With Bastille Day just around the corner, now is a great time to celebrate the rich history of France and their films. From the 50’s pioneering French New Wave movement, to the 80’s and 90’s flashy Cinema Du Look, to a recent move towards social-realism, France has and continues to be a main player in the global cinema scene. In addition to our favorite films produced by that country, we have also selected a few with settings in France. Our love affair with the literature, food and culture of France runs deep, and Americans have frequently paid tribute in their own works. Below are just a few of the many titles currently available from the 2nd floor DVD display, come check them out!
Heather recommends the films of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and his particular style of playful, weird, and wonderful filmmaking.
Delicatessen is a comedy, of sorts, set in a post-apocalyptic famine-ridden world; the story centers around an apartment building above a deli run by a butcher who finds, shall we say, *creative ways* to feed his tenants. The City of Lost Children is inhabited by a mad scientist who steals children’s dreams to fuel his own existence; it's a disturbing but beautifully rendered film. Amélie, Jeunet’s most well-known feature, retains all of the surreality of his earlier films, but takes a charming turn as a romantic comedy with a twisty plot. Mechanics’ Institute Library owns these DVDs, as well as most of Jeunet's other films in French A Very Long Engagement and Micmacs for your viewing pleasure.
Deb recommends The Pink Panther, which introduces us to Peter Sellers' hilarious Inspector Clouseau and stars some well known actors of the time, as well as the sequel A Shot in the Dark, a fun romp reprising Seller’s bumbling Clouseau role.
and The French Chef with Julia Child, which includes 18 episodes of her original 1960's series. Included are downloadable recipes for starters, side dishes, main courses and desserts. This series pairs well with Julie & Julia, which depicts Julia Child's life with her husband in Paris while Queens resident Julie Powell decides to cook every recipe in the cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking (641.5944 C53m) over the course of one year.
Taryn recommends Lola Montez.
No one was more ravishing than Lola Montez - especially when she performed her signature spider dance! Masterpiece or flop? In brilliant Technicolor, this will keep cinephiles and story lovers talking.
and Moliere. A fanciful, lushly filmed biography of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, a.k.a. Moliére, the 17th century French playwright. Get ready for coquettes, cuckolds, and croissants!
Chris recommends The Secret of the Grain.
Recently laid off, aging family patriarch Slimane decides to invest the rest of his money and energy into a restaurant showcasing the exceptionally good couscous of his ex-wife Souad. Their extended family then takes center stage, as they eat, laugh, drink and fight together, coaxing Slimane’s dream into being. As though Mike Leigh were airlifted from London and placed on the coast of France, widening his emotional palette without losing his keen ear for conversation, director Abdellatif Kechiche pays a complex and understated tribute to family and the social realities of immigrant communities in France.
