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!
I'm Going Home (2003)
7.1/10
Director: Manoel De Oliveira
Starring: Michel Piccoli, John Malkovich, Catherine Deneuve
Hailed by critics as one of the finest films of the decade, acclaimed director Manoel de Oliveira's beautifully rendered film is a funny, humane and u... Read more
Jet Lag (2002)
6.2/10
Director: Daniele Thompson
Starring: Jean Reno, Juliette Binoche, Sergi Lopez
Engaging French comedy from director Daniele Thompson (writer of "Cousin, Cousine") details the relationship between over-stressed restaurateur Felix... Read more
Love Me If You Dare (2003)
7.7/10
Director: Yann Samuell
Starring: Guillaume Canet, Marion Cotillard
A.k.a. "Jeux D'Enfants". - Some say love is a game. But what happens when the game becomes more thrilling than love - and life - itself? With an irres... Read more
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
8/10
Director: Luis Bunuel
Starring: Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig, Bulle Ogier
Luis Bunuel's classic satire is filled with savage wit and some of the director's most surrealistic images. Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig and Stephane... Read more
Jean de Florette / Manon Des Sources (1986)
Director: Claude Berri
Starring: Yves Montand, Gerard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Beart
A double feature. 'Jean de Florette'. A marvelous tale of greed and intolerance from the novel by Marcel Pagnol about a city hunchback who inherits a... Read more
Seraphine (2008)
7.4/10
Director: Martin Provost
Starring: Yolande Moreau, Ulrich Tukur, Anne Bennent, Genevieve Mnich, Nico Rogner, Franco...
Frenchwoman Seraphine de Senlis, lived from 1864 to 1942. A shepherdess and housekeeper, in her private hours she painted incredible floral arrangemen... Read more
Belle and Sebastian ( Belle et Sebastien ) (2013)
7.6/10
Director: Nicolas Vanier
Starring: Tcheky Karyo, Felix Bossuet
Belle and Sebastian is set high in the snowy Alps during the Second World War. The resourceful Sebastian (an adorable Félix Bossuet) is a lonely boy w... Read more
The Intouchables ( Blu-ray ) (2011)
8.5/10
Director: Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache
Starring: Francois Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot, Clotilde Mollet
A.k.a. "Intouchables", "Untouchable". Philippe (Francois Cluzet) is a wealthy Parisian left paralyzed from the neck down after a paragliding accident.... Read more
Contempt ( Le Mepris ) (1963)
7.7/10
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Starring: Brigitte Bardot, Jack Palance, Michel Piccoli, Georgia Moll, Fritz Lang
Aka "Le Mepris". Featuring Brigitte Bardot in a tale of film producer Jack Palance making a film directed by Fritz Lang (who plays himself in the film... Read more
Criminal Lovers (1999)
6.6/10
Director: Francois Ozon
Starring: Natacha Regnier, Jeremie Renier, Miki Manojlovic
A.k.a. "Les Amants Criminels". In this French thriller from Francois Ozon ("Under the Sand"), Alice (Natacha Regnier) and her boyfriend Luc (Jeremie R... Read more