The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1949)

This is not a very good film, in my opinion. I watched it on a very poor-quality DVD and the picture looked grainy and the editing very choppy. I read somewhere that this was the first (and last) movie directed by Burgess Meredith. This might be acceptable for a film student, but I would expect better from a film set in Paris with an international cast like Charles Laughton, who plays an inspector who walks around town with a pipe in his mouth like a cartoon character. The villain is played by Franchot Tone and there are only two scenes in the Eiffel Tower, so the title is even misleading. I was disappointed in this movie. This seems like a movie that had high ambitions, but failed miserably along the way.

Small Change (1976) directed by François Truffaut

A friend of mine recommended this film to me earlier this summer, and I'm so glad I watched it because I really enjoyed it!

If you're not familiar, the film is a series of humorous vignettes starring unprofessional child actors (mostly boys under 13 or 14 years old) and each vignette is seen from their point of view. Critic Roger Ebert named it his #1 film of 1976.

I haven't seen all of Truffaut's films, and I'm not sure if any of his other films are quite like this one. It's so unique. And delightful. I read somewhere that Truffaut had been collecting humorous anecdotes about children for several years, and this was the culmination of his work.

An older blog post from the blog Moon in the Gutter calls the film "one of his finest works" (another post from the same blogger highlights some of the movie's advertising and promotional art -- in most countries outside the US it was called Pocket Money -- I love all of these stills and poster images - they really capture the feel of the movie in my opinion)

I love how the entire film is centered around the beginning of a school season. The school setting ties the movie together in my opinion, since it is essentially plot-less, even though the characters are all interconnected.

Some of the teachers have their own brief vignettes, but there is usually a child involved such the little mischievous two-year old who lives in the same apartment building as one of the teachers. He's a cute boy named Gregory and really made me smile and laugh.

Another character is a neglected boy from an abusive household; he wears the same clothes every day, and carries a worn and dirty satchel. I could relate to this character the most. I remember feeling like a misfit in my own school days, and befriended some, too.

The film also reminded me of feeling embarrassed, awkward, bored, and a little rebellious. In another vignette, two mates give another a questionable haircut. And in another, a young pair experience some romantic attraction for the first time. Almost all of the kids have a little bit of small change - pocket money - on them that they use in various ways.

One of my favorite scenes (though there are many) comes at the beginning of the film, where one child mails a postcard to her cousin. It's so rare nowadays seeing children communicate with each other without a cellphone, and kind of refreshing to see as well.

Recently I stumbled upon an interesting interview here with director Wes Anderson who talked about this movie with the New York Times in 2002; he's a big fan.

Not everyone likes this movie, though.

A recent blog post from The Seventh Art posted an excerpt from the book Luc Moullet’s Piges Choisies (2009) on Truffaut and this film. Moullet is critical of the film, calling it "a series of gems without any connection between them, a collection of interesting scenes that Truffaut couldn’t put in his previous films. It doesn’t work because Truffaut didn’t deploy his master weapon, narration. No principal story, no connecting thread. Like all failures, Small Change is negatively more revelatory of its auteur’s art than his perfect successes." I am not sure I agree; I didn't watch it comparing it with the other director's films.

It was filmed and takes place in Thiers, France. Though I have not been there, the movie reminded me of my trip to France. Some memories and photos are below, if interested.

It was June 2004 when I traveled with a friend on a 12-day trip. 6 days were spent Paris. Of course, one day was devoted to the Louve (though many more could have been). I loved seeing some of the paintings that I studied in school. On other days, we went inside the cathedrals of Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, and Saint Chappelle. We rode the Metro to almost everywhere. A photo of me at Notre Dame at right.

There were several Paris museums on my list, including a museum dedicated to medieval art (Cluny museum) and nearby was an ancient Roman area which is now a park. There were so many outdoor markets, and saw so many people carrying baguettes to take home. Also visited an American grocery store where there were food items to buy where you couldn't get anywhere else, such as certain brands of cereal.

Giverny

My friend and I wanted to see more of France, so we scheduled several trips trips out of Paris to fit our schedule. One trip was to the Versailles Palace and gardens which was very impressive. Then we took a train to Giverny to visit the home of Monet and to see his gardens that inspired his paintings. A photo at right.

The second trip was by train up north to Normandy, to visit a few WWII museums and to see the beaches and cemetery. It was the 60th Anniversary that year. We also visited Mont St. Michel, to visit the ancient cathedral and town. The third trip was by train down to Nice, where we visited a museum dedicated to Marc Chagall. We also took a train to Monte Carlo, where we mainly hiked around for the day.

We did not go to Thiers, France, where Small Change takes place. But we may have passed through it on the train to Southern France. Here are some more pictures of my Paris trip if interested. 

Movie showing at the time: Shrek 2

Outside the Louvre

Inside the Louvre

Eiffel Tower

I really loved visiting Paris and France, and hope to have a chance to visit again one day!

Thanks for reading! Be sure to visit The Lady Eve’s Reel Life and Silver Screen Modes as they host the Viva La France! Blogathon on August 25 and 26, 2019.  

