French Film Festival — A–Z of films

Always there is tension.

You can do nothing but sit in a haze of expectation, waiting for the fun to ferment, which it does

What might have been a comic cliche with a cast of oddballs is so much more humane

Succeeds in transposing its overt sentimentality into an exciting narrative

François Gédigier's inspired editing trusts that mismatched sounds and images form an emotional whole.

Complex and immersive, funny but with a sense of danger lurking in its darker moments, this is the sort of film that children and adults will watch to the end and then want to watch again.

Production designer Olivier Radot and costume designer Pascaline Chavanne revel in the colors and textures of Seventies casino ambiance.

Nicole Garcia has a loose-limbed almost casual approach to directing, her easy way with actors drawing you in to this emotionally complex tale of loneliness and connection.

Even after many viewings it is difficult to fully grasp the film's historical significance, storytelling innovations and stylistic brilliance.

Where is the plot? What is the hook?

If the characters are focused on how and if, for us the question why lingers in the air.

Bertrand Tavernier has crafted a magnificent piece of work.

Cinematographer David Cailley, the director's brother, offers stark beauty and wicked humor.

The sense of period and the deprivations of the time are authentically evoked without ramping up the emotional charge.

Rabaté is strong on seeking out the irony in middle class mores.

The way Sissako exposes the double standard makes the Jihadists' behavior no less threatening, on the contrary.

Unique in humour, unique in form