At the cinema, should you go see “Beetlejuice 2”, “The Wire”, “Dahomey”, “The Trial of the Dog”…?

“Beetlejuice Beetljuice” the Tim Burton

We start with a film whose title sounds like a mantra: “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” – and yes, we pronounce the name twice – the film is in theaters this week, 36 years after the first part which made its director, Tim Burton, famous.

In 2024, Tim Burton brings together the same people and starts again, namely Michael Keaton, in the title role of the ghost-clown-devil Beetlejuice, or Winona Ryder, who has become a lost mother and TV presenter, specializing in the paranormal.

Newcomers include Monica Bellucci as a vengeful soul-eater and Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder’s on-screen daughter.

So it’s the return of Tim Burton’s macabre comedy, guaranteed with artisanal special effects, his “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” opened the Venice Film Festival 15 days ago.

“In his image” by Thierry de Peretti

This is the third feature film (this time adapted from a novel by Jérôme Ferrari) that Thierry de Peretti sets in Corsica and it begins with the death of

the heroine in a car accident. Her name was Antonia and she was only 20 years old.

From her funeral, we go back through the course of her life. She was a photographer and in love with a nationalist activist who chose armed struggle. Antonia is therefore the female observer and witness of this mainly masculine struggle.

The actors are non-professionals or novices, and this is the case of the main actress, Clara-Maria Laredo who plays Antonia.

And since its release, the press has been unanimous or almost unanimous in its support for this film.

“Dahomey” by Mati Diop

This is the second feature film by Mati Diop, who won the Golden Bear in Berlin earlier this year. And as a reminder, Mati Diop won the Grand Prix in Cannes 5 years ago for his first film, Atlantics.

With “Dahomey”, Mati Diop mixes documentary and fiction. She films the restitution of 26 royal treasures in Benin – which was called Dahomey. 26 treasures, therefore, out of thousands stolen by the French colonial army in 1892.

And Mati Diop talks about one of them, the 26th statue of the lot which is leaving the Quai Branly museum for Benin.

In the second part of the film, we witness debates between Beninese students, who question the political meaning of this restitution, on memory or even the use of the French language.

And all this in a very short time since Dahomey by Mati Diop lasts 1 hour 10 minutes.

The story: In November 2021, 26 royal objects from Dahomey, looted by French colonial troops in 1892, are set to return to their homeland of Benin. As these works return to their homeland, students at the University of Abomey Calavi debate the impact of their return on Beninese society, highlighting the challenges of reconstructing a past marked by colonization and the absence of these objects.

“The Trial of the Dog” by Laetitia Dosch

Laetitia Dosch is also the co-writer and plays the main role.

Laetitia Dosch is Avril Lucciani, a lawyer – not particularly prone to winning – who decides to embark on a seemingly impossible mission, namely: defending a dog, accused of biting and disfiguring a woman. I should point out that the dog in question is a repeat offender and is played by Kodi, the dog (whose face and name are clearly visible on the poster).

The dog’s master is played by François Damiens, one of whose many talents is knowing how to squint with one eye. Jean-Pascal Zadi is the trainer who takes care of the accused and Anne Dorval plays the lawyer for the civil party.

My whole is a comedy which questions in particular our relationship with the animal species.

“Tatami” de Zar Amir Ebrahimi et Guy Nattiv

“Tatami” is directed by two filmmakers: the Israeli Guy Nattiv and the Iranian Zar Amir – who won the Best Actress award at Cannes two years ago.

In addition to co-directing the film, Zar Ami is one of the main actors: she plays the coach of the Iranian women’s national judo team.

This team is in Tbilisi, Georgia, to compete in the World Judo Championships. Leila, one of the athletes, is brilliantly passing all the stages of the competition and it is likely that she will find herself in the final against an Israeli judoka.

Behind the scenes, the Iranian authorities are exerting increasing pressure on Leïla to give up her fights.

Mask advice

• Ariane Allard: theatrical re-release of 4 restored films by Jacques Rozier: Adieu Philippine (1962), Du côté d’Orouët (1973), Castaways of Turtle Island (1974) and Maine Océan (1986)

• Pierre Murat: the tribute to George Cukor at the Cinémathèque (broadcast on Thursday, September 19, at 6 p.m., of the musical comedy “Les Girls”, which can also be seen with the Cinetek)

• Florence Colombani: Colombian film “Mi Bestia” by Camila Beltran

• Jean-Marc Lalanne: the film “The Partition” by Matthias Glasner

• Rebecca Manzoni: the documentary “Toubib” by Antoine Page, who began filming his brother Angel in 2009, the date on which Angel began long medical studies. And Antoine Page followed his brother for 12 years, until he began practicing his profession as a doctor in Marseille… The dates and locations of the screening on the website La director’s house.