Indochine (1992) - Magnificent Deneuve in Wargnier's picturesque colonial epic

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Co-star Catherine Deneuve marching in a red dress and a flowery hat in front of poor locals in South East Asia in front of a temple makes up this poster for Régis Wargnier's Indochine

A beautiful Frenchwoman with an enormous rubber plantation in colonial French Indochina (Vietnam today) gets drama in her life, when she falls for a French naval officer and starts to feel her colony falling apart around her.

Indochine is written by Catherine Cohen (The Woman of My Life/La Femme de Ma Vie (1986)), Louis Gardel (Himalaya (1999)), Erik Orsenna (La Dette (2000, TV movie)) and co-writer/director Régis Wargnier (The Woman of My Life/La Femme de Ma Vie (1986)).

Catherine Deneuve (Place Vendôme (1998)) is fabulously beautiful and her acting is an enormous pleasure in the lead, paired here with an almost equally photogenic Vincent Perez (Fanfan (2003)) as the officer, who starts out with setting fire to a boat with a heroin-smuggling father and his little boy, but who later gains understanding and sympathy for the hardships of the locals, - mainly because he also falls in love with Deneuve's adopted daughter!

The impressive production is enamored with the foreign landscapes and presents beautiful costumes, hair and faces and in this the Wargnier commits the crime of beautifying the story. Indochine is at times a compelling drama, though at others it is a bit static, and the film is overlong.

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 120 mil. FRF, approximately 4.3 mil. $

Box office: Reportedly 29.6 mil. $

= Huge hit (returned 6.88 times its cost)

[Indochine was released 15 April (France) and runs 159 minutes. 14 companies and support bodies collaborated in the financing and production of the film. Deneuve was paid 2.7 mil. FRF (approximately 513k $) for her performance in the film). Shooting took place from April - August 1991 in Malaysia, Vietnam and in Paris, France. The film sold 3.1 mil. tickets in France, where it was the 6th highest attended of the year, and it made 5.6 mil. $ in North America. Wikipedia lists the impressive 29.6 mil. $ total gross, linking to JPBox-Office, but the figure is not visible on the link, although it is not unlikely. The film was nominated for 2 Oscars, winning for Best Foreign Language Film. It lost Best Actress (Deneuve) to Emma Thompson for Howards End. It was also nominated for a BAFTA and won 5/12 César award nominations as well as a Goya, a Golden Globe and 2 National Board of Review awards, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 2.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Wargnier returned with A French Woman/Une Femme Française (1995). Deneuve returned in My Favorite Season/Ma Saison Préférée (1993); Perez in Cendre d'Or (1992, short) and theatrically in Fanfan (1993). Indochine is fresh at 74 % with a 6.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Indochine?

Last Year at Marienbad/L'Année Dernière à Marienbad/Last Year in Marienbad (1961) - Resnais' iconic castle-set love mystery

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An avant-garde/artistic poster for Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad

A man in a castle named Marienbad Hotel attempts to recall what happened between him and a beautiful woman there one year ago. - She remembers nothing.

 

Last Year at Marienbad is written by Alain Robbe-Grillet (La Jalousie (1972, TV movie)) and directed by Alain Resnais (Ouvert pour Cause d'Inventaire (1946)). The title is a literal translation of the original French title.

It is one of the foremost films ever to have given French cinema a reputation for being elitist, incomprehensible and dull, - and not without reason in this case. Last Year at Marienbad is funny in an absurd way.

The widescreen images of the castle (cinematography by Sascha Vierny (The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989))) are masterly, and the film works best as a visual and technical exercise of a rare breed.

Francis Seyrig's (Marie Soleil (1964)) organ music score is fatiguing, and the entire narrative side of the 'drama' is, of course, pretentious and deeply, deeply mystical. 

 

Related post:

 

Alain Resnais: Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) - Beauty and passion in the midst of devastation in Resnais' striking images

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: Unknown

= Uncertain

[Last Year at Marienbad premiered in July (Franse Film Week, Utrecht, Netherlands) and runs 94 minutes. 10 companies cooperated in the financing and production of the film. Shooting took place from September - November 1960 in France and Germany. Details concerning the film's budget and original release box office performances are regrettably not made public online. The film was chosen as France's nomination for the Oscars Best Foreign Film category but went without a nomination. It was instead nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category, lost to Ennio de Concini, Alfredi Giannetti and Pietro Germi for Divorce Italian Style. It was also nominated for a BAFTA and won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to 3 notches over this one. Resnais returned with Muriel (1963). Delphine Seyrig (Freak Orlando (1981)) returned in Muriel; Giorgio Albertazzi (La Rivale (1999, TV movie)) in Morte di un Bandito (1961). Last Year at Marienbad is certified fresh at 93 % with an 8.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Last Year at Marienbad? 

