New French Cinema: Architecture, Crime, Comedy, and National Portrait

The Great Arch: An Architect's Obsession

• 🏗️ The Great Arch explores the life of the architect behind Paris's La Grande Arche de La Défense, focusing on his ambition, compromises, and the collision with French bureaucracy.
• 💡 Director Demoustier uses stone and steel to reveal the character's psychological cracks, drawing from personal experience in architecture.
• 🎭 Danish actor Claes Bang learned French for his role, delivering an impressive performance in this film where form and feeling are intricately linked.
• 🏛️ The film gained rare permission to shoot inside the Élysée Palace, offering audiences a unique glimpse into the French president's workplace.

The Amazon Gang: True Crime and Empowerment

• ⚡ The Amazon Gang recounts the true story of five childhood friends who executed bank robberies in the early '90s, initially fooling the press into believing the culprits were men.
• 🎬 Filmed with special authorization inside real French prisons, the movie adds a layer of authenticity to this energetic crime drama.
• 🎭 Blending thriller, buddy comedy, and feminist statement, the film is described as refreshing, funny, and a crowd-pleaser that asks smart questions about class and gender.
• ✊ It highlights women taking control of their narrative, showcasing solidarity and rage alongside the thrill of the crime.

Haven't You Heard?: A Nostalgic Comedy

• reunion comedy about old friends getting back together after 25 years, featuring a terrific cast including Laurent Lafitte, Damien Bonnard, and Vanessa Paradis.
• 🥶 A hilarious scene in a freezing swimming pool is noted for its painful realism, showcasing the actors' commitment.
• 🤔 While the performances and bittersweet moments are praised, the screenplay is seen as too safe, not delving deep enough into emotional complexities, making it a pleasant but not essential watch.
• 🎶 The '90s playlist, featuring artists like The Hansen Brothers and French rap, is a notable highlight, enhancing the film's nostalgic feel.

France, A Love Story: A People's Portrait

• 📸 Yan Artus Bertrand's documentary is a continuation of his photographic work, capturing portraits of ordinary people across France, from bakers to nurses.
• 📱 Filmed entirely with an iPhone Pro Max, the documentary adopts a humble approach, aiming to listen rather than impress visually and remove barriers between camera and subject.
• 🌍 The director's intention was to show all walks of life in an authentic, evolving France, using historical data to ensure representative professions.
• 🖼️ While the intention is admired, the film is sometimes perceived more as a photographic exhibition than a fully realized documentary.