Detailed information and Sydney screening schedule will also be online from Wednesday 1 February at www.affrenchfilmfestival.org or you can download the Official Festival Programme now (PDF).

Tickets will go on sale from 1 February 2012.

Official Opening Night Selection
DECLARATION OF WAR – directed by Valérie Donzelli

Closing Night
THE LAST METRO – directed by François Truffaut

It Happened In Your Neighbourhood
POINT BLANK – directed by Fred Cavayé
17 GIRLS – directed by Delphine & Muriel Coulin
PRESUMED GUILTY – directed by Vincent Garenq
OMAR KILLED ME – directed by Roschdy Zem
EARLY ONE MORNING – directed by Jean-Marc Moutout
NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU – directed by Gérald Hustache-Mathieu
AND IF WE ALL LIVED TOGETHER – directed by Stéphane Robelin

It Must Be Love
THE ART OF LOVE – directed by Emmanuel Mouret
SILENCE OF LOVE – directed by Philippe Claudel
ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS – directed by Jean-Pierre Améris
GOODBYE, FIRST LOVE – directed by Mia Hansen-Løve
A HAPPY EVENT – directed by Rémi Bezançon
AGAINST THE WIND – directed by Jalil Lespert
PARIS – MANHATTAN – directed by Sophie Lellouche
DELICACY – directed by David Foenkinos & Stéphane Foenkinos

The Power and the Passion
THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO – directed by Robert Guédiguian
ALL OUR DESIRES – directed by Philippe Lioret
MY PIECE OF THE PIE – directed by Cédric Klapisch
THE RABBI’S CAT – directed by Joann Sfar & Antoine Delesvaux
THE CONQUEST – directed by Xavier Durringer
PATER – directed by Alain Cavalier
FREE MEN – directed by Ismaël Ferroukhi

Talent Beware!
THE WELL-DIGGER’S DAUGHTER – directed by Daniel Auteuil
JO’S BOY – directed by Philippe Guillard
BUTTERFLY KISS – directed by Karine Silla-Perez
SIDEWAY – directed by Jean-Luc Perréard
18 YEARS OLD AND RISING – directed by Frédéric Louf

Happy Families
THE DAY I SAW YOUR HEART – directed by Jennifer Devoldère
THE SKYLAB – directed by Julie Delpy
YOU WILL BE MY SON – directed by Gilles Legrand
BELOVED – directed by Christophe Honoré

“Sex, Drugs and Rock‘N’roll”
HOUSE OF TOLERANCE – directed by Bertrand Bonello
AMERICAN TRANSLATION – directed by Pascal Arnold & Jean-Marc Barr
THE KIDS OF TODAY – directed by Jérôme de Missolz

A French Touch Around The World
NOTHING TO DECLARE – directed by Dany Boon
ELLES – directed by Malgorzata Szumowska
CAFÉ DE FLORE – directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
THE GIANTS – directed by Bouli Lanners

Not Only For Kids
TALES OF THE NIGHT – directed by Michel Ocelot
DUCOBOO – directed by Philippe de Chauveron
THE WAR OF THE BUTTONS – directed by Yann Samuell

A Life Devoted To the Arts
THE LOOK – directed by Angelina Maccarone
A LIFE FOR BALLET – directed by Marlène Ionesco
GAINSBOURG BY GAINSBOURG – NO COMMENT – directed by Pierre-Henry Salfati

Cinema provides such fertile ground for the dramas and crises that arise from the idea of faith. While it is difficult, and perhaps even possible, to distill the complex socio-economic-political reasons behind warring states and clashes over religion in various parts of the world, film has always provided a microcosm to explore the subtleties of global movements in a way that broadcast news never could hope to achieve.

Of Gods and Men (Des hommes et des dieux) received the Grand Prix and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, with the latter award created by Christian members of the film community to ”honour works of artistic quality which witnesses to the power of film to reveal the mysterious depths of human beings through what concerns them, their hurts and failings as well as their hopes.” While it could be argued this tag applies to almost every great film in history, there is something overwhelmingly powerful about the exploration of faith in Xavier Beauvois’ film.