Hate/La Haine (1995) - Fired up radical drama involuntarily bares Europe's immigration, crime problems

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Napoleon (2023) - Scott's best in many years, a thumping epic

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A wild scene of fierce battle makes up the striking motif in this poster for Ridley Scott's Napoleon

Corsican army officer Napoleon Bonaparte rises in the years following the French revolution of 1788, by 1804 becoming Emperor of France. His countless military battles around Europe and beyond it and his passionate but childless marriage to empress Joséphine define the man.

 

Napoleon is written by David Scarpa (All the Money in the World (2017)), based on the real historical figure, and directed by English master filmmaker, co-producer/director Ridley Scott (The Duelists (1977)), whose 28th feature it is.

Opening with a brutal, vivid rendering of the execution of Marie Antoinette, France's last queen, Scott intentionally throws his audience immediately into a fantastic, adventurous depiction of a severely different time and place than the common day, - anywhere that it may be lived on this earth. Napoleon springs along without wasting time, to various countries and battles, with a narrative anchor in the central love story, which is never shown with present-day affinities but rather with unflattering, somewhat theatrical, perhaps honest insight into the actual marriage. Co-producer/star Joaquin Phoenix (Irrational Man (2015)) is the man to lift such a bombastic mega-ego commander on the big screen and gives a memorable performance, and Vanessa Kirby (Kill Command (2016)) is very good as Joséphine, although the character is invariably reactive in nature: He conquers; she largely home-sits. And fails to get pregnant, which was her main job. The importance of this ultimate failure is dealt with seriously, and is part of the film's incredible allure. 

Helping to build the bulky, striding picture are also incredible costumes, locations and battle scenes, - the Austerlitz battle is especially captivating, but there are striking images and a very engaging sense of primal, boyishly gleeful but of course deadly serious 'war' about all the battles in Napoleon. Dariusz Wolski's (War Machine (2017)) cinematography is wonderfully free of the now so often seen soaring drone shots that reveal a mass of CGI-created details. This film's digital effects are never glaring; and the achieved realism helps transport us to this far-away time and place. Martin Phipps (Black Mirror (2011-16)) relishes the film with strong musical choices, classical and some more idiosyncratic, but all apt and commendable. The film also has some noteworthy supporting actors; Paul Rhys (Borgia (2013-14)) as the French foreign minister is fantastic, and so is Rupert Everett (Muse (2019)) as the Duke of Wellington. The film is a deft display of Scott's unsentimental knack for bravado storytelling, entertaining the masses and telling a great story at the same time. This French legend strikes one as very French here, while the sub-level humor and brazen, unadorned form is very English.

Related posts:

Ridley Scott: 2021 in films - according to Film Excess  

House of Gucci (2021) - Gaga slays as Patrizia Reggiani 

The Martian (2015) - Scott and Damon triumph with hopeful sci-fi adventure  

Prometheus (2012) or, Even Then, Space Eggs Were Bad News
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Robin Hood (2010) - R. Scott's grand film of the English legend 

2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2008 in films - according to Film Excess 

Body of Lies (2008) - R. Scott's terror actioner is a fatiguing turkey 

2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2007 in films - according to Film Excess 

American Gangster (2007) - Great American - now black - gangster picture
A Good Year (2006) - Ridley Scott likes Provence

Matchstick Men (2003) - Great Cage job highlights entertaining Scott crime dramedy 

Hannibal (2001) - Grisly highlights in low-yielding Scott sequel 

2000 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Gladiator (2000) - Experience the grandeur of the Roman Empire in Scott's dramatic masterpiece

G.I. Jane (1997) or, The Amazing Seal Woman! 

Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date  
Blade Runner (1982) director's cut - Visual extravaganza, great SF 

Top 10: Best future-set movies

Top 10: Best Twentieth Century Fox titles 

Top 10: Best first-of-franchise movies
Alien (1979) or, Space Eggs Are Bad News

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 200 mil. $

Box office: 140.1 mil. $ and counting

= Too early to say

[Napoleon premiered 14 November (Paris) and runs 157 minutes. Shooting took place from February - May 2022 in England, Paris, France, Morocco and in Malta. The film opened #2, behind The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, to a 32.7 mil. $ first (5-day) weekend, falling out of the top 5 in its 2nd weekend in North America. Together with Martin Scorsese's The Killers of the Flower Moon, it is the first major theatrical picture from Apple Studios, who will also base the two films' success criteria on their performance on their streaming service as well as at the 2024 Oscars. The film has been criticized for a long list of historical inaccuracies/creative inventions; Scott has told the critical historians to "shut the fuck up". He has also stated that he hopes to later release a 4 hour 10 minutes long director's cut version of the film with more about Joséphine. Scott returns with Gladiator 2 (2024). Phoenix returns in Polaris (2024). Napoleon is rotten at 58 % with a 6.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Napoleon?

