Lost in Frenchlation

1.  Le Prénom (What's in a Name, 2012) Vincent and his pregnant wife Anna are invited to dinner by his sister Elisabeth and her husband Pierre. When he announces that his future son will be named Adolphe, Elisabeth and Pierre are horrified, and old arguments and rivalries are rehashed alongside new revelations about each character, resulting in a night of chaos. Similar in style to the classic Diner des Cons (The Dinner Game), in which the comedy comes from arguments, taboos, and wit, while the viewer is on the edge of their seat in hilarious discomfort. 2. Le Grand Blond Avec......

Continue reading

Cinderella’s foot fits the shoe perfectly and she meets her Prince Charming. Elle Woods wins her court case and finds a new-found sense of self. Harry Potter defeats the Death Eaters and stops the darkness. The guy gets the girl. The good people win. And they ALL live happily ever after.  According to American film historian David Bordwell, “of one hundred randomly sampled Hollywood films, over sixty ended with a display of the united romantic couple” (MacDowell, 2013).  Not so in France. In fact French films are so notorious for their realistic and even tragic endings, that they have earned......

Continue reading

France is a modern country with modern problems and a diverse and complex population, but you wouldn't know that through watching the Hollywood version of France, and especially Paris. In fact there's even a name - Paris Syndrome - for the brutal disconnect tourists can experience between their romanticised movie views of Paris and the real, modern, bustling, sometimes grubby city. But films made in France offer a far more realistic view of the country. French films can still be heartwarming when they tell realistic stories, but they are not simplistic or patronising to viewers. The tourist sites that most......

Continue reading

With its beautiful face and seductive charm, Paris is the ideal film star - but are non-French people being given false expectations of the modern city, asks Elizabeth Lanier. Francophilia is nothing new, especially in America. France has long embodied sophistication, class, and style. Paris is the “City of Love,” and many Americans think French is the sexiest accent (it is a Romance language, after all). We see movies like Midnight in Paris and Amélie and idealize Brigitte Bardot. The France that we Americans dream of - with its suave, fashionable men in turtlenecks, and graceful, effortlessly beautiful women -......

Continue reading

Throughout spring, mothers around the world are paid tribute to - and in France Mother's Day has been celebrated on the very last Sunday of May since 1950. With that in mind, here are six French films that celebrate motherhood from Manon Kerjean at Lost in Frenchlation.   Enjoying a family friendly film that recognises the power of motherhood is a great way to celebrate this historical holiday. The big screen serves us more than just laughs, but provides strong female leads and powerful narratives of motherhood. So here are six fun French films that will warm your mother's heart,......

Continue reading

Long before the big blockbusters of the present day, there was a 50 second clip of a train pulling into a station projected on the wall of a Parisian café. In 1895, Auguste and Louis Lumière created a cinematographe, a motion picture camera, printer and projector that was the first of its’ kind. A year later they were credited for holding the first film screening when they debuted their film L'arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat. The movie simply depicts a train pulling into the station and passengers disembarking in a continuously moving real-time shot, which seems elementary......

Continue reading

Have you noticed that so many French films seem to be about couples going through divorce? There's a reason for it, writes Manon Kerjean from Lost in Frenchlation, and it shows that Paris really shouldn't be called the City of Love. French dramas and comedies alike often focus on a certain unexpected circumstance of life: divorce. In France, 55% of marriages end in divorce. Essentially, chances are you are more likely to separate than stay together if you get married here. It is no wonder that the number of marriages performed in France each year is the lowest per capita......

Continue reading