A national promotional operation organized to boost attendance in theaters, the Fête du cinéma could also do so for morale this year. We have prepared a small selection of recommendable films for you.
1. For the very big show
Biggest French production of the year (43 million euros), the new adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas’ masterpiece, by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte has seen its release postponed to Friday to capitalize as much as possible on the “Cinema Festival” effect. The review is enthusiastic, talking about a great adventure film supported by an amazing cast, in short, we’re going for it! Speaking of going for it, if you haven’t yet seen Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga by George Miller, here’s the opportunity to catch up: it’s an extraordinary action film, in constant reinvention, of beauty and with unparalleled fluidity.
2. For a good mood
Of course, there’s A Little Thing in Plus, the phenomenon film by Artus (read opposite) but there are other comedies on show which are clearly worth the trip. If we like it when she’s (very, very) mean but not stupid: Jean-Christophe Meurisse’s plastic guns, inspired by the Dupont de Ligonnès affair. If we prefer when it’s tender: The Hennedricks family by and with Laurence Arné, with Dany Boon, about a blended family which will come together over the course of a musical road trip. If, finally, we love it when it is coupled with fantasy and poetry: The Little Escape, by Brunos Podalydès, with Daniel Auteuil and Sandrine Kiberlain, on an improbable barge cruise.
3. For the thrills of anxiety
There is never a shortage of opportunities to get a thrill at the cinema festival. In this genre, the most exciting new release is certainly A Quiet Place: Day 1, which tells the story of the invasion of very nasty creatures with very sensitive ears. The B-movie Survivre by Frédéric Jardin with Emilie Dequenne is another possibility for strong emotions in “apocalypse” mode. You can also lock yourself away in front of Abigail by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, for its half-funny, half-gory closed-door drama with its ill-inspired kidnappers and its vampire kid.
4. For a distinguished auteur cinema
Director of the brilliant Pauvres animaux, Yorgos Lanthimos is already back, still with Emma Stone, with Kinds of Kindness, a bizarre and cruel sketch film that earned Jesse Plemons the Palme d’Or for Best Actor. An American filmmaker like no other, Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Mud, Midnight Specials…) takes an interest in biker gangs in The Bikeriders with Tom Hardy and Austin Butler. Author of films with precious women, Blandine Lenoir (Annie Colère, Aurore) once again succeeds in a very beautiful portrait with Juliette au printemps, with Izïa Higelin. As for Olivier Assayas, the embodiment of French auteur cinema, he dives back into the pandemic period for Hors du temps, an autofiction that is sometimes light, sometimes acidic, with Vincent Macaigne, Micha Lescot and Nora Hamzawi.
5. For the pleasure of the whole family
It’s the only major animated film on show…and it’s the best Pixar in a very long time: Vice-Versa 2, by Kelsey Mann, which tells the story of Riley’s entry into puberty (and hence the arrival in his subcranial control center, of new chaotic emotions) is a treat of conceptual comedy coupled with a moving initiatory story. As a family, after viewing, it is the guarantee of a collective debriefing to find out who is governed by what!
All films for five euros
This is the price of a cinema screening, for four days, from Sunday June 30 to Wednesday July 4. A boon for movie buffs, since if the National Federation of Cinemas recently established that the average price of a cinema ticket today is €7.20, certain screenings can turn out to be much more expensive, around €15 €, depending on the theater or technology chosen. This cinema festival is therefore an opportunity to treat yourself to three or even four films for the price of one.