In 1996, seven French Trappist monks were kidnapped  from the monastery of Tibhirine in Algeria and were later found beheaded. Although the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria claimed responsibility, the identity of the killers remains a topic of some debate. In the film, we meet eight monks, led by Brother Christian (Lambert Wilson, The Princess of Montpensier), who live in harmony with their nearby Muslim brothers. When some foreign workers are massacred by an Islamic fundamentalist group, terror grips the region. Refusing the army’s help, the monks resolve to stay and face whatever trouble may come their way.

Of Gods and Men often seems to present a simple dichotomy to audiences, offering a clear distinction between the serene and harmonious monks and the rebellious and murderous Islamic fundamentalists. Yet the situation, as the monk’s non-attempts to convert the nearby Muslims would indicate, is far more complex than that. This year, the Alliance Française French Film Festival has reminded us of France’s past crimes in the occupation of Algeria through the psychological thriller A View of Love and the explosive drama Outside the Law. Of Gods and Men fleetingly acknowledges this occupation of Algeria, with the passing suggestion that the French presence in Algeria after years of war crimes is deliberately antagonist. Yet the monks are none of these things. They are French, but they exist in an austere bubble and the film chooses to concentrate on the strength of the monk’s will rather than what they may represent to the surrounding world.

Surrounded in a world of meditative musical chanting, the performances are impeccable. The always reliable Lambert Wilson gives another strong turn as the ‘leader’ of the group, providing the pillar upon which the other monks’ will rests. Similarly, Agora‘s Michael Lonsdale provides A particularly moving scene come during a dinner sequence, where Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” plays and momentarily breaks us (and the monks) out of the cloistered world we have been inhabiting with the monks for a surprisingly breezy 122 minutes of contemplative filmmaking.

Of Gods and Men played in Australia as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival. It will be released in Australia on 26 May 2011 from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Based on a short story of the same name by Madame de La Fayette, one of France’s first novelists, The Princess of Montpensier (La princesse de Montpensier) is set during the Wars of Religion in the latter half of the sixteenth century. In the adaptation by Jean Cosmos, Francois-Olivier Rosseau and Tavernier, it is the figure of the Comte de Chabannes (Lambert Wilson, Of Gods and Men) that ignites the tale when he tires of fighting and elects to become the tutor of the troubled Marie de Mézières (Mélanie Thierry, Babylon A.D.). Meanwhile, Marie has her own set of problems as she is forced into a loveless marriage with the Prince of Montpensier (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet) while passionately in love with Henri de Guise (Gaspard Ulliel, Hannibal Rising).

The Princess of Montpensier, devoid of the flashy whizbangery of Hollywood’s historical epics (where CGI is commonplace), is a surprisingly modern take on a well-worn period of history.  Aside from the excellent young cast of internationally unknown actors, there is a fresh feel to the filming that belies (or perhaps confirms) Tavernier’s decades of work in the film industry.  The stunning Cesar Award-winning costumes dazzle the eye sockets and barely restrain the heaving bosoms of unrequited love. Contrasting this pleasantly is a modern sensibility that manifests itself not only through the swordplay and battle sequences, but in a steamy kind of romance that almost winks at the audience in self-awareness. Tavernier has commented that he was inspired by the unlikely source of American Westerns for many of the scenes in the film, noting that many important conversations took place on horseback in the filmed version of the American West.  Carrying that concept over to the Wars of Religion gives us a drama that is quite literally always moving, and a sense of momentum that is often lacking from other more stilted costume dramas.

This often complex storyline, made even more so by the unnecessary addition of  the Duke d’Anjou (Raphaël Personnaz) as an additional pursuer of Marie’s affections, toes the delicate line of being a soap opera of epic proportions, but manages to remain grounded thanks to the excellent cast. The main male leads of Ulliel and Leprince-Ringuet bring the passion, and it is amazing just how much the Twilight films have borrowed from these archetypes. The third young male suitor, Personnaz, comes in with the requisite swagger of a gunslinger from the films Tavernier admires so much, and is the toff to Ulliel and Leprince-Ringuet’s emo. Although her character is somewhat underdeveloped, the beautiful Thierry provides ample fuel for the intricate and fiery love pentagon at the heart of the story, although it is with the always excellent Lambert Wilson that the real pathos of the film lies. As someone both complicit in aiding Marie’s attempts at regaining true love, along with being hopelessly in love with her as well, his tragic nobility is the audience’s ticket into this rarefied world.

