Category Archives: Film

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”

For its third annual edition, three feature-length documentaries will take pride of place at the Cameo Picturehouse from 5 to 11 November, with 13 more full-length films and 8 shorts screening online UK-wide from 7 to 14 November.  Following Doc’n Roll’s first Scottish offerings in late 2018 and 2019, and a lockdown-imposed hiatus last year, 2021 sees the UK’s Music DocumentaryContinue reading “Doc´n Roll Scotland Film Festival Returns to Edinburgh – at last!”

Hervé Vilard’s’60s hit Capri C’est Fini opens this fifth fiction feature from Director Claire Simon. Based on a set of interviews between Yann Andréa (Swann Arlaud)  and writer and journalist Michèle Manceaux (Emmanuelle Devos) in December 1982, the film is an intimate memoir of the unconventional relationship between Yann Andréa and writer and  playwright MargueriteContinue reading “I Want to Talk About Duras (Vous ne désirez que moi) (15)   French Film Festival”

The opening scene of Belgian Director Joachim Lafosse’s film The Restless (French title Les Intranquilles) sets the scene for the insight he gives into what it’s like to live with someone who is bipolar. What we see is Damien (Damien Bonnard) out on a speed boat with his young son Amine (Gabriel Metz Chammah). Suddenly,Continue reading “The Restless (Les Intranquilles) (15)           French Film Festival 2021   “