This is a thrilling French gothic neo-noir that gives your braincells a workout whole way through. It’s a cinematic escape room with clues abounding, and a wonderful soundscape to boot. Continue reading Raindance Review:THE WOMAN WITH LEOPARD SHOES
The wonderful Céline Sciamma will be celebrating her birthday on the 12th November and if you’re familiar with our site then you know that we are HUGE fans of her work. For this piece, we want to discuss her career and celebrate her filmography and how she’s taking on the French film industry and its sexism. She may have only directed four feature films and one short, but Sciamma has already established herself as one of the icons of female filmmaker history. Her unique perspective and story-telling have helped to create engaging conversations with critics and cinephiles alike. Continue reading Happy Birthday To Céline Sciamma
Whether you have gotten into the “Blue is the Warmest Color” discourse waving a flag of strong opinion, or fallen head over heels for Céline Sciamma’s sweeping lesbian romance “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”, it’s clear that French cinema is back on the upswing after years out of the spotlight in cinephile circles. With “Mustang” as the nation’s sole Oscar success in nearly a decade, it’s clear that France’s future of filmmaking is not with the old tradition, but with the new wave of younger female filmmakers on the rise, often blowing critics away on debut films. Continue reading In the Wake of 50/50: 10 Underseen French Films from Female Directors
This intimate and charming documentary by French director Sébastien Lifshitz follows 7-year-old Sacha and her mother Karine. They battle for her Sacha’s acceptance as a trans girl, and for a normal childhood. With a focus on family, support and identity this is a heart-filled and compassionate film which shows audiences what life can be like for a trans child. Continue reading Review: “Petite Fille” (“Little Girl”) #EdFilmFestAtHome
In the world of the Kiosk, everything is within a 2-metre distance. It’s a small, cramped and confined world, certainly not one for those suffering from claustrophobia. We find ourselves in the world of the Kiosk, seeing it through the eyes of the young French filmmaker Alexandra Pianelli. The Kiosk has been in her family for four generations now, and we can see the history of this world around us. In the coin trays, we can see how the wood has been worn down after years of fingers rummaging around for the right change, “the fossils of our fingers” is the way that the director describes it to us. Previously Alexandra’s mother was the sole inhabitant of this world, but now Alexandra is experiencing it and we are with her every step of the way. Continue reading Sheffield Doc Fest Exclusive Review: The Kiosk (Le Kiosque)
In this debut feature by director Mounia Meddour, “Papicha” (2019) is about Algerian girls in the late 1990s trying to cling to freedom and self expression during a rise of an extremely conservative Islamic fundamentalism that literally threatens their lives.
Nedjma (Lyna Khoudri) lives and studies at a women’s university where there is a culture of sisterhood and fun. The girls sneak out to go drinking and dancing at night, are boisterous and play practical jokes. They’re mostly carefree but cautious of having to lie to police and cover their heads if they are stopped.
She loves fashion and is constantly sketching new ideas and making clothes for her peers, selling them out of a nightclub bathroom. Continue reading GFF Exclusive Review: Papicha
“The Translators” is a stylish thriller which lands somewhere been an Agatha Christie whodunit and a “Now You See Me” (2013) sleight of hand caper.
The twists and turns come thick and fast as we unravel the identity of the mysterious author Oscar Brach, and the source of the blackmail letter threatening to leak his latest manuscript and cause financial ruin.
Publisher Eric Angstrom (Lambert Wilson) brings nine translators to a remote high security manor house to translate a long awaited book – Dedalus Vol. III – from French into various other languages. Continue reading GFF Exclusive Review: Les Traducteurs (The Translators)
To celebrate the last decade 2010-2019 we are counting down the best actresses and discussing some of their most notable and memorable performances of the last decade. With the help of Film Twitter, the ITOL team have selected 30 actresses. Entry No. 15 is Marion Cotillard, and writer Joan Amenn discusses Cotillard’s performance in “Macbeth”. Continue reading Best Actress of the Decade, Entry No. 14: Marion Cotillard
To celebrate the last decade 2010-2019 we are counting down the best actresses and discussing some of their most notable and memorable performances of the last decade. With the help of Film Twitter, the ITOL team have selected 30 actresses. Entry No. 23 is Isabelle Huppert, and writerCaz Armstrong discusses Huppert’s performance in “Elle”. Continue reading Best Actress of the Decade, Entry No. 23: Isabelle Huppert
With his feature debut, “Les Miserables”, writer/director Ladj Ly creates narrative that’s boiling with tension as it displays the slow rise of rebellion and anarchy in a French city.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, is this another adaptation of the iconic novel by Victor Hugo or the musical – it’s not. Ly’s film is more of a modern take on the rebellious nature of the story and is inspired by 2005 riots that took place in Paris suburbs and across France. It has viewers follow the perspective of Stephane Ruiz (Damien Bonnard), a new officer that comes from a small province and transfers to a suburb of Paris called Montfermeil. Continue reading Les Miserables (2019) Review
In Their Own League 