The Reel Bits: A sweeping historical epic of the first order that makes full use of, but is never overwhelmed by, the lush settings at Tavernier’s disposal. Gorgeous award-winning costumes, fresh young faces and experienced cast alike make this a fascinating film to watch, even if purely for the visual magnificence.

The Princess of Montpensier is screening as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2011.

The Reel Bits is the cinema arm of DVD Bits. DVD Bits can be found on Twitter@DVDBits and The Reel Bits @The_ReelBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

One person’s terrorist is another one’s freedom fighter, depending on what side of the fence you are sitting on, although the media and political frenzy over terrorism since the attack on New York’s World Trade Centre in 2001 has made the issue even more black and white. In it in this environment that Oliver Assayas’ Carlos emerges, following a deuce of films by Steven Soderbergh on Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, and its politics remains ambiguous. Just as much a comment on the nature of celebrity in the modern world, with Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (aka Carlos the Jackal) becoming one of the world’s first celebrity terrorists, the film is seemingly attempting to demystify the man behind the infamous attacks on the OPEC summit in 1975. The film begins with a disclaimer, professing the fictionalised nature of the story and the guesswork involved in many of the relationships in The Jackal’s life. Indeed, the convicted man himself objected to the release of the film, claiming that the screenplay was full of “deliberate falsifications of history, and lies” and his legal team felt it may harm his future chances of appeal. Although all history is subjective, and cinema by its very nature is an interpretation of that history, this statement immediately throws into doubt any of the authenticity any of the elements of a story already shrouded in mystery. Given so many interpretations have already graced every medium known to humankind, one begins to wonder what the point of this lengthy new version might be.

Few films have seemed as simultaneously lengthy and as rushed as Carlos. Although cut down from the gargantuan 330 minutes that constituted the mini-series, and the screenings in its entirety at Cannes and other film festivals last year,  the pacing of this 165 edited version is way off. Taking its sweet time getting up to the OPEC summit, the last half of the film is a chaotic descent into mediocrity (both for the character and the film), although much of this is in the editing. Take for example the character of Lana Jarrar (Razane Jammal), Ramírez Sánchez’s second wife. She appears briefly as a new recruit, seduced by Carlos. We only see her a handful of times  in this film version, the last time briefly complaining about the life she is leading, and one gets the impression that there was much more of this character development in the longer version.  Despite a strong performance from Ramírez, by the end of the film we are still no closer to understanding the motivations of young Ilich Ramírez Sánchez in becoming an almost desperate criminal. It seems that even behind bars with a highly studied career, Carlos the Jackal is as much of an enigma as ever.

The Reel Bits: An ambitious attempt to take a more holistic approach to the life of The Jackal, hamstrung in this theatrical version that is literally half of its originally intended length. The footage is noticeably absent, although given the pace at which the second half of the film drags, audiences may be grateful for Carlos Lite™.

Carlos is screening as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2011.

By day, he lives with a little girl named Zoe (voiced by Oriane Zani) and her mother the policewoman. At night, he sneaks out with Nico, a burglar with a heart of gold, navigating the rooftops of Paris. He is a cat named Dino. When Dino brings Zoe an expensive stolen bracelet that Nico has given him, Zoe decides to follow the cat and soon finds herself caught up with a gang of crooks – and her nanny is a member of the gang!

