange between two iconic cultures played out through both body and oral language. At turns the film was distinctly French (feathery, pretty, but a bit hard to tolerate) and at other times pointedly American (coarse, complicated, and a bit hard to tolerate). By the end, even though I had laughed a few times and smiled and frowned a bit too, I was glad it was over. Perhaps that's the fault of Adam GOLDBERG and his heavy, heavy New York stereotype. But then again, maybe he was spot on. After all, I've never been to New York.

Overall rating : 3/5 for cultural sensitivity

CASINO ROYALE (rental)

http://www.casinoroyale.fr/
viewed 09 juillet 07

plot : This is how Bond began.
thought : Good action...but not Pierce Brosnan.

Overall rating : 3/5 as a "secret agent guy" movie, 2.5/5 as a Bond movie

LAST KISS (rental)

http://www.lastkissmovie.com/
viewed 09 juillet 07

plot : Just sewing some wild oats.
thought : Romantically light and rather realistic.

Overall rating : 3.5/5

THE LOOKOUT

http://thelookout-movie.com/
plot : How (not) to rob a bank.
thought : Joseph Gordon-Levitt...'nough said.

"What's THE LOOKOUT ?" I thought as I bought my ticket at the local UGC. I'd never heard a thing about it, which made me think it would be bad and that it probably bombed in the States, but since I had recognised Mr. JGL on the poster, I didn't care. JGL is to me what John Cusak was to me about five years ago. Doesn't matter what movie he's in, I'll go. Ever since I first saw JGL in HOLY MATRIMONY opposite Patricia Arquette (hahahaha), I've been interested. I even watched a few episodes of "3rd Rock from the Sun" for him. I couldn't stand more than a few, but for him, it was worth it. And the material he chooses may dissappoint me (ref : 3rd Rock from the Sun), and even his performance may not always be stellar (ref : 3rd Rock from the Sun), but he always has presence, he is always charming, and he always makes me think, "Oh that little JGL, look how far he's come !"

THE LOOKOUT, however, went beyond my expectations. Joseph was fantastic. This is the best role I've seen him play to date, and that's including BRICK. JGL plays a once-golden youth who has suffered a serious head injury, and hence has had most of his promising life stripped from him. A group of local thugs (headed byMatthew GOODE--who played opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Woody Allen's MATCH POINT) trick him into robbing the bank where he works...and then things get sticky as Joseph's character, Chris, tries to get out of it. With strong support from Jeff Daniels and the quickly-but-unfortunately-becoming-forgettable Isla Fisher, the film comes together quite nicely, the tension mounting and continuing to its finish.

Hard to believe it's Scott FRANK's feature directorial debut (he's the writer man behind OUT OF SIGHT and GET SHORTY, as well as THE INTERPRETER and MINORITY REPORT). The film unfolds slowly, at times even feeling slow. But it is beautiful, some of the shots surprising in their artistry. The opening shots especially, undertoned with a great song from a band I don't know (forgot to write it down during the credits), took my breath away.

So America can't handle serious movies about the physically and mentally challenged doing bad things, I guess ? I don't know...I liked it. Maybe it was the JGL factor. But maybe it was actually quite good and unfortunately just overlooked.

Overall rating : 3.5/5

INDECENT PROPOSAL (rental)

web site, hahahaha
plot : Demi Moore does it for money.
thought : IMDB user calls it "repugnant."

Overall rating : 2/5

PERSEPOLIS

http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/persepolis/
plot : A multicultural life in BD.
thought : It's something confusing, coming from.

The only thing better than a cartoon is an intelligent cartoon. And not one of those NewYorker cartoons that has nothing to do with the story that skims its corners. I'm talking about a cartoon with a story, with history, with background and meaning. Just as a person whose life manifests these things suddenly becomes more interesting, a cartoon doing the same does the same.

For a quick history lesson (thank you wikipedia), "Persepolis" is the Greek name for Persa, being the ancient ceremonial capital of the second Iranian dynasty. It is also used to describe the Persian world community, much like "diaspora" has been used, at turns, to discribe the black and the Jewish world community. Persepolis is the name Marjane SATRAPI chose for her comic book or graphic novel (here in France, they're called BDs, for "bande-dessine") which was the precursor to this wonderful film. The film debuted at Cannes this year and won Special Jury Prize. Here in Paris it's been given the largest salle in the UGC movie theatre, and the afternoon I went to see it, it was packed. The French love their BDs. And, like me, the French love films about culture clashes. Perhaps because they have so many.

