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BELLAMY
(15)
Director Claude
Chabrol |
Edinburgh
Filmhouse 29 November 8.30pm
Glasgow
Film Theatre 30 November 8.15pm
London
Ciné Lumière 5 December 8.40pm |
| As has become his custom, police
commissioner Paul Bellamy (Gérard Depardieu in his first
role for veteran Claude Chabrol) takes his annual summer break
in the south of France, staying with wife Francoise’s
family in Nimes. This confirmed workaholic would rather be back
in Paris fighting crime and certainly has no enthusiasm for
his wife’s holiday plans. Fortunately, he is rescued by
the unexpected arrival of two men – his good-for-nothing
brother Jacques and a 40-something stranger, Noël Gentil,
who is in desperate need of his help. The former takes a perverse
delight in raking over old family grievances whilst the latter
intrigues Paul with a bizarre tale involving a murder and faked
insurance claim. This is the kind of holiday Bellamy prefers...
This is a movie where people seem to be thinking about plots,
schemes, and relationships that exist outside the story. The
film is assuredly a dedicated character piece, with the story
seeming to be one long series of extended conversations with
deliciously sketched “types,” ranging from Jacques
Gamblin’s schemer suffering moral mania to Clovis Cornillac’s
hunkered down cliché of the family’s black sheep. |
Cast
Gérard Depardieu, Clovis Cornillac, Jacques Gamblin,
Marie Bunel, Vahina Giocante, Marie Matheron, Adrienne Pauly,
Yves Verhoeven, Bruno Abraham-Kremer, Thomas Chabrol
Director
Claude Chabrol
2009. 110 mins
Int. Sales TF1 International
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CRIME IS OUR
BUSINESS / LE CRIME EST NOTRE
AFFAIRE (15)
Director Pascal Thomas |
Aberdeen,
The Belmont 24 November 6.30pm
Edinburgh
Filmhouse 2 December 8.45pm
Glasgow Film Theatre 3 December 8.00pm
CHANGED |
| The latest adventures of Belisaire
and Prudence Bersford, adapted stylishlyfrom Agatha Christie,
find the pair enjoying peaceful days in their château
but Prudence is bored and longs for a crime. Bringing back most
of the cast and crew from his two previous Christie yarns, By
the Pricking of My Thumbs and Towards Zero, writer-director
Pascal Thomas adds another instalment to a consistently entertaining
series. Based primarily on the short story The House of
Lurking Death, which appeared in the author's 1929 collection
Partners in Crime, but also including shades of 4:50 From
Paddington, Thomas brings back that uncanny duo Prudence
(Frot) and Belisaire Beresford (Dussollier), last seen Sherlocking
together in Thumbs. With Belisaire now retired from the secret
service and the couple living tranquilly in the stunningly photographed
Rhône-Alpes region, bored Prudence is just dying for a
new crime to solve. Her wish is soon granted when visiting Auntie
Babette (Annie Cordy in an engaging cameo) arrives on a train,
on which she claims to have witnessed a murder. |
Cast
Catherine Frot, André Dussollier, Chiara Mastroianni,
Hippolyte Girardot, Annie Cordy
Director
Pascal Thomas
2008. 108 mins
Int. Sales Tamasa
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I
ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A GANGSTER
J’AI TOUJOURS RÊVÉ
D’ÊTRE UN GANGSTER (15)
Director Samuel Benchetrit |
Warwick
Arts Centre 23 November 8.30pm
Inverness
Eden Court 26 November 6.25pm
Dundee
DCA 28 November 8.00pm
Edinburgh
Filmhouse 1 December 8.45pm
Glasgow
Film Theatre 2 December 6.15pm |
Samuel Benchetrit takes the helm
for this laid-back crime comedy that weaves together four stories
which all eventually convene at a roadside diner. Franck (Edouard
Baer) is a petty criminal who is currently pondering the prospect
of holding up a remote diner. When observant waitress Suzie
(Anna Mouglalis) eventually realises that Franck has more than
a meal on his mind, she reveals that she too had considered
robbing the place. Set on the outskirts of Paris, the lives
of several characters intersect… an amateur female thief,
whose victim is herself an apprentice hold-up artist, two kidnappers
who abduct a suicidal young teenage girl who keeps begging them
to kill her and whose father refuses categorically to pay a
ransom, and a singer suffering from creative block.
