Le Regard de Charles (Aznavour by Charles) plays Focus on French Cinema April 30

In 1948 Edith Piaf gave Charles Aznavour a movie camera and told him to record hat he saw. He continued obsessively recording his life on film until 1982.  A few months before he died he showed the film reels to Marc di Domenico and asked if there was anything they could do with the film. They then began to fashion a film about Aznavour's life which was finished after the great one passed.

Containing moments of poetry and magic AZANVOUR BY CHARLES is a must for any fan of the great singer and actor. While not a be all and end all biography, something it was never intended to be, it is a beautiful portrait of world superstar who always remained just this regular guy at heart.

Made up almost entirely of footage shot by Aznavour, the film begins with the story of his early life. Repurposing footage from later on to illustrate his early years film eventually meets up with the cinematic present as it follows one man's life on a personal level. His wives and children and friends are all here, including Piaf who had to approve the young woman who would become Aznavour's second wife, lest he immediately dump her. The soundtrack is a selection of the music Aznavour wrote mixed with the words of himself and his wives spoken by others.

There are some truly magical moments as Aznavour's words and his images come together to create some truly transcendent moments.

As much as I loved the film, I am well aware that this film may not play as well if you don't know Aznavour. This is not a flaw but a statement of fact. While the film will let you know about the man it is not going to tell you abut his many film and TV roles, nor about all of the songs he wrote nor will it let you know what it was like to see him live (I saw him several times and it was magical despite not speaking French). If you don't know the superstar you may not know why there was a film about this guy... On the other hand if you know the superstar you will understand that the big name was ultimately just a guy.

A must see for any fan of the great man , I suggest that anyone who doesn't know him give it a try as well because ultimately its a beautiful portrait of a man in his own words and images.

SLALOM (2020) plays Focus on French Cinema April 26

Lyz, a 15 year old young woman who shows great promise in pulled in several different directions by life and her coach who grows unnaturally close to her.

Slalom is the event in the film but it is also the way that Lyz, our heroine, gets through life. She swerves left and right depending on what is being thrown at her. Noee Abita is excellent at the young woman trying to make her way through life as all sorts of demands are being made upon her. It is a tale told in gorgeous widescreen images that will make you wish that you could see this on a big screen.

 

As much as I would love not to say that the film and it's thread of the coach taking advantage of Lyz is not a reflection of the way that some coaches treat their charges, the fact that there are constant waves of news stories breaking, makes it clear that the films depiction of a coach abusing and taking advantage of young woman seems to be on target. Its a sad indictment of the way some athletes are trained. I have to give writer-director Charlène Favier credit for not shying away in depicting what can happen.

As important as the film is in reflecting the seeming state of some sectors of sports, the film over all is not quite as compelling as it could be. Part of the problem is that some of the less meaty parts of the film seem to be by the numbers or to have been filmed with a certain amount of disinterest. Some the training sequences felt as if they were there as an after thought. Additionally the skiing sequences have to be among the least exciting  I've ever seen on screen, with Lyz seeming the slowest champion skier I have ever seen on screen.

While I like SLALOM, I'm not in love with it. Your mileage may vary.

Faithful (202) plays Focus on French Cinema April 24

This is the story of  Algerian dissident Fernand Iveton and his wife who struggles to keep him out of trouble as he fights the French forces in 1950s Algeria.

Well made and earnest historical drama and romance has  some killer performances  by leads Vicky Krieps and Vincent Lacoste that suck you in. Told in a alternating time shifts between Iveton's arrest back to beginning of the relationship the film really lets us know who these people were.

Unfortunately as good as the film is, there is perhaps a bit too much polish on it all. There is a fine sheen to it all and on some level it neve fully feels real but a historical romance with a tragic outcome. Don't get me wrong I really liked the film but I wanted to love it. Though to be honest I don't know if the lack of love for the film is due to the film itself or that in the last few weeks I've seen three other films of various types on the Algerian War.

My lack of made passion for the film aside, it is definitely worth a look especially if you like historical romances

Love Affair (2020) plays Focus on French Cinema April 20

 

A woman on holiday is left to entertain her husband's cousin for several days after he is called away on an emergency. Over the course of the time the to become close as ty tell each other stories of their lives.

Small gem of a film highlights how we end up connecting to each other, through the stories we tell. The stories here are of loves and the result is a rich fabric of human experience. The tales told are an intriguing mix performed by a great cast.

I now this isn't much of a review but this is a story about stories and how they work and what they mean really depends upon how thy push up against each other. For me to start to relate all of the details that influence the film might result  in you getting a false impression or lessen the films impact.

For money money just buy a ticket and take a ride. You will be glad you did.

The film plays Focus on French Cinema April 20th for 24 hours.