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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 une Chaussure Noire (The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe, 1972)

Francois Perrin, an unsuspecting violinist, is chosen at random to be a pawn in a rivalry between two men in the French secret service. As one agent believes Perrin to be a superspy, he puts him through more and more adventures to find out what Perrin knows, only for Perrin to escape unscathed through pure luck each time. Mayhem ensues from Perrin’s affair with his best friend’s wife, the rivalry between the two agents, and the ever-alluring presence of a femme fatale. 

3. La Grande Vadrouille (Don’t Look Now… We’re Being Shot At! 1966)

For over forty years, La Grande Vadrouille was the most successful movie in France, and remains in the top five today.

Set in World War II France, it tells the story of two British Royal Air Force crewmen who have been shot down over occupied Paris and are hidden by a house painter and the conductor of the Opéra Nationale. La Grande Vadrouille irreverently pokes fun at the British, the French and the Nazis, and it set up the genre of World War II farces, particularly as until this time, the war had been the subject of drama, not comedy.

The iconic duo of de Funès and Bourvil make this film a classic for any French person.

4. Les Visiteurs (The Visitors, 1993)

Godefroy, a twelfth-century knight, asks a wizard to take him back in time to before he accidentally killed his beloved fiancée’s father, but instead he’s transported to the year 1993.

He enlists the help of his descendant Beatrice, who looks exactly like his fiancée, to get back to his own time. While he’s in the twentieth century, he attempts to get used to modernity, and hilarity ensues. This movie is the second farce on this list, meaning that it’s a ridiculous, slapstick comedy that will have you giggling at the clownish characters.

5. OSS 117: Le Caire, nid d’espions (OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies, 2006)

Jean Dujardin, star of The Artist (2011), plays a narrow-minded and rather stupid French spy in this parody of the spy genre. 

OSS 117 is sent to investigate the disappearance of another OSS agent with whom he shares a past. He gets involved in a tangle involving Soviets, the French, British, Egyptians, and even some Nazis, all while juggling two romantic interests.

It’s a continuation of the OSS 117 film series from the 1950s and 1960s, although these were played straight, not for laughs.

6. La Vérité si je Mens!  (Would I Lie to you? 1997) 

Eddie is rescued from con men by a Jewish police officer, who mistakes him for “one of our own,” and he secures a job in the Parisian Garment District.

The French Jewish culture opens up to Eddie, a Gentile who must pretend to be Jewish even though he is completely ignorant of Jewish culture and customs, and soon falls in love with his boss’s daughter. Each character is a real person, not just a caricature, so the humor isn’t from making fun of a Jewish community, but laughing with them about both themselves and outsiders. In many ways it’s a descendant of the 1973 classic Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacobs, and is a heartwarming and truly hilarious film. 

7. Le Nom des Gens (The Names of Love, 2010)

Bahia Benmahmoud takes the phrase “make love, not war” literally, as she seduces right-wing men in order to convince them of the merits of the liberal cause.

It works wonderfully, until she meets the boring bird-flu expert  Arthur Martin. While it’s a romantic comedy, it is also about “Frenchness,” as Bahia’s and Arthur’s families come from polar opposite backgrounds and attempt to reconcile what it means to be French. From the unconventional cinematography to a shocking nude scene, and the hilarious interactions between such different people, this movie is unexpected and fresh.

8. La Vie est un Long Fleuve Tranquille (Life is a Long Quiet River, 1988)

“Two households, unalike in dignity” – this movie depicts two French families, one very rich, the other very poor.

They seem to have nothing in common, but 12 years ago, a doctor’s jilted mistress/nurse switched their newborns. When this is revealed to the families, the poor child goes to live with the rich family, telling his parents he thinks he can make money off of them. The idea that everyone can fall to the lowest common denominator, and the darker humor makes this movie unforgettable.

9. Tout ce Qui Brille (All That Glitters, 2010) 

Lila and Emy dream of penetrating the upper echelon of French society, and manage to do so by lying their way in.

They sneak their way into a nightclub and meet a rich, glamorous couple who offer them a ride home. Lila gives them the address of a much nicer building, and befriends the couple and snags a boyfriend, leaving Ely feeling left out. It’s less of a narrative movie than several snapshots of Lila’s and Ely’s lives, and the mounting lies that Lila tells, that get her into ridiculous situations.

10. Nos Jours Heureux  (Those Happy Days, 2006)

This nostalgic movie shows one summer in 1992, when Vincent must run a summer camp for the first time.

