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French Film Festival · 2023

French Film Festival 2023

Extras

Programme

10 films · 5 reviews

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Eugénie Grandet

A woman is set on a collision course with her avaricious father in this historic classic.

(Country: France, UK, Belgium; Year: 2021; Director: Marc Dugain; Writer: Marc Dugain, Honoré de Balzac; Stars: Joséphine Japy, Olivier Gourmet, Valérie Bonneton, César Domboy, François Marthouret, Nathalie Bécue, Bruno Raffaelli, Jean Chevalier, Philippe du Janerand, Pierre-Olivier Scotto, Anne-Marie Philipe, Alexandre Laval, Philippe Dusseau, Olivier Massart, Michel Bompoil)

French Tech (Les Deux Alfred)

Review preview for French Tech

This is satire. Sharp, observant, but unlike British films in similar vein, never cutting.

Jane Fae · 4 out of 5
An unemployed man has two months while his wife is away to prove he can take care of the kids and find a job.

(Country: France; Year: 2020; Director: Bruno Podalydès; Writer: Bruno Podalydès, Denis Podalydès; Stars: Denis Podalydès, Bruno Podalydès, Sandrine Kiberlain, Yann Frisch, Luàna Bajrami, Leslie Menu, Michel Vuillermoz, Isabelle Candelier, Samuel Benchetrit, Gábor Rassov, Élodie Huber, Georges Podalydès, Léna Barbaroux, Patrick Ligardes, Florence Muller)

Full review

Goliath

Review preview for Goliath

A crisp, downbeat, clever exploration of the issues, combined with a whodunnit.

Jane Fae · 4 out of 5
In the aftermath of President Macron's U-turn on a glyphosate ban, the stories of lawyer Patrick, victim France and lobbyist Mathias intertwine when the wife of a farmer dead from cancer commits a terrible act of protest.

(Country: France; Year: 2022; Director: Frédéric Tellier; Writer: Gaëlle Bellan, Simon Moutaïrou, Frédéric Tellier; Stars: Gilles Lellouche, Pierre Niney, Emmanuelle Bercot)

Full review

The Little Gang (La Petite Bande)

The adventures of a group of passionate and fearless young children.

(Country: France; Year: 2022; Director: Pierre Salvadori; Writer: Benoît Graffin, Benoît Graffin, Pierre Salvadori; Stars: Paul Belhoste, Mathys Clodion-Gines, Aymé Medeville, Colombe Schmidt, Redwan Sellam, Laurent Capelluto, Pio Marmaï, Antoine Cervoni, Mateo Tramini, Laetitia Spigarelli, Dounya Hdia, Toussaint Martinetti, Antoine Carboni, Frederic Poggi, Benjamin Garcia-Casinelli)

Little Nicholas: Happy As Can Be (Le petit Nicolas: Qu'est-ce qu'on attend pour être heureux?)

Review preview for Little Nicholas: Happy As Can Be

Everything flows with the flourish of an expensive ink pen on paper, as sketches are made to bloom with colour or a bicycle ride turns into a mini adventure, all given additional life by the zippy score from Ludovic Bource.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
The French schoolboy's adventures mix with the biography of his creators.

(Country: France, Luxembourg; Year: 2022; Director: Amandine Fredon, Benjamin Massoubre; Writer: Michel Fessler, Anne Goscinny, Benjamin Massoubre, based on characters by René Goscinny, Jean-Jacques Sempé; Stars: Laurent Lafitte, Alain Chabat, Simon Faliu)

Full review See: Interview with Benjamin Massoubre about Little Nicholas: Happy As Can Be

Lost Illusions

A poet finds his opinion of the world and himself challenged after he moves from the provinces to Paris.

(Country: France, Belgium; Year: 2021; Director: Xavier Giannoli; Writer: Xavier Giannoli, based on the novel by Honoré de Balzac; Stars: Benjamin Voisin, Cécile de France, Vincent Lacoste, Xavier Dolan, Salomé Dewaels, Jeanne Balibar, Gérard Depardieu, André Marcon, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Jean-François Stévenin, Alexis Barbosa, Marie Cornillon, Saïd Amadis, Morgane de Vargas, Raphaël Magnabosco)

Love Affair(s) (The Things We Say, the Things We Do, Les choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait)

Review preview for Love Affair(s)

Too much and over the top, the film nevertheless finds its rhythm.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4 out of 5
François has to rush back to Paris to cover for a sick colleague, leaving his partner Daphné, three months pregnant, to welcome his cousin, Maxime. In the four days till Francois’ return Daphné and Maxime get to know each other, sharing increasingly intimate stories that bring them closer.

(Country: France; Year: 2020; Director: Emmanuel Mouret; Writer: Emmanuel Mouret; Stars: Camélia Jordana, Niels Schneider, Vincent Macaigne, Émilie Dequenne, Jenna Thiam, Guillaume Gouix, Julia Piaton, Jean-Baptiste Anoumon, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Claude Pommereau)

Full review

Promises (Les promesses)

Review preview for Promises

If Kruithof’s main ambition with Promises is to make audiences debate and ponder over the relationships between politicians and the public then it is definitely succeeds in its efforts to bring these puzzling and interesting topics to light.

Stephanie Brown · 3.5 out of 5
A mayor in the final term of her political career faces a choice between integrity and ambition.

(Country: France; Year: 2021; Director: Thomas Kruithof; Writer: Jean-Baptiste Delafon, Thomas Kruithof; Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Reda Kateb, Naidra Ayadi, Jean-Paul Bordes, Mustapha Abourachid, Soufiane Guerrab, Hervé Pierre, Laurent Poitrenaux, Walid Afkir, Vincent Garanger, Mustapha Abourachid, Christian Benedetti, Anne Loiret, Mama Prassinos, Youssouf Wague, Gauthier Battoue, Bruno Georis, Stefan Crepon, Rosita Fernandez)

Full review

Rise

Reeling in the wake of devastating physical and emotional injuries a ballerina Elise slowly rebuilds her life

(Country: France, Belgium; Year: 2022; Director: Cédric Klapisch; Writer: Cédric Klapisch; Stars: Marion Barbeau)

Rookies (Allons Enfants)

In the middle of Paris, young people are trained to become professional dancers and, at the same time, they are prepared for their A levels.

(Country: France; Year: 2022; Director: Thierry Demaizière, Alban Teurlai; Writer: Thierry Demaizière, Elsa Le Peutrec, Alban Teurlai; Stars: Charlotte Saudrais, Erwan Schamaneche, Michelle Kibebe, Nathanaël Marante, Ketsia Cheyna Obame)