Tag Archives: french

Coeur fidèle / The Faithful Heart (1923) Jean Epstein, Léon Mathot, Gina Manès, Edmond Van Daële, Drama, Romance

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Marie wants to escape from her job and also from her lover, Paul, an unemployed drunk. She dreams of going off with Jean, a dockworker. The two men quarrel and fight over Marie on two occasions, but Paul retains a hold over her. Marie has a baby who falls ill and as time goes on Jean and a crippled neighbor try to help the child. Paul nearly causes the death of the child whilst in a drunken stupor and in a final struggle that occurs, the crippled woman seizes Paul’s gun and shoots him dead.
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Cousin cousine (1975) Jean-Charles Tacchella, Marie-Christine Barrault, Victor Lanoux, Marie-France Pisier, Comedy, Romance

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Two distant cousins meet for the first time at a wedding banquet for an elderly couple. They both decide that they should see more of each other, and over time, a friendship develops. However, their respective spouses begin to think that more than a friendship is blooming, and as more and more people being to think so as well, the idea starts to become appealing to them.
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Five Day Lover / L’amant de cinq jours (1961) Philippe de Broca, Jean Seberg, Micheline Presle, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Comedy, Drama

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During Madeleine’s fashion show Claire meets Antoine and becomes his mistress. Due to the fact that she’s married (to a wealthy man) she only spends a few days a week with him. Antoine is also rich, and often taken to meetings by his chauffeur, Marius. However things are more complicated: Antoine is Madeleine lover (Claire’s best friend) while George, Claire’s husband is quite rich and has a modest job. Everything works perfectly until Madeleine discovers the truth. She prepares her vengéance and organizes a celebration which she invites Antoine, Claire and George.
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Innocence (2004) Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Zoé Auclair, Lea Bridarolli, Bérangère Haubruge, Drama, Mystery

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Prepare yourself to be either infuriated or fascinated by this French film. There’s no in-between reaction available here.When people talk about seeing a really weird film where nothing happened and the end didn’t make any sense, this is the film they’re probably talking about. I’d call it fascinating, but I’m well aware that I’m probably in the minority.
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Deep End (1971) Jerzy Skolimowski, Jane Asher, John Moulder-Brown, Karl Michael Vogler, Comedy, Drama, Romance

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John Moulder-Brown plays a teen-aged London bathhouse attendant who forms a business alliance with female attendant Jane Asher. The object is to obtain better tips from their clients, but soon the impressionable Moulder-Brown falls in love with the older Asher. Brushed off by the girl in favor of a handsome swimming instructor, Moulder-Brown makes several halfhearted attempts at revenge. When the boy and girl finally do get together sexually, the event is motivated by lust and has tragic results…
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Queen and Country (2014) John Boorman, Callum Turner, Caleb Landry Jones, Pat Shortt, Drama

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Year 1952. Bill Rowan is 18, dreaming his life away at the family’s riverside home, waiting to be called up for two years conscription in the Army. He swims each morning and yearns for a pretty girl who cycles past at that time on the tow path across the river. This idyll is shattered by the harsh realities of boot camp. He meets Percy, an amoral prankster, and together they plot the downfall of Sergeant Yeomans, their rigid tormentor. Percy and Bill are rivals and antagonists, but gradually forge a deep friendship. After basic training many conscripts are shipped out to fight the Chinese in the Korean War, but Bill and Percy are assigned to the claustrophobia of a closed, prison-like training camp where they act as instructors.
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Un condamné à mort s’est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veut / A Man Escaped (1956) Robert Bresson, François Leterrier, Charles Le Clainche, Maurice Beerblock, Drama, Thriller, War

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A Man Escaped opens with the indelible image of a pair of restless hands belonging to a French resistance officer named Lieutenant Fontaine (Francois Leterrier). His face is inscrutable and impassive, concealing his calculated attempt to flee from the escorted prison transport vehicle. He reaches for the door handle, retreats, then reaches again. At a momentary distraction of a crossing railcar, he seizes the opportunity, but is immediately recaptured, and is severely beaten by the German guards for the attempt. Imprisoned and condemned to die, Fontaine finds the courage and determination to escape his certain fate.
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