It may not have Doris Day singing "Que Sera, Sera" like its 1956 remake, but Alfred Hitchcock's original 1934 film "The Man Who Knew Too Much" represents some of the master's best work before he came to Hollywood. It's got the Hitchcock magic, that strange movie logic that doesn't need to make complete sense to be wildly entertaining. Like so many of the movies he made later, it embraces some classic beats: a man on the run, complex international intrigue, and as much suspense as he could wring out of every moment.
It also opens with a moment of surprising levity, following British couple Bob and Jill Lawrence (Leslie Banks and Edna Best) on their holiday in the Swiss Alps. When their French friend Louis (Pierre Fresnay) is mysteriously shot while dancing, he divulges a crucial secret to Jill -- where to find a note with dangerous information about the planned...
It also opens with a moment of surprising levity, following British couple Bob and Jill Lawrence (Leslie Banks and Edna Best) on their holiday in the Swiss Alps. When their French friend Louis (Pierre Fresnay) is mysteriously shot while dancing, he divulges a crucial secret to Jill -- where to find a note with dangerous information about the planned...
- 9/15/2022
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
As an artist Henri-Georges Clouzot was fearless: in the darkness of the German occupation he made a movie about the social crime of informing. Poison Pen accusations destroy trust, bringing out the worst in the people of a small French town. Who is The Crow and how many will suffer before the letters stop? It’s a study in vitriolic misanthropy — the kind of cold observation that Clouzot does so well. At the war’s finish director Clouzot was accused of collaboration, and for a time was censured. Later on, some English critics classified the show as a horror film. It’s certainly creepy enough.
Le Corbeau
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 227
1943 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 91 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date , 2022 / 39.95
Starring: Pierre Fresnay, Ginette Leclerc, Micheline Francey, Héléna Manson, Jeanne Fusier-Gir, Sylvie, Liliane Maigné, Pierre Larquey, Noël Roquevert, Bernard Lancret, Antoine Balpêtré, Jean Brochard, Pierre Bertin, Louis Seigner,...
Le Corbeau
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 227
1943 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 91 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date , 2022 / 39.95
Starring: Pierre Fresnay, Ginette Leclerc, Micheline Francey, Héléna Manson, Jeanne Fusier-Gir, Sylvie, Liliane Maigné, Pierre Larquey, Noël Roquevert, Bernard Lancret, Antoine Balpêtré, Jean Brochard, Pierre Bertin, Louis Seigner,...
- 9/13/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
For many dozens of Norman Lloyd’s closest friends, one of the most highly anticipated events of every year has long been the great character actor Norman Lloyd’s birthday party on November 6. The countdown to 100 was a much-relished slow-motion occasion, but Norman has long since put that milestone in the rear-view mirror. Still vigorous, mentally alert and blessed with a booming voice that could doubtless still be heard from the back row of a large theater’s second balcony, Norman a few days ago turned 106. Olivia de Havilland long ran a close second to Norman in Hollywood’s longevity department but, with her death last July, Norman has the field all to himself. It will certainly be a while until any Hollywood figure now in their 90s will threaten the actor’s record.
Although Norman continues to receive visitors at his cozy, tree-enshrouded home on the Westside, the usual boisterous November 6 gathering at a generous neighbor’s place was clearly not possible this year. Instead, over the weekend he presided over a crowded Zoom affair to accommodate the many guests he normally encounters in person. Then on Monday, my son Nick and I were joined by Los Angeles Film Critics Association president Claudia Puig and her husband Jerry Taylor to present Norman with a special new Legacy Award, recognizing Norman’s exceptional contributions to film and the arts over a nearly nine-decade career. Among the highlights encompassing his 1930s stage work with the likes of Pierre Fresnay, Elia Kazan, Joseph Losey, Orson Welles, John Houseman and Aaron Copland; his film debut as the villain who fell from the Statue of Liberty in Alfred Hitchcock’s Saboteur; and his extensive subsequent work in film, theater and television (most famously in for his long run as Dr. Auschlander in St. Elsewhere) decades afterwards (his final film appearance—to date—came in Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck in 2015).
As is his custom during these socially dismal days, Norman receives visitors while sitting at a table in his breakfast room, which opens upon an outdoor patio where his guests can sit. One is required to speak loudly and clearly — something Norman does as a matter of habit, having been well trained to pitch his voice to the back of the most cavernous theaters. He also inspires one to match him in the unfashionable art of precise enunciation, at which he excelled on Monday as he enthused about Joe Biden’s victory.
But most of Norman’s thoughts and comments focused on another Brit-made-good, Charlie Chaplin. Norman recalled how he was taken to Chaplin’s home one day in the early 1940s to play tennis and was soon not only a regular on Chaplin’s court but also an actor in Limelight. Norman boomed out memories of the one Hollywood figure he considered a true genius for a good 20 minutes, many of them centering upon tennis (they were evidently very well matched).
If you listen to the brief accompanying snippet, you’ll get a sense of Norman’s continued dedication to theatrical enunciation and diction.
Although Norman continues to receive visitors at his cozy, tree-enshrouded home on the Westside, the usual boisterous November 6 gathering at a generous neighbor’s place was clearly not possible this year. Instead, over the weekend he presided over a crowded Zoom affair to accommodate the many guests he normally encounters in person. Then on Monday, my son Nick and I were joined by Los Angeles Film Critics Association president Claudia Puig and her husband Jerry Taylor to present Norman with a special new Legacy Award, recognizing Norman’s exceptional contributions to film and the arts over a nearly nine-decade career. Among the highlights encompassing his 1930s stage work with the likes of Pierre Fresnay, Elia Kazan, Joseph Losey, Orson Welles, John Houseman and Aaron Copland; his film debut as the villain who fell from the Statue of Liberty in Alfred Hitchcock’s Saboteur; and his extensive subsequent work in film, theater and television (most famously in for his long run as Dr. Auschlander in St. Elsewhere) decades afterwards (his final film appearance—to date—came in Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck in 2015).
As is his custom during these socially dismal days, Norman receives visitors while sitting at a table in his breakfast room, which opens upon an outdoor patio where his guests can sit. One is required to speak loudly and clearly — something Norman does as a matter of habit, having been well trained to pitch his voice to the back of the most cavernous theaters. He also inspires one to match him in the unfashionable art of precise enunciation, at which he excelled on Monday as he enthused about Joe Biden’s victory.
But most of Norman’s thoughts and comments focused on another Brit-made-good, Charlie Chaplin. Norman recalled how he was taken to Chaplin’s home one day in the early 1940s to play tennis and was soon not only a regular on Chaplin’s court but also an actor in Limelight. Norman boomed out memories of the one Hollywood figure he considered a true genius for a good 20 minutes, many of them centering upon tennis (they were evidently very well matched).
If you listen to the brief accompanying snippet, you’ll get a sense of Norman’s continued dedication to theatrical enunciation and diction.
- 11/11/2020
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
Henri-Georges Clouzot's Le corbeau (1943) is showing November 20 – December 19, and Quai des orfèvres (1947) from November 21 – December 20, 2018 on Mubi in the United States.Henri-Georges ClouzotOn September 3, 1939 France, alongside Great Britain, declared war on Germany. As pronounced May 8, 1945 by Charles de Gaulle, president of the Provisional Government of the French Republic, Europe’s World War II conflict was over. Between these years, years that saw the demoralizing German occupation of de Gaulle’s homeland, battle lines were heartily affirmed and mightily preserved. There was, in this tumultuous time, little room for partisan ambiguity—it was a black and white world of Allied and Axis powers, of us versus them. Within this context of chaos and violence, Niort-born Henri-Georges Clouzot advanced his filmmaking career, beginning with screenwriting efforts in the early 1930s and progressing to his first feature as a solo director, L’assassin habite... au 21 (The Murderer Lives at Number 21). Released in...
- 11/20/2018
- MUBI
Author: Competitions
To mark the release of the 4K resotrations of Le Corbeau, La Prisonni?Re and Quai Des Orfevres on 5th March, we’ve been given 3 bundles to give away on Blu-ray.
