A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Reviews of films from France and French-language films from Belgium and Switzerland. At this stage, I’m not sure if there’ll be many French-language films from African and other countries coming within my orbit – probably I’ll create a separate category for them and call it French-language Films from outside Europe, or something hopefully more succinct and graceful!
French and French-language Films
Claude Miller, “Thérèse Desqueyroux” (2012) Claude Miller’s swansong film is a historical drama piece starring Audrey Tautou in the eponymous role occupied by Emmanuelle Riva in…
French and French-language Films
Alice Winocour, “Augustine” (2012) In the early years of the twentieth century in France, the ambitious Professor Charcot (Vincent Lindon) runs a hospital for female patients…
French and French-language Films
Eugène Deslaw, “Montparnasse” (1929) Come take a tour of Montparnasse as it was in 1929 with Eugène Deslaw to guide you. At the time, this district in…
French and French-language Films
Malgorzata Szumowska, “Elles” (2011) An interesting and layered film that appears to say whatever viewers may want it to say, “Elles” initially presents as a critique…
French and French-language Films
Eugène Deslaw, “Un monsieur qui a mangé du taureau” (1935) We all know of people who spout a lot of BULL but what happens to people…
French and French-language Films
Eugène Deslaw, “La Marche des Machines” (1927) / Les Nuits Électriques” (1928) The Ukrainian film-maker Eugène Deslaw made a number of fairly short experimental films in the…
French and French-language Films
Abel Gance and Eugène Deslaw, “Autour de La Fin du Monde” (1930) I had heard that there was a French science fiction film “La Fin du…
French and French-language Films
Jean Vigo, “À propos de Nice” (1930) Posing as “a day in the life” travelogue of the French city of Nice, Vigo’s documentary short is a…
French and French-language Films
Jean Vigo, “Taris, Roi du L’Eau” (1931) Sports documentaries don’t come any more poetic, beautiful and experimental than this early short by Jean Vigo about the…
French and French-language Films
Jean Vigo, “Zéro de Conduite: Jeunes Diables au College” (1933) One of four films made by French director Jean Vigo before his life was cut short…