Any French movies to recommend?- Page 3

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 4:28pm

Put me in the camp that wasn't impressed with THE LIVES OF OTHERS, either. It didn't deserve to win, but the foreign film category is so unpredictable.

I hope you like THE RETURN as much as I did. It was one of those instances where I went in knowing nothing and left mesmerized. If I recall correctly, the leading actor (fifteen at the time of filming, and one of the best juvenile performances I've ever seen) drowned shortly after the film was completed--ironic, since the film is set on a lake and water figures heavily into the story.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 9:28pm

The foreign film category generally seems to be an unreliable guide...why do they use the country system anyway, and not just have all foreign films commercially released in the US eligible?

I'm guessing because a lot of these movies might need the nomination first for anyone to pay any attention, right? Still, it's a bit odd.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 9:38pm

Agreed about Lives of Others.

I think Barbarian Invasions might be a film you have to be in the right mood to see. I saw it with my mother who was visiting me in Montreal and didn't know the previous film, but they're seperate enough that it doesn't matter (though I appreciated it more when I later saw it--the third film isn't nearly as good, though worth seeing). But it's very slow and very dialogue heavy... I still think it absolutely deserved its win, but I will say I'm often shocked at what gets nominated for Best Foreign Picture and what gets shut out. Barbarian Invasion did get a lot of praise though--Arcand made a name for himself among foreign film fans with Jesus of Montreal and then I think for a while he was seen as a disappointment, critics everywhere (will the ones that bothered to see it) seemed eager to praise it, even if I think it ws completely deserved.

(I really thought Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke deserved a nod--it was Japan's entry that year--but this was pre the best animated feature category, and I feel it was looked down upon for being animated even if it's Miyazaki's least "family" film. I also was disappointed CRAZY which Canada submitted its year wasn't nominated, though the gossip was that since it had been such a huge French hit, Miramax at the time bought American remake rights and were trying to get the the Quebec original somewhat blocked due to this--which explains why for years it wasn't available on DVD in the US and didn't even get a major art house film showing--not sure if that's changed now that interest in a remake seems to have fallen).

Matt, Water Drops is one of Ozon's more divisive films (and I think one of several he adapted from plays he didn't write), though I love it it's a bit of a return to his pretty full out and black satire of his early works like Sitcom. Most of his more recent stuff has a different feel (which some of his fans don't like--I admit his English costume drama Angel is a bit of a pretty mess, and I was very disappointed in Potiche despite great performances, but audiences seemed to lap it up).