Category Archives: Film

Laurent Tirard’s lightness of touch allied to his deft interpretation of Fabrice Caro’s novel turns what had all the makings of a potential disaster into an extremely witty triumph. A stream of consciousness delivery from the central character, who repeatedly brings the action to a halt while he breaks the fourth wall in order toContinue reading “The Speech (15)         French Film Festival”

This is the time of year when snowglobes, these glass spheres that, with the twist of the hand, a flick of the wrist, create a scene showered with snow making a magical miniature world, are on sale. Director and French independent filmmaker Yannik Ruault, who also appears in the film as Handy, has chosen theContinue reading “Snowglobes    French Film Festival”

The organisers of the French Film Festival UK are delighted to reveal an exciting new edition of the online programme under its fff@home umbrella, which will run from Friday 3 to Sunday 12 December. The nine days of online screenings are organised in collaboration with INDEE+. Programmers have curated an exciting selection of titles, including several UK premieres and a classicContinue reading “The 29th French Film Festival UK Adds Online Section”

Not just a tale of love and desire, but of first love, that so many of us experience as something that remains in the memory, however fleeting it may have been. Leyla Bouzid’s tender, sensitive film lingers in the memory, too. When Ahmed (Sami Outabali) meets Farah (Zbeida Belhajamor) in class in the Sorbonne theirContinue reading “A Tale of Love and Desire               French Film Festival”

Frank Capra’s 1946 film, It’s a Wonderful Life, that has become a classic of Christmas viewing, has the 75th anniversary of its release marked with the creation of a brand-new accessible 4K DCP version. This innovative and inclusive move from Filmhouse Cinemas and Park Circus will enable hearing and visually impaired audiences across the UKContinue reading “Film’s 75th Anniversary Marked with New Version for Hearing and Visually Impaired”

Director Marc Dugain has triumphed twice here – his exquisite film is both a wonderful cinematic experience and a lesson on the dubious morality of loving money for its own sake, and placing wealth above family. Balzac’s story of Felix Grandet (Olivier Gourmet), whose unscrupulous business dealings have amassed him a vast fortune – aContinue reading “Eugenie Grandet (12)           French Film Festival”

OSS 117 is the codename for Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, a secret agent created by Jean Bruce (a good 4 years before Ian Fleming came up with 007 James Bond) and whose adventures continued after Bruce’s untimely death thanks to the efforts of his family – a series that stretches, I think, to aroundContinue reading “OSS 117 From Africa With Love (15)         French Film Festival”

Catherine Corsini’s film captures perfectly the chaos of an A&E Department in the aftermath of a “Yellow Vest” demonstration in central Paris. Perhaps too perfectly, as the overloaded hospital, packed with people waiting to be treated by the harassed and overworked staff gives the viewer a sensory overload too. As a result, some important pointsContinue reading “The Divide (La Fracture) (15)          French Film Festival”

This year’s FFF has got off to a wonderful and enthralling start, and this subtle look at politics both local and national maintains the standard. Blessed with two outstanding performances from Isabelle Huppert as Clemence, mayor of a struggling Paris suburb and Reda Kateb as Yazid, her chief of staff, Thomas Kruithof’s film takes aContinue reading “Promises (Les Promesses) (12)         French Film Festival”

Edinburgh skies were bursting with noise and light this 5th November, but another kind of blast was taking place at the Filmhouse where this year’s French Film Festival opened. The Big Hit  is based on real life experiences of Swedish actor Jan Jönson, who visited Kumla prison in 1985 and coached inmates to learn SamuelContinue reading “The Big Hit (Un Triomphe) (15)      French Film Festival”