Le Corbeau (1942)
A veritable masterpiece of French cinema, Le Corbeau is a dark and subversive study of human nature starring Pierre Fresnay and Ginette Leclerc. A wave of hysteria sweeps the small provincial town of St. Robin when a series of poison-pen letters signed ‘Le Corbeau’ (The Raven) begin to appear, denouncing several prominent members of society. The slow trickle of sinister letters soon becomes a flood and no one is safe from their mysterious accusations. Upon its release in 1943, Le Corbeau was condemned by the political left and right and the church, and Clouzot was banned from filmmaking for two years.
La Prisonni?Re (1968)
Josée (Elizabeth Wiener) is the wife of an artist whose work is...
To mark the release of the 4K resotrations of Le Corbeau, La Prisonni?Re and Quai Des Orfevres on 5th March, we’ve been given 3 bundles to give away on Blu-ray.
Le Corbeau (1942)
A veritable masterpiece of French cinema, Le Corbeau is a dark and subversive study of human nature starring Pierre Fresnay and Ginette Leclerc. A wave of hysteria sweeps the small provincial town of St. Robin when a series of poison-pen letters signed ‘Le Corbeau’ (The Raven) begin to appear, denouncing several prominent members of society. The slow trickle of sinister letters soon becomes a flood and no one is safe from their mysterious accusations. Upon its release in 1943, Le Corbeau was condemned by the political left and right and the church, and Clouzot was banned from filmmaking for two years.
La Prisonni?Re (1968)
Josée (Elizabeth Wiener) is the wife of an artist whose work is...
- 2/26/2018
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Close-Up is a feature that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Grand Illusion (1937) is showing July 27 - August 26, 2017 in the United States as part of the retrospective Jean Renoir.Considering Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion today in no small part involves an awareness of status and stature, the most prominent (or maybe just the most intimidating) aspect of which surely being the cherished status the film continues to enjoy in the canon of film history. To this day, it remains a singular achievement, not only as one of Renoir's foundational masterpieces, but also as a film of its time whose contents have remained timeless. Released in 1937 to great acclaim, it bid farewell to one era of European history and warfare as another, far darker one was about to begin; thus, more than the grimly comical The Rules of the Game (made and released two years closer to the brink...
- 7/27/2017
- MUBI
Each month, the fine folks at FilmStruck and the Criterion Collection spend countless hours crafting their channels to highlight the many different types of films that they have in their streaming library. This July will feature an exciting assortment of films, as noted below.
To sign up for a free two-week trial here.
Saturday, July 1 Changing Faces
What does a face tell us even when it’s disguised or disfigured? And what does it conceal? Guest curator Imogen Sara Smith, a critic and author of the book In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City, assembles a series of films that revolve around enigmatic faces transformed by masks, scars, and surgery, including Georges Franju’s Eyes Without a Face (1960) and Hiroshi Teshigahara’s The Face of Another (1966).
Tuesday, July 4 Tuesday’s Short + Feature: Premature* and Ten*
Come hitch a ride with Norwegian director Gunhild Enger and the late Iranian master...
To sign up for a free two-week trial here.
Saturday, July 1 Changing Faces
What does a face tell us even when it’s disguised or disfigured? And what does it conceal? Guest curator Imogen Sara Smith, a critic and author of the book In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City, assembles a series of films that revolve around enigmatic faces transformed by masks, scars, and surgery, including Georges Franju’s Eyes Without a Face (1960) and Hiroshi Teshigahara’s The Face of Another (1966).
Tuesday, July 4 Tuesday’s Short + Feature: Premature* and Ten*
Come hitch a ride with Norwegian director Gunhild Enger and the late Iranian master...
- 6/26/2017
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
No longer out of reach, Marcel Pagnol’s stunning 3-feature saga of love and honor in a French seaport is one of the great movie experiences — and the most emotional workout this viewer has seen in years. The tradition of greatness in the French sound cinema began with gems like these, starring legendary actors that were sometimes billed only with their last names: Raimu, Charpin. Those two, Pierre Fresnay and Orane Demazis are simply unforgettable — it’s 6.5 hours of dramatic wonderment.
Marcel Pagnol’s The Marseille Trilogy
Marius * Fanny * César
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 881-884
1931 – 1936 / B&W / 1:19 flat full frame, 1:19 flat full frame, 1:37 flat full frame / 127 * 127 * 141 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 20, 2017 / 79.96
Starring: Raimu, Pierre Fresnay, Orane Demazis, Fernand Charpin, Alida Rouffe, Paul Dullac, Robert Vattier, André Fouché.
Cinematography: Ted Pahle, Nicolas Toporkoff, Willy Faktorovitch
Original Music: ?, Vincent Scotto, Vincent Scotto
Written by Marcel Pagnol
Produced by Ted Pahle,...
Marcel Pagnol’s The Marseille Trilogy
Marius * Fanny * César
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 881-884
1931 – 1936 / B&W / 1:19 flat full frame, 1:19 flat full frame, 1:37 flat full frame / 127 * 127 * 141 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 20, 2017 / 79.96
Starring: Raimu, Pierre Fresnay, Orane Demazis, Fernand Charpin, Alida Rouffe, Paul Dullac, Robert Vattier, André Fouché.
Cinematography: Ted Pahle, Nicolas Toporkoff, Willy Faktorovitch
Original Music: ?, Vincent Scotto, Vincent Scotto
Written by Marcel Pagnol
Produced by Ted Pahle,...
- 6/16/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Marcel Pagnols’ Marseille Trilogy, Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog” and Nicholas Ray’s “They Live by Night” are among the new titles joining the Criterion Collection this June. In addition, Kenji Mizoguchi’s “Ugetsu” and Sam Peckinpah’s “Straw Dogs” are being upgraded in new Blu-ray editions. More information below.
Read More: The Criterion Collection Announces May Titles: ‘Ghost World,’ ‘Dheepan,’ ‘Jeanne Dielman’ and More
“Ugetsu”
“Having refined his craft in the silent era, Kenji Mizoguchi was an elder statesman of Japanese cinema-fiercely revered by Akira Kurosawa and other younger directors-by the time he made ‘Ugetsu.’ And with this exquisite ghost story, a fatalistic wartime tragedy derived from stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant, he created a touchstone of his art, his long takes and sweeping camera guiding the viewer through a delirious narrative about two villagers whose pursuit of fame and...
Read More: The Criterion Collection Announces May Titles: ‘Ghost World,’ ‘Dheepan,’ ‘Jeanne Dielman’ and More
“Ugetsu”
“Having refined his craft in the silent era, Kenji Mizoguchi was an elder statesman of Japanese cinema-fiercely revered by Akira Kurosawa and other younger directors-by the time he made ‘Ugetsu.’ And with this exquisite ghost story, a fatalistic wartime tragedy derived from stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant, he created a touchstone of his art, his long takes and sweeping camera guiding the viewer through a delirious narrative about two villagers whose pursuit of fame and...
- 3/15/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
It’s only the very beginning of 2017, but in the world of film things tend to move quickly. Well, in so many ways, at least. As the repertory film scene continues to expand, film studios and boutique distributors trying to find any classic catalog title that may hit the fancy of a specific niche film going audience, Janus Films continues to not only be leading the way but bringing to theaters some of the most exciting discoveries of any given year.
Take for example their latest release. January 4 marks the start of Janus’ touring of new restorations of not one, not two but three of the truly great and influential early entries into the French Film Canon. Written by Marcel Pagnol, Marius, Fanny and Cesar all find themselves under the watchful eye of different filmmakers, but carry with them the same sense of warmth and vitality that is crystal clear in Pagnol’s story.
Take for example their latest release. January 4 marks the start of Janus’ touring of new restorations of not one, not two but three of the truly great and influential early entries into the French Film Canon. Written by Marcel Pagnol, Marius, Fanny and Cesar all find themselves under the watchful eye of different filmmakers, but carry with them the same sense of warmth and vitality that is crystal clear in Pagnol’s story.
