french

i am taking french for 4 reasons:
1. many of the people i dearly love speak french.
lana, lauren, sophie, brian, kendra... i could go on. you've inspired me.
2. albert camus
3. English and French are insanely similar, and as an English major/ hopeful-future-writer-teacher it makes sense

4. french films: my new favorite things ever.

The two above pictures are from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This film is outstanding. I only just saw it, and I've been dying to for ages. It's based on the true story of a man who has locked-in syndrome, full paralysis, but an active mind. He is able to communicate through blinking, and the movie is based on the book he wrote through such means. So beautiful.

Okay, these two are from A Very Long Engagement. I only just saw it tonight, and it was gorgeous. Taking place during WWI, a solider is reported dead and buried, and the disbelieving fiance he left at home starts putting together the pieces of exactly how he died.

Amélie... Again, Audrey Tautou, a magnificent actress, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, a man I now realize is one of my favorite directors. (He directed A very long engagement, and delicatessen, two more movie on my list.) This is a beautiful movie, again. I LOVE that unlike Hollywood, most of the French films I've seen aren't pushing the plot of the film, as much as the beauty of the film itself, the film is a work of art, not just a story. This film is so funny, even if sometimes slow, because the plot doesn't matter as much as the characters do.

These two are from Delicatessen, a black humour film. In a post-apocolypic Frace food -- especially meat-- has become so rare that the butcher begins to kill people to feed his tenents. The entire town knows what is happening, and as long as they remain alive, they are grateful for the food, and help out in anyway they can. This was wonderful, since through most of the movie I didn't know if I should shudder or laugh, and usually did both.

Alright, He loves me, He loves me not. (For those of you at BYU, it's showing in the international cinema this year). I can't even tell you about this one, because knowing too much would give the film away. Let me say, we watched this for Halloween and it was very appropriate. Very creepy. It's unexpected, but not scary. You know I can't handle scary. Check this out if you're in for a surprise. Again, Audrey Tautou. Excellent.

Les Choristes! This is a beautiful, heart-warming film. Unlike some of the above, the risque meter points at almost zero. I watched this with my eleven year old brother, and despite the fact that only I cried, we both enjoyed it. A teacher at a school for delinquent children introduces a choir, and the change in the boys is outstanding. Also, amazingly beautiful. You could watch this all in French, and not understand what was happening, and still enjoy it.

This is from Au Revoir Les Enfants (Goodbye, Children), one of my weepier movies. During WWII at an all-boys Catholic school, a few Jewish boy are hidden amongst the rest of the children. The sweet realizations of the children learning that they are all important and all human is wonderful, and again the colours, the acting, the cinematography... outstanding.


This one I also cried record amounts in, Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas). Also taking place during WWII, this tells the story of the Christmas Eve when the men from opposing sides called a cease-fire, and spent the Christmas together. It sounds simple, cliche, and lame, even if it is based on a true-story, but it is so well done! and the acting is superb... geez, I feel like the queen of hyperbole. Well, I'm only posting my favourites.

Persepolis, lucky for you, if you cannot get ahold of this animation, it is also a graphic novel (in English!) The transformation from pages to screen was really well done, and we all know how hard I am to please. The style of drawing is exactly like in the book, and despite the fact that the movie is not in colour, it is hardly all "black and white." The story is of a girl growing up in Pakistan through all the changes. Even though it's a cartoon, it is not a kid movie. Again, I wept. Excessively.

Okay. wait! Special Prize! This is my favorite Italian movie. Similar deal, beautiful, I wept, it's a little risque at times, SO worth it.
This is Nuevo Cinema Paradiso. You can watch the whole thing on YouTube in good quality with English subtitles if you're bored one day. It is very sweet, just a man looking back on his life, and the people he loved, and seeing that where he is, is entirely because of where he's been. It's not French, but still excellent.

That is all. SO, many of these are rated R, but most of them you can find edited, especially if you're in Utah. Otherwise, if you're really worried, call me, and I'll tell you when to close your eyes. Actually, I know for a fact you can watch Amelie, and Les Choristes online as well with subtitles, and some others without -- if you happen to speak French.
People, listen. Take advantage of your Netflix, or whatever. French films are da bomb.

French films. I worship you now.
You are beautiful.