It depicts the relationship between campers and their counselors, and recalls the mood of a summer camp that many of us can relate to; figuring out friendships, romances, dancing, and fighting. The eccentricity of the characters results in dynamic conversations and hilarity. Not to mention, Intouchables’s Omar Sy makes his debut in this film.

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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 the name “French endings”.

Hollywood films are more obsessed with the happy ending, the “one-day’s”; the “what-ifs”. Perhaps this is because America prides itself on the ‘American Dream’ – that anybody can do anything in America, even if they come from nothing.

French cinema, on the other hand, seems to leave the viewer always a little shaken. For example, La Belle Personne (The Beautiful Person) and La Vie d’Adèle (Blue is the Warmest Colour) are beautiful pieces of cinema, but definitely do not abide by the standard Hollywood ending. 

Divines, a French-Qatari drama film directed by Houda Benyamina that came out in 2016, depicts the issues within the banlieues. It is certainly no “happily ever after”. The movie is raw, authentic, and doesn’t end with a set solution. Perhaps this is because there isn’t one yet, and the French know this. No matter the reason, this is a perfect example of a French ending.

Another great, yet very opposite of Hollywood movie, is Juste la fin du Monde (It’s Only The End of The World) released in 2016 directed by Xavier Dolan. In this movie, a man returns to his family after years of not seeing them to tell them that he is dying.

The movie is very beautiful, but if you have learned anything about French endings, you may be able to guess exactly how this movie ends. In American film, we would expect a unique, out-of-the-ordinary cure to happen and save his life – but with French endings that is not the case.

The World War II film Jeux interdits (Forbidden Games) released in 1962 directed by René Clément, showcases the harsh realities of wartime and is certainly no fairy tale. 

For years, there is something so prevalent in American film that has shaped so much of American culture. The most magical place on earth. Yup, you guessed it – Disney! Disneyfication is based on a western-style consumerist lifestyle and contributes to our desire for happy endings. Try to think of a Disney movie, fairy tale, or television show that does not end in a happy ending. 

Yet France has proved resistant to this trend, instead concentrating on being content in realism work together in cinema. Maybe a film that combined the result of the two differing views would be pretty amazing.

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1. Poolside Chillin’

Just because you’re in one of the world’s biggest cities doesn’t mean you can’t have a relaxing day by the pool! The Josephine Baker pool is located literally on the Seine (they use different water, don’t worry) so grab your sunscreen, floaties, towel, and a friend and head on over!

2. “I scream, you scream …”

Sometimes the only way to escape the French heat is with some Italian gelato. A little pick-me-up from Amorino is all it takes to give you that much-needed extra boost of energy. (That little macaron they put in the middle of the gelato is too irresistible to pass up anyway.)

3. Shopping Spree

The Lafayette Galleries are great for many reasons: the luxury shopping, the architecture, the view from the top, and most importantly, the air conditioning. Need I say more? Here’s a challenge for you: walk through the Galleries and try not to buy anything. This is a feat I have yet to conquer.

4. “À bicyclette”

Take an afternoon off and spend it riding around Paris on a Velib’ bike with friends. The simple system is the best way to explore the city and a lovely way to stay cool while taking in all the sights! *Pro tip: put a baguette in the front basket to look extra French.

5. Outdoor Film Screenings

After a day in the sun, treat yourself to the cool Parisian nights by watching a movie under the stars. Head over to Mairie du 11ème and Mob Hôtel in July and August where Lost in Frenchlation will be hosting outdoor screenings of French films with English subtitles at night. Not a bad place for a picnic either!

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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 people see don’t engage with these issues, such as poverty and immigration, but France is dealing with them every day. Films that tell these stories focus on the humanity of the characters to try and bring them to life on screen, pushing the viewer to engage with the film.

Here are five modern French movies that depict a more realistic view of life in contemporary France.

1. La Vie d’Adèle (Blue is the Warmest Color)

This 2013 movie is the coming-of-age story of Adèle, a young French teenager who falls in love with an older woman, Emma.

Through the two women, we see tensions between the exploration of sexuality and how this fits into French culture, especially between social classes.

During Pride month, discussions of sexuality are in the forefront of our minds, and this movie is an intense examination of LGBTQ+ identity in modern France, and holds almost nothing back.

2. Divines

This movie takes place in a Romani banlieue around Paris – an area most tourists will never get to see, but it’s really about the characters, not the place.

