Anglo-French Films

[pod1969]

I'm keen to track down more Anglo-French productions, there being five I'm already very fond of:



These Foolish Things (1990 Bertrand Tavernier): Dirk Bogarde, Jane Birkin, Odette Laure, Emmanuelle Bataille



Damage (1992 Louis Malle): Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche, Miranda Richardson, Rupert Graves, Leslie Caron, Ian Bannen,



The Lost Son (1998 Chris Menges): Daniel Auteuil, Nastassja Kinski, Katrin Cartlidge, Ciaran Hinds, Marianne Denicourt, Bruce Greenwood, Billie Whitelaw



The Escort (1999 Michel Blanc): Daniel Auteuil, Stuart Townsend, Liza Walker, Noah Taylor, Frances Barber, Claire Skinner, Béatrice Agenin



Swimming Pool (2002 François Ozon): Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier, Charles Dance





Can anyone offer any pointers?

[Blanche Fury]

'Providence' (Alain Resnais, 1977) probably counts as Anglo-French. An unbeatable cast (Bogarde, Geilgud, et al) and a literate script. I haven't seen it since it was first released so maybe I wouldn't rate it so highly now, but some scenes are vivid in my mind still.

[pod1969]

name='Blanche Fury']'Providence' (Alain Resnais, 1977) probably counts as Anglo-French. An unbeatable cast (Bogarde, Geilgud, et al) and a literate script. I haven't seen it since it was first released so maybe I wouldn't rate it so highly now, but some scenes are vivid in my mind still.

Ah, yes. Just been chatting to my mum (a keen Francophile) and she mentioned Providence. I recall seeing about 30 minutes of it, because it was tucked in at the end of a tape I'd been using to record another film. Very hard to get hold of, I believe. I'll see if I can find it online.



Another film worth mentioning is Alan Resnais's interpretation of Alan Ayckbourn's Intimate Exchanges, Smoking/No Smoking (1993). It's an all-French production, but it's a wonderfully mannered, stylised take on middle class 'Englishness', complete with deliberately 'stagey' presentations of 'Little England'.



Time Out Film Guide:



"Each piece proceeds to travesty dysfunctional marriages and illusory dreams of escape before fanning out in a series of alternative destinies for its variably articulate protagonists. When the films are seen singly, the overriding concept is clear enough. Viewed in tandem, their criss-crossing content provides all sorts of contextual pay-offs. There are miscalculations in some of the broader comedy, and No Smoking is probably the more entertaining of the two, but this is Ayckbourn gone Cubist, and that you have to see."



As far as I can tell, it's only available from France. Like Providence, it's an English language film.

[moonfleet]

You can say great Alain Resnais is an anglophile (but not only), and a huge fan of comics (I heard he's got an impresive collection) and Anglo-Saxon Literature , even the name of "Providence" is a reference to Lovecraft (he said it) who he is very found of ......





Moon.



PS: Oh, PROVIDENCE where are thou' ??, in fact, which Company keeps it in its basements ??

[Steve Crook]

name='pod1969']I'm keen to track down more Anglo-French productions, there being five I'm already very fond of:



These Foolish Things (1990 Bertrand Tavernier): Dirk Bogarde, Jane Birkin, Odette Laure, Emmanuelle Bataille

As the final song is "These Foolish Things" is heard, on the line "a cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces" the screen slowly fades to black and the words "À Michael Powell" scroll up the screen.



Michael Powell was a friend of and had worked with Tavernier and had recently died of cancer.



Steve

[moonfleet]

La Vie Est Un Roman



Pas Sur La Bouche





M.

[Leonard]

name='pod1969']



As far as I can tell, it's only available from France. Like Providence, it's an English language film.

If only it was an English language film! I've been kicking myself for 15 or 16 years for not pressing record when Beeb 2 broadcast this film. The French dvd issue has no English subtitles. Hoped BBC 4 might have fitted it into one of their 'themes', not yet, alas...



Eventually got SMOKING and NO SMOKING(with English subtitles) from a kind forum member.

[CliveT]

"Girl On A Motorcycle" Dir. Jack Cardiff (1967)??



CliveT

[pod1969]

name='Leonard']If only it was an English language film! I've been kicking myself for 15 or 16 years for not pressing record when Beeb 2 broadcast this film. The French dvd issue has no English subtitles. Hoped BBC 4 might have fitted it into one of their 'themes', not yet, alas...



Eventually got SMOKING and NO SMOKING(with English subtitles) from a kind forum member.

Scrub that! Unlike 'Providence', it's not an English language film. Typos rarely produce such coherent misinformation.



I suppose this kind forum member shall remain nameless?

[pod1969]

name='moonfleet']La Vie Est Un Roman



Pas Sur La Bouche

Thanks, moon!

[pod1969]

name='CliveT']"Girl On A Motorcycle" Dir. Jack Cardiff (1967)??



CliveT

I'd forgotten all about that, Clive. I was hoping my memory would be suitably jogged by you folks. Cheers!

[Steve Crook]

name='pod1969']I'm keen to track down more Anglo-French productions...



Can anyone offer any pointers?

The IMDb lists 647 feature films which it considers to be Anglo-French co-productions.



Daddy Nostalgie (1990) [aka These Foolish Things] isn't on that list because they consider that to be just a French production. Similarly with Mauvaise passe (1999) [aka The Escort]



Steve

[pod1969]

name='Steve Crook']The IMDb lists 647 feature films which it considers to be Anglo-French co-productions.



Daddy Nostalgie (1990) [aka These Foolish Things] isn't on that list because they consider that to be just a French production. Similarly with Mauvaise passe (1999) [aka The Escort]



Steve

Thanks, Steve - I wasn't sure how to do such a search at imdb. I shall enjoy perusing it! I notice Jean-Luc Godard's Hail Mary is right at the top - a damn fine film. Again, definitions are an issue here (as you point out re: Daddy Nostalgie), but I'm especially keen to seek out films with British and French casts and Anglo-French content, in terms of national backdrops or specific plot and character development (I'd definitely include The Escort on that score, because of its 'Frenchman abroad' theme). But thanks again for the list - it may open whole new areas of investigation to me, or just be downright intriguing.

[Leonard]

name='pod1969']



I suppose this kind forum member shall remain nameless?

It was fab50's, but if you want them I'd be happy to send copies...

[pod1969]

name='Leonard']It was fab50's, but if you want them I'd be happy to send copies...

Did you get the private message, Leonard?

[Leonard]

Ready to go pod!