French Cinema
The influence of France on the world screen is undeniable. From early inventors and pioneers such as the Lumiere Brothers, George Melies and Alice Guy Blache, the birth of cinema can virtually be traced back to French shores. Cinematic innovators such as Jean Renoir and Michael Carne followed. By the 1960s New Wave directors like Truffaut, Godard and Chabrol had an indelible impact on fledgling American film makers such as Scorsese, Coppola and Bogdanovich who revolutionised the way films were made in the US; studios fell, auteurs ruled. With the advent of television, French film budgets shrank but thanks to government intervention and a good deal of imagination, French cinema is still going strong with contemporary talents like Jean-Jaques Beineix, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Luc Besson and the controversial Gaspar Noe.
At Alice we're very proud of our extensive French collection, covering all genres from French farce to period drama, magical realism to mystery and suspense. Viva la France!
The Gilded Cage (2013)
7.3/10
Director: Ruben Alves
Starring: Joaquim de Almeida, Roland Giraud, Jean-Pierre Martins, Rita Blanco
Maria and Jose emigrated from Portugal 30 years ago. Ever Since, they have lived in the modest ground floor lodgings of a chic apartment building in P... Read more
The Rules of the Game (La Regle du Jeu) (1939)
8.1/10
Director: Jean Renoir
Starring: Marcel Dalio, Nora Gregor, Jean Renoir, Mila Parely
AKA 'La Regle du Jeu'. One of the greatest films of all time, a satirical anatomy of polite bourgeois society, with a mixture of farce and black comed... Read more
Au Petit Marguery (1997)
7/10
Director: Laurent Benegui
Starring: Stephane Audran, Michel Aumont, Alain Beigel
The restaurant Au Petit Marguery is a haven of friendship, a small paradise in Paris. Tonight a certain nostalgia fills the air. Tonight is closing ni... Read more
The Horseman On The Roof (1995)
7.1/10
Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Starring: Juliette Binoche, Olivier Martinez, Pierre Arditi
Rousing and romantic costume drama, set in 1830s France, from director/co-scripter Jean-Paul Rappeneau follows two strangers, a handsome horseman and... Read more
Things to Come (2016)
7/10
Director: Mia Hanson-Love
Starring: Andre Marcon, Isabelle Huppert, Roman Kolinka
Nathalie (2017 Golden Globe-winner Isabelle Huppert) teaches philosophy at a college in Paris. Shes passionate about her work and particularly enjoys... Read more
La Belle Noiseuse (1991)
7.8/10
Director: Jacques Rivette
Starring: Emmanuelle Beart, Jane Birkin, Michel Piccoli
Aka 'The Beautiful Troublemaker'. The riveting story of the relationship between a once-famed artist and the young woman who inspires him to paint aft... Read more
Tomboy (2011)
7.4/10
Director: Celine Sciamma
Starring: Zoe Heran, Malonn Levana
Critically acclaimed French drama about a 10-year-old girl who assumes a male identity to fit in when her family move to a small village. The film has... Read more
Empire of the Wolves (2005)
5.9/10
Director: Chris Nahon
Starring: Jean Reno, Jocelyn Quivrin, Arly Jover, Laura Morante, Philippe Bas
Jean Reno is a retired detective of questionable motive, called in to investigate the murder of three Turkish immigrants in Paris. Meanwhile the wife... Read more
Me and My Sister (2004)
6.4/10
Director: Alexandra Leclere
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Catherine Frot, Francois Berleand, Brigitte Catillon, Michel V...
The incomparable Isabelle Huppert is Martine, a controlling Parisian snob, trapped in a loveless marriage with everything she could want except happin... Read more
Paris (2008)
6.9/10
Director: Cedric Klapisch
Starring: Juliette Binoche, Romain Duris, Fabrice Luchini, Albert Dupontel, Francois Cluze...
Love and life pose dilemmas for a handful of friends in the City of Lights in this romantic drama with interweaving narratives. Pierre (Romain Duris)... Read more