Top 5 French films

Top 5 French films

#1 Le Fabuleux Destin D’Amélie Poulin 

For starters, the screenplay to Le Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulin was an ingenious work of art, not least because of the variety of colors, as well as various shots, angles, camera mouvement ; which evoke a kind of original humour. 

Secondly, the art direction was dreamlike in its panoply of colors. The fashion and decoration were original and at once childlike and funny. Additionally, the hairstyles were hilarious and never fail to lake you laugh, even in the most dramatic of scenes. As regards the cast, I find that everyone was the perfect fit for their respective role. Driven to mention the portrayal of Paris since as a Parisian I couldn’t help but notice its new and unique window on the city which depicted something of a small town tucked away on a small hillside no-one has ever seen before. 

#2 Amour 

Amour is second on my list because of its sheer beauty and its candide take on the tragedy of love. The main actor whose career had come to a halt following the death of his daughter took on this role after an eleven year absence from cinema, only to accomplish one of the most breathtaking part of all time. The striking realism is unapologetically candid, resembling in some instances an actual documentary, which is a testament to the director’s genius, given that 80 percent of the movie is shot in the same studio. The script is heartbreaking, moving and emotional roller coaster ride. 

#3: Mon Roi

Mon Roi is the third although not chronologically inferior because artistically as much a master piece as any of the other movies on this list. It is a story that goes beyond love, into the depth of sacrifice and betrayal and into absolute infatuation. The story is anything but fiction: a stunning autobiography of the relationship that director, Maïwen went through as a young woman just on a cusp of adulthood. Her boyfriend and later husband puts her into ambushing hell and gouges out her heart by cheating on her when pregnant multiple times and in constant need of space and distance where she is left in complete isolation. Instead of moving on, he returns to her time and time again in a never ending nightmare of desperation. 

#4 Astérix et Obélix 

It is a movie for all ages with incredible art direction from Claude Zidi. The most impressive thing in this movie is the enormous art direction. When we talk about art direction in this movie, we talk about costumes, decors but also makeup and reproducing in a very modern and sophisticated way the ancient and detailed era villages and Egyptian temples. What makes this movie as well interesting is the choice of actors. Rare are the movie who includes ‘adult and famous’ actors in their choice of casting. Asterix and Obelix was is a hit because not only children want to watch this movie but as well adults. Bizarrely this movie succeeded in attracting audiences from different ages, different nationalities and different cultures. 

#6 La môme 

La môme (or La vie en rose) is one of the most important internationally screened French movie. It is the biography of the well known Frenchs singer Edith Piaf incarnated by the beautiful actress Marion Cotillard. For her portrayal of Edith Piaf, Cotillard won her second César Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA award and the Academy Award for Best Actress. What is super interesting in this movie, other than the beautiful and poignant story of the French singer Edith Piaf, is the preparations… The actors took numerous month before they were ready to shoot… They needed to get into the skin of the characters. Some rumours said that Marion Cotillard needed a psychological support during the 2 years that followed the shooting because she couldn’t get out of the skin of the characters she embodied. The production crew had to reproduce the decor, the costumes, the makeup and the interior of the era (1920-1960). It was a huge budget and it took a lot of time… Luckily for the director Olivier Dahan and for the producers the movie was an international hit.