A Pure Formality ( Una Pura Formalita') (1994)

It's a far cry from Tornatore's masterpiece Cinema Paradiso. Here he takes a different approach using a twist ending. I just didn't really like the twist. I was guessing it was kind of Shutter Island-ish but it was a slightly different twist. There are some good things about the movie though. This is a two-hander, with both Gerard Depardieu and Roman Polanski giving excellent performances. One minor quirk I don't understand is why they speak French but all the on-screen text is in Italian. The production design gives you a miserable feeling, making you feel uncomfortable (and damp as the rain is incessant and the police station is leaking and flooding all over).

Tour de France (2016)

This is a typical road trip movie transposed to France following a minority played by French rapper Sadek and an old racist played by Gerard Depardieu. And at the end, as expected, the racist comes around. Racism exists in France too. I mean, it could've worked perfectly as an American film too. It's not that the rap is bad, but I have a slight problem with foreign hip-hop. It is undeniably cultural appropriation to a certain degree. Hip hop is ingrained in African American culture and to take it out of that context is a level of appropriation. I mean, he even has beef with other rappers. How stereotypically rap is that? That being said, Depardieu rapping the French national anthem was ridiculously funny. Sadek was pretty good, especially considering that he is not an actor, continuing a long line of rapper-turned-actors like Queen Latifah and Common.

We didn't stick around for the Q&A after the screening because we were afraid it would just be in French and we were trying to catch another screening right after. But since I wasn't in love with the movie or anything I didn't feel bad, even if Gerard Depardieu is a brand name.

The Return of Martin Guerre (Le Retour de Martin Guerre) (1982)

Thanks to Natalie Davis's consulting on this film, The Return of Martin Guerre is a perfect example of a very historically accurate movie, save for an almost farcical courtroom scene that was Davis was too late to save.  It is the original story of identity theft that has been told many times (like in Downton Abbey).  It depicts peasant life in a sixteenth century French village in all of its odd practices, showerless homes, and dirty clothing--though notably Natalie Davis couldn't stand how clean the actress who plays Bertrande looks for a peasant.  In fact, the movie was nominated for Best Costume Design at the Oscars.  Davis only had so much power in the production of the movie, but really an unprecedented amount of influence over the atmosphere created by the movie.  It is certainly a commendable effort, unfortunately I am not a huge fan of sixteenth century French villages.