French Films
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ut jurer de rien, was a splendid historical romp starring Jean Dujardin, one of my favourite actors. Normally historical dramas are easy to follow - formal language and moderately paced. Although the language is formal, here the diction is very modern and just as difficult to follow as a modern film
This is also the first video that I am uploading to YouTube, rather than to this site. The text and the mp3 file are available for download as before
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I came across this as an item in an evening news programme. A play currently running in Paris was based on the 1964 film Repas des fauves, which I had recorded some time ago but never got around to viewing. It turns out to be an excellent French film set in Paris during the Occupation. A group of friends are having dinner, when a German officer is killed by the Resistance just outside their flat. A German officer arrives to take hostages.... And the French is extremely clear
I very much enjoyed this docufiction from Arte Télévision Le grand Charles. The part of Charles de Gaulle is played by Bernard Farcy, who captures the voice to perfection
I regularly joke about France Télévision's attempt to produce a sitcom series, Fais pas çi. They announce it's return every so often, put a few episodes on, then take it off again. It's not bad... but it's not very good, either. Don't take my word for it, judge for yourself. It's a hard listening exercise this one
Very often I find that an extract which should be very easy turns out to have some unexpected difficulties. Here is Angelique et le Roy, the film starring Michèle Mercier, and one of a whole series featuring this aristocratic heroine. Historical dramas are normally easy to follow - formal dialogue and a moderate pace of dialogue. What makes this interesting is that the writers have laid on the mock-18th century vocabulary with a very heavy trowel. It makes it just a little tricky from time to time. Incidentally, speaking of vocabulary Majesté is always feminine. The King is Sa Majesté
It was one of my French friends who recommended this wonderful film Bouvard et Pécuchet. It is an adaptation of one of Flaubert's major works, and stars Jean-Pierre Marielle and Jean Carmet, two of France's greatest actors. It is a reflective, very beautiful film, and one of the very few that we will find that are not difficult to follow
I very much like the series of Doc Martin on TF1, which is that rare bird, a successful French situation comedy. It stars Thierry Lhermitte who is just right for the role. And the dialogue is delivered clearly
