J.R.R. Tolkien: Designer Of Worlds - 2014 - France

J.R.R. Tolkien: Designer Of Worlds - 2014 - 6/10
AKA - J.R.R. Tolkien, des mots, des mondes

 
Although a fair amount of biographical detail is given, this documentary explores the creative aspect.
Tolkien the linguist, the scholar, the process of creating languages, rules, and the worlds that followed.
A few clips from the LoTR trilogy, and Tolkien illustrations.
Most of the interviewees are linguists or academia types, a shift from glossier docs.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3374612

Spirits Of The Dead - 1968 - France

Spirits Of The Dead - 1968 - 6/10 
AKA - Histoires Extraordinaires

 
Three-part anthology, loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe stories.
“Metzengerstein” by Vadim benefits from casting Jane and Peter Fonda as rivals in two feuding families. 
Alain Delon inhabits “William Wilson”, the contrasting doppelganger, good vs evil, played out over a decade.
Those two, the second by Malle, are in the atmospheric, Gothic world.
The third, “Toby Dammit” (Fellini), is a mad satire, steeped in the doom of Fate.
Terence Stamp goes with the unhinged flow, in a story of fame, leeches, exhaustion.
The visuals are almost an excessive parody of Fellini.
Per suggestion, I searched for “Metzengerstein” in French, but failed.
“William Wilson” in French.  “Toby Dammit” in English, sans subs (putting you in Toby’s confused world), I cheated and switched on subs, as I was quickly lost.

Peppermint Soda - 1977 - France

Peppermint Soda - 1977 - 7/10 
AKA - Diabolo Menthe

 
Sisters Anne (13) and Frédérique (15) begin the fall semester at the all-girls school.
Teachers range from authoritarian to utterly mad.
Courses, how many ways can one be bored out of your mind?
At school, the pair socialize and gossip with peers. At home, they try to help each other.
This is not feel-good, as theirs is a broken home, and Mom lives within a budget.
Entertaining throughout, and a perceptive glimpse of Paris in 1963-64 leading up to the national strike.

Murders In Aix-en-Provence - 2016 - France

Murders In Aix-en-Provence - 2016 - 6/10 
AKA - Meurtres à Aix-en-Provence

 
The first corpse was found crucified, eyes gouged out, ritually tortured.
Per the prophesies of Nostradamus, more shall follow.
The inspector in charge needs the assistance of the premier Nostradamus expert.
Her sister, with whom the two have shared a hate relationship since childhood.
The expert refuses, until she receives the removed eyeballs as threat.
French mystery has plenty of gruesome deaths, as well as emotional outbursts.
The mystery and plotting is better than most of these (this being an early one).

Gemma Bovary - 2014 - France

Gemma Bovary - 2014 - 6/10 

 
Village baker Martin notices the arrival of the English transplants.
The Bovarys, Charles and Gemma.
Martin, who knows his Flaubert inside out, begins to see or imagine parallels between Emma and Gemma. 
Less suspense than one would have imagined.
The Bovary marriage and possible problems glossed over.
Beautifully shot film, and Atherton is radiant, yet the hand of Fate lies heavy.

The Age Of Gold - 1930 - France

The Age Of Gold - 1930 - 5/10 
AKA - L’Age d’Or

 
A political / religious procession is interrupted by a couple spawning in the mud.
They are forcibly separated, but Fate has seemingly entwined their destinies.
Taboo breaking “comedy” from Buñuel and Dali has scandalous scenes (tame today).
During an outdoor party, lust triumphs.
Satire mocking bourgeois conventions still has an edge.

Souleymane’s Story - 2024 - France

Souleymane’s Story - 2024 - 7/10
AKA - L'Histoire de Souleymane

 
Souleymane is a Guinea refugee trying to get asylum status.
Between an ill-paid gig as a food delivery guy, he takes lessons on how to present himself as a political refugee.
Truth to the point, he has dependents back home, and he is an economic migrant, which nations are declining.
He is cheated throughout, underpaid, lied to, harassed, racing through Paris traffic.
Abou Sangaré is amazing in the title role.  The film is uncomfortable.
I live in the barrio and witness this often.  Neighbors gently shoo these folks along.
Desperate people do desperate things, as told to us by local police.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3373304

Probability Factor - 1976 - France

Probability Factor - 1976 - 6/10
AKA - L'ordinateur des Pompes Funèbres

 
Maybe she wasn’t always like this, but one doubts it.
Fred’s wife is a chronic nag, harridan, shrew, bully, making his domestic life hell.
At work, the insurance company, he is a computer engineer, processing risk via numbers.
Such as, how many ways might his wife die at home?
Idle fantasy, until Fred’s secretary, Charlotte, takes advantage of – ahem – a position.
Sexy French comedy of Fred making the right choices, then the wrong ones.

The Botanical Avatar Of Mademoiselle Flora - 1965 - France

The Botanical Avatar Of Mademoiselle Flora - 1965 - 6/10 
AKA - L’avatar Botanique de Mlle Flora

 
Flora is having a one-sided affair with a soldier.
He wants someone to cook, wash his clothes, buy his cigarettes, listen to him kvetch.
In short, he wants a maid – or his mommy.
Flora wants romance, would be fine with mattress action.
Settles for indoor and outdoor gardening.
Bernadette Lafont, fetching in A Gorgeous Girl Like Me (1972), vengeful in A Very Curious Girl (1969), is enticing here as the frustrated minx.

