The 2020 Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, March 5-15, 2020

[Chris Knipp]

DEERSKIN/LE DAIM (Quentin Depieux 2019)

Depieux's latest crazy, surreal, maniacal, doofus, sadistic self-entertainment for midnight viewers features Jean Dujardin as a man who confuses himself with an old deerskin jacket, and starts making snuff films. Adèle Haenel as the bartender who is eager to become his editor and producer. Good for late night festival screenings.

[Chris Knipp]

WHO YOU THINK I AM/CELLE QUE VOUS CROYEZ (Safy Nebbou 2019)

Glamorous but lonely and abandoned older lady university prof gets into fake social media relation with hunky young guy. Multiple twists ensue. The glossiest of high class French shlock, with Juliette Binoche as the lady and Nicole Garcia to make it class all the way.

[Chris Knipp]

ONE MAGICAL NIGHT/CHAMBRE 212 (Christophe Honoré (2019).

A boulevard-style "comédie de remarriage" with Vincent Lacoste & Benjamin Biolay but with Chiara Mastroianni at the center of it. Will Americans get it?

[Chris Knipp]

BURNING GHOST/VIF-ARGENT (Stéphane Batut 2029).

Small independent film about a tall young hunky ghost who can't "pass over". won a Jean Vigo award. Only R-V director so far to come for a Q&A; he said he came from China & got here by boat. What? Batut is a well-known casting director. This is his second feature film at the helm.

[Chris Knipp]

SCHOOL LIFE/LA VIE SCOLAIRE (Grand Corps Malade, Mehdi Idir 2919)

A lively depiction of profs and students at a Saint Denis middle school has its moments, but lacks originality - and the dignity Kechiche & Cantet brought to this subject.

[Chris Knipp]

PERFECT NANNY/CHANSON DOUCE (Lucie Borleteau 2019)

From Leïla Slimani''s Goncourt-winning bestseller - but the nanny from hell story fizzles a bit despite Karin Viard. Some precision and control of defense are lacking.

[Chris Knipp]

MAMOUNA DOUCOURÉ: CUTIES/MIGNONNES (MAMOUNA DOUCOURÉ 2020)

Uneven but vibrant movie about an 11-year-old girl in the Paris banlieue of Senegalese origin torn between a traditional family and an inappropriately sexy dance group. The camera of Yann Maritaud captures colorful people and action.