It depicts the struggle that a young teenage dancer goes through in order to lift herself from poverty, as she confronts drug dealers and street gangs. This side of Paris, or even this strata of society, is rarely depicted in movies that Americans watch because it isn’t pretty and happy endings seem forced.

Think Aladdin; even Disney characters can escape poverty only with the help of magic. This movie is not heartwarming and the ending doesn’t wrap everything up neatly, but neither does real life. If you want to feel emotions deeply and gain an understanding of an underrepresented sector of society, watch this movie.

3. La Haine (Hate)

This movie also takes place in a banlieue near Paris, the day after a violent riot due to rising tensions between the harsh police and a racially-diverse population. It focuses on three friends of a boy who was hospitalised after the police attacked him.

Like Divines, La Haine depicts racial and economic tensions in a part of France that most tourists wouldn’t see, but is crucial to gaining a full understanding of twenty-first century France.

Made in 1995, this was the first movie to depict the banlieue in mainstream entertainment media, and almost twenty-five years later, the central issues still exist.

4. Welcome

This 2009 movie isn’t set in Paris, but Calais, and shows the bond between a French swim coach going through a divorce, and a young Kurdish immigrant trying to get to England by swimming across the Channel.

It reveals the harsh, unforgiving nature of immigration laws in Europe, and sugar-coats neither the immigrant Bilal’s journey, nor that of struggling coach Simon.

It also shines a light on general anti-immigrant sentiment, and shows France from an outsider (non-American) perspective. It explores friendship and hardship, with a heart wrenching ending.

5. Entre les Murs (The Class)

The Class follows a multicultural Parisian high school class and a French language teacher who desperately wants to help his students.

The “problem children” challenge the young teacher’s methods, as he attempts to walk the line between discipline and cooperation, and between his superiors and his students.

The story was written by a French teacher who based it on his own experience, and he plays the lead. It’s a journey through the educational system, dealing with racial and class tensions, relationships within a community, as well as the simple fact that being a young teenager is tough in any neighborhood.

Of course, Paris isn’t all rough-and-tumble, with violent street gangs lurking around every corner. But it also isn’t all perfect. It has its own cultural issues, most of which are not that different from America, and many French films don’t shy away from depicting them. 

They serve a second purpose beyond simple entertainment, which is to get their audience to engage with the story and underlying commentary. Some of these movies have happy endings, but a lot don’t, which may be more realistic as many French directors hold a mirror up to society with their films.

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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 – may exist in some form or another, but is by no means is reflective of France as a whole.

There’s a name for the broken expectations that affect some tourists physically: Paris Syndrome.

When Paris is so idealized, as it is in many films that are popular outside of France, it is impossible for the city to live up to the hype, leading to depression for some tourists. Francophiles worldwide hold in their minds a pristine, romanticized, Instagram version of Paris.

This is not to say that Paris is not amazing; it is. But it’s not the monocultural, perfect city that fictional characters seem to inhabit.

Paris is wonderful because of all the things it has going on, whether that be quiet pastel-colored boulangeries, or the bustling crowd of internationals in the wide Haussmann streets.

Midnight in Paris presents Paris through American eyes, rather than native French. Nostalgia plays a part even more explicitly, as the film references the 1920s, the Jazz Age.

The idea of Paris as it was (portrayed) in the 1920s permeates American minds, and further romanticises the city. That nostalgia for a world long gone is apparent in this film, with Paris as the main character’s escape from the real world with all its complications and filth.

Paris is also quite easily recognisable to the American viewer; tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre feature heavily in the film, always visible. There is never anything in Woody Allen’s Paris that is unappealing. Instead, everyone is in fortunate circumstances and dressed fashionably. The city is beautiful, and so are its people, and nothing is out of place.

Films such as Amelie, Funny Face and An American in Paris all reinforce this image of a dream-like, idealised Paris.

Les Misérables is perhaps the most popular French story with Americans, and portrays a divided France almost two hundred years ago (contrary to popular belief, Les Mis is set in the Revolution of 1830, not the French Revolution in the late eighteenth century).

This Paris is rough, dirty, and unforgiving. The story is Victor Hugo’s, who actually lived through this revolution, and is more about Parisians than Paris. It does not reflect modern Paris, and does not pretend to.

