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Posts tagged ‘France’

Sep 22

Madame Bovary (2014)

Directed by Sophie Barthes

3 stars

Country doctor Charles Bovary (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) weds Emma (Mia Wasikowska), rescuing her from the stultifying existence that a convent education and life as a farmer’s daughter have decreed for her.

For the unambitious and barely competent Charles, this marriage is an end-point in itself, the limit of his aspirations. However, Emma wishes for much more, and neither Charles nor his modest income will stand in the way of her desire to climb the social ladder. Read more

Sep 12

Gemma Bovery (2014)

Directed by Anne Fontaine

5 stars

From the book by Gustave Flaubert, but more directly from the graphic novel by Posy Simmonds, comes this re-telling of Madame Bovary.

In a quiet village in modern-day Normandy lives baker Martin Joubert (Fabrice Luchini), a former literary editor whose passion for 19th century literature was evidently too exciting for him. His peace of mind is disrupted by the arrival of an English couple, the dour Charles Bovery (Jason Flemyng) and his vivacious wife Gemma (Gemma Arterton). Read more

Sep 7

The New Girlfriend (2014)
Une nouvelle amie

Directed by: François Ozon

2 stars

Claire (Anaïs Demoustier) and Laura grow up as inseparable best friends – a relationship that, at least for Claire, may be more than just platonic. They support each through everything, including marriage, but Laura falls ill and, shortly after giving birth, she dies.

Claire and husband Gilles (Raphäel Personnaz) want to support Laura’s widower David (Romain Duris) and baby Lucie, but when she drops in unexpectedly Claire discovers David dressed as a woman, with more than a passing resemblance to the late Laura. Read more

Oct 20

Nobody Else But You (2011) 
Poupoupidou 

Directed by: Gérald Hustache-Mathieu

4 stars

Blocked crime novelist David Rousseau (Jean-Paul Rouve) finds himself in the small town of Mouthe on the French-Swiss border, where the body of local celebrity weather presenter (and face of Belle de Jura cheese), Candice Lecoeur (Sophie Quinton) has just been found in a snow-covered field in no-man’s land. Read more

Sep 17

Sleepless Night (2011) 
Nuit Blanche

Directed by: Frédéric Jardin

4 stars

Two armed robbers steal a shipment of cocaine from the men delivering it to night-club owning crime lord José.  One of the robbers is stabbed and, worse for him, is identified as Vincent (Tomer Sisley), a police Lieutenant.  The next afternoon, his son is snatched by José, who wants his coke back. Read more

Sep 16

Rebellion (2011)
L’ordre et la morale

Directed by: Matthieu Kassovitz

4 star

1988, New Caledonia, a series of islands in the South Pacific that are legally part of France.  A group of indigenous Kanaks has stormed a police station on one of the islands, killing four gendarmes and taking twenty hostage.  A team of elite GIGN police, led by specialist negotiator Capitaine Legorjus, flies to the islands but, by the time they arrive, the mission has been given to the army who have orders to end the uprising quickly, using any means –  the French presidential elections are underway, and neither candidate can afford to look weak. Read more

Sep 13

Livid (2011) 
Livide

Directed by: Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo

3 stars

Sweet-natured teenager Lucie (Chloé Coulloud) goes to work as an intern for Mme. Wilson (Catherine Jacob), helping to look after house-bound old people.  An injection here, a change of diaper there – the visits are brief.  But Mme. Jessell (Marie-Claude Pietragalla) is different. For a start, she’s been in a coma for decades. Then there’s that seriously creepy house she lives in, with its rumoured hidden treasure.  And last, why is she permanently receiving blood transfusions…? Read more