Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2024

[Chris Knipp]

POMME IN THE SPIRIT OF ECSTASY

Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2024: Favorites so far.

I've seen close to two-thirds of the series. Go to the Filmleaf reviews of these HERE.

The Animal KIngdom/Le règne animal (Cailley), with Romain Duris
This Opening Night film may not win over the New York glitterati. Its fantasy-sci-fi actioner about a French father and son (Romain Duris, Paul Kircher) struggling in a world where humans are turning into animals may seem an odd choice for them. But Thomas Cailley knows how to ring new changes on familiar human combinations. This is the film that was most popular of all the Rendez-Vous in France.

Banel e Adama (Sy)
A beautiful fable of love, drought, and young stubbornness set in a desert-like region of Northern Senegal, by a young French-born, Senegalese-descent director whose debut was selected to be in Competition at Cannes last year. Lush image and sound, fresh and gorgeous.

Auction /Le tableau volé (Bonitzer)
A snappy, smart art thriller about the discovery of an important Egon Schiele painting lost since the late Thirties when it was seized from its Jewish owner by the Nazis. There is absolutely nothing not to like about this cool film.

The Spirit of Ecstasy/La Vénus d'argent (Klotz)
The pop star Pomme incarnates a gender-questioning young woman of tremendous ambition who toys with abandoning her dull world on a military base and being a high flyer in the world of finance. A fresh and magical film.

Toni/Toni en famille (Ambrosiani)
The "Call My Agent" Netflix star Camille Cottin as the single mother of five loving but turbulent teenagers who wants to nurture them along their different paths while striking out on a new one herself by attending university at 42. A movie full of warm humanity, affection, and hope. The director, Nathan Ambrosioni, is a wunderkind.