- 1/4/2017
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
With a new restoration of Marcel Pagnol's "Marseilles Trilogy" coming to art-house cinemas, Mubi is showing three later Pagnol adaptations: Joshua Logan's Fanny (1961) and Daniel Auteuil's Fanny (2013) and Marius (2013) in the United States.The sea calls to Marius like a siren song, a tantalizing beckon to a life of mobility, exhilaration, and maritime adventure. It is a life far from his current reality, slinging drinks in his father’s shoreline bar, but it is a tempting existence that forever fills his fantasies and directs his path forward. Little wonder, really. The port of Marseilles is teeming with the influence of a sailor’s life, from the towering ships, their sails and masts hovering above the liquid horizon, to the shopfront interiors adorned with innumerable images of nautical signification, paintings and model ships that testify to the lifeblood of this city. Lifeblood, maybe, but also a curse. For Marius (Pierre Fresnay), his father,...
- 1/3/2017
- MUBI
“I am not the father of neorealism on screen, you are,” said director Roberto Rossellini to novelist, playwright and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol, one of the most prolific artists in the early years of cinema. Now, many will soon be able to watch one of Pagnol’s defining works in his career: the epic “Marseille Trilogy,” a saga of love, labor and good food in 1930’s France, which will return to theaters in a brand-new 4K restoration this January.
Read More: ‘Mulholland Drive’ Returns To UK Theaters Next Year In New 4K Restoration
The series follows young barkeep Marius (Pierre Fresnay) who is in love with the cockle monger Fanny (Orane Demazis), but cannot quell his wanderlust. Stretching out over years, their romance plays out amidst many provincial characters, like Marius’ father César (Raimu), who struggles to keep his family and community together, and Honoré Panisse (Fernand Charpin), the aged widower vying for Fanny’s hand.
Read More: ‘Mulholland Drive’ Returns To UK Theaters Next Year In New 4K Restoration
The series follows young barkeep Marius (Pierre Fresnay) who is in love with the cockle monger Fanny (Orane Demazis), but cannot quell his wanderlust. Stretching out over years, their romance plays out amidst many provincial characters, like Marius’ father César (Raimu), who struggles to keep his family and community together, and Honoré Panisse (Fernand Charpin), the aged widower vying for Fanny’s hand.
- 12/13/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Colcoa French Film Festival, "9 Days of Film Premieres in Hollywood," and its producer, the Franco-American Cultural Fund, have announced the Focus on a Filmmaker program as well as an exclusive line up of predominantly digitally restored French Classics, presented as World, International or U.S. Premieres. All screenings will take place at the Directors Guild of America.
The Colcoa Classics Series will be shown from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 and on Monday April 25 as part of the 20th anniversary program.
Focus on a Filmmaker: Academy Award0 Nominee Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Colcoa will honor Academy Award-nominated writer-director Jean-Paul Rappeneau on Thursday, April 21 with the World Premiere of new digitally restored "A Matter of Resistance" (1965), starring Catherine Deneuve and Philippe Noiret, as well as the U.S. Premiere of his new film "Families.," which had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall. Rappeneau joins previous honorees, writer-directors Michel Hazanavicius, Cédric Klapisch, Bertrand Blier, Costa Gavras, Florent Siri, Julie Delpy and Alain Resnais, whose key bodies of work have been cited in past festivals.
Jean-Paul Rappeneau will make a rare personal appearance as well as meeting audience members for a Happy Hour Talk panel dedicated to his work. (Colcoa Classics + Panel +Premiere of "Families"). This focus is presented with the support of TF1 International.
International Premiere of Digitally Restored "More"
Writer-director Barbet Schroeder, feted at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, will have a Colcoa-presented International Premiere of his digitally restored masterpiece, "More" (1969), in association with Les Films du Losange and Janus Films. Initially banned in France, Schroeder's debut feature cast the myth of Icarus as a cautionary tale of free love and drug addiction in the shadow of the May '68 Paris, illustrated by an original score by The Pink Floyd. (Colcoa Classics)
45th Anniversary of "Delusions of Grandeur"
The digitally restored version of writer-director Gérard Oury's hit comedy, "Delusions of Grandeur" (1971), will have its U.S. Premiere at the festival. Co-written with his daughter, Danièle Thompson, and Marcel Jullian, this historical spoof of the Victor Hugo play,Ruy Blasfeatures a first -time collaboration of two French giants, Louis de Funès and Yves Montand ."Delusions of Grandeur" will be presented in association with French studio Gaumont (celebrating its own 120th anniversary). (Colcoa Classics)
- International Premeire of Digitally Restored "Marius"
Colcoa will present the digitally restored version of "Marius" (1931), the first part of the famous trilogy taking place in Marseille, created by novelist Marcel Pagnol and writer director Alexander Korda. It stars Pierre Fresnay, Fernand Charpin , Raimu and Orane Demazis. This exclusive presentation in the U.S. is made possible by the Franco American Cultural Fund (Facf), which supported the restoration, La Cinémathèque Française and Les Films Marcel Pagnol. (Colcoa Classics)
- Internatonal Premiere of the Digitally Restored "They Were Five"
A special 80th anniversary screening of digitally restored "They Were Five" (La belle équipe) (1936) will be offered to the Colcoa audience just weeks after its French release. Thus, the festival will pay tribute to writer-director Julien Duvivier (born 120 years ago) who was the first filmmaker to cast two French stars Jean Gabin and Charles Vanel in this classic, popular, social comedy (presented with the support of Pathé International - (Colcoa Classics)
- World Premiere of Digitally Restored Colcoa Hit: "On Guard"
Romance and revenge are the main ingredients in this sweeping swashbuckler set in a lavish 17th century backdrop. "On Guard," which premiered 19 years ago at Colcoa, stars Daniel Auteuil, Philippe Noiret, Fabrice Luchini, three of the multi-star cast and co-written and directed by Philippe de Broca. The festival will present the World Premiere of the restored version for its U.S. release by The Cohen Media Group (Colcoa Classics)
From April 18 to April 26, 2016, filmgoers will celebrate the 20th edition of Colcoa French Film Festival at the Directors Guild of America.
The full line-up of films in competition for the Colcoa Cinema and Television Awards, will be announced before March 29 .
The Colcoa Classics Series will be shown from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 and on Monday April 25 as part of the 20th anniversary program.
Focus on a Filmmaker: Academy Award0 Nominee Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Colcoa will honor Academy Award-nominated writer-director Jean-Paul Rappeneau on Thursday, April 21 with the World Premiere of new digitally restored "A Matter of Resistance" (1965), starring Catherine Deneuve and Philippe Noiret, as well as the U.S. Premiere of his new film "Families.," which had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall. Rappeneau joins previous honorees, writer-directors Michel Hazanavicius, Cédric Klapisch, Bertrand Blier, Costa Gavras, Florent Siri, Julie Delpy and Alain Resnais, whose key bodies of work have been cited in past festivals.
Jean-Paul Rappeneau will make a rare personal appearance as well as meeting audience members for a Happy Hour Talk panel dedicated to his work. (Colcoa Classics + Panel +Premiere of "Families"). This focus is presented with the support of TF1 International.
International Premiere of Digitally Restored "More"
Writer-director Barbet Schroeder, feted at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, will have a Colcoa-presented International Premiere of his digitally restored masterpiece, "More" (1969), in association with Les Films du Losange and Janus Films. Initially banned in France, Schroeder's debut feature cast the myth of Icarus as a cautionary tale of free love and drug addiction in the shadow of the May '68 Paris, illustrated by an original score by The Pink Floyd. (Colcoa Classics)
45th Anniversary of "Delusions of Grandeur"
The digitally restored version of writer-director Gérard Oury's hit comedy, "Delusions of Grandeur" (1971), will have its U.S. Premiere at the festival. Co-written with his daughter, Danièle Thompson, and Marcel Jullian, this historical spoof of the Victor Hugo play,Ruy Blasfeatures a first -time collaboration of two French giants, Louis de Funès and Yves Montand ."Delusions of Grandeur" will be presented in association with French studio Gaumont (celebrating its own 120th anniversary). (Colcoa Classics)
- International Premeire of Digitally Restored "Marius"
Colcoa will present the digitally restored version of "Marius" (1931), the first part of the famous trilogy taking place in Marseille, created by novelist Marcel Pagnol and writer director Alexander Korda. It stars Pierre Fresnay, Fernand Charpin , Raimu and Orane Demazis. This exclusive presentation in the U.S. is made possible by the Franco American Cultural Fund (Facf), which supported the restoration, La Cinémathèque Française and Les Films Marcel Pagnol. (Colcoa Classics)
- Internatonal Premiere of the Digitally Restored "They Were Five"
A special 80th anniversary screening of digitally restored "They Were Five" (La belle équipe) (1936) will be offered to the Colcoa audience just weeks after its French release. Thus, the festival will pay tribute to writer-director Julien Duvivier (born 120 years ago) who was the first filmmaker to cast two French stars Jean Gabin and Charles Vanel in this classic, popular, social comedy (presented with the support of Pathé International - (Colcoa Classics)
- World Premiere of Digitally Restored Colcoa Hit: "On Guard"
Romance and revenge are the main ingredients in this sweeping swashbuckler set in a lavish 17th century backdrop. "On Guard," which premiered 19 years ago at Colcoa, stars Daniel Auteuil, Philippe Noiret, Fabrice Luchini, three of the multi-star cast and co-written and directed by Philippe de Broca. The festival will present the World Premiere of the restored version for its U.S. release by The Cohen Media Group (Colcoa Classics)
From April 18 to April 26, 2016, filmgoers will celebrate the 20th edition of Colcoa French Film Festival at the Directors Guild of America.
