I haven’t seen as many French films from the past nine years as I should. There are a number I still want to see. But a few are-
One to Another
Criminal Lovers
Strayed
Swimming Pool
Fat Girl
Romance
oh man,i really hope there is a thread about U.S. films as well…
also, some films Haneke has made in France- the Piano Teacher and Time of the Wolf
I also liked Merde, Leos Carax’s segment of Tokyo!
Dimitris, that’s funny, but I wish you would say Hollywood films, because there are really some great independent U.S. films that are in more or less the same position as foreign films in terms of audiences and prizes and recognition.
Patrice Chéreau’s Gabrielle
Oliver Assayas’s Summer Hours
Jean-Luc Godard’s Notre musique
Claire Denis’s L’intrus
Alain Resnais’s Private Fears in Public Places
Claude Chabrol’s La fleur du mal
Jacques Rivette’s Va savoir
François Ozon’s Sous le sable
so Hollywood is foreign?cool :P
actually,i don’t mind excluding Hollywood,for instance…the Zodiac examples and why not,paralleling it in greatness to the the You Can Count On Mes of every year :)
i just threw this comment in because..well…all English-speaking films are foreign to me,so…i just hope for a similar thread as well :D
I haven’t seen Denis’ work from this decade. I would like to.
L’Intrus seconded
Irreversible (Noe)
Innocence (Hadzihalilovic)
In Praise of Love (Godard)
Cache (Haneke)
Obviously when I get around to Greek films you won’t be allowed to participate, Dimitris.
I haven’t seen Innocence yet either — that’s on my list of films to watch.
Christian Carrion’s Joyeux Noel (2005)
Christophe Barratier’s Les Choristes (2004)
Claude Chabrol’s La fille coupée en deux (2007)
Jacques Rivette’s Va savoir (2001)
Laurent Cantet’s Entre les Murs (2008)
Eric Rohmer’s L’anglaise et le duc (2001) and Les amours d’Astrée et de Céladon (2007)
and I don’t care how popular it is, it’s still a great film — Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amelie (2001)
It’s a great film. In fact both L’Intrus, and Innocence are masterfully done. I love the framing in Innocence. Always from the child’s perspective.
The best ones for me were:
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Schnabel)
The Beat that my Heart Skipped (Audiard)
Irreversible (Noé)
Read my Lips (Audiard)
Other very good ones:
The Class (Cantet)
I’ve Loved You So Long (Claudel)
La Mome (La Vie En Rose)
Caché (Haneke)
The Piano Teacher (Haneke)
And my most hated French film of this decade (drumroll): Flandres (Dumont)
Christophe Honore’s “Les Chansons d’amour”
Innocence is Noe’s wife sole film and i can’t believe she’s not making any more…
and why is there no mention of Dumont’s Twentynine Palms or Flandres?
Rumple,unfortunately,i’ll HAVE to participate…if you get my point :P
there was:
“And my most hated French film of this decade (drumroll): Flandres (Dumont)”
oh sorry,haha.
but I’ve Loved You So Long was more boring than Flandres,writers are rarely good directors…seriously..
I love French film…
Laurence Cantet’s Entre les murs (The Class)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain (Amélie)
Michael Haneke’s Caché (Hidden)
Jacques Rivette’s Va Savoir (Who Knows?)
Julian Schnabel’s Le scaphandre et le papillon (The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly)
Arnaud Desplechin’s Un conte de Noël (A Christmas Tale) and Rois et reine (Kings and Queen)
Guillaume Canet’s Ne le dis a Personne (Tell No One)
…and, I know it’s not a great film but I can’t help myself: François Ozon’s 8 Femmes (8 Women)
…and, because this would make it an even ten and on the strength of the lead performance: Philippe Claudel’s Il y a longtemps que je t’aime (I’ve Loved You So Long)
2000: Under the Sand (Ozon)
2001: Code Unknown (Haneke)
2002: Irréversible (Noé)
2003: Twentynine Palms (Dumont)
2004: Le Grand Voyage (Ferroukhi)
2005: The Beat that my Heart Skipped (Audiard)
2006: 13 Tzameti (Babluani)
2007: The Diving Bell & the Butterfly (Schnabel)
2008: The Class (Cantent)
2009: ?
A Christmas Tale was awful. One of the most unfocused films I’ve seen in a long while.
i feel you,Diving Bell was awful too…(Blue K and Apursansar will kill me,haha)
My problem with Flandres was not that it was boring, but that it was predictable (!) and that dealt with an old problem in a completely uninspired way….
and the topic of the tormenting mother who had to commit a desperate act of “salvation” for her child isn’t predictable at all??? ;)
granted,it has merits thanks to the 2 leading ladies…but nothing of more depth..
For myself I’d say:
36 Quai des Orfèvres
Tell No One
L’Homme Du Train
Irreversible
Cache
Amelie
Still got a lot of French stuff to catch up on :o)
Dobermann is 1997….
nevertheless,a well-crafted action flick..
Hey – who mentioned Dobermann anyway? lol!
A Christmas Tale was awful
I wouldn’t say it was awful . . . although I’d take Rois et reine over it.
Irréversible
What, Irréversible, but not Baise-Moi?
I didn’t care for Baise-Moi at all. I think the decision to feature full-on hardcore sex really harmed the film because the performances from the lead (porn) actresses were unconvincing. I lost interest after the initial curiosity – it didn’t seem to go anywhere. Irreversible – now that’s a horse of a different colour.
it is predictable, and i admit I was quite disappointed with the ending at first, but everything up to that point was great. so I have 115 great minutes and 2 average/mediocre ones :) maybe I should get a copy and cut out the last two minutes of the film…
Fat Girl Catherine Breillat
Innocence Lucile Hadzihalilovic
Les Diables Christophe Ruggia
Les amants réguliers Philippe Garrel
L’emploi du temps Laurent Cantet
La vie nouvelle Philippe Grandrieux
Dans ma peau Marina de Van
Sauvage innocence Philippe Garrel
Trouble Every Day Claire Denis
L’intrus Claire Denis
Twentynine Palms Bruno Dumont
J’ai toujours rêvé d’être un gangster Samuel Benchetrit
La science des rêves Michel Gondry
McBean
Fandorin-San’s thread about modern German cinema gave me an idea. There’s much talk of classic films from yesteryear on this site, but what about the cutting edge of modern filmmakers from around the world? Let’s start with a look at the current state of French cinema. What do you think are the most impressive films to come out of France since 2000?