Screening with THE
BARREL OF THE DANAIDES (12 mins) |
Cast
Anna Mouglalis, Edouard Baer, Jean Rochefort, Laurent Terzieff,
Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Venantino Venantini, Roger Dumas
Director
Samuel Benchetrit
2007. 113 mins
Int. Sales Wild
Bunch
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THE
JOY OF SINGING / LE PLAISIR
DE CHANTER (15)
Director Ilan Duran
Cohen |
Edinburgh
Filmhouse 26 November 8.45pm
Glasgow
Film Theatre 28 November 8.45pm
Inverness
Eden Court 30 November 8.30pm
St
Andrews NPH 6 December 2.00pm |
| Fasten your seatbelts for this
witty spy-caper musical involving a missing key, duplicitous,
bed-hopping spies and a seriously unusual singing class. Odd
is the first word that springs to mind when describing this
effervescent French spy comedy, with the words witty, unpredictable,
delightful and original following close behind. Secret agents
Muriel (Marina Fois) and the boyish Philippe (Lorant Deutsch)
are sent on a mission to find a USB key possibly hidden by Constance
(Jeanne Balibar), the fetching widow of a recently killed black
market uranium salesman. In an effort to get close to the widow,
the two are forced to enroll in Constance’s singing class. |
Cast
Marina Foïs, Lorànt Deutsch, Jeanne Balibar, Nathalie
Richard, Julien Baumgartner, Caroline Ducey, Dominique Reymond,
Guillaume Quatravaux
Director
Ilan Duran Cohen
2008. 96 mins
Int. Sales Pyramide
Distribution
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LOUISE-MICHEL
(15)
Director
Benoît Delépine |
Aberdeen
The Belmont 26 November 6.30pm
Dundee
DCA 27 November 8.00pm
Glasgow
Film Theatre 29 November 5.15pm
Edinburgh
Filmhouse 30 November 8.45pm
London
Ciné Lumière 2 December 6.15pm
Cornerhouse
Manchester 6 December 4.00pm |
| After the sudden shutdown
of their company, the factory workers, led by Louise (played
by the iconic Yolande Moreau, 2009 César for Best Actress
in Séraphine featured in Preview on Page 5), are determined
to get their revenge on the boss responsible for the relocation.
They hire Michel (Bouli Lanners), an incompetent hit man who
proves unable to do the job. Louise decides to take matters
in her own hands and teams up with Michel to hunt down the "boss."
Along the way, the eccentric duo encounter a mad scientist (Benoît
Poelvoorde), a singer (French pop artist Philippe Katerine)
and a farmer played by writer-director-actor Mathieu Kassovitz
who also co-produced the film. The slowly leaked revelation
that both Louise and Michel are cross-dressers furthers the
lunacy, as well as epitomizes the filmmakers' portrait of modern
France as a place where inequality and unjustness compels people
to mutate and/or deny their fundamental identities, a point
that lends the bizarre tale an underlying strain of sadness.
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Cast
Yolande Moreau, Bouli Lanners, Benoît Poelvoorde, Albert
Dupontel, Philippe Katerine, Mathieu Kassovitz, Pierre Broodthaers,
Terence Debarle Robert Dehoux, Hervé Desinge, Yannick
Jaulin, Jacqueline Knuysen, Francis Kuntz, Sylvie Vanhiel
Director Benoît Delépine
2008. 94 mins
Int. Sales Funny Balloons
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PLEASE,
PLEASE ME / FAIS-MOI PLAISIR
(15)
Director Emmanuel Mouret |
Edinburgh
Filmhouse 28 November 8.30pm
Glasgow Film Theatre 29 November 3.15pm |
| Emmanuel Mouret, a
French Film Festival guest in 2004, has been described as a
French Woody Allen because of the madcap style of his series
of romantic comedies such as Change of Address and Shall We
Kiss. In his latest Ariane (Frédérique Bel) believes
that her partner Jean-Jacques (Mouret) is fantasising about
another woman. Hoping to free him from his obsession, she asks
him to have an affair with the woman in question (Judith Godrèche),
who turns out to be the daughter of the French President! The
film then launches into an extended bout of gags during which
Jean-Jacques does his best to play it cool and hopefully go
all the way. Blending his character's squeamish timidity with
David Faivre's colourful set designs, Mouret uses the simplest
setups to elicit maximum laughs. Despite all the twists and
turns nobody manages to fulfil the promises of desire in this
comedy of manners and errors, set to a catchy score that mixes
classical tunes with cheesy '60s background music. |
Cast
Judith Godreche, Frederique Bel, Deborah François, Emmanuel
Mouret
Director Emmanuel Mouret
2009. 90 mins
Int. Sales Pyramide International
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THE
BEAUTIFUL PERSON /LA BELLE PERSONNE (15)
Director Christophe Honoré |
Edinburgh
Filmhouse 14 November 6.15pm
Dundee
DCA 24 November 6.00pm
Warwick
Arts Centre 26 November 8.30pm
Gala
Durham 30 November 8.30pm
Glasgow
Film Theatre 2 December 8.45pm
St
Andrews NPH 4 December 6.00p |
Based on the French classic
La Princess de Clèves Christophe Honoré’s
film is set in a contemporary French high-school. After the
death of her mother, Junie arrives at her cousin Mathias’
school in the middle of the year. A beautiful girl, she quickly
attracts the attention of Mathias’ male friends, who compete
to win her heart. Although she starts a relationship with shy
and reserved Otto (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet), soon a
mutual passion develops between Junie and Italian teacher Nemours
(Louis Garrel), an incorrigible seducer already involved in
an affair with a fellow teacher and a student. While Junie resists
what she sees as an illusion of love and remains faithful to
Otto, Nemours becomes increasingly confused and falls in love
with her. Honoré brings to the mix a heartfelt empathy
for the emotional enormity and painful yearning that are part
and parcel of teenage relationships.
