French Language Films?
 

Hello...

In preparation for our trip to Paris in May, my wife and I like to watch French language (with English subtitles) films. It helps us get ready to speak French while we are there.

I would appreciate any film suggestions, preferably with lots of views of Paris.

Thanks.
SS

Well, any movie directed by Eric Rohmer, since they mostly consist of people talking: Full Moon over Paris, The Green Ray, or Pauline at the Beach are good places to start, although he has one that is three short stories set in Paris (I'm not at home so I can't check the titles) that is wonderful. In one of them, a girl makes a prospective suitor meet her at various points in Paris, many of them places tourists don't often go.

I also love the movies Blue, White, and Red, which are Franco-Polish but brilliant. If you get the set, watch them in this order instead of our Red, White, and Blue.

Amelie is a favorite.

So is the trilogy "Blue", "White" and "Red" (the colors of the French flag), and a wonderful set of movies.

Enjoy!

Jules

Truffaut:
"Jules & Jim"
Agree w/all of the above. Also:
"Breathless"
"Four Hundred Blows"
"Small Change"
or anything he did.

"The Piano Teacher" -- or anything with Isabelle Huppert in it.

"Manon of the Spring"

Amelie has a lot of nice views of Paris! But then again so do many american films, eg Woody Allen's 'everyone says I love you'. I recommend both!

Chloe in the Afternoon( Paris),
Girl on the Bridge, Diva, Police, Breathless, Le Petit Soldate,
Madame Rosa, The Mother and the Whore, Boudu Saved from Drowning, Bob le Flamber, La Samourai, Les Enfants Terribles. Venus Beauty Institute,
When the Cat's away, Zazie in the Metro, LouLou,

There's alot more but I tried to give you only Paris.

Not necessarily Paris, but definitely French: Wild Reeds, Au Revoir Les Enfants, The Horseman on the Roof, Les Choristes.

In English, but full of Paris: The Dreamers. And I'm also a huge fan of Everybody Says I Love You.

Thanks, bookmarking.

"Monsieur Ibraham" with Omar Sharif.

"Amelie" with Audrey Tatou.

Both are excellent and entertaining movies, and are fairly accessible at any good video rental place.

Amelie has the most- you can practically take the Amelie Tour in Montmartre.
There are also a lot of Quebec-made French movies. An amazing recent one is "C.R.A.Z.Y"
And anything by Denys Arcand is good.
What is your itenerary? I'm looking for ideas on what to do in and around Paris.

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - classic surrealist film by Bunuel about a Parisian dinner party, won Oscar for best foreign language film

Chocolat - Charming film worth seeing though not set in Paris (takes place in a small village in the Dordogne) if I recall about half French/half English

Before Sunset (the sequel to Before Sunrise) - In English, but a fabulous cinematic homage to Paris.

One of the funniest and most enjoyable French films I have ever seen is The Dinner Party. I think it won best picture in France. I love this film!

Zoecat is probably referring to The Dinner Game.

A great one for your French practice is Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Les Parpluies De Cherbourg) - as a musical, the language is slightly slower and easy to follow. It's my favorite film french lesson, and the DVD is excellent.

With Catherine Deneuve, dir by Jacques Demy, music by Michel Legrand.

>Chocolat - Charming film worth seeing though not set in Paris (takes place in a small village in the Dordogne) if I recall about half French/half English<
You probably mean Flavigny sur Ozerain in Burgundy! 60km from Dijon... ;-)

I don't know the title in English but I liked "la Chambre des Officiers" very moving.
http://filmsdefrance.com/FDF_Chambre...ciers_rev.html
And many more here
http://filmsdefrance.com/pannee.html
coco

Anyone know of where one can find the best selection of French films for rent in the US? How's the selection at NetFlix?

Netflix's supply isn't bad, but they don't seem to have Jean de Florette or Manon of the Spring. Also, I've ordered some French films that I've had to wait several days for--I guess because they have a limited supply and they're being sent from other parts of the country. Still, much more variety than the local video store.

