MANILA, Philippines?Movie aficionados who complain about the limited cinematic choices in local cineplexes have until Sunday to indulge in the sumptuous treats at the 14th French Film Festival at the Shangri-La Mall?and, they?re free of charge.
This year, the timeless oeuvres of Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Pierre Léaud join Mathieu Amalric, Daniel Auteuil and Ludevine Sagnier in a heady fusion of screen classics and acclaimed contemporary features. Some standouts:
Photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand?s ?Home? is an urgent call to action: Narrated by Glenn Close (and Salma Hayek in Spanish), the visually stunning 2009 environmental documentary intersects magnificent aerial views of our planet?s natural wonders, as well as the polluting factories and oil platforms that threaten their existence.
Awareness
The film compresses 488 hours of footage shot in 217 days in 54 countries. As Arthus-Bertrand explains in a recent interview: ?There?s a general trend towards awareness for ecological issues, but concrete action is still too little and too slow. We have the power to change, so what are we waiting for??
Horrifying secrets are uncovered in Claude Miller?s Holocaust drama, ?A Secret,? which chronicles the devastating story of a Jewish family in the 1940s. Intriguingly told in nonlinear fashion, the movie follows Francois (played as an adult by Mathieu Amalric), a sickly boy who dreams up a charismatic older brother to compensate for his feelings of inadequacy.
What Francois doesn?t know is that he really has a half-brother, Simon, whose story he tells after he survives World War II and the Holocaust. Interestingly, Miller shows the present in black and white, while flashbacks are shot in vividly succulent colors.
There are scenes in Patrice Leconte?s costumed farce, ?Ridicule??about a French baron (Charles Berling) who needs the King?s backing on a drainage project?that will most likely shock conservative viewers. But, the film?s visceral thrills are derived from the brilliant cast?s spot-on, whip-smart performances, as well as the quirky characters? banter.
Subtle comedy
Andre Techine effectively infuses subtle comedy into his domestic drama, ?My Favorite Season,? about Emilie and Antoine (Catherine Deneuve and Daniel Auteuil, respectively, who bring unforced humor and genuine pathos to their roles), as siblings who are brought together by an ailing albeit fretful mother, Berthe (Marthe Villalonga).
And, finally, a French-cinema enthusiast?s viewing experience is never complete without Francois Truffaut?s touching 1959 coming-of-age New Wave masterpiece, ?The 400 Blows,? about teenager Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud), who often finds himself in trouble?even when he means well! The film?s famous last frame poses a timeless question to viewers: Do you care?