The full line-up of films in competition for the Colcoa Cinema and Television Awards, will be announced before March 29 .
- 2/25/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Danièle Delorme and Jean Gabin in 'Deadlier Than the Male.' Danièle Delorme movies (See previous post: “Danièle Delorme: 'Gigi' 1949 Actress Became Rare Woman Director's Muse.”) “Every actor would like to make a movie with Charles Chaplin or René Clair,” Danièle Delorme explains in the filmed interview (ca. 1960) embedded further below, adding that oftentimes it wasn't up to them to decide with whom they would get to work. Yet, although frequently beyond her control, Delorme managed to collaborate with a number of major (mostly French) filmmakers throughout her six-decade movie career. Aside from her Jacqueline Audry films discussed in the previous Danièle Delorme article, below are a few of her most notable efforts – usually playing naive-looking young women of modest means and deceptively inconspicuous sexuality, whose inner character may or may not match their external appearance. Ouvert pour cause d'inventaire (“Open for Inventory Causes,” 1946), an unreleased, no-budget comedy notable...
- 12/18/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Danièle Delorme: 'Gigi' 1949 actress and pioneering female film producer. Danièle Delorme: 'Gigi' 1949 actress was pioneering woman producer, politically minded 'femme engagée' Danièle Delorme, who died on Oct. 17, '15, at the age of 89 in Paris, is best remembered as the first actress to incarnate Colette's teenage courtesan-to-be Gigi and for playing Jean Rochefort's about-to-be-cuckolded wife in the international box office hit Pardon Mon Affaire. Yet few are aware that Delorme was featured in nearly 60 films – three of which, including Gigi, directed by France's sole major woman filmmaker of the '40s and '50s – in addition to more than 20 stage plays and a dozen television productions in a show business career spanning seven decades. Even fewer realize that Delorme was also a pioneering woman film producer, working in that capacity for more than half a century. Or that she was what in French is called a femme engagée...
- 12/5/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Marc Allégret: From André Gide lover to Simone Simon mentor (photo: Marc Allégret) (See previous post: "Simone Simon Remembered: Sex Kitten and Femme Fatale.") Simone Simon became a film star following the international critical and financial success of the 1934 romantic drama Lac aux Dames, directed by her self-appointed mentor – and alleged lover – Marc Allégret.[1] The son of an evangelical missionary, Marc Allégret (born on December 22, 1900, in Basel, Switzerland) was to have become a lawyer. At age 16, his life took a different path as a result of his romantic involvement – and elopement to London – with his mentor and later "adoptive uncle" André Gide (1947 Nobel Prize winner in Literature), more than 30 years his senior and married to Madeleine Rondeaux for more than two decades. In various forms – including a threesome with painter Théo Van Rysselberghe's daughter Elisabeth – the Allégret-Gide relationship remained steady until the late '20s and their trip to...
- 2/28/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
As a special surprise for this year's 18th edition the Colcoa Festival (City of Lights, City of Angels) "A Week of French Film Premieres in Hollywood" has added an unprecedented seven classic films to its popular roster. The festival runs from April 21-28 at the Directors Guild of America. For the first time, a daily matinee showing of a classic will complement the new films shown in competition.
Focus on a filmmaker : Cédric Klapisch
Colcoa will honor writer-director Cédric Klapisch on Thursday, April 24 with a special presentation of L'Auberge Espagnole (2002) as well as the Premiere of his new film Chinese Puzzle that will be released in May in the U.S. by Cohen Media Group. Chinese Puzzle completes a trilogy Klapisich began in 2002 with L'Auberge Espagnole,followed by Russian Dolls in 2005. The cast includes Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou and Cécile de France. Klapisch joins previously honored writer-directors Bertrand Blier, Costa Gavras, Florent Siri, Julie Delpy and Alain Resnais whose key body of work has been shown in past events. This will be the third film by the writer-director to be presented at the festival, following Paris and My Piece of the Pie. Cédric Klapisch will meet the audience for a Happy Hour Talk panel dedicated to his work. (Colcoa Classics + Panel +Premiere of Chinese Puzzle)
Homage to Patrice Chéreau
The late writer-director Patrice Chéreau (1944-2013), who attended Colcoa in 2003 for the world Premiere of Son frère (His Brother) will be remembered in the Colcoa Classics program, which includes a special presentation of digitally restored director's cut of Queen Margot (1994), based on a novel of Alexandre Dumas, co-written by Danièle Thompson & Patrice Chéreau, and directed by Chéreau. The cast includes Isabelle Adjani, Jean-Hugues Anglade and Daniel Auteuil. The film (celebrating its 20th anniversary) is presented in association with Cohen Media Group. The film will have will be released theatrically, as well as in digital format in the U.S.
Premiere of the Restored Version Beauty and the Beast Colcoa will present the digitally restored print of the remarkable Beauty and the Beast (1946), a romantic drama written and directed by Jean Cocteau and starring Josette Day and Jean Marais in partnership with the Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), Snd/M6, Janus Films and La Cinémathèque Française.
Premiere of the Restored Version Favorites of the Moon
A special 30th anniversary screening of Favourites of the Moon (1984), winner of the Special Jury Prize that year at the Venice International Film Festival, a comedy co-written by Gérard Brach and Otar Iosseliani and directed by Otar Iosseliani, starring Mathieu Amalric, Alix de Montaigu, Pascal Aubier, Jean-Pierre Beauviala, will be presented in association with the Cohen Media Group before its digital release in the U.S.
Premiere of the Restored Version Purple Noon
The film is also a special presentation of Purple Noon , a drama based on Patricia Highsmith's novel, co-written by Paul Gégauff and René Clément , directed by René Clément and starring Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet and Marie Laforêt and presented in association with the Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), StudioCanal, Janus Films and La Cinémathèque Française.
Premier of the Restored Version of L'assassin habite... au 21 New digitally restored version of L'assassin habite... au 21, (1942) a drama co-written by Stanislas-André Steeman and Henri-Georges Clouzot , directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Pierre Fresnay, Suzy Delair, Jean Tissier. The film is presented in association with Titra Tvs and Gaumont.
FRANÇOIS Truffaut: A Tribute
Citing the 30th anniversary of the passing of universally renowned François Truffaut in 1984, Colcoa will pay tribute to the writer-director with a special program.(To be announced soon)
From April 21 to April 28, 2014, filmgoers will celebrate the 18th edition of Colcoa "A Week Of French Film Premieres In Hollywood" at the Directors Guild of America. The 18th line-up of films in competition for the Colcoa Awards will be announced April 1, 2014.
About ColcoaColcoa was created by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France's Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (Sacem). Colcoa is also supported by France's Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (L'arp), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles, the Cnc and Unifrance.
...
