Tag Archives: French cinema

return from hell (film: Retour à la vie – 1949)

Posted on March 16, 2023 by admin

‘Retour à la vie‘ is a very interesting film from many points of view. Made in 1949 it is one of the first films in the history of cinema (maybe the first?) to bring together several segments made by different … Continue reading →

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a thriller to rediscover (film: Un homme à abattre – Philippe Condroyer, 1967)

Posted on March 14, 2023 by admin

‘Un homme a abattre‘ (the English distribution title is ‘A Man to Kill‘) is an unjustly forgotten film made in 1967 that deserves to be rediscovered. Its director is Philippe Condroyer, a director who has only three feature films in … Continue reading →

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the improbable lover (film: Le mouton enragé – Michel Deville, 1974)

Posted on March 13, 2023 by admin

Michel Deville quietly left us and this world a few weeks ago, and his disappearance would have gone unnoticed, for me at least, if some television stations had not marked the sad event by programming some of his films. A … Continue reading →

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young and feelingless (film: Jeune et jolie – François Ozon, 2013)

Posted on February 24, 2023 by admin

‘Jeune et Jolie‘ (the English distribution title is ‘Young & Beautiful‘), François Ozon‘s 2013 film reminded me of Bunuel’s ‘Belle de Jour’. Both films have fascinating women as heroines. These practice the oldest profession in the world, but do not … Continue reading →

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Mata Hari and La Nouvelle Vague (film: Mata Hari, agent H21 – Jean-Louis Richard, 1964)

Posted on February 14, 2023 by admin

Cinema’s love story with the character of Mata Hari began only a few years after the execution by shooting squad of the famous spy. When Jeanne Moreau played, in 1964, her role in the film ‘Mata Hari, agent H21‘ directed … Continue reading →

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loss and denial (film: Sous le sable – François Ozon, 2000)

Posted on February 9, 2023 by admin

‘Sous le sable‘ (English title ‘Under the Sand‘), made in 2000, is one of the films that marked the rise of François Ozon and positioned him as one of the most important French directors of his generation (the new New … Continue reading →

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the last Melville (film: Un flic – Jean-Pierre Melville, 1972)

Posted on February 6, 2023 by admin

The ‘noir’ films made by Jean-Pierre Melville before ‘Un flic‘ have some visual elements that make them easily recognizable in the landscape of French cinema and many of them share a common theme – friendship. Many of his characters are … Continue reading →

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good in the 1970s, good in the 2020s (film: ‘Le sauvage’ – Jean-Pierre Rappeneau, 1975)

Posted on January 11, 2023 by admin

Jean-Paul Rappeneau made only eight feature films in his entire career as a director. However, each of them has a special charm, and in all of them you can feel the hand of a professional director, who knows the secrets … Continue reading →

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‘why do they hate us?’ (film: La haine – Mathieu Kassovitz, 1995)

Posted on December 26, 2022 by admin

‘La haine‘ – ‘Hate‘ is one of the most appropriate titles of movies I’ve seen lately. Many times, faced with violent social events, demonstrations and protests, we ask ourselves: ‘why do they hate us?’. The question is not new. Written … Continue reading →

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an immersive police investigation (film: On ne meurt que deux fois – Jacques Deray, 1985)

Posted on December 13, 2022 by admin

At first glance ‘On ne meurt que deux fois‘ (or ‘He Died with His Eyes Open‘ – the title of the English version) is another detective movie, with a police inspector investigating a murder. And yet this ‘whodunit’ style story … Continue reading →

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