Film Reviews by CSF

Of course the film is very well made, the actors are more realistic than reality itself, the story is gripping but... But the film starts in misery, goes on in misery, no hope for the hero, he is doomed. The situation get worse and worse and one can imagine the ending. It is better to watch it if you are young, carefree or heedless; then it makes you more mature.

Why a man would suddenly leave his happy family and would not contact them before 40 years? Are his two sons right to hate him? Who's the worst one of them? At the end of the day, it is often the woman who is the real victim.

In this film, the men suffer for having only one life to live; the woman accepts the fact she has one life and tries to make the most of it but the men's aspiration is a major obstacle. The story is often cruel but never boring.

See it with friends and you would want to discuss it for a long time.

Maybe an old film and an old story but even today, we still have parents who crush their children. The subject of this old film still exist. It should be watched by children too. It is the story of a woman who has to build her life and her freedom despite her mother keeping her in a cage and making her believe that it is for her own good. The film is not the expected cliché. The so-called psychiatric residence is not a nasty one, the doctor is not the selfish money maker. It shows how compassion can transform someone's hell into a decent, and even a happy life.

Bette Davis is the usual outstanding actress. The actors are OK.

I am very impressed by the acting of the little girl. I wish one of my friends who was deaf and dumb could have found the same school. The film handles this handicap gracefully, showing all the clumsiness of ignorant people around her. It should be shown in every school, even today. Because of our ignorance, today we handle autistic children roughly. The cinema is a great and unique way to show some handicaps without teaching or judging.

This film also emphasizes that it is not a good idea to separate the children from their parents during their education.

A brilliant thriller. It in not that far fetched and, in any case, the plot evolves slowly so we have time to digest the complications. What I liked best is that the film goes beyond the ending. What I find very frustrated in French films is that there is no ending, the film suddenly stops. Here you have an ending then the film go on for a couple of minutes. I love it. The two actors are too good! They could make you believe that the earth is oval!

A brilliant study of a character but not like the French film "The Chambermaid" with Jeanne Moreau. A little too much like a document of one day in the life of..... I find it frustrating because I kept asking myself questions all along and then they are never answered or it may be too subtle for me. More eventful would attract more viewers.

Trying to be sober or basic, the director attempts to go to the essential but as slowly as possible. The cinema is not made for that. No emotion, incredibly slow and sometimes exasperating.

The Joan of Arc's story is everything except that. It is the story of an unusual passion: the passion of one's country and God. Even today it is difficult to understand what's happened and this film. By wanting to be intellectual, it bored me to death. All the films made before about Joanne of Arc are very good, especially the one with Ingrid Bergman.

In my opinion, the catholic Church is more guilty than the English for burning her and no film showed this ambiguity. The best part of her life, for a film, would be her trial. This must be read. That film doesn't bring anything new to the story and, most unfortunately, is offputting. Johan of Arc deserves so much better.

Dealing with a terrible loss and not believing in life and in the future anymore, Nathalie decides to just carry on without trying anything to relieve her from the pain. Then when she starts to take a turn in the most unexpecting way, it is difficult to find it credible but human being are a well of mysteries! The skill of the director is to find a way to convince the viewer that yes, it can happen. It is a lesson of optimism. It is difficult to find Markus charming compared to Nathalie late husband. And yet, it works but not without difficulties and that is the magic of the film.

Ah those who had militant parents will understand even better the feelings of the little girl! By the way she is a fantastic actress, so mature for her age. And more sensible than her parents. She asks them the right questions that force them to think twice but parents are stubborn. They don't appreciate that children can be much better philosopher than them. A great film where the tragic details are presented with humour.The subtility of the film is that the parents can't be blame. They want their life to be useful and they want the children to see real life.

The film is quite a docu fiction. Remarkable, and I wondered if the actors were really actors, they were so good. It is not a politicaly correct film so, some people might find it disturbing. It does emphasize the fact that violence is everywhere, black or white, police or civile. It shows that it is our society today that turns people mad. There are black sheep in the police but after years and years of fighting 'evil', it rubs off. The new ones are more human but for how long? Islam takes the place abandonned by the Church, the schools walk on eggs, the Police is worn out. this is roughly the situation the film shows in the '93' department, outside Paris. The film should be shown in all schools, to have a discussion with the teachers after. The reason that there are more black baddies is simply because it takes place in a black area. Many films of that type are about white baddies.

On some machines, you can't get the subtitles and you can't get rid of the audio. Pity.

A woman ruins her life and her entourage's with her jealousy. What I don't understand is that it seems to happen all of a sudden. I thought one was born with jealousy and suffers from it all his/her life.

The violence is hidden, the suffering is visible, the obsession is obvious. Jealousy is an illness. Many films deal with it. The other one is 'L'Enfer' by Claude Chabrol. But, 'Jalouse" is more refined and not as pathological as L"Enfer. Foenkinos shows how jealousy can be such an invisible poison. It takes a very long time for everybody to see it, even longer to understand it; by then the damages are there. Fascinating to watch.

These films were very informative. I can see I lived through this period without realizing the tragic situation. I didn't even suspect it. The films are remarkably well done without soapiness or self pity, just the facts. I would love to talk to McQueen to tell him about some of my experience in teaching and some of the misunderstansting on both side. As an old teacher, I know how difficult it is to change mentalities and the cinema is a powerful way to do it. Mangrove is my favourite episode. The episode where a black man wants to be a policeman to "change the world" is diheartening. The film ought to be shown in every school and police schools. As for the episode on education, I have to say I saw this kind of attitude towards white kids because they were over gifted! It looks as if some teachers don't like when kids are too intelligent. I have always wondered how can one be a teacher and have prejudicies, whatever the prejusicies are.

Must be seen by every one.

A very good old fashion film by genious Hitchcock. Bearing in mind the story happened in 1941, it shows that Americans of the time were not very affected by the war in Europe. It takes place in London, so there should have been a mention of the war. The white cliffs of England look like a painting by Turner. Perhaps, in that case, the black and white would have been more realistic. For this part, Hitchcock should have chosen a woman not as beautiful as Joan Fontain but that was not Hollywood style. The film is like a tennis match: your mind looks at one character then the other one, almost at the same rythm as in a tennis match! It is love-love at the beginning and at the end.

A fascinating film but it leave a lot of questions behind. It is not a bio of Seberg, it is an extract of her life. It is well made and Kristen Stewart is very close to her model in manners and appearance. Romain Gary was such an important figure but in this film, he doesn' t show his influence, his grief or his talent. Also she was an important figure in the New Wave of the French cinema she was representing. The film should have been called 'Jean and The Black Panther'. I am afraid it is a typical superficial but entertaining Hollywood film.

I was probably expecting too much because I saw the fantastic film La Vie est Belle (Life is Beautiful) by Roberto Begnini who was rewarded in Cannes. I thought it would be the same kind. It is but it failed where Begnini succeeded so well. I could not make head or tail of this tale full of clichés coming in rows.