Jeffrey, the best source of French films is Facets.org I usually buy but they rent also. I waited a year for the price to do down on a favorite film(Paris) Celine and Julie go Boating.

netflix is great, for my purposes.

Views of paris.... hmm.... Before Sunset, After Sunset, and Quand j'étais chanteur (this one with Gerard Depardieu) are my top three recommendations for you to enjoy.

I'm trying to teach myself to speak "gooder" French...by taking any movie that I have seen a few times and setting the dvd player to "language" and then "French". I want to learn the inflection and pronunciations ...
As for my favorite French movie is still Cyrano deBergerac with Gerard Departeiu (spelling is my enemy...)

My personal faves: Les Parapluies de Cherbourg; Tatie Danielle; The Closet (le Placard); La Cage Aux Folles; and A Man and a Woman.

This may sound odd, but Lord of The Rings.

The only film I know where the subtitles and script match word for word.

Select the French language option, as well as French subtitles. Very useful!

Doesn't give you any shots of Paris, but I must confess that I am a serial watcher of La Cage aux Folles! I own it and I still find myself at times in tears laughing at the dialogue. I set it to French subtitles so that I can read and hear it at the same time.

Another vote here for M. Ibrahim. Charming movie.

Another of my favorites: Les Choristes. Wonderful!

and another: Bad Spelling: LES FAUTES D'ORTHOGRAPHE

letour

letour, that starred Michel Serrault. What an actor! Watch him in the bitter sweet, "Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud."
playing opposite the beautiful Emmanuelle Beart.

This is very helpful...merci!

While not about current France, a great movie in French with English subtitles is currently playing on FLIX...it's called Au Revoir les enfants (Good Bye Children)...

It is a wonderful coming of age movie about World War II occupied France and some of the attitudes of French people then...I bring it up because I have just seen it for the first time (although it was made 20 years ago) but as noted it is currently playing on FLIX with the next showing tomorrow, Friday 30/03/07 at 1300 Eastern time.

I saw "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" a few months ago and really liked it. It is sung entirely (if I recall correctly) in French.

The Dinner Game is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Good luck trying to follow the lightning quick dialogue in French.

Nikki if you liked the Diner game you will love "Le goût des autres" a satire about social class in France. Simply hilarious, you have to stop the dvd to laugh out loud.

Listening to the french with the french subtitles on is a great idea! Never thought of that! My high school french struggles trying to listen only - I'm going to try that!

Being French I do the same but in English with English subtitles, it is so easier to understand!
I'm glad to see so many French movies going overseas.:-d

ttt for myself I put English subtitles on with English language so my husband will stop saying "What did they say?" :)

Les Destinees is a French movie rarely mentioned but worth renting. The story is about the Limoges pottery family.

Cigale,
Thanks for the tip. I'll look for it. Just saw the rather controversial Exterminating Angels at the MFA last week. I liked it, but it's not a mainstream film!

letour

In addition to Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) the Demy-Deneuve followup Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (The Young Girls of Rochefort) is wonderful too. And it's got Gene Kelly in it! One of his last films, and he's speaking French!

You are probably thinking of movies to rent, but if you live in a city with a theater that runs foreign films, Avenue Montaigne is currently out. We just saw it -- it's set in Paris and is a charming film. It may be on view at a theater in your town.

The Chorus (Le Choriste)
Starring Gérard Jugnot, François Berléand, Jean-Baptiste Maunier
Written and Directed by Christophe Barratier (Miramax)
(not to be confused with Les Choristes)
This is a lovely French film with English subtitles. It is currently doing the rounds on movie channels on TV.

Many thanks to all who contributed to this thread. We have rented and enjoyed many of the suggestions.

I'm not sure my French has improved as much as I'd have liked, but they must have helped a little, and so far, it's been great fun.

Less than two weeks till we go...and we're still at it.

Thanks again, all.
SS

LaTour, Bunual is marvelous-see all his films!

Favoite Bunuel films:
Belle de Jour,
Diary of a Chambermaid,
Virdiana,
Discreet charm of the Bourgeoise,
Obscure Object of Desire,
Simon of the desert.