Focus on a filmmaker : Cédric Klapisch
Colcoa will honor writer-director Cédric Klapisch on Thursday, April 24 with a special presentation of L'Auberge Espagnole (2002) as well as the Premiere of his new film Chinese Puzzle that will be released in May in the U.S. by Cohen Media Group. Chinese Puzzle completes a trilogy Klapisich began in 2002 with L'Auberge Espagnole,followed by Russian Dolls in 2005. The cast includes Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou and Cécile de France. Klapisch joins previously honored writer-directors Bertrand Blier, Costa Gavras, Florent Siri, Julie Delpy and Alain Resnais whose key body of work has been shown in past events. This will be the third film by the writer-director to be presented at the festival, following Paris and My Piece of the Pie. Cédric Klapisch will meet the audience for a Happy Hour Talk panel dedicated to his work. (Colcoa Classics + Panel +Premiere of Chinese Puzzle)
Homage to Patrice Chéreau
The late writer-director Patrice Chéreau (1944-2013), who attended Colcoa in 2003 for the world Premiere of Son frère (His Brother) will be remembered in the Colcoa Classics program, which includes a special presentation of digitally restored director's cut of Queen Margot (1994), based on a novel of Alexandre Dumas, co-written by Danièle Thompson & Patrice Chéreau, and directed by Chéreau. The cast includes Isabelle Adjani, Jean-Hugues Anglade and Daniel Auteuil. The film (celebrating its 20th anniversary) is presented in association with Cohen Media Group. The film will have will be released theatrically, as well as in digital format in the U.S.
Premiere of the Restored Version Beauty and the Beast Colcoa will present the digitally restored print of the remarkable Beauty and the Beast (1946), a romantic drama written and directed by Jean Cocteau and starring Josette Day and Jean Marais in partnership with the Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), Snd/M6, Janus Films and La Cinémathèque Française.
Premiere of the Restored Version Favorites of the Moon
A special 30th anniversary screening of Favourites of the Moon (1984), winner of the Special Jury Prize that year at the Venice International Film Festival, a comedy co-written by Gérard Brach and Otar Iosseliani and directed by Otar Iosseliani, starring Mathieu Amalric, Alix de Montaigu, Pascal Aubier, Jean-Pierre Beauviala, will be presented in association with the Cohen Media Group before its digital release in the U.S.
Premiere of the Restored Version Purple Noon
The film is also a special presentation of Purple Noon , a drama based on Patricia Highsmith's novel, co-written by Paul Gégauff and René Clément , directed by René Clément and starring Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet and Marie Laforêt and presented in association with the Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), StudioCanal, Janus Films and La Cinémathèque Française.
Premier of the Restored Version of L'assassin habite... au 21 New digitally restored version of L'assassin habite... au 21, (1942) a drama co-written by Stanislas-André Steeman and Henri-Georges Clouzot , directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Pierre Fresnay, Suzy Delair, Jean Tissier. The film is presented in association with Titra Tvs and Gaumont.
FRANÇOIS Truffaut: A Tribute
Citing the 30th anniversary of the passing of universally renowned François Truffaut in 1984, Colcoa will pay tribute to the writer-director with a special program.(To be announced soon)
From April 21 to April 28, 2014, filmgoers will celebrate the 18th edition of Colcoa "A Week Of French Film Premieres In Hollywood" at the Directors Guild of America. The 18th line-up of films in competition for the Colcoa Awards will be announced April 1, 2014.
About ColcoaColcoa was created by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France's Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (Sacem). Colcoa is also supported by France's Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (L'arp), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles, the Cnc and Unifrance.
...
- 2/25/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
War is hell, for sure, but war can make for undeniably brilliant movie-making. Here, the Guardian and Observer's critics pick the ten best
• Top 10 action movies
• Top 10 comedy movies
• Top 10 horror movies
• Top 10 sci-fi movies
• Top 10 crime movies
• Top 10 arthouse movies
• Top 10 family movies
10. Where Eagles Dare
As the second world war thriller became bogged down during the mid-60s in plodding epics like Operation Crossbow and The Heroes of Telemark, someone was needed to reintroduce a little sang-froid, some post-Le Carré espionage, and for heaven's sake, some proper macho thrills into the genre. Alistair Maclean stepped up, writing the screenplay and the novel of Where Eagles Dare simultaneously, and Brian G Hutton summoned up a better than usual cast headed by Richard Burton (Major Jonathan Smith), a still fresh-faced Clint Eastwood (Lieutenant Morris Schaffer), and the late Mary Ure (Mary Elison).
Parachuted into the German Alps, they have one...
• Top 10 action movies
• Top 10 comedy movies
• Top 10 horror movies
• Top 10 sci-fi movies
• Top 10 crime movies
• Top 10 arthouse movies
• Top 10 family movies
10. Where Eagles Dare
As the second world war thriller became bogged down during the mid-60s in plodding epics like Operation Crossbow and The Heroes of Telemark, someone was needed to reintroduce a little sang-froid, some post-Le Carré espionage, and for heaven's sake, some proper macho thrills into the genre. Alistair Maclean stepped up, writing the screenplay and the novel of Where Eagles Dare simultaneously, and Brian G Hutton summoned up a better than usual cast headed by Richard Burton (Major Jonathan Smith), a still fresh-faced Clint Eastwood (Lieutenant Morris Schaffer), and the late Mary Ure (Mary Elison).
Parachuted into the German Alps, they have one...
- 10/29/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
French film director who attracted big stars and box-office success but was disdained by the Nouvelle Vague
Denys de La Patellière, who has died aged 92, was of the generation of French film directors described with ironic contempt by François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard and other critics turned Nouvelle Vague directors as representing le cinéma de papa. But De La Patellière had several huge box-office hits in France in the 1950s and 60s, featuring some of the biggest internationally known French stars of the period such as Lino Ventura, Danielle Darrieux, Michèle Mercier, Pierre Fresnay, Bernard Blier and, above all, Jean Gabin, whom he directed in six films.
"I was a commercial director, which for me is not a pejorative word," De La Patellière recalled. "I never had the ambition to become an auteur, but to make entertaining films that pleased general audiences." In a way, his first film, Les Aristocrates (1955), could...
Denys de La Patellière, who has died aged 92, was of the generation of French film directors described with ironic contempt by François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard and other critics turned Nouvelle Vague directors as representing le cinéma de papa. But De La Patellière had several huge box-office hits in France in the 1950s and 60s, featuring some of the biggest internationally known French stars of the period such as Lino Ventura, Danielle Darrieux, Michèle Mercier, Pierre Fresnay, Bernard Blier and, above all, Jean Gabin, whom he directed in six films.
"I was a commercial director, which for me is not a pejorative word," De La Patellière recalled. "I never had the ambition to become an auteur, but to make entertaining films that pleased general audiences." In a way, his first film, Les Aristocrates (1955), could...
- 7/30/2013
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1942; Eureka!, PG
Often described as the French Hitchcock, Henri-Georges Clouzot (1907-77) moved from screenwriting to direction during the second world war when the French cinema was closely supervised by the German occupying powers. His masterly second movie, Le corbeau (1943), a bitter thriller about the corrosive effect of poison-pen letters on a small provincial town, was withdrawn for two years after the war, and Clouzot was banned from directing for six months after a rumour spread that the movie had been shown in Germany to expose French moral corruption.
His 1942 debut, The Murderer Lives at 21, a stylish black comedy, suffered no such fate despite the characteristic misanthropy underlying its light surface. A combination of Agatha Christie whodunnit and French roman noir, it features the great Pierre Fresnay as a suave police inspector pursuing a serial killer styling himself "Monsieur Durand". After a tip-off reveals that "Durand" lives at a seedy boarding house in Montmartre,...
Often described as the French Hitchcock, Henri-Georges Clouzot (1907-77) moved from screenwriting to direction during the second world war when the French cinema was closely supervised by the German occupying powers. His masterly second movie, Le corbeau (1943), a bitter thriller about the corrosive effect of poison-pen letters on a small provincial town, was withdrawn for two years after the war, and Clouzot was banned from directing for six months after a rumour spread that the movie had been shown in Germany to expose French moral corruption.
His 1942 debut, The Murderer Lives at 21, a stylish black comedy, suffered no such fate despite the characteristic misanthropy underlying its light surface. A combination of Agatha Christie whodunnit and French roman noir, it features the great Pierre Fresnay as a suave police inspector pursuing a serial killer styling himself "Monsieur Durand". After a tip-off reveals that "Durand" lives at a seedy boarding house in Montmartre,...