A Cat in Paris (Une Vie de Chat) brings with it a beautiful return to old-school hand-drawn animation. The deliberately old-fashioned, even by 2D standards, animation is in stark contrast to the plethora of 3D animated films on the market, an it certainly adds a distinctive charm to the picture. Reminiscent of children’s books, the soft-palette background paints Paris in a whimsical light, perhaps one that only ever existed in the kinds of fairy tales that this is inspired by. From the almost noir-meets-expressionism rooftop sequences at the start of the film, to the dramatic conclusion at the Notre Dame Cathedral (where else?), the animation is a love-letter to the Paris that the French want the world to see. The film looks crafted, rather than manufactured, although in some cases this deliberate styling has been done at the expense of substance. It is a superficial view naturally, but a beautiful one at that.

Clocking in at just over an hour, A Cat in Paris is not heavy on story development and despite the classy animation, takes aim squarely at a less sophisticated child audience. While the plot has a storybook functionality, older audience members may find the storyline overly simplistic. Simple is not necessarily a bad thing either, and A Cat in Paris recognises its narrative limitation by adhering to a brief running time and maintaining simple archetypes for each of the main characters. Cat lovers may also be disappointed that after a promising start, there is clearly not enough cat content in the second half of the story – which is largely, pardon the pun, a game of human cat and mouse – to justify the either the English or original French title. Yet A Cat in Paris is an enjoyable romp, although perhaps not one destined for the international acclaim of its recent animated brethren.

A Cat in Paris is screening as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2011.

The Reel Bits is the cinema arm of DVD Bits. DVD Bits can be found on Twitter@DVDBits and The Reel Bits @The_ReelBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

Returning to his native country after a prolonged absence, television producer turned neo-burlesque troupe manager Joachim Zand (Amalric, Wild Grass) receives a less than warm welcome. Having promised his performers – Mimi Le Meaux (Miranda Colclasure), Kitten on the Keys (Suzanne Ramsey), Dirty Martini (Linda Marraccini), Julie Atlas Muz (Julie Ann Muz), Evie Lovelle (Angela de Lorenzo) and Roky Roulette (Alexander Craven) – a regional tour culminating in a grand Parisian finale, his plans are forced to change when his former business associates refuse to lend a hand. Although some of the dancers are understanding, others – particularly Mimi – are unable to reconcile their disappointment with the way the trip has turned out. When Joachim’s children (Simon and Joseph Roth) join the journey, the group dynamic changes as the producer and his charges are thrust in an unexpected direction.

Sarah says:

Succeeding as both an actor and a director is far from an easy accomplishment, with many trying to translate on-screen triumphs to the off-screen track yet failing to make an impact. For every Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby), Robert Redford (A River Runs Through It) and George Clooney (Good Night, And Good Luck) there’s a Sylvester Stallone (The Expendables), Eddie Murphy (Harlem Nights) and Fred Savage (Daddy Day Camp), with the long list of candidates attempting the feat including Ben Affleck (The Town) and his brother Casey (I’m Still Here), as well as John Malkovich (The Dancer Upstairs), Zach Braff (Garden State), Sofia Coppola (Somewhere) and Drew Barrymore (Whip It). Thankfully, if the energetic and emotionally resonant, funny and finessed, and glorious and gorgeous On Tour is illustrative of his oeuvre, Amalric deserves to be classed amongst the best of the breed of thespians turned filmmakers. With a specific sense of style, a winning way with his non-professional cast of colourful real-life characters, and the deft to turn in his own outstanding performance yet again, he announces his status as a keen observer of human interaction, as well as confirming his consummate directorial skill and cultivated visual flair.

An adaptation of Collette’s 1913 text “The Other Side of Music-Hall” (or “L’envers du Music Hall”) that recounted the novelist’s foray into vaudeville shows, On Tour shows few signs of taking inspiration from a work close to a century old. Although the unique world the performers inhabit has an air of bawdy tradition heightened by the aged nature of the hotels and venues frequented, the distinct mindset and mannerisms of the dancers and their manager are thoroughly modern. Accordingly, credit must be directed towards Amalric and his fellow writers (Philippe Di Folco, Tom Frank, Marcelo Novais Teles and Raphaëlle Valbrune) for updating the text to contemporary times in such a convincing fashion. Also deserving of praise are the kittenish burlesque practitioners themselves, with each imbuing their roles with the naturalism and honesty expected given their background, yet avoiding the perils and problems of other performers turned actors. With Colclasure particularly impressive in the central role, and her co-stars as striking in their on-stage antics (performed as real shows in the towns visited, in front of local audiences), the overall dynamic of the cast is necessarily imperfect and subtly impassioned. In merging the old and the new in source material, style and substance, Amalric’s comic yet contemplative creation is authentic and eccentric, as it provides a piquant peek at a way of life both frolicsome and fractured.