Unlike Midnight in Paris, there is no romanticisation of Paris, but the tragic nature of the story ennobles the characters, and highlights the complexities of French society and the individual characters. From Fantine to Jean Valjean, the viewer cannot help but feel sorry for each character and be invested in their fate. The story stirs passion and, to Americans, a sense of camaraderie with the French.

After all, we point to a revolution against oppressors as our own foundation. Americans travel to Paris every year to tour Hugo’s Paris, but it’s long gone, physically and culturally. Haussmannisation prevented exactly the types of barricades featured in Les Mis, and while Parisians still feel the need to protest out in the streets, it isn’t necessarily the noble struggle for freedom that Hugo writes about.

A new movie also called Les Misérables dealing with today’s social issues recently won the Jury Prize at the 2019 Cannes film festival. It reflects the modern struggle between police and gangs.

Moulin Rouge! is very popular among Americans as well and, again, presents a Paris long gone.

The film shows Parisians as eccentric and adventurous, like Midnight in Paris does. It’s escapist, as well, allowing audience members to get lost in their imagination of burlesque fantasies and the tragic artist, both of which are romanticized.

Like Les Mis, suffering is tragic but also beautiful. Fantine and Satine are the picture of the beautiful, tragic woman. Even the death of the main character’s love interest is beautiful.

These Americanised “French” movies place much importance on ideals, and while they don’t conceal or cancel out hardship, they give purpose to the characters, even if they die. They also largely depict a “historical” Paris that may or may not have ever existed. Like New York City, Paris seems a city that is not without its difficulties, but the romance and excitement of the city make it beautiful.

Lots of French movies focus on the reality of living in France and reject the fantastic nature of many American films. Movies like Les Intouchables and Mon Roi explore modern life in France without the unrealistic romanticization, and have been box offices smashes in France. But these films rarely seem to get much international success, so Americans do not typically see them.

This means that many of the stories that inform our ideas of France are not told by actual French people, and we rely largely on the American imagination.

Cult classics like Moulin Rouge and Midnight in Paris fail to represent the modern, lively, and diverse Paris. They represent an American vision of France, in which Paris is a romantic city in which everyone has, if not a happy, then beautiful, ending to their love affairs.

Sure, Paris is amazing and can be romantic and magical – but at the same time it can be hectic, overwhelming and grubby.

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The most popular French film abroad has no French spoken in the film.

French films are not only for the French. In the past decade they have gained popularity around the world, especially in English-speaking countries such as America and England. However, the French film that has been most popular abroad is a silent film, The Artist, so no French dialogue is featured. The Artist is a comedy and romance movie about an old silent film actor who falls in love with a young dancer at the time when the industry was moving toward “talkies”.

In America, The Artist is the highest grossing French film of all time. It was nominated for both Golden Globes and Academy Awards. It was able to outshine American films at the Golden Globes by being nominated for more awards than any other film that year, and won in three out of the six categories. It also won five out of the ten Academy Awards it was nominated for, making Jean Dujardin the first French actor to win Best Actor. In England, The Artist was nominated for twelve BAFTA’s, more than any other films that year, and won seven of them.

It is possible that this success is due to the lack of language barrier in the film. Only 23% of the UK population speak French, and that number lessens to fewer than 1% in America, which can make the average French film an intimidating leisure activity for native English speakers. Because The Artist is a silent film, it is viewed the same way regardless of the audience’s language, allowing everyone to connect with the film the same way. 

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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 by today’s standards, but was profound for its time.

Many believe that America is credited as the birthplace of cinema due to Thomas Edison’s kinetoscope. This is actually a misconception because although cinema and film are often used interchangeably in vernacular language, in reality cinema is about the art of cinematography, which is showing films to audiences. Because only one person at a time could view a film through Edison’s invention, while the Lumière brothers were able to invent a machine that could project a film to a larger audience, it is France that earned the credit as the birthplace of cinema.

Since then, France has also been the precursor to many other aspects of film. The first movie theater was in La Ciotat, which screened many of the Lumière brothers’ films. The Eden is still welcoming moviegoers today, making it the oldest operating movie theater. The first film company was created by Léon Gaumont, which is still operating today out of Neuilly-sur-Seine 123 years later. France was also home to Alice-Guy Blaché, the only known female filmmaker in the early years of cinema. She is the first filmmaker to develop narrative films. Before her work, films were just what the Lumière brothers called “actualities”. Actualities were films showing something that was actually happening in reality, such as their debut film. In 1902, George Méliès wrote, directed, and produced A Trip to the Moon, which is regarded as the first science-fiction movie, and a pioneer film for editing and special effects.

