The late film critic Roger Ebert once observed that ‘nine out of ten children’s movies are stupid, witless, and display contempt for their audiences, and that’s why kids hate them’, which seems terribly unfair but which is also probably true. … Continue reading CHIFF: Dragon Princess (2021)
The devastating fire that struck Paris’ Notre-Dame cathedral in 1999 was always going to lend itself to a film adaptation. While it is surprising to see it be made quite so soon, it is even more surprising to discover what … Continue reading AFFFF: Notre-Dame on Fire (2022)
I am a dedicated supporter of the 90-minute feature. While Hollywood’s blockbuster movies seem to get longer every year, it is refreshing to be able to sit down to a bite-sized film and consume it with ease. For small, intimate … Continue reading REVIEW: Petite Maman (2021)
Georges Simenon’s fictional detective Jules Maigret featured in 75 novels and a handful of short stories, and since 1932 has been a mainstay of cinema and television in both France and the United Kingdom. Over the years the character has … Continue reading REVIEW: Maigret (2022)
Luc Besson is a French film director whose personal brand of slick action thrillers – including Subway, La Femme Nikita, and Leon/The Professional – helped define what Raphaël Bassan named the ‘cinéma du look’. It was a perceived stylistic movement shared with the likes … Continue reading REVIEW: Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
One of the more peculiar moments in French history makes for a visually stunning animated feature, even though it struggles somewhat with plot structure and tone. Fans of hand-drawn animation will find Zarafa a delight; family audiences should probably plan for a … Continue reading REVIEW: Zarafa (2012)
Egon (Niels Schneider) is crown prince of the modern-day European kingdom of Letonia. Instead of applying himself to courtly duties, Egon spends much of his time drinking, smoking and loudly playing the drums. When he learns of the fabled kingdom … Continue reading REVIEW: Sleeping Beauty (2016)
Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 film Possession has a notorious reputation and history. It is a French/West German co-production, shot in Berlin, performed in English, and follows the collapse of a marriage between a spy (Sam Neill) and his wife (Isabelle Adjani). It is … Continue reading REVIEW: Possession (1981)
Here’s the pitch: this is the story of Jeanne d’Arc, the 15th century French peasant who claimed to experience religious visions and whose participation in the Hundred Years’ War boosted French morale and helped them win the war. It is … Continue reading REVIEW: Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc (2017)
Chloé (Marine Vacth) is 25-year-old former model living in Paris. She suffers badly from anxiety and depression. She feels constant stomach pain that does not have a physical diagnosis. She is referred to a therapist named Paul (Jérémie Renier), but … Continue reading REVIEW: Double Lover (2017)
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