The Reel Bits: Intimate and intricate slice of life neo-burlesque effort On Tour is both playful and poignant as it ponders the travels of an American dance troupe in France, with director and star Mathieu Amalric again proving his talents both in front of and behind the lens.

Richard says:

There is an incredible feeling of authenticity to On Tour, in no small part due to the use of non-actors and genuine neo-burlesque performers Mimi Le Meaux, Kitten on the Keys, Dirty Martini, Julie Atlas Muz, Evie Lovelle and Roky Roulette. In a stark contrast to the sanitised Hollywood version of Burlesque, imagine if you will a world where Christina Aguilera had really let herself go and Cher weighed an extra 30 kilos or so. There is a gritty feel to this that mainstream US cinema would never dare go near, and although this is a fictionalised account (albeit with real performers) there is an almost documentary or cinéma vérité quality to the film. It is no surprise to learn that Amalric based the look of the film on US films of the 1970s, especially The Killing of a Chinese Bookie by John Cassavetes. Indeed, the ghost of Cassavetes is highly present throughout On Tour, with the same spirit of improvisation and allowing the actors to find their own voices within the roles. The burlesque girls directly reference this during a rehearsal, stating that they create their own show for the audience and are not controlled by any man. Despite betraying a fragility to the outwardly rough-and-tumble troupe, one can fully imagine that the cast had a similar thematic relationship with Amalric.

Like an extended road trip, On Tour feels its entire 111 minutes and it is questionable as to whether it overstays its welcome. Certainly there is a definite pace to the film that Amalric consciously, although somewhat effortlessly, instills in the film and it would be difficult to remove any single part without disrupting the whole. Seemingly channeling a mixture of Steve Buscemi (and as one critic pointed out, an uncanny resemblance to a younger Roman Polanski), Joachim’s occasional bursts of outrage are all the more tangible when built on a foundation of uneasy frustrations, represented through the passing of time and the tedium of the road. Although there is much joy to be found in On Tour, there is also a surprising amount of sadness, and this too is found in those quiet reflective moments. More than anything, the film is very much like the unconventional family that is represents: it lives for the spotlight, shines when it is performing, weeps as a unit and would be lost without any of the elements that makes it whole.

The Reel Bits: An unconventional portrait of an unconventional group of people, handled with the delicacy and familiarity of a pro. Amalric solidifies his presence as an all-round performer/director, while allowing this cast of largely non-actors the ability to grow and make these often difficult roles their own.

On Tour is screening as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2011.

The Reel Bits is the cinema arm of DVD Bits. DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits and The Reel Bits @The_ReelBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

After losing their ancestral home to French colonists in Alegria, three brothers take very different paths across the world. Messaoud (Roschdy Zem, Days of Glory) joins the French army to fight in Indochina,  Abdelkader (Sami Bouajila) is sent to jail in France as an Algerian political prisoner and Saïd (Jamel Debbouze, Amélie) moves with their mother to the slums of Paris where he becomes a success in the local organised crime gangs. When Abdelkader is released from prison, he is intent on raising the consciousness and fists of the local Algerians against the French oppressors by taking the fight to the French on their own territory. Recruiting Messaoud, the two brothers begin to grow apart from Saïd, who has his own ambitions for fame and glory.

