Set in France in 1915 as the First World War grinds to a close, the sumptuous but slow-moving Renoir describes the later life of renowned French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The film also portrays the stirring of passion for the cinema in his son, Jean (who at the time was a convalescing war veteran) and the effect on both their lives
Read moreClearly influenced by playwright Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, What’s in a Name depicts a dinner party among alleged French intellectuals that descends into bitter conflict. Biting and perceptive, if at times over the top, What’s In a Name cleverly skewers French middle class pretensions. The film stars Charles Berling and Valerie Benguigi as Pierre and Elisabeth, a
Read moreMake sure you eat before seeing French kitchen drama Haute Cuisine otherwise you will be drooling like the Alien, so enticing is the parade of French delicacies on display here. In fact, this film is closer to a cooking programme than a traditional drama and may not appeal to those who regard spending hours in the kitchen as a tedious
Read moreDespite its minimalist plot and the fact that it is set within the crucible of Arab-Israeli tension on the West Bank, French film The Other Son manages to deliver a warm, sensitive and moving family drama that lingers in the memory. When Israeli teenager Joseph (Jules Sitruk) applies for military service he discovers that his blood type does not match
Read moreDespite its minimalist plot and setting within the crucible of Arab-Israeli tension on the West Bank, French film The Other Son manages to deliver a sensitive and moving family drama that lingers in the memory. When Israeli teenager Joseph (Jules Sitruk) applies for military service he discovers that his blood type does not match his parents. A hospital reveals that
Read moreLike its title character, Therese Desqueyroux has a refined surface beauty and a subdued manner but with tension and despair bubbling underneath. The troubled Thérèse (Audrey Tatou) is a free spirit, an intellectual and seemingly in love with another woman, Anne (Anais Demoustier) or at least the memory of the passionate friendship and freedom they shared as teenagers. Thérèse is,
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