- 6/1/2013
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
★★★☆☆ At initial glance Henri-Georges Clouzot's The Murderer Lives at 21 (L'Assassin habite au 21, 1942) would appear to be mere comic folly from a director highly respected for serious thrillers. Arriving on Blu-ray in Eureka's Masters of Cinema series, its television-style whodunnit set up, cast of oddball suspects and humorous tone all point towards a light and less abiding affair. This markedly assured debut may be those things, but it is equally shot through with a delightfully noirish streak and an abundance of misanthropic undertones, not least in the banal shadows within which evil is lurking.
The opening scene provides us with a fiendish moment of complicity in which the film's antagonist, Monsieur Durand, stalks an inebriated lottery winner. The audience isn't privy to the villain's identity through this sequence but instead finds itself observing from Durand's point of view as he slays the man, takes his money and leaves a calling card.
The opening scene provides us with a fiendish moment of complicity in which the film's antagonist, Monsieur Durand, stalks an inebriated lottery winner. The audience isn't privy to the villain's identity through this sequence but instead finds itself observing from Durand's point of view as he slays the man, takes his money and leaves a calling card.
- 5/21/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
While Henri-Georges Clouzot is best remembered for many of his later films, including The Wages of Fear and Diabolique, the French filmmaker's 1942 debut has gone largely unseen by Western audiences until now. The Murderer Lives at 21 (L'Assassin Habite au 21), based on the novel by Belgian author Stanislas-Andre Steeman, is in fact a sequel to Georges Lacombe's The Last of Six, released a year earlier. That film also starred Pierre Fresnay and Suzy Delair, and was adapted by Clouzot for the screen. In fact, it was his dissatisfaction with the way his script was directed that inspired Clouzot to become a director himself. At the time of the film's production, World War II was in full swing and France was under the occupation of...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/20/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Masters of Cinema have kindly released L'assassin habite... au 21 (The Murderer Lives at... 21) on DVD. This, the directorial debut of Henri-Georges Clouzot, has never been an easy film to see in English-speaking territories. It's often dismissed a a minor effort, perhaps because of it's light-hearted tone, and because it's a more conventional whodunnit investigation than the more twisty and twisted later thrillers.
The stars are Pierre Fresnay (later hero of Le corbeau) and Suzy Delair (later heroine of Quai des Orfèvres, and Clouzot's mistress), playing a brilliant police inspector and his actress girlfriend. Suave Fresnay and blousy Delair would also play these roles in a sequel, Le dernier des six, scripted by Clouzot but not directed by him. It's not as good as this one but as a greedy swine I can't help wish that it could have been included as an extra on the disc.
There's been a series of robbery-murders,...
The stars are Pierre Fresnay (later hero of Le corbeau) and Suzy Delair (later heroine of Quai des Orfèvres, and Clouzot's mistress), playing a brilliant police inspector and his actress girlfriend. Suave Fresnay and blousy Delair would also play these roles in a sequel, Le dernier des six, scripted by Clouzot but not directed by him. It's not as good as this one but as a greedy swine I can't help wish that it could have been included as an extra on the disc.
There's been a series of robbery-murders,...
- 5/2/2013
- by David Cairns
- MUBI
Le Corbeau
Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
Written by Louis Chavance and Henri-Georges Clouzot
Starring Pierre Fresnay, Ginette Leclerc, and Pierre Larquey
France, 92 min – 1943.
Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Le Corbeau is a witch hunt. The site of this “hunt” is a small French town. A mysterious person has begun airing out the town’s immoral actions and secrets, in the form of letters, signed as “Le Corbeau” (the raven). The victim of these letters is Dr. Remy Germain (Pierre Fresnay), who is accused of performing abortions and having affairs with fallen women and married women alike. The townspeople ostracize Dr. Germain and others named by the raven. However, when a single letter causes the death of a hospital patient, townspeople mob against the likeliest culprits, all to save their community from slinking into the gray areas of morality.
One of the historically discussed themes of Le Corbeau deals with morality. It shows...
Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
Written by Louis Chavance and Henri-Georges Clouzot
Starring Pierre Fresnay, Ginette Leclerc, and Pierre Larquey
France, 92 min – 1943.
Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Le Corbeau is a witch hunt. The site of this “hunt” is a small French town. A mysterious person has begun airing out the town’s immoral actions and secrets, in the form of letters, signed as “Le Corbeau” (the raven). The victim of these letters is Dr. Remy Germain (Pierre Fresnay), who is accused of performing abortions and having affairs with fallen women and married women alike. The townspeople ostracize Dr. Germain and others named by the raven. However, when a single letter causes the death of a hospital patient, townspeople mob against the likeliest culprits, all to save their community from slinking into the gray areas of morality.
One of the historically discussed themes of Le Corbeau deals with morality. It shows...
- 2/15/2013
- by Karen Bacellar
- SoundOnSight
A very quick holiday post.
Victor Sjöström's The Phantom Carriage is a fine festive movie, based as it is on the idea that whomsoever expires at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve/New Year's Day, will be doomed to drive the Death Coach for the following year, collecting the spirits of the dead and delivering them to their reward. Cheery stuff!
Sjöström serves up a wintry gloom and plays the lead role himself in grand style: I particularly relish a moment when he laughs in the face of a woman bent on his salvation, not in the silent movie manner of holding his sides and vibrating, but merely by baring his teeth. You can hear that dry chuckle!
In 1939, Julien Duvivier remade the film for sound, with a big budget and the best the French studios had to offer, which matched Hollywood's artifice icicle for icicle:
We track across this huge,...
Victor Sjöström's The Phantom Carriage is a fine festive movie, based as it is on the idea that whomsoever expires at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve/New Year's Day, will be doomed to drive the Death Coach for the following year, collecting the spirits of the dead and delivering them to their reward. Cheery stuff!
Sjöström serves up a wintry gloom and plays the lead role himself in grand style: I particularly relish a moment when he laughs in the face of a woman bent on his salvation, not in the silent movie manner of holding his sides and vibrating, but merely by baring his teeth. You can hear that dry chuckle!
In 1939, Julien Duvivier remade the film for sound, with a big budget and the best the French studios had to offer, which matched Hollywood's artifice icicle for icicle:
We track across this huge,...
- 12/27/2012
- by David Cairns
- MUBI
Jean Renoir.s best known film is given a magnifique 2012 transfer that makes it look brand new. This 1937 look at soldiers during World War I is a story that has relevance no matter what the decade or the war. The Blu-ray edition invites rediscovery by the uninitiated but will probably earn applause of aficionados because it truly looks as good as the day it was first shown. During World War I, a plane is down by German Capt. Von Rauffenstein (Erich Von Stroheim). Frenchmen Lt. Marechal (Jean Gabin) is the working class pilot who was tasked with taking up the aristocratic Capt. De Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay) in his plane for reconnaissance. They have ended up as...
- 8/10/2012
- by Jeff Swindoll
- Monsters and Critics
By Allen Gardner
A Separation (Sony) This drama from Iran won the 2011 Best Foreign Film Oscar, telling the story of a couple who file for a legal separation, with the wife pushing for a divorce. He won’t leave his Alzheimer’s-afflicted father behind, while she is wanting to take their young daughter with her to the United States. After a series of misunderstandings, threats and legal actions, the couple find that there is more than just their marriage that’s on the line. Hyper-realistic to a fault, reminiscent of the neo-realist films that came out of post-ww II Europe, but also repressive and redundant in the extreme, with the characters seeming to throw the same temper tantrum for two hours straight while the story, meanwhile, seems stalled. Wildly overpraised film is a real litmus test, with viewers seeming to be staunch defenders or equally impassioned detractors. It did win an Oscar,...
A Separation (Sony) This drama from Iran won the 2011 Best Foreign Film Oscar, telling the story of a couple who file for a legal separation, with the wife pushing for a divorce. He won’t leave his Alzheimer’s-afflicted father behind, while she is wanting to take their young daughter with her to the United States. After a series of misunderstandings, threats and legal actions, the couple find that there is more than just their marriage that’s on the line. Hyper-realistic to a fault, reminiscent of the neo-realist films that came out of post-ww II Europe, but also repressive and redundant in the extreme, with the characters seeming to throw the same temper tantrum for two hours straight while the story, meanwhile, seems stalled. Wildly overpraised film is a real litmus test, with viewers seeming to be staunch defenders or equally impassioned detractors. It did win an Oscar,...
