 Local prides and far-fetched prejudices are made fun of in a gentle but often hilarious way in the French hit comedy Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (Welcome to the Sticks). The second feature as a director of actor-comedian Dany Boon after La maison du bonheur (Dream House) is indeed a winner, putting its tale of a southern postal worker hoping for a transfer to the Côte d’Azur through the very effective reverse psychology wringer when he ends up in the dreaded north instead -- but discovers he loves it. The film is currently in its fifth week of release in France and well on its way to become the most-visited local production of all time. Success in non-francophone territories will not reach those heights because much of the humour is tied to either the language or knowledge of local customs, but remake potential is infinite. |
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 After two continent-wide trips for L’auberge espagnole (The Spanish Apartment) and Les poupées russes (Russian Dolls) and a plunge into the French capital’s underworld with Ni pour, ni contre (bien au contraire), French director Cédric Klapisch stays close to home and well above the ground for Paris, his valentine to the City of Lights. Befitting its grandiose yet simple title, Paris stars a mix of French stars that includes Juliette Binoche and Klapisch-regular Romain Duris, who play siblings in but one of a tangle of stories meant to reflect the thousand faces of the city. In France, Paris currently stands at 1.65 million entries in its fifth week of release. The combination of Klapisch’ name, the alluring title and the promise of French stars doing what they do best should make this a hit abroad as well. |
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 An action-adventure set mostly at sea might sound like an unlikely production to come out of the country of the Dardenne brothers, but Belgian director Hans Herbots’ Windkracht 10: Koksijde Rescue (Storm Force), though from the other side of the language border, is exactly that. The Flemish spin-off from a successful local TV series never completely relinquishes its tube roots (especially in the script department) but its acting and technical prowess shout out for big-screen projection. The €4.5 million film was a hit in Flandres with over 225,000 visitors and has since been sold to numerous territories (though the film was nary a bleep on the radar of the neighbouring Netherlands). It could also function as a template for local remakes. |
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 A grungy ensemble piece that casts a fascinating spell despite its many shortcomings, Madonna’s directorial debut Filth and Wisdom is equal parts naughty and nice (or filthy and wise, as the title would have it). The singer and occasional actress lengthened what was originally a short film into a feature-length film that nevertheless feels coherent and has all the trappings of a small independent film without trying too hard to be one. Still, it will be difficult to lure audiences to the cinemas for what will no doubt be touted as a Madonna film rather than a quicky first feature that showcases occasional flashes of directorial talent as well as an almost inevitable unevenness that is so often associated with first-time productions. |
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 Eric Rohmer, the director almost single-handedly responsible for the reputation of French dramas as talky yet intelligent, shows he has lost nothing of his rigour at age 87 with his new – and apparently last – film Les amours d’Astrée et de Céladon (The Romance of Astrea and Celadon). The oldest New Wave director has opted for an earnest adaptation of an early 17th century literary text from Honoré d'Urfé that recounts a story set in 5th century France as imagined in 1607, taking the text and its idealised version of a half-Roman, half-pagan Gaul with a Christian overlay at face value. Played to straight-shooting perfection by a cast of impressive new faces, Les amours d’Astrée et de Céladon was well-received in France upon its commercial release and can look forward to a long life on DVD both at home and elsewhere. |
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