Screening with THE
BAKER'S DAUGHTER (8 mins) |
Cast
Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet,
Estéban Carjaval, Simon Truxillo, Agathe Bonitzer
Director Christophe Honoré
2008. 97 mins
Int. Sales
Le Pacte
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FRENCH GIGOLO
/ CLIENTE(15)
Director Josiane Balasko |
Edinburgh
Filmhouse 29 November 8.30pm
Glasgow
Film Theatre 30 November 8.15pm
London
Ciné Lumière 5 December 8.40pm |
| A successful middle-aged
woman (Nathalie Baye) decides to avoid emotional entanglements
and instead uses male escorts for her sexual needs in this classy,
spirited and satisfying comedy, directed, written and co-starring
Josiane Balasko (a regular previous guest of the festival).
It emerges as a delightfully droll look at sexual mores with
Baye excelling as TV presenter Judith who believes she’s
found a way to have a satisfying sexual life amidst her chaotic
professional life: instead of messy relationships. Opting instead
for straightforward sexual servicing through a series of male
escorts she chooses on the Internet she incurs the wrath of
her sister Irene (Balasko) who couldn’t disagree more
about her sister’s strategy. Judith, however, is adamant
this laissez-faire arrangement works. And it appears to work
for her until unconventional escort Patrick (Eric Caravaca)
enters her life. Handsome in a suburban way and new to the servicing
game, Patrick and Judith hit it off beautifully. The great acting
of the three leads adds enormously the pleasure quotient. The
word cliente denotes a female customer without specifying of
what. |
Cast
Nathalie Baye, Eric Caravaca, Isabelle Carré, Josiane
Balasko
Director Josiane Balasko
2008. 100 mins
Int. Sales Wild
Bunch
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THE
GIRL FROM MONACO / LA FILLE
DE MONACO (15)
Director
Anne Fontaine |
Edinburgh
Filmhouse 12 November 8.00pm
Warwick
Arts Centre 22 November 4.00pm
Glasgow
Film Theatre 26 November 8.45pm
Inverness
Eden Court 28 November 8.15pm |
Bertrand Beauvois (Fabrice Luchini)
is a brilliant lawyer hired to defend criminal Edith Lassalle
(Stéphane Audran) at a high-profile trial in Monaco.
Given the sensitive nature of the case, the overzealous bodyguard
Christophe (Roschdy Zem) is assigned to protect him. However,
the danger seems to come less from organised crime than from
local weather girl Audrey Varella (newcomer Louise Bourgoin,
a real life personality on TV channel Canal +). A stunning beauty,
Audrey seduces and enthrals the otherwise austere lawyer, who
falls head over heels for her. Luchini, 57, who has appeared
in dozens of FFF UK-featured films, has over the years refined
an adaptable persona that is recognisable across genres and
periods. His startled-looking eyes, delicate chin and slight
overbite convey a mixture of cynicism and cluelessness, as mature
worldliness seems to do battle with childlike credulity. Anne
Fontaine (who made Coco Avant Chanel and was the subject of
a French Film Festival focus in her presence in1999), is clearly,
at least in part, offering up a satire on male sexual vanity
and the capacity for self-delusion it creates.