The debut of the Cannes Film Festival in the mid-1900s set the precedent of film festivals being part of the global cultural scene. It encouraged the artistic value of films, and has now become the leading platform for filmmakers around the world to present their work. The French New Wave of cinema in the 1950’s associated with French film critic and theorist André Bazin, made major breakthroughs in cinematic theory and philosophy. This movement is credited building upon “auteur theory” viewing role of director as the artistic visionary bringing their aesthetic and narrative ideas to life on screen. Bazin stressed this theory, establishing the position of film director on the same level as writers and other types of artists.

Today, more people go to the movies in France than any other European country. In 2017 alone, over 209 million cinema tickets were sold in France. It is only fitting that cinema would stand the test of time here, considering the country’s major contributions to the development of the industry. 

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[vc_row][vc_column background_type=”image” background_img=”7782″ background_size=”contain” background_effect=”fixed” background_img_lazyload=”1″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][wvc_typed text_alignment=”center” font_weight=”700″ loop=”false” speed=”100″ text=”April 5, 2019″ text_before=”Originally Published”][vc_icon media_type=”image” size=”fa-5x” image_id=”7988″ link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thelocal.fr%2F20190405%2Ffrench-film-blog-why-paris-isnt-really-the-city-of-love||target:%20_blank|” title=”On TheLocal.FR”][vc_column_text]

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 in all of Europe.

You’re not much better off in the US or U.K, where divorce rates are 46% and 42% respectively, but at least the odds are in your favour. In India only 1% of couples get divorced.

Based on these statistics, it’s no surprise that divorce is a more common theme in French films than those produced by Hollywood and Bollywood.

Hollywood divorce films often have serious and emotional undertones, (Eat, Pray, Love, Kramer vs. Kramer, etc.), leading to the conclusion that French films such as Papa ou Maman (Daddy or Mummy), would not do well with an American audience.

Papa ou Maman is a comedy about two parents who fight over NOT getting custody of their children in order to have the freedom to pursue career opportunities.

This works with a French sense of humor, but Americans would be turned off by the idea of parents actively pushing their kids away and would not appreciate the humour. Americans are much more sensitive when it comes to what they will laugh about, while comedy in France has less restrictions. This leads Americans to believe that the French have a darker and twisted sense of humor.

However, France also does have its fair share of divorce dramas also, such as Les Papas du Dimanche, and more recently, Jusqu’à la Garde.

Their divorce movies cover a wide range of situations, through films that focus on men and women of varying ages, and through the perspectives of both parents and children. Divorce films are a hit in France, with films such as Le Passé and L’amour Flou being nominated at The César Awards and the Cannes Film Festival.

L’Amour Flou is a particularly interesting divorce film, because it is based on a real life divorced couples’ unique solution to their common problem: maintaining a life together for their children while being separated.

After a real estate agent shows them two separate apartments joined by a common space Philippe Rebbot and Romane Bohringer, who play themselves in this film, realise that it is the perfect way to raise their children in an undisruptive manner. They call this special living situation a “sépartement”, a pun based on the French words for “seperate” and “apartment”. The personal touch of Rebbot and Bohringer being the creators and stars of the film, and the relatability of the issues that arise in the story makes L’amour Flou the perfect French film. 

Another noteworthy French divorce film is L’economie du Couple.

This tells the story of a couple who is divorced, but continue to live together due to financial issues.

This particular story is less concerned about the love lost and more focused on the economic troubles faced. It’s not even clear what it was that tore their marriage apart, only that now they must continue to cohabit their house because one half of the couple can’t afford to live on their own, which only leads to further resentment. It’s a look into the reality that many divorced couples in France face due to the rising costs of living.

It is ironic that Paris is so romanticised in American cinema and television, and depicted as the perfect place for a couple to be in love. When thinking about classic Hollywood, it is only natural to imagine Humphrey Bogart looking at Ingrid Bergman and uttering one of the most well known lines in cinema, “we’ll always have Paris”. This reinforces the stereotype that regardless of the state of a couple’s relationship in any other part of the world, all will be right in Paris.

French films destroy the stereotype created by American films that everyone in France is happily in love. They represent a more accurate picture of what married life is like, which appeals to their audience by giving them a story they can relate to. Paris may be the city of love, but as statistics and French films show, the love doesn’t necessarily last.

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