Player (2013) - Plot and quality head South for Danish comedy team

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Two of Denmark's most famous funny men riding a scooter with big smiles in Southern France try to sell here on the poster for Tomas Villum Jensen's Player

A dull lawyer from Copenhagen is handling a divorce case in Southern France, before he is going to propose to his boss' daughter. But on the trip he has soon lost 10 mil. Danish kroner, as he meets an old friend and a beautiful woman.

 

Player is written by Marie Østerbye (The Rain (2018, VoD TV-series)) and co-writer/co-star Casper Christensen (Dan-Dream (2017)), based on an idea from director Tomas Villum Jensen (Kærlighed ved Første Hik (1999)).

The beautiful woman in France remains a cipher until the end, except for the qualities of having a lovely smile and figure, and seeming nice and more natural than the daughter that the lawyer plans to marry.

Player provokes light chuckles three to four times, but unfortunately it is extinguished of really funny mix-ups, and Christensen probably should have abandoned this type of douche-bag character type after his long engagement with a similar one in the Clown/Klovn universe (TV-series 2005-18 plus three features in 2010, 2015 and 2020.) The climax of Player is also extremely short, which confirms the few, lazy or unstimulated narrative nerves behind the film.

 

Related posts:

 

Tomas Villum Jensen: Sprængfarlig Bombe (2006) - The two Jensens' satire is unrefined but hilarious

Sidste Time (1995) - Hammy, heavy-handed Danish teen horror (actor) 

 

 

Watch a 3-minute clip from the film here

 

Cost: 19 mil. DKK, approximately 2.77 mil. $

Box office: 1.3 mil. $

=  Mega-flop (returned 0.46 times its cost)

[Player was released 20 June (Denmark) and runs 90 minutes. Shooting took place in Copenhagen, Denmark and France. The film opened #2 in Denmark, where 96,089 paid admission in total. The film was not released in other markets. Jensen has since left directing alone, only except for 3 TV specials of celebrities playing golf. Christensen returned in Klown Forever (2015); Rasmus Bjerg (Held for Ransom/Ser Du Månen Daniel (2019)) in Gentlemen (2014). 1.2k IMDb users have given Player a 4.7/10 average rating.]

 

What do you think of Player? 

The Closet/Le Placard (2001) - Clever direction and fired up stars make bouncy comedy hit

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Three good-humored stars in suits make up most of this fun-teasing poster for Francis Veber's The Closet

A boring accountant is about to get sacked, until his neighbor help him to 'become' a closeted homosexual, - naturally meaning that he then cannot get sacked!

 

The Closet is written and directed by Francis Veber (The Toy/Le Jouet (1976)). The title is a literal translation of the original French title.

It is a blend of a classical mix-up comedy and a sex comedy, which thank God already feels quite antiquated in its way of dealing with people being gay. Everyone behaves more or less hysterically when confronted with the (fake) news, and the story had definitely not gone down nicely if it wasn't for the lovely and very game cast:

Especially excellent is Daniel Auteuil (Happy End (2017)) and Gérard Depardieu (Thalasso (2019)) as the homophobic co-worker, who discovers a new side of himself. 

Although the concept in The Closet is tongue-in-cheek heightened reality, the clever direction and performances succeed in making it screwball-like and a lot of fun.

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 14.5 mil. $

Box office: 50.1 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.45 times its cost)

[The Closet was released 17 January (France, Belgium, Switzerland) and runs 84 minutes. Shooting took place in France, including in Paris. The film opened #30 to a 180k $ first weekend in 37 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #17 and in 145 theaters, grossing 6.6 mil. $ (13.2 % of the total gross). Its biggest market was France, where it was the year's 3rd highest-grossing home title, making around 25 mil. $ from approximately 5 mil. admissions. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. Veber returned with Ruby & Quentin/Tais-Tou! (2003). Auteuil returned in Vajont - La Diga del Disonore (2001); Depardieu in Concorrenza Sleale (2001). The Closet is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Closet?