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Cast
Fabrice Luchini, Roschdy Zem, Louise Bourgoin, Stéphane
Audran, Gilles Cohen, Jeanne Balibar, Pierre Bourgeon
Director
Anne Fontaine
2008. 95 mins
Int. Sales Pyramide
International
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LADY
JANE (15)
Director Robert Guédiguian
With the support of the Glasgow Marseilles
Twinning Fund |
MacRobert
Stirling 17 November 7.30pm
Edinburgh
Filmhouse 19 November 2.30pm/8.45pm
Aberdeen
The Belmont 21 November 4.00pm
Dundee
DCA 26 November 6.00pm
Glasgow
Film Theatre 27 November 8.45pm |
| This recent offering from celebrated
writer/director Robert Guédiguian whomade the recently
released The Army of Crime as well as The Town
Is Quiet, Marius & Jeanette, Marie Jo
and Her Two Lovers, The Journey to Armenia and The
Last Mitterand is a character-rich film noir, set in a
wintry Marseille. Muriel (Ariane Ascaride), François
(Jean-Pierre Daroussin) and René (Gerard Meylan) are
three childhood friends from a working class neighbourhood,
who robbed banks together back in the 80s but now see very little
of each other. That is, until the day Muriel's son is kidnapped.
As Muriel’s request for help goes out, the friends are
soon united once again to set about gathering the ransom. And
one thing quickly leads to another... Featuring a twisting narrative
and sharp editing, Lady Jane (shown to mark Glasgow’s
twinning with Marseilles) has an edgy, frenetic feel, but in
his first foray into the genre, Guédiguian has more than
noir in mind. Existentialism deepens the darkness, along with
the irretrievable loss that surfaces when we revisit the past.
His talented trio of actors (all Guédiguian regulars)
are terrific, with Daroussin (FFF UK guest in 2008) again stealing
the show. . |
Cast
Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gerard Meylan
Director
Robert Guédiguian
2008. 104 mins
Int. Sales Films
Distribution
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PARK
BENCHES / BANCS PUBLICS
(15)
Director Bruno Podalydès |
Aberdeen
The Belmont 20 November 8.45pm
Glasgow
Film Theatre 22 November 2.30pm
Dundee
DCA 25 November 6.00pm |
| Bruno Podalydès’
fifth feature is an ensemble film that has been lauded for its
poetic humour which borders on the absurd and explores themes
of urban solitude. As she does every morning, Lucie joins her
colleagues at the office. Between games of solitaire and adverts
on the Internet, it’s a working day just like any other.
Then all activity in the office stops. All attention is turned
towards the window of the building opposite and a banner reading:
Man Alone. A hoax? A cry for help? What lies behind this mysterious
message? The film's very loosely connected glimpses of a few
dozen people in an office, a local park and a home-improvement
store might be useful as a primer on current French film stars
because it features everyone from Pierre Arditi, via Thierry
Lhermitte and Josiane Balasko to Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle
Devos, Mathieu Amalric and Chiara Mastroianni. The title literally
translates as Park Benches (Versailles – Right Bank),
which explicitly ties the film to Podalydès’ debut,
Versailles – Left Bank shown at the French Film
Festival in 1992. |
Cast
Sabine Azema, Emmanuelle Devos, Pierre Arditi, Chiara Mastroianni,
Josiane Balasko, Bruno Podalydès, Olivier Gourmet, Hippolyte
Girardot, Thierry Lhermitte, Julie Depardieu, Nicole Garcia,
Mathieu Amalric, Vincent Elbaz, Amira Casar, Michael Lonsdale,
Florence Muller, Claude Rich, Catherine Deneuve, Benoît
Poelvoorde
Director Bruno Podalydès
2008. 110 mins
Int. Sales Wild
Bunch
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SPECIAL
CORRESPONDENTS /
ENVOYÉS TRÈS SPÉCIAUX (15)
Director Christophe Honoré |
London
Ciné Lumière 15 November 3.00pm
Edinburgh Filmhouse 23 November 8.45pm
Glasgow Film Theatre 1 December 6.30pm |
| Just as they are about to be sent
to Iraq where the conflict is intensifying, a star radio journalist
Franck (played by Gérard Lanvin) and his sound technician
Poussin (Gérard Jugnot) lose their plane tickets and
money for the trip. This leads them to pull off a major bluff:
the duo hide in the Barbès area of Paris, where they
pretend to report live from Baghdad. Lying low in a friend’s
Parisian apartment, they manage to broadcast “live”
from Basrah and Baghdad via a satellite phone and lots of cleverly
inserted sound effects. The routine gets out of hand when Franck's
so-called war stories begin affecting the actual conflict. Things
also get complicated when Franck inadvertently sleeps with Poussin's
wife (Valerie Kaprisky) before their mission. As the team's
antics come dangerously close to being uncovered, Poussin's
marital crisis places an immovable wedge between the two "correspondents."
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Cast
Gérard Lanvin, Gérard Jugnot, Omar Sy, Valérie
Kaprisky, Anne Marivin, Serge Hazanavicius, Bertrand Lacy, Guillaume
Durand
Director Frédéric Auburtin
2009. 93 mins
Int. Sales Europa Corp Distribution
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