Richard says:

Dealing with this historic travesty in an unbiased way is virtually impossible, especially given the emotions that this kind of story is likely to evoke on both sides of the political fence. Indeed, to speak of ‘both sides’ is already hopelessly simplifying a problem that traces its roots back the imperialistic and colonial roots of many an empire across the world prior to the First World War. As is the nature of such tales on-screen, we are given a personalised account of the events via three brothers who have taken three very different paths through adversity. Those paths may be tried and true on-screen – a criminal, a military vet and a political prisoner-turned-rebel – but the same could be said of the reality of coming from a war-torn country, with destinies forged by an imperialistic power that has no notions of how it will impact on the lives of average people. In this sense, we are only given a limited view of the horrors that were perpetrated in both Algeria and France during this period, with massacres and brutality that seems out of step with the  sophisticated persona that Paris displays to the world. The shanty-town in which many of the Algeria refugees reside sits just outside the Paris city lights, within sight of the Eiffel Tower but a world away in practice. In many ways, this is what we as audiences members must endure: the closeness of human drama but with the distance of time and experience to truly understand the breadth of the moment in history.

As a way of personalising history, Bouchareb brings his trio of actors back from their Days of Glory roles and continues their tale in a different context. The film is very heavy-handed in its politics, with there being very little in the way of a grey area between French nationalism and the explosive politics of Abdelkader’s FLN (Front de Libération Nationale).  The film certainly downplays the thousands of French killed as part of the FLN bomb attacks in the so-called ‘Café Wars’ during the Algerian War, but by same token it may shock many to learn of the sheer brutality of the Paris police force in dealing with any Algerians on the streets of the French capital. The reduction of this tragic period of French history to a series of personal stories may not encompass all the politics of the day, but it does what it sets out to do and bring a sense of individual drama to a set of events that couldn’t possibly be contained within one film. Although we are kept at arm’s length by the dramatic action at times, and this is seemingly a piece of entertainment  first and foremost, the audience ultimately gains an insight into a period that we hope never repeats in our time.

The Reel Bits: A powerful human drama set against the backdrop of a tragic war within living memory. Superbly acted by the principle cast of brothers, this lavish production is undoubtedly one of the modern epics of this year’s festivals.

Sarah says:

A stand-alone follow-up to writer / director Rachid Bouchareb’s Cannes Film Festival François Chalais award-winning world war two film Days Of Glory, Outside The Law provides a lengthy interpretation of the impact of French rule in Algeria and the resulting war that spanned 1954 to 1962, covering five decades and two generations of family members. Drawing upon a rich history of features dealing with the topic (including Gillo Pontecorvo’s stand-out effort The Battle Of Algiers), it explores the actions of three sons (a crook, a political prisoner and a military veteran) driven to improve upon their father’s and family’s impoverished station in life, and to address their nation’s oppression and exploitation at the hands of the French in the process. As an effective early scene reminds the audience, on the day that the western world celebrated allied victory in the second world war, Algerian freedom protesters were massacred in the infamous Sétif massacre. This is a telling juxtaposition that provides the spark for the siblings’ deeds and permeates throughout Bouchareb’s Oscar nominated feature (for best foreign language film, with Susanne Bier’s In A Better World the eventual victor), even if the film’s presentation of this horrendous chapter in history is sadly lacking.

With actors Jamel Debbouze (Angel-A), Sami Bouajila (Bitter Victory) and Roschdy Zem (Department 36) returning to their roles from the preceding feature, the stage is set for a riveting examination of the formative years of Algerian politics in the twentieth century. Alas, instead of capitalising upon the continuity of his protagonists within such explosive circumstances, Bouchareb instead wallows in manipulation and repetition, highlighting the cause over the characters at all costs. As a result, empathy is mostly absent across the film’s 138-minute running time, with the well-performing leads trying hard but finding it difficult to evoke an emotional connection. Their efforts are not aided by the controversial nature of the re-telling of history, with political reactions varied in their view of the feature’s authenticity and even uninformed viewers likely to spot the partiality. Owing a debt to the gangster genre (with Michael Mann’s Public Enemies providing an interesting stylistic parallel) more than the oeuvre of war films, Outside The Law is technically competent, although it ultimately comes across as slow and drawn out rather than immediate and energetic. With a third feature in the thematically connected trilogy the concept of current discussion, this may not be the end of Bouchareb’s ponderings of the state of his homeland, however here’s hoping the next installment re-ignites the topic’s inherent spark

The Reel Bits: Re-uniting with his cast and characters from the applauded Days Of Glory, writer / director Rachid Bouchareb has crafted an admittedly biased account of the Algerian war. Interesting in content whilst languishing in execution, Outside The Law is effective in the historical sense, yet nowhere near as compelling as the events demand.