- 8/1/2012
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancaster, From Here to Eternity. With Deborah Kerr, it’s not the bare shoulders that matter. It’s the eyes. Deborah Kerr, who died at the age of 86 on Oct. 16, 2007, has usually been labeled the cinematic embodiment of the English Rose: ladylike from coiffure to pedicure, perfectly enunciated English, a distinctive coolness, poise and class. I won’t argue with that description (except to point out that this English Rose was born in Scotland), but all the same I wonder if any of those labelers have ever watched Deborah Kerr on screen other than the "Shall We Dance?" sequence in The King and I. Then there are those who have seen two Deborah Kerr scenes: "Shall We Dance?" and the kissing-on-the-beach bit in From Here to Eternity. Shocking! Who would have guessed that the cool, red-headed British lady could be so fiery? Well, anyone who has paid...
- 5/22/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
During the First World War two French air force members, played by Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay, are shot down by German aristocrat Rittmeister von Rauffenstein (Eric von Stroheim). Despite the animosity between France and Germany, the three men break bread together and find that they have a lot in common, particularly Rittmeister von Rauffenstein and Captain de Boeldieu (Fresnay). Marechal (Gabin) and Boeldieu are then taken to a Pow camp where they get ensconced in a plot with the other prisoners to escape through a tunnel. Fate conspires against them though and they end up transferred to another camp, one run by Rittmeister von Rauffenstein.
Renoir’s prison masterpiece’s greatest scenes are perhaps those that focus on the differences between men, notably those of class and race. The duality in sequences involving von Rauffenstein and Boeldieu, for instance, is central to the depth that makes La Grande Illusion...
Renoir’s prison masterpiece’s greatest scenes are perhaps those that focus on the differences between men, notably those of class and race. The duality in sequences involving von Rauffenstein and Boeldieu, for instance, is central to the depth that makes La Grande Illusion...
- 4/26/2012
- by Craig Skinner
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Only a couple of the barriers crossed in Jean Renoir’s La grande illusion are physical; the film is more concerned with the abstract concepts – the big illusions – that are wedged between the characters. The most persistent is class, but barriers of nationality, religion and sex can be just as entrenched. Renoir, the great humanist, looked past these distinctions and saw the good, or at least the humanity, that such categories can obscure. He set up barriers only to blur them – to undermine them. The characters in the movie are not perfect, but the film never makes fun of them; it looks up to all of them, regardless.
Perhaps the most enduring film in the history of French cinema (i.e., the history of cinema), La grande illusion is intrinsically linked with its own history. Historical context for a movie should not necessarily affect how one reads the text,...
Only a couple of the barriers crossed in Jean Renoir’s La grande illusion are physical; the film is more concerned with the abstract concepts – the big illusions – that are wedged between the characters. The most persistent is class, but barriers of nationality, religion and sex can be just as entrenched. Renoir, the great humanist, looked past these distinctions and saw the good, or at least the humanity, that such categories can obscure. He set up barriers only to blur them – to undermine them. The characters in the movie are not perfect, but the film never makes fun of them; it looks up to all of them, regardless.
Perhaps the most enduring film in the history of French cinema (i.e., the history of cinema), La grande illusion is intrinsically linked with its own history. Historical context for a movie should not necessarily affect how one reads the text,...
- 4/23/2012
- by Adam Whyte
- Obsessed with Film
La Grande Illusion
Jean Renoir's 1937 classic still stands out as a remarkable achievement, just as much for what it doesn't do as what it does. It's set during the first world war, but is hardly what you'd call a war film. Similarly, it involves escapes from PoW camps but isn't really a movie about escape. Renoir's approach was always too subtle to make movies full of blatant hectoring.
A French pilot (Jean Gabin) and captain (Pierre Fresnay) are shot down and imprisoned behind enemy lines. They are taken to prison camps where escape is treated as a sport ("A golf course is for golf … a prison camp for escape."). While we see the planning in great detail (much repeated in The Great Escape) Renoir is more interested in the microcosm of society that the camps present, particularly that presided over by the aristocratic Eric von Stroheim. As these are officers' camps,...
Jean Renoir's 1937 classic still stands out as a remarkable achievement, just as much for what it doesn't do as what it does. It's set during the first world war, but is hardly what you'd call a war film. Similarly, it involves escapes from PoW camps but isn't really a movie about escape. Renoir's approach was always too subtle to make movies full of blatant hectoring.
A French pilot (Jean Gabin) and captain (Pierre Fresnay) are shot down and imprisoned behind enemy lines. They are taken to prison camps where escape is treated as a sport ("A golf course is for golf … a prison camp for escape."). While we see the planning in great detail (much repeated in The Great Escape) Renoir is more interested in the microcosm of society that the camps present, particularly that presided over by the aristocratic Eric von Stroheim. As these are officers' camps,...
- 4/20/2012
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Jean Renoir's great anti-war develops the fallacy of its title with tragic and ironic grandeur
The "grand illusion" of Jean Renoir's great film referred originally to the British author Norman Angell's belief that the supposed financial advantage of war is a falsehood. For Renoir this illusion evolves into something more complex and various, and so does its tragic and ironic grandeur. The idea that wars can be fought according to gentlemanly rules is an illusion – like the belief that the 1914-1918 conflict was the war to end all wars. Eric Von Stroheim is Captain Von Rauffenstein, a German PoW camp commander in the first world war, ramrod-straight in a uniform with white gloves that conceal horrendous burns from when he was shot down in combat. He pursues an elaborately civilised policy of martial respect for his distinguished prisoner Captain de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay). But he's disdainful of Boeldieu's...
The "grand illusion" of Jean Renoir's great film referred originally to the British author Norman Angell's belief that the supposed financial advantage of war is a falsehood. For Renoir this illusion evolves into something more complex and various, and so does its tragic and ironic grandeur. The idea that wars can be fought according to gentlemanly rules is an illusion – like the belief that the 1914-1918 conflict was the war to end all wars. Eric Von Stroheim is Captain Von Rauffenstein, a German PoW camp commander in the first world war, ramrod-straight in a uniform with white gloves that conceal horrendous burns from when he was shot down in combat. He pursues an elaborately civilised policy of martial respect for his distinguished prisoner Captain de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay). But he's disdainful of Boeldieu's...
- 4/5/2012
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Jean Renoir's other great masterpiece, La Grande Ilusion. What better way to celebrate than to watch it again? Good question, glad you asked. The answer is by gazing at this newly-released and really rather delightful* quad poster for the film.The bird, of course, is emblematic of peace and innocence, two commodites lost in the Great War setting of Renoir's classic. The director had experienced the conflict's carnage first-hand as a reconnaissance pilot and channelled his views on the war into a cri de coeur for empathy and understanding between men and nations.Renoir cast one of his great heroes, Erich von Stroheim, as the German officer who, while ostensibly his captor, finds common ground with French Pow Pierre Fresnay. The German and French aristocrats are aware that their time has past and that the future belongs to working-class men like Lieutenant...
- 3/13/2012
- EmpireOnline
Passes Now on Sale Now for Four-Day Festival,
Coming to Hollywood April 12-15, 2012
Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Debbie Reynolds and “Baby Peggy” Diana Serra Cary, along with film noir leading ladies Peggy Cummins, Rhonda Fleming and Marsha Hunt are the latest stars scheduled to appear at the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival.
Also announced today, the festival will feature the North American premiere of a new 75th anniversary restoration of Jean Renoir’s powerful Pow drama Grand Illusion (1937), widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. And the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra will provide a live musical accompaniment for a screening of the silent Douglas Fairbanks fantasy-adventure The Thief of Bagdad (1924).
Minnelli and Grey are slated to join TCM’s own Robert Osborne to kick off the four-day, star-studded event with a gala opening-night world premiere screening of the 40th anniversary restoration Cabaret (1971), the film for which the...
