France is a country with a huge cinematic history, (it's also a country where i lived for two years and where my parents live to this day, in fact, four of my great grandparents were french), France has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Feature more times than any other country, today their cinematic prowess has perhaps waned somewhat, and they haven't been nominated for the award since 2009. However countries like Switerland, Belgium and Canada still produce some fantastic films, hopefully giving some validity to this list.
Marion Cotillard makes this film, playing the famous french singer Edith Piaf, Cotillard's portrayal is intensely lifelike, and she takes on the difficult task of playing Piaf from her beginnings in Paris as a young singer, living hand to mouth on the streets, through her stardom to her eventual death, Cotillard is forced to play both young and old, one of the most difficult things to do, and she pulls it off with outstanding aplomb. La Vie en Rose is a nostalgic dream, that could make anyone fall in love with the music of the little sparrow.
I have made no secret of my love of Xavier Dolan, finding his films to be both powerful and beautiful. J'ai Tué Ma Mère (i killed my mother) was his first feature film, made on a shoestring when he was only nineteen, this film is a revelation. Based on Dolan's own experiences growing up, the film is about a young man, living with his divorced mother, who struggles to raise him, while dealing with his burgeoning sexuality. The film is highly personal both to Dolan and to me, and I Killed My Mother is touching and heartfelt.
When this film came out last year, i quickly fell in love with it, La Vie D'Adele, or Blue is the Warmest Colour is an epic three hour film, which ventures into the love story of Adele and Emma, two young women who meet and fall in love in Lille, France. The film is long, however despite it's slightly bloated running time, the film flies by, and is ultimately heartbreaking. The film is shot in a very realistic way using extreme close ups and handheld cameras, the film is largely successful thanks to the outstanding performances of its lead actors, who are both superb in this indie epic.
Another film from Canadian film maker Xavier Dolan, here the subject of the film is infatuation, Dolan's first three films all deal with the concept of impossible or at least implausible love stories, and here, Dolan discusses two young people, a boy and a girl, who each fall in love with the same person, only to find that neither of their feelings are reciprocated. The film features superb performances from its three leads, and encompasses a subject we can all empathize with.
This little gem was released in 2004 to much acclaim, but since then has largely been forgotten, this comedy about a borstal in which a music teacher starts a choir. The music is by far the star of this film, and despite being butchered by Beyoncé at the academy awards (you tube it, it's really funny!), i listen to the soundtrack of this film to this day. The film is beautiful and strangely poignant, and features fine performances from its varied cast.
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