Murder In Orléans - 2017 - France

Murder In Orléans - 2017 - 6/10
AKA - Meurtres à Orléans

 
During the annual festival, the female playing Joan of Arc is murdered by crossbow arrow from 100 yards.
Ha!  That ought to narrow down suspects.  I mean, that takes skill, right?
The victim was beloved by all, well, maybe not.
Detective duo is son-in-law / mother-in-law combo.  C’mon, really?
Hither and yon, interrogate and theorize, sniff the home life.
Contrived mystery will hold interest, although afterward one might think, “Hey, did them say contrived?”

Murder On Aix Island - 2017 - France

Murder On Aix Island - 2017 - 5/10 
AKA - Les Mystères de I'île

 
José is found floating in a small boat.  Dead.  With a garnet jewel.
The assigned police captain force-deputizes the mayor, as he knows everyone.
While the mystery that becomes more and more implausible..
Stream of suspects and odd twists cannot disguise the lack of logic.
Time and again, “Why’d that happen?” “How’d she beat two police cars?”
Will hold your interest, but don’t ask yourself questions afterward.

Barbarella - 1968 - France

Barbarella - 1968 - 6/10

 
Our heroine is after a rogue scientist with a life-destroying death ray.
She crash lands, is captured, rescued, and has her first experience of physical sex.
Barbarella proceeds to share the love, continuing with her mission.
Genuine 1960’s artifact has a Euro-design and sensibility.
Less campy, less rollicking than Danger: Diabolik (1968), this tries too hard.
Fonda never looks comfortable onscreen here.

Lourdes - 2009 - France

Lourdes - 2009 - 6/10 

 
The site of pilgrimage for the crippled, the dying, the desperate.
Christine has already been to Rome, and is now part of the French group.
Food, pep talks, the gift shop, the precious water, the grotto.
Each hoping for a miracle, perhaps wondering why God has damaged them.
Midway, there is a debate by the religious elite on whether God is all good, or all powerful.
I have been to a couple of these Marian shines, all felt like tourist traps to me.
Growing up with a handicapped parent hardened my outlooks on miracles.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3372457

Successive Slidings Of Pleasure - 1974 - France

Successive Slidings Of Pleasure - 1974 - 6/10 
AKA - Glissements Progressifs du Plaisir

 
Alice may have murdered her roommate, Nora.
She confessed she did.  Or was she imagining it?  Or fabricating?
Awaiting the reenactment, she is held in the convent prison with nuns as wardens.

 
Slow pace (typical of this director), steeped in French Catholicism.
Nudity aplenty, along with body paint and sharp instruments.
Extraordinary cast for this contorted arthouse from Robbe-Grillet
Anicée Alvina eerily evokes depraved innocence. 

Fedora - 1978 - France

Fedora - 1978 - 6/10

 
Has-been film director wants to create an indictment of Hollywood’s youth obsession.
For that, he needs a reclusive star, one still retaining her beauty and glamor.
She refuses, then hurls herself in front of a train.
Smelling something sinister, he begins digging into a buried mystery.
One of Billy Wilder’s last films, this feels autobiographical, and sings for a commentary track.
The background is compelling (he failed to get Dietrich for the Garbo role), the studio refused to back him, critics grasped the film – audiences did not.

Claire’s Camera - 2017 - S Korea

Claire’s Camera - 2017 - 6/10 
AKA - La Caméra de Claire

 
The Korean film company is at Cannes, marketing releases.
Female boss Yang-hee browbeats Man-hee to quit, arguing she is untrustworthy.
French schoolteacher Claire, encounters both females separately (?), as well as a male director.
Deduction made, the male, while drunk, forced his way into Man-hee.
Jealousy prompted the dismissal.
Slice of life ought to be more interesting, but is too removed to be compelling.

Murders In Pyla - 2014 - France

Murders In Pyla - 2014 - 6/10 
AKA - La Disparue du Pyla

 
When a skeletal corpse is unearthed in her old hometown, Elise immediately thinks it is her lost sister.
She was there that night a decade ago, when Laura disappeared.
Turns out, she was correct.  The remains are her sister’s.
Followed by a half dozen theories, suspects, accusations, lies.
Elise finds Laura’s diaries and begins investigating on her own.
Better than many French tele-mysteries, in that there is no romance, and the police are secondary.
Suspect #1 is easily guessed early on, however, which is unfortunate.

US Go Home - 1994 - France

US Go Home - 1994 - 6/10 

 
Adolescents Martine and Marlène are desperate to attend the party.
Until they arrive and realize parents are active, and chances of losing virginity are zero.
Instead, they travel to another gig, further, with an older crowd, alcohol, and a sexual vibe.
Little occurs, everything occurs, as the girls are bored, terrified, furious, listless.
Older brother Alain, chaperone, is too busy chasing his own desires to notice.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3371747

Summer - 1968 - France

Summer - 1968 - 6/10
AKA - L'été

 
Experimental film, following Graziella as she isolates herself in the countryside.
Earlier, she had been part of Paris riots of the previous month.
She reflects without explanation.  One senses she may have been traumatized.
More of a mood piece, with little narrative.
Knowledge of May 1968 would be helpful for outsiders.

The Stranger - 2025 - France

The Stranger - 2025 - 7/10
AKA - L'Étranger

 
Meursault is roused early.  Telegram informs him his mother has died in the retirement home.
His employer gives him two days.  He sits through the vigil, attends the planting, returns to work.
Also reconnects with Marie, with whom he has an affair, then agrees to marry.
Is he in love?  No.  Did he grieve for mom?  No.  Is he ambitious at work?  No.
Not that Meursault is bored.  He is simply disinterested, disconnected.  Lifeless.
Even facing criminal charges, he couldn’t care less.
Ozon’s adaptation of the Camus novel is detached, forcing viewers to watch abstractly.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3371179