Outside the Law is screening as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2011.

The Reel Bits is the cinema arm of DVD Bits. DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits and The Reel Bits @The_ReelBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

Marc Palestro (Jean Dujardin, Little White Lies) is a high-flying real estate agent in Aix-en-Provence. Happily married to Clotilde (Sandrine Kiberlain, Mademoiselle Chambon) and the proud father of an eleven-year-old girl. When closing a sale on a large property, he meets a beautiful investor, who he recognises as Cathy (Marie-Josée Croze, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), a friend from his childhood in Algeria. After spending the night together, she disappears on him – and this is only the beginning of the mystery.

A  View of Love (Un Balcon Sur La Mer) covers, via flashback, a period of French history that was naturally something of a sensitive issue for the French. Cinema hasn’t taken huge amounts of opportunities to explore the Algerian War, with the notable exceptions of Gillo Pontecorvo’s renowned The Battle of Algiers (1966), Hollywood’s Lost Command (also 1966) and Jean-Luc Godard’s The Little Soldier (1960, but released 1963). Yet despite placing this unconventional love story-cum-thriller across several decades, and giving part of the story the backdrop of the Algerian War, very little is gained – or more aptly felt – by using this period as a part of the story. Indeed, its inclusion is almost incidental to the main narrative, as the crucial and relevant memories of childhood are able to be placed anywhere in history. While it is laudable that Garcia has used her own heritage and this important part of French history as an element in this film, it would smack of sensationalism if the film wasn’t in desperate need of a few smacks of sensation along the way.

One never gets a sense of Algeria as a place or its importance in the lives of two people who seem to have gone on to great success despite their childhood tragedies. Unlike Festival stable-mate Outsides the Law (Hors la loi) More significantly, the lead characters are just as distant from the audience as this period of history will be for the majority of people born in the last half-century, and the characters are quite poorly defined. The generally warm Marie-Josée Croze projects a coldness throughout much of the film, and it is often difficult to understand what it is (beyond the obvious physical attraction) that compels Marc to pursue her so completely. Likewise, Marc seems to have no qualms about leaving a wife and child for days on end, neither of whom seem to notice that anything is out of the ordinary. What could have been a simple thriller is overly complicated by needless detail added in the last half of the film, and an unsatisfactory conclusion. Perhaps Garcia was making a point that there could be no happy ending for this star-crossed coupling, but in doing so has left the audience without any reason to care beyond the credits.

The Reel Bits: A disappointing outing from a cast that has done better, and a lack of character development makes this a fairly standard ’thriller’ on all counts. While it is pleasing to see Algeria being discussed more in French cinema, this is not the film that will open anybody’s eyes to the atrocities on both sides of the fence.

A View of Love is screening as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2011.

The Reel Bits is the cinema arm of DVD Bits. DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits and The Reel Bits @The_ReelBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

Encompassing crime, drama, love, comedy, suspense, historical events, and fascinating documentaries, the 22nd festival offers a ‘fête’ for Cinephiles and Francophiles alike. Featuring a galaxy of French and international stars from Sophie Marceau, Isabelle Huppert, Marion Cotillard, François Cluzet, Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Cécile De France, Lambert Wilson, Jean Reno, Virginie Ledoyen, Jean Dujardin, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi and Audrey Tautou to Kristin Scott Thomas, Nathalie Baye, Sandrine Kiberlain, Daniel Auteuil, Patrick Bruel, Ludivine Sagnier, Fabrice Luchini, Jacques Gamblin and Mathieu Amalric, the festival program ranges from opening night comedy Potiche to acclaimed crime epic Carlos, with all manner of movies on offer in between.

