As November comes to a close, and the weather in New York begins to worsen, New Yorkers will no doubt be on the hunt for ways to occupy themselves when the snow and sleet are pouring. For lovers of cinema, there is no better time to fill up your Netflix queue with a season’s worth of French films. From espionage to romance, here are five, modern alternatives to Amélie or La vie en rose that will most certainly quench any Francophile’s thirst for le cinéma français.
1. 8 femmes
8 femmes, or 8 Women in English, is Gosford Park meets Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, tied together with hilarious musical numbers. Starring Catherine Deneuve and Fanny Ardant, among others, the film centers on eight women trapped in a French country estate by a freak snowstorm. When it is discovered that the patriarch of the family has been murdered under their very noses, the women are thrust together in a mêlée of blame, suspicion, and secrets, unraveling in a constant onslaught of witty
rapport and comically cliché songs.
Possibly the most famous of French espionage films, Nikita (Anne Parillaud) is a junkie who is arrested after attempting to rob a pharmacy and killing a police officer. She is intercepted by the mysterious DGSE
(the French equivalent of our CIA or Britain’s MI6), and trained as a femme fatale (in the literal sense). The film spawned a popular French television series that has since been adapted for American audiences on the CW. However, as with most things adapted, the original is the best and certainly worth a watch.
3. Entre les murs
This recent film exposes American audiences to the realities of the French public schooling system. The drama is surprisingly “feel-good” as it is cathartic, focusing on the efforts of teacher François Marin (François Bégaudeau) to teach French to the disenfranchised youth of Paris’ banlieues. Apart from providing never-before-seen details on life far away from the Champs-Elysées, the film manages to keep you glued to your seat without exploding cars or scantily clad women – a miracle in itself in the age of modern cinema.
4. La haine
La haine, which translates to “hate,” is about three young men struggling to survive in the banlieues of Paris. Vinz (Vincent Cassel) is a Parisian Jew, is Benton proving his worth as a gangster by killing a cop, and when his good friend Abdel is injured during a riot with the Paris police, he vows to kill a cop in revenge. The 1995 flick was filmed in black and white, accentuating the dark bleakness of the story. It
might not be the best choice for a romantic night in, but it’s certainly a movie for the thrill seeker who prefers the edge of their seat.
5. Les triplettes de Belleville
This animated Oscar nominee is part riveting adventure tale, part otherworldly sketchbook. The story follows the elderly Madame Souza and her comically overweight dog, Bruno, as they attempt to locate
her grandson, kidnapped during the Tour de France. Along the way, she encounters a fascinating trio of sisters, performers from a bygone era, who aid her in her quest. Although the story is engaging, albeit a tad bizarre, it’s the illustrations in this film that really catch the eye.
By Jake Flanagin
