Australia’s biggest foreign language cinematic celebration, the Alliance Française French Film Festival, is under way in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane, and will start soon in Perth, Adelaide and Hobart. There will also be screenings next month in Parramatta and Casula, in western parts of Sydney. All up, there are 50 films to choose from.
I was lucky enough to go to the opening night party in Sydney, at the National Art School, and as always there is a wonderful selection of French food and drink to go with it. I made a beeline for le fromage, purely for photographic purposes, you’ll understand.
The opening night film, C’est La Vie, was fantastic, one of those films in which even the extras have wonderful roles to play, and you get totally absorbed in the quirks and lives of all the major and minor characters. Originally titled Le Sens de la Fête, it was a wedding party film with a difference (the focus was on the caterers) and there were many moments when the audience was laughing out loud. It’s funny and witty, and I highly recommend it – see it if you can. Here is the trailer.
The film scored 10 nominations for the 2018 César Awards, including for best film, best director (Eric Tolédano and Olivier Nakache, who were also nominated for best original screenplay), best actor (Jean-Pierre Bacri), best supporting actors (Gilles Lellouche and Vincent Macaigne), best female newcomer (Eye Haïdara, who was superb in her role), best male newcomer (Benjamin Lavernhe) as well as best editing and best sound. However, it did not win in any category, which just goes to show how strong the competition must have been. C’est la vie, eh?
My favourite character in the film, though, was the lazy, hopeless philandering photographer Guy (played by Jean-Paul Rouve), who kept scoffing all the food instead of working. He reminded me of me! (We underpaid journalists and photographers need all the nourishment we can get.) Here’s another revealing photo I took from the opening night party.
Later his nerdy photographic apprentice taught him how to download dating apps on his phone, with hilarious consequences.
Don’t Miss BPM
The festival is in its 29th year, and last year had a record attendance of 174,500. The good news is that film that dominated the César Awards this year BPM (120 Battements Par Minute) is included in it, as are other best film nominees Au revoir là-haut (See You Up There), Barbara and Petit Paysan (listed as Bloody Milk in the festival program. These films also scored notable César Awards – details here.
My Five Romances 