Paris, Je t'Aime (2006) - Short film anthology playground set in Paris

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An intimate back alley moment makes up this sensually blue poster for 21 directors' Paris, Je t'Aime

The film presents 18 short films set in the City of Lights, Paris: Of romance in spite of cultural differences, random violence, the heart of the city, mimes who meet in prison, - and much more.

Paris, Je t'Aime is written by Nadine Eïd (Eki (2022, TV-series)), Paul Mayeda Berges (Bride & Prejudice (2004)), Gena Rowlands (The Skeleton Key (2005, actress)), Gabrielle Keng (Disorder (1986, costume assistant), Rain Li (Habit (2021, cinematographer)) and its 21 co-writer/directors, based on an idea by Tristan Carné (La Chanson de l'Année (2019-22)). The co-writer/directors are: Gus Van Sant (Elephant (2003)), Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run/Lola Rennt (1998)), Daniela Thomas (Vazante (2017)), Nobuhiro Suwa (H Story (2001)), Oliver Schmitz (Amokspiel (2018, TV movie)), Walter Salles (On the Road (2012)), Bruno Podalydès (Chocolat (2016)), Alexander Payne (Sideways (2009)), Vincenzo Natali (Westworld (2016-18)), Richard LaGravenese (P.S. I Love You (2007)), Christopher Doyle (Warsaw Dark (2008)), Gérard Depardieu (The Bridge/Un Pont Entre Deux Rives (1999)), Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity (2013)), Wes Craven (Scream (1996)), Isabel Coixet (Elisa & Marcela/Elisa y Marcela (2019, VoD)), Ethan and Joel Coen (A Serious Man (2009)), Sylvain Chomet (The Illusionist/L'Illusionniste (2010)), Gurinder Chadha (Beecham House (2019, TV-series)), Frédéric Auburtin (Volpone (2003, TV movie)) and Olivier Assayas (Irma Vep (2022, miniseries)). The original French title (also used in English-speaking countries) translates to, 'Paris I love you'.

As a film this is something of a mishmash, and several of the segments lack clarity, - for instance Depardieu's otherwise sparklingly cast story, which actors Rowlads, Ben Gazzara (The Shore (2006)) and Depardieu himself nevertheless fail to bring to life.

But there are also fine moments: The mime story by Chomet is delightful, and the idea to base a story around mimes is spot-on for a Paris anthology. Tykwer's story (about a blind man) is technically astute; Payne's segment, starring the peerless Margot Martindale (August: Osage County (2013)), is the best in the film. Most curious is the completely unmotivated vampire story starring Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)) by Natali.

The executive producers have obviously given the directors a wide degree of creative freedom, which brings both good and bad things forth here. Lovers of the city of Paris and short films should find ample reasons to appreciate Paris, Je t'Aime.

 

Related post:

 

New York, I Love You (2008) - Some wonderful moments elevate uneven anthology 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 13 mil. $

Box office: 17.4 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.33 times its cost)

[Paris, Je t'Aime premiered 18 May (Cannes Film Festival, Un Certain Regard section) and runs 120 minutes. Shooting took place in Paris from November 2005 - ?. Two stories were shot but cut out of the finished film. These were directed by Christoffer Boe and Raphaël Nadjari. The film opened #50 to a 39k $ first weekend in 2 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #13 and in 200 theaters (different weeks), grossing 4.8 mil. $ (27.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 2.8 mil. $ (16.1 %) and Germany with 1.3 mil. $ (7.5 %). The film inspired similarly titled anthologies for New York (2008), Rio (2014) and Berlin (2019). Paris, Je t'Aime is certified fresh at 86 % with a 7.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Paris, Je t'Aime?

March of the Penguins/La Marche de l'Empereur (2005, documentary) - Incredible Antarctic recordings appended to grating animal narration

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The majestic emperor penguin with its chick makes up this poster for Luc Jacquet's March of the Penguins

On the South Pole lives a clan of emperor penguins, where almost no other living being can survive. They walk the long way across the ice to arrive at the mating spot and go through hunger and pain for the sake of their chicks.

 

March of the Penguins is written and directed by feature-debuting Luc Jacquet (Antarctica: Ice and Sky/La Glace et le Ciel (2015)). The original French title translates to 'the march of the emperor'.

It is an incredibly shot chronicle about some moving, beautiful animals. The stunning footage is enjoyed, but unfortunately the film doesn't spice the images up; neither with interesting, supportive information, nor with a good story (as for instance in the case of The Bear (1988).) Instead we are treated to insipid animal narration (in the English version though, Morgan Freeman (Driving Miss Daisy (1989)) handles narration that is not supposed to be from the penguins.) This choice makes March of the Penguins a sometimes dull watch.