The 2011 AFFFF dates are:

• Sydney: 8 – 27 March
• Melbourne: 9 – 27 March
• Brisbane: 16 March – 3 April
• Canberra: 16 March – 3 April
• Perth: 23 March – 10 April
• Adelaide: 23 March – 10 April

We asked you to let us know the name of one of the stars featured at the Alliance Française French Film Festival. The answer was, of course, any one of the actors mentioned above. The winners who answered correctly and were cleverly drawn out of the 21st century equivalent of a hat were:

• Tom Clift
• Estela Montes
• Stephen Marsh
• Liz Johnson
• Xanthe from South Australia

Keep an eye on your mail boxes, as your passes are on their way.

Thanks again to  Alliance Française French Film Festival for this fabulous prize and be sure to keep watching The Reel Bits and DVD Bits for more exciting giveaways.

The Reel Bits is the cinema arm of DVD Bits. DVD Bits can be found on Twitter@DVDBits and The Reel Bits @The_ReelBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

Encompassing crime, drama, love, comedy, suspense, historical events, and fascinating documentaries, the festival offers a ‘fête’ for Cinephiles and Francophiles alike. Featuring a galaxy of French and international stars from Sophie Marceau, Isabelle Huppert, Marion Cotillard, François Cluzet, Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Cécile De France, Lambert Wilson, Jean Reno, Virginie Ledoyen, Jean Dujardin, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi and Audrey Tautou to Kristin Scott Thomas, Nathalie Baye, Sandrine Kiberlain, Daniel Auteuil, Patrick Bruel, Ludivine Sagnier, Fabrice Luchini, Jacques Gamblin and Mathieu Amalric, the festival program ranges from opening night comedy Potiche to acclaimed crime epic Carlos, with all manner of movies on offer in between.

The 2011 AFFFF dates are:

• Sydney: 8 – 27 March
• Melbourne: 9 – 27 March
• Brisbane: 16 March – 3 April
• Canberra: 16 March – 3 April
• Perth: 23 March – 10 April
• Adelaide: 23 March – 10 April

We have five double passes to give away to the festival, with each valid for Monday to Thursday screenings (excluding opening and closing nights, public holidays and special events) in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth only. To be in the running, all you have to do is:

1. Subscribe to our newsletter! It only goes out once a month, so we promise not to spam you. (If you already subscribe, you don’t need to do so again). Click here to sign up.
2. Fill out the form below with the name of one of the stars featured at the Alliance Française French Film Festival. (Hint: The answer is in this post). Please include your name, contact email and postal address so we can mail the tickets to you as soon as possible!

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO ALL ENTRANTS.

Important: You must answer all the questions to be eligible. To ensure people do not have an unfair advantage by entering multiple times, only 1 entry per person will be accepted. Every entry is looked at and if duplicate/suspicious entries are found you will automatically be disqualified. This competition is only open to residents of Australia, although the tickets are only valid for for Monday to Thursday screenings (excluding opening and closing nights, public holidays and special events) at the Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth legs of the event. You will be responsible for making your own way to the venue.

The competition closes Thursday 10 March 2011, so make sure you get your entry in!

Privacy Note: The Reel Bits / DVD Bits takes the privacy of its readers very seriously. Your email address will be not be used for any other purpose other than to enter the competition. Upon completion all email addresses will be deleted. If you do not wish to continue receiving the newsletter after the competition closes, you will be given the option to opt out.

Terms & Conditions

1. The Reel Bits / DVD Bits and the Alliance Française French Film Festival take no responsibility for any delay, loss or damage to prizes sent to winners.
2. While all attempts are made to supply prizes at the completion of a competition, no responsibility will be held by The Reel Bits / DVD Bits to supply prizes if for unseen circumstances they are not available.
3. Staff of this site and other DVD/film websites and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in the competition.
4. No responsibility will be taken for any entries that may have been lost. The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered upon.

The Reel Bits is the cinema arm of DVD Bits. DVD Bits can be found on Twitter@DVDBits and The Reel Bits @The_ReelBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.