The story of both the BD and the film centers on Satrapi's life, living in Iran during the war, fleeing Iran to Austria, coming back home for college and eventually moving away, permanently, here to Paris. The story is about coming from, never going to, and for that, I think, it becomes immediately attractive. Satrapi uses her gift for illustration to document her struggle both with and away from Iran, and the result is delightful, at turns poignant and downright sad, but always resonant.

And ps, the music is amazing. From the originally crafted electronic numbers to the classical tracks to the bouts of Iron Maiden, the soundtrack follows the film beautifully.

Obviously, Marjane SATRAPI, the writer and director of this film, is my hero.

Overall rating : 4/5

DELIRIOUS

***avant-premier (that means PRE-OPENING NIGHT SPECIAL SCREENING, BOOOYAH) in the presence of the director himself, Tom DiCillo**

http://www.delirious-lefilm.com/
plot : Homeless boy falls for popstar.
thought : Everyone loves an underdog tale.

Yeh, it's true, I saw the movie here in Paris with Tom DiCillo at the movie theatre. Even asked him a question afterwards. I'm disheartened to say he gave some nebbish, stock response that made me almost immediately dislike this movie because I was disappointed by its director, but don't worrym I recovered. DERLIRIOUS is a great film. And Tom DiCillo is a great director. After watching the trailer, sure, you already know the entire damn movie, so you don't...actually...have to see it, but you should ! Because it's beautiful. And Michael PITT, our homeless, leading male, is brilliant.

The story centers on a struggling actor from Philly who comes out to the city where dreams are made at the price of your soul (that would be Los Angeles, ladies and gents) and ends up volunteering to assist Steve BUSCEMI's character, Les, a "licensed professional photographer" (read : paparazzi). He agrees to help Les snap shots of the stars in exchange for a place to sleep but almost instantaneously falls in love with his first mark, the mysterious and nimble K'harma, played by Allison LOHMAN (who we loved in MATCHSTICK MEN). It's a light romantic comedy but it maintains a beautifully visual and dialogue-centered trajectory, and though it takes some turns you wouldn't expect (keep an eye on that Buscemi), it ends up where the trailer promised it would.

Now about Michael Pitt. You may remember Michael PITT (no relation to the starving Brangelina) from such wonderful recents like the French brother-sister sexfest LES INNOCENTS, i.e. THE DREAMERS (it was intellectual, mind you) or the American mother-son sexfest THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS (it was artistic, mind you)--or you may not. I never saw either, I'm sad to say, but after seeing this movie, I find myself more curious about Michael Pitt. Tom DiCillo said it best himself by recounting that he strove to find an actor that could channel both "homeless, lost youth" and "red carpet movie star" in the same film. He definitely found his man. Will Hollywood open the door for Michael Pitt ? Or should we first wait and see how he does opposite Kiera in SILK (14 september, USA limited) ?

Overall rating : 3/5 (recall my rule about romantic comedies by reading LOVE ET SES PETITS DESASTRES)

DIALOGUE AVEC MON JARDINIER

http://www.marsdistribution.com/xml/flash.html?cfilm=51878
plot : Friendship grows like a garden.
thought : A beautiful portrait of adulthood.

This new film by Jean BECKER caused quite a stir here in France. Receiving the "label des spectateurs" (meaning the "some people you don't know like this film" award) by UGC Cinema, DIALOGUE seemed to first merit attention because Monsieur Becker only makes a film about every five to ten years, and it's usually pretty good. Also, because the two leading males, Daniel AUTEUIL (from hits like LE PLACARD) and Jean-Pierre DARROUSSIN (from the recently reviewed J'ATTENDS QUELQU'UN), are definitely quickly renewing their pass for this year's French screen favorites. But really, I believe the stir came from the fact that this film pulls on the heartstrings in such a pure, breezy, Saturday afternoon "let's go for a walk, oh wow, look at that rainbow" kind of way, as if being sentimental completely on accident, that the French were bascially taken by surprise. I was.

DIALOGUE tells the story of two old friends from childhood reuniting much later in their lives, after one, who has gone on to become a very successful artist painter, hires the other, unbeknownst to him, to be his gardiner. This is the story of friendship that doesn't grow old, that ripens with age, that warms and revitalises life. It is the story of the friendship that everyone of us, even us cynical ones, hope to have. Makes for more than just a snuggly-warm French "bromance." It's lovely and pure, simple as that. Very glad I saw it.

Only complaint was the minimal prescence of women in the film. But I guess that was part of the point.

Overall rating : 3.5/5