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 8 mil. $

Box office: 127.3 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 15.91 times its cost)

[March of the Penguins premiered 21 January (Sundance Film Festival) and runs 86 minutes. Shooting took place over the course of 13 months in Antarctica. Freeman was paid 1 mil. $ for his narration, which was recorded in one day. The film opened 28 to a 137k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #6 and in 2,506 theaters (different weeks), grossing 77.4 mil. $ (60.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 12 mil. $ (9.4 %) and Germany with 9.2 mil. $ (7.2 %). The film won the Best Documentary Oscar. It was also nominated for 2 BAFTAs, a European Film award, won 1/4 César award nominations, was nominated for a David di Donatello award and won 2 National Board of Review awards, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Jacquet returned with The Fox and the Child/Le Renard et l'Enfant (2007). Jacquet later made the much less successful sequel, March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step/L'Empereur (2017). March of the Penguins is certified fresh at 94 % with a 7.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of March of the Penguins?

A Prophet/Un Prophète (2009) - Searing performances in Audiard's disheartening prison thriller

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+ Best Crime Thriller of the Year + Best French Movie of the Year + Best Gangster Movie of the Year + Best Prison Movie of the Year

 

A gun-toting Tahar Rahim looks dangerous on this rather stressful poster for Jacques Audiard's A Prophet

 

Just 19 years old and of Algerian background, our protagonist Malik gets a 6-year prison sentence, and soon after his incarceration he is given a fearsome task: Committing a murder. 

 

A Prophet is written by Thomas Bidegain (Stillwater (2021)), Abdel Raouf Dafri (Gibraltar (2013)), Nicolas Peufaillit (Sous X (2015)) and co-writer/director Jacques Audiard (See How They Fall/Regarde les Hommes Tomber (1994)). The English title is a literal translation of the original French title.

Horrible, realistic and intense, the first half of Audiard's celebrated prison thriller also leaves space for glimpses of the internal lives for its criminal elements, - and A Prophet has the year's best/most horrific murder scene (murder by razorblade.) There are grand performances from Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian (2021)) in the lead and from Niels Arestrup (At Eternity's Gate (2018)) as the merciless Corsican gangster boss who takes him under his wing in prison.

SPOILER The ending is somewhat unsatisfactory, as one after such an epic sojourn longs for something more finished, and possibly hopeful, than what we are dealt here. Instead our hero ends up a criminal leader himself, which is more than a bit disheartening, especially held up against the film's title. Despite the strong performances and visual power (the cinematography is by Stéphane Fontaine (Samba (2014))), the deeper meaning of this expansive work remains unclear, except for the fact that it inevitably gives insight into the French underworld and the country's massive problems with criminal immigrants. 

Related post:

Jacques Audiard: Rust and Bone/De Rouille et d'Os (2012) - Cotillard gives another awe-inspiring performance

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

 

 

Watch a one-minute clip from the film's Cannes red carpet premiere here

 

Cost: 13 mil. $

Box office: 17.8 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.36 times its cost)

[A Prophet premiered 16 May (Cannes Film Festival, main competition) and runs 155 minutes. At least 17 companies and support bodies collaborated in the financing and making of the film. Shooting took place in Paris, France. The film opened #34 to a 163k $ first weekend in 9 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #25 and in 83 theaters (different weeks), grossing 2 mil. $ (11.2 % of the total gross). France was the film's biggest market with 10.3 mil. $ (57.9 %); North America was the 2nd biggest, and UK was the 3rd biggest with 1.5 mil. $ (8.4 %). The film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar, lost to The Secret in Their Eyes/El Secreto de Sus Ojos from Argentina. It won a BAFTA, was nominated for a Goya, was nominated for a Golden Globe, won 9/13 César award nominations, was nominated for a David di Donatello award, won a National Board of Review award, the Jury Prize at Cannes (the Palme d'Or was lost to Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon), won 2/6 European Film award nominations, among many other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Audiard returned with Raphaël Live Vu Par Jazques Audiard (2011, video) and theatrically with Rust and Bone/De Rouille et d'Os (2012). Rahim returned in You Never Left (2010, short) and theatrically in The Eagle (2011); Arestrup in Suite Noire (2009, TV-series) and theatrically in Farewell/L'Affaire Farewell (2009). A Prophet is certified fresh at 96 % with an 8.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of A Prophet?