Cinefranco 2009 - French Film Celebration in Toronto

CINEFRANCO 2009

2009 marks the 12th year of Cinéfranco, a celebration of French language film in Toronto.  Screenings take place once again in the heart of Little Italy at the trendy Royal Cinema, which incidentally also screens the best films in the city of Toronto. 

Every year, in appropriate springtime, Ms. Marcelle Lean, the tireless directrice delivers the best of French films from around the globe, from neighbouring Quebec to the far reaches of Africa.  But France remains the heart of Cinéfranco.  2009 sees many of the films screened at Cannes last year and includes new films from directors Jacques Doillon, Patrice Leconte, and Robert Guediguian.  Particular strong are the Quebec entries.  EN PLEIN COUER, set in Montreal opens the 10-day festival.

Cinéfranco opens officially Friday 27th March with the opening Quebec film EN PLEIN COUER.  Director Stéphane Gehami will be present for an exciting Q & A session. 

Cinéfranco offers a wide range of films from the critically acclaimed to the youth oriented to typical commercial fare.  Listed below are a few films pre-screened by me, which will help you in your film selection.  For more information on films, schedule and show times, please visit the Cinéfranco web-site at:

http://www.cinefranco.com
Bon cinema!

CE QU’IL FAUT POUR VIVRE (Canada 2008) ****
Directed by Benoit Pilon

CE QU’IL FAUT POUR VIVRE (English title: THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE) is a powerful tale of emotional sensitivity effectively told.  It is not surprising therefore that the film won the Public Prize for Best Canadian Film at the 2008 Montreal World Film Festival.  The story, set in 1952 concerns an Inuit hunter by the name of Tivii (Natar Ungalaag), separated from home, life and family to recover from Tuberculosis at a sanatorium in Quebec City.  Isolated socially and unable to speak French, Tivii just wants to die.  The rest of the CE QU’IL FAUT POUR VIVRE deals with Tivii’s recuperation – both from his physical illness and his mental state.  The sharing of his culture with Kaki (Paul-Andre Brasseur), a sick boy who can speak both Inuit and French helps Tivii with the purpose of living.  The script does well to contrast both the Inuit and Quebecois worlds.  Director takes great pains to create the 50’s setting – vintage cars, wardrobe, props – and it works.  The result is a remarkably intense tale that shows what it means to live and feel alive.  The film illustrates the basic needs of human beings – food, freedom and sex.  Pilon’s film also demonstrates an audience’s occasional need for a good emotional, realistic tale about human beings.

DISCO (France 2008) ***
Directed by Fabien Onteniente

Has-been (as described by the judges) unemployed 40-year old Didier Travolta (Franck Dubosc) needs to win a dance contest to see his son from abroad.  The underdog enlists the aid of two friends to re-unite the glory days of their group The Bee Kings.  There is nothing in DISCO that has not been seen before in previous films and there is no prize in guessing who will win the dance money.  Still Onteniente’s SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER type comedy is so over the top, stealing almost the entire Bee Gees soundtrack that he actually gets away with it.  Never mind the implausibility of pretty dance instructress Emmanuelle Beart falling for buffoon Didier or that everything ends too conveniently at the end.  DISCO has enough laughs and dance moves (like the windmill of love) to keep the audience amused.  The dance climax is a riot.  Gerard Depardieu playing Jean-Francois Jackson, the owner of the local disco absolutely steals the show.  And one is reminded how effective the Bee Gee songs were in the 70’s.

EN PLEIN COUER (STRAIGHT TO THE HEART (Canada 2008) ***
Directed by Stéphane Gehami

EN PLEIN COUER (STRAIGHT TO THE HEART) is Stéphane Gehami’s impressive story of two troubled car thieves, Benoit (Pierre Rivard) and his protégé Jimi (Kevin Noel).  If not fighting all the time while at work, they create a bonding that stems from a need to care for each other.  Benoit has girl problems, indecisive of which one of the two he is having an affair with.  Jimi, on the other hand, cares for his ill mother, looking up to Benoit like a father he never had.  Though it takes a while to figure out where this film is headed, one cannot argue that Gehami is an excellent story teller who has created this compelling drama.  This is the opening night film for cinefranco.

JURY DUTY (LE SEPTIEME JURE) (France/Belg 2008) ***1/2
Directed by Edouard Niermans

Director Edouard Niermans’ JURY DUTY (or the Seventh Juror – the direct English translation) is a thriller that develops as much in plot as in the way the murder trial unravels.  The story centres on pharmacist Gregoire Duval (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) who unwittingly murders a 24-year old teen.  Ironically, Duval is chosen for jury duty.  Guilt overcomes him, and he tries to prove the accused’s innocence.  The film is more layered than it appears as the film is a period piece set during the French Algerian conflict of the 60’s.  To make matters worse, everyone wants Khader Boualam (Lehcen Bachelier) hung less found guilty as no white French person wishes to see a young murdered girl touched or dirtied by a coloured.  As Duval fights for his redemption, he wins the respect of his rebellious son and the wrath of his wife.  Nierman’s film gets more compelling as it unfolds and he takes it to its credible and logical conclusion.  Darroussin delivers a conflicting impressive performance. 

LADY JANE (France 2008) ***
Directed by Robert Guediguian


Director Guediguian returns with another film shot in his favourite setting of Marseilles, this time around showing the city’s seedier side.  From love story and drama, Guediguian tackles a mystery thriller again starring his wife, Ariane Ascaride as LADY JANE, a mother who has her kidnapped son killed even after she pays the ransom.  She turns to her friends, played by Guediguian staples Gerard Meylan and Jean-Pierre Darroussin who also happen to be her cohorts as thieves years back.  The trouble with this movie, is that anything can happen and Guediguian lets plot twists unfold as if there is no tomorrow.  The film has quite a few bits of violence and nastiness that is not normally expected from Guediguian.  An interesting though not entirely satisfactory exercise disproves the old adage that there is no honour among thieves. 

MADE IN ITALY (France 2008) ***
Directed by Stephane Guitti

Inconsequential comedy about a writer Luca Morandi (Gilbert Melki), suffering from writer’s block returning to his Italian roots in Turin to tend to his father’s sudden death.  No real message (except perhaps to respect fathers and for fathers to respect and love their children) or goal in this film and director Guitti moves his film along pretty much like the old Marcello Mastroianni Italian sex comedies in the 70’s.  Guitti opts for that period look with actor Melki tracking along with full Mastorianni moustache.  Lots of beautiful women in the movie too, which gives the feel of a Fellini film.  Melki, as usual gives a likeable nuanced performance supported by the cast of beauties.

RUMBA (France/Belgium 2008) ***
Directed by Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon

RUMBA is a neat surprise produced, directed and starring Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon as rural teachers.  They celebrate life in every way the film can, mostly in dance and loving each other.  RUMBA poses the question whether two people can be eternally happy on film.  However, after returning from the rumba competition that they have won, a car accident renders the couple separated and Abel settled with some loss of memory.  RUMBA plays like a comedic dance without much dialogue.  When the actors speak, it is simple French.  But one can tell at the pains Abel and Gordon have gone through to make their film more cinematic.  The result is an honest feel-good film that the audience can leave the cinema feeling happy and good about life.