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Tag: France

drama, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Petite Maman (2021)

July 29, 2022 Grant Watson

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)

drama, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Maigret (2022)

March 5, 2022 Grant Watson

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)

action, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Kiss of the Dragon (2001)

January 19, 2022 Grant Watson

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)

animation, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Zarafa (2012)

January 6, 2022 Grant Watson

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)

fantasy, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Sleeping Beauty (2016)

November 25, 2021 Grant Watson

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)

horror, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Possession (1981)

November 17, 2021 Grant Watson

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)

arthouse, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc (2017)

October 27, 2021 Grant Watson

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)

review, thrillerLeave a comment

REVIEW: Double Lover (2017)

September 22, 2021 Grant Watson

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)

horror, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Daguerreotype (2016)

September 11, 2021 Grant Watson

Daguerreotype sees the young, unemployed Jean (Tahar Rahim) accept an offer to become an apprentice to the photographer Stephane Megray (Olivier Gourmet). Stephane lives in a decaying Parisian mansion with his daughter Marie (Constance Rousseau). He is obsessed with using 19th … Continue reading REVIEW: Daguerreotype (2016)

drama, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Maryline (2017)

August 30, 2021 Grant Watson

Maryline (Adeline D’Hermy) is an aspiring actor who travels from her rural home town to Paris in the hope of forging a successful career. When disaster strikes at her first attempt, she finds herself working in a postal office with … Continue reading REVIEW: Maryline (2017)

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