Thursday, 4/10/97
French screenings abound in style
‘City of Lights’ showcases new directors, highlights foreign
cinema
By John Nein
Daily Bruin Contributor
In a mild revision of the old proverb about Paris, it seems fair
to say, "if French cinema didn’t exist, we would have to invent
it." In fact, it’s one of the few personalities in world cinema
that proves utterly reliable in furnishing us, rather prolifically,
with originality, style and substantive filmmaking.
"City of Lights, City of Angels: A Week of New French Films,"
sponsored in part by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, unveils
six contemporary films made by vastly different directors that
afford audiences a glimpse into the varied strains of film, life
and culture in France today.
The series began April 8 at the Director Guild with the premier
of Gilles Mimouni’s new thriller, "L’Appartement" ("The Apartment")
and continues through Saturday with films ranging from first-time
director, Sandrine Veysset, to fully certified master, Bertrand
Tavernier.
In fairness to the rest of the world, the French make almost as
many bad films as anyone, but the nature of the industry and the
country’s public arts funding allows for ongoing experimentation by
filmmakers. It’s for this reason that our interest in their exports
persists.
One of the more recently discovered French directors featured at
the festival is Arnaud Desplechin, who can best be described as an
intellectual with a penchant for character subtleties and
bewilderingly complicated behavior.
He received much deserved attention for his 1992 film "La
sentinel" ("The Sentinel") which will be released in the United
States later this year. With his third film, "Comment je me suis
dispute … (ma vie sexuelle)" ("My Sex Life, or How I got into an
Argument"), Mathieu Amalric stars as a philosophy graduate student
who no longer finds meaning in his work or his relationship.
Desplechin’s unhaltingly realistic style lets the viewer wade
through the provocative nuances of life, philosophy and
relationships between Parisian twenty-somethings. It should put to
rest any doubt as to how a French intellectual would make "Reality
Bites." Some may find it brilliant; others will find it a
monumental bore (of the three hour variety).
Not all the new films were made by new faces. Claude Lelouch’s
renown traces back to the early ’60s and the revolutionary "New
Wave" film movement. His brilliant and probably his most well-known
film, "Un homme et une femme" ("A Man and A Woman") propelled his
career in 1966. Since then, he has displayed changing interests and
approaches to storytelling. Last year, "Les Miserables," his
adaptation – or more accurately his historical revision – of the
Victor Hugo classic was released to mixed reviews.
The real newcomer is Sandrine Veysset who admits that five years
ago she wasn’t even really interested in movies. But when she took
a job as a driver for director Leos Carax on his film "Les amants
de pont neuf," Veysset quit school and decided she wanted to make a
film. The result is "Y’ aura t’il de la neige a Noel?" ("Will it
Snow for Christmas?"), a low-budget film about a woman (Dominique
Raymond) who attempts to manage her seven illegitimate children
while defending herself against the cruel father who virtually
enslaves them on his farm.
"Capitaine Conan" ("Captain Conan") is a wartime drama from
Bertrand Tavernier, a man who seems perpetually in search of new
landscapes, characters and genres to suit his brand of film
realism. His works in the last few years have ranged from police
dramas to criminal psychology ("L’Appat," "Fresh Bait") to an
antecedent to the World War I realm, the gracefully unsentimental
"La vie et rien d’autre" ("Life and Nothing But"). He’s also known
in the United States for his jazz homage, "’Round Midnight."
Tavernier returns to the aftermath of World War I with his
examination of the nature of men and violence starring Philippe
Torreton and Samuel Le Bihan. Tavernier’s stylistic versatility and
fascination with ambiguity is always mesmerizing and often a bit
subversive. His characters are allusive – their complex identities
revealing themselves reluctantly and without the slightest
contrivance.
What these films have in common is an admirable and unfaltering
allegiance to credibility and realism.
However unjust it may be, the domestic distribution of foreign
films is a market driven as any other aspect of the film industry,
and recently it seems that the market has been presumed dead.
Opportunities to see new foreign language films in places other
than festivals have dwindled, so "City of Light, City of Angels"
comes as a welcome refreshment for audiences looking for
interesting works from the French cinema.
"My Sex Life …" plays Thursday at 7:30 p.m. "Men, Women:
User’s Manual" plays Friday at 7:30 p.m. Two films screen Saturday:
"Will it Snow For Christmas?" at 2:30 p.m and "Captain Conan" at
7:30 p.m. All the directors are currently scheduled to appear
in-person with their films.
FILM: The entire series is being presented at the Directors
Guild of America Theater, located in West Hollywood at 7920 Sunset
Boulevard, with free parking under the building. Admission for
films is $6, $4 for students and seniors, and seating is limited.
For more information call (310) 206-FILM.
UCLA Film and Television Archives