Coming to Hollywood April 12-15, 2012
Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Debbie Reynolds and “Baby Peggy” Diana Serra Cary, along with film noir leading ladies Peggy Cummins, Rhonda Fleming and Marsha Hunt are the latest stars scheduled to appear at the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival.
Also announced today, the festival will feature the North American premiere of a new 75th anniversary restoration of Jean Renoir’s powerful Pow drama Grand Illusion (1937), widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. And the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra will provide a live musical accompaniment for a screening of the silent Douglas Fairbanks fantasy-adventure The Thief of Bagdad (1924).
Minnelli and Grey are slated to join TCM’s own Robert Osborne to kick off the four-day, star-studded event with a gala opening-night world premiere screening of the 40th anniversary restoration Cabaret (1971), the film for which the...
- 1/31/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Jean Gabin, Simone Simon, La Bête Humaine Jean Gabin on TCM: Grand Illusion, Pepe Le Moko, Touchez Pas Au Grisbi Schedule (Et) and synopses from the TCM website: 6:00 Am Gueule D'Amour (1937) A retired cavalry officer discovers the woman who won his heart was in love with the uniform. Dir: Jean Grémillon. Cast: Jean Gabin, Mireille Balin. Bw-88 mins. 8:00 Am Remorques (1941) A married tugboat captain falls for a woman he rescues from a sinking ship. Dir: Jean Grémillon. Cast: Jean Gabin, Alain Cuny, Bw-83 mins. 9:30 Am Le Jour Se Leve (1939) A young factory worker loses the woman he loves to a vicious schemer. Dir: Marcel Carne. Cast: Jean Gabin, Jacqueline Laurent, Arletty. Bw-90 mins. 11:00 Am L'air De Paris (1954) An over-the-hill boxer stakes his fortune on training a young railroad-worker. Dir: Marcel Carne. Cast: Arletty, Jean Gabin, Roland Lesaffre. Bw-100 mins. 1:00 Pm Leur Derniere Nuit (1953) A schoolteacher...
- 8/19/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Jean Gabin was France's answer to Humphrey Bogart, many (English-language) historians have claimed. Either that, or Gabin was France's answer to Spencer Tracy. Never mind the fact that Gabin was a major international star before either Bogart or Tracy achieved Hollywood stardom. In other words, if there was someone emulating someone else, it was Bogart and Tracy who followed the Frenchman's lead so as to become the American Jean Gabins. Turner Classic Movies is devoting a whole day to Jean Gabin's movies today, August 18, as part of its "Summer Under the Stars" series. [Jean Gabin Movie Schedule.] Right now, TCM is showing Julien Duvivier's Pépé le Moko (1937), the tale of a Parisian gangster (Gabin) hiding in Algiers' Casbah neighborhood, but who becomes careless after he falls for a beautiful woman (Mireille Balin, Gabin's co-star that same year in Jean Grémillon's Gueule d'amour / Lady Killer). Those whose idea of cinema begins...
- 8/19/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Admired actor with an instinctive presence and austere looks
One of the greatest performances in the history of film was given by Claude Laydu, in the title role of Robert Bresson's Journal d'un Curé de Campagne (Diary of a Country Priest, 1951). As a young, sickly priest unable to resolve the problems of his small parish, and assailed by self-doubt, Laydu, who has died aged 84, brought his own spirituality, instinctive presence and intense ascetic looks to the role. His portrayal prompted Jean Tulard to write in his Dictionary of Film that "no other actor deserves to go to heaven as much as Laydu".
This is even more remarkable given that Bresson declared that "Art is transformation. Acting can only get in the way", and that he called his actors "models" whom he trained to remove all traces of theatricality and to speak in a monotonic manner. Bresson chose the 23-year-old from among many candidates,...
One of the greatest performances in the history of film was given by Claude Laydu, in the title role of Robert Bresson's Journal d'un Curé de Campagne (Diary of a Country Priest, 1951). As a young, sickly priest unable to resolve the problems of his small parish, and assailed by self-doubt, Laydu, who has died aged 84, brought his own spirituality, instinctive presence and intense ascetic looks to the role. His portrayal prompted Jean Tulard to write in his Dictionary of Film that "no other actor deserves to go to heaven as much as Laydu".
This is even more remarkable given that Bresson declared that "Art is transformation. Acting can only get in the way", and that he called his actors "models" whom he trained to remove all traces of theatricality and to speak in a monotonic manner. Bresson chose the 23-year-old from among many candidates,...
- 8/11/2011
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Montgomery Clift, I Confess Alfred Hitchcock is the focus of tonight's programming on Turner Classic Movies, which will be showing five of the director's films: Stage Fright, I Confess, Dial M for Murder, The Wrong Man, and Strangers on a Train. None of them is a masterpiece; all of them are worth your time. My favorite of the five is I Confess, partly because of its intriguing plot about a murderer who confesses his crime to a priest who later becomes the chief suspect in the case; and partly because Montgomery Clift is quite good as the tormented priest. Anne Baxter is his leading lady. However flawed, I find both Stage Fright and Dial M for Murder enjoyable. The former is immensely helped by Alastair Sim's performance, though Jane Wyman does solid work as the heroine while Marlene Dietrich gets to sing a song or two. In Dial M for Murder,...
- 6/28/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Alfred Hitchcock's film The Man Who Knew Too Much has been remade already (by Hitchcock) and parodied and/or referenced many more times. (See Bill Murray's The Man Who Knew Too Little.) So why not one more? Last fall there was a report that Paramount was developing a kid-centered remake of the film, and now that seems to be moving forward. Much in the way that Disturbia took the Rear Window formula and oriented it for teen audiences, The Kid Who Knew Too Much would take the basic setup from Hitchcock's two films and set it up so that rather than having a couple investigating a scenario that leads to their child being kidnapped, we'd see a kid looking for his stolen parents. John and Jez Butterworth are writing the script, but there is no cast or director at this point. (How has this title never yet been used?...
- 2/9/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
TV5MONDE USA bring the U.S. audience programming that includes new and classic French-language films, documentaries, event coverage and international news shows. In June, TV5MONDE will feature the work of Catherine Deneuve, Jean Gabin, Elodie Bouchez, Pierre Fresnay and more. Additionally, TV5MONDE sponsors many Us events including upcoming Film Festivals such as the San Francisco International Film Festival, City of Lights City of Angeles Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, Greenwich Film Festival and more. June 2010 Quai des Brumes (Port of Shadows) Premieres Tuesday, June 1 8:30p.m. Est / 5:30p.m. Pst Award-winning director, Marcel Carné.s style of poetic-realism set the tone for the film-noir genre to inhabit America a few years after it was made. After leaving...
- 5/22/2010
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Quentin Tarantino does it again. Again.
Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"
Photo: Universal Pictures
Quentin Tarantino is such an overflowingly talented maker of films that you wonder when he's going to grow up into a real filmmaker. Tarantino's new World War II movie, "Inglourious Basterds," brings with it the usual avalanche of insider film-geek references: A character named Aldo Raine is a reference to the late Aldo Ray, star of the 1955 war movie "Battle Cry"; the name of another character — Hugo Stiglitz — refers to a Mexican horror-film star. The most instructive of these little allusions, though, deals with two 1940s films by the French director Henri-Georges Clouzot. The title of one of these, "Le Corbeau," is glimpsed here on a movie-theatre marquee. A poster for the other, "L'Assassin Habite au 21," is seen on the wall in another shot. The star of both of those pictures was Pierre Fresnay, who also...
Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"
Photo: Universal Pictures
Quentin Tarantino is such an overflowingly talented maker of films that you wonder when he's going to grow up into a real filmmaker. Tarantino's new World War II movie, "Inglourious Basterds," brings with it the usual avalanche of insider film-geek references: A character named Aldo Raine is a reference to the late Aldo Ray, star of the 1955 war movie "Battle Cry"; the name of another character — Hugo Stiglitz — refers to a Mexican horror-film star. The most instructive of these little allusions, though, deals with two 1940s films by the French director Henri-Georges Clouzot. The title of one of these, "Le Corbeau," is glimpsed here on a movie-theatre marquee. A poster for the other, "L'Assassin Habite au 21," is seen on the wall in another shot. The star of both of those pictures was Pierre Fresnay, who also...
- 8/21/2009
- MTV Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.