Breathless / À bout de souffle (1960)

This past weekend I attended an outdoor screening of this film at a park downtown (seeing it for the first time); I enjoyed it, especially the build-up of suspense of Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) being tracked down by the police while pursuing Jean Seberg. My friend commented how the misogyny in the film stood out to him, and I could see how this can be problematic for contemporary audiences. While watching, I noticed the one quick shot toward the end where Michel is wearing sunglasses with one lens just like Clyde did at the end of Bonnie and Clyde shortly before he's killed (the 2017 film Baby Driver also includes a similar bit).

Le Plaisir (1952) directed by Max Ophuls

Translated into English, "Le Plaisir" means "The Pleasure".

The film is a compilation of three short stories, and features a fine cast of French actors: Pierre Brasseur, Danielle Darrieux, Jean Servais, Simone Simon, and Jean Gabin.

According to the Criterion website, the film "pinpoints the cruel ironies and happy compromises of life with a charming and sophisticated breeziness."

Story 1: Le Masque (The Mask): Takes place in a dance hall. A rubber mask reveals an old man who loves to dance.

Story 2: Le Maison Tellier. (The Tellier House) A madame by the name of Tellier closes her brothel for the day and travels to the countryside with her workers for a Catholic mass. Meanwhile, a Jewish girl is touched by the serenity of the service.

Story 3:  Le Modele.(the model)  An artist meets Simon Simone in the Louvre and falls in love.

Fluid camerawork by cinematographers Philippe Agostini and Christian Matras.
Written by Guy de Maupassant. Directed by Max Ophuls.

The Past / Le Passe (2013)

The Past (2013) is one of the best films I have seen in the past 5 years. It is a compelling domestic drama from the same writer-director of A Separation (Asghar Farhadi), another superior film from 2011.

It stars Berenice Bejo who was so good playing the silent film star "Peppy Miller" in The Artist. Here, she is a modern woman - a pharmacist - living in a Paris suburb with two young daughters from a previous marriage. Her oldest teen daughter is moody and temperamental, critical of her mother and her boyfriend - his and Bejo's relationship is complicated because he has a wife in a coma and a young son. More of his story is revealed as the movie progresses.

Entering the picture (and complicating matters further) is Bejo's 2nd husband; in town to finalize their divorce, he still has feelings for her and the step-daughters.

Bejo is excellent in this part, so believable as a working mom caught in a web of deception. She won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013. The cinematography is outstanding, too.

All of the performances are excellent, especially those by the young actors. The DVD features a  making-of film showing how the actors rehearsed intensely with each other. The film also shows how the interior set of the house was built, and is fascinating to watch.

In French with subtitles.

Read more about this movie from:

Leonard Maltin blog
Surrender the Void

The Well-Digger's Daughter (2012)

Pascal (Daniel Auteuil) and his six daughters

A charming period film, set in southern France during WWI.

A saintly young 18-year old woman (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) - the title character - has an affair with a wealthy pilot, just before he is called off to war.

When she has a baby out of wedlock, her widowed father - played by Daniel Auteuil who also directed -  is determined to keep his family's honor.

Wonderful performances by the entire cast, including Ms Bergès-Frisbey, who is perhaps best known as the mermaid in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  

Beautiful music, scenery, and costumes. Highly recommended.

Language: French / Color / 1 hour, 49 minutes / Available on DVD

Critic Roger Ebert gave the film a glowing review (read his review).

Jean Gabin in La Belle Equipe / The Good Crew (1936)

Set in Paris, La Belle Equipe (The Good Crew) begins with Jean Gabin and his unemployed friends living together in a poorhouse, dreaming of a better life for themselves. In an early scene, they're all in a pub playing one of those "mechanical claw" games where you have have to move the claw around to grab a prize. Desperate for a gift for a girl, they tilt the machine to "cheat" the game into spilling out a prize, which they do successfully several times in fact. I didn't realize those machines existed in the 1930s.

One day, in an amazing stroke of luck, five of the friends amazingly win a lottery. This is followed by an amusing celebration scene where all the other tenants in the building come flooding into their apartment for a wine party.  People of all ages - including little kids - crowd the flat!

Instead of parting ways with their winnings, they decide to invest the money together to start a restaurant. They purchase an old building in the country along the Marne river and turn it into a cozy, outdoor cafe with an indoor dance hall and live music. As the story progresses, the partnership breaks up for one reason or another (one friend dies, another moves, a woman gets in the way, etc). But the remaining friends continue to persevere.

By the end of the film, the restaurant has its grand opening. Happiness and joy fills the air as Jean Gabin realizes his dreams have come true. As the boss of his own place, he walks around to each table and asks each customer if they are having a good time. It's neat to see his character evolve through all the adversity.

The ending of the film is open ended, and we're not sure if any of the former members of the group will return to help with the emerging venture.

Directed by Julien Duvivier. Recommended.

Midnight In Paris (2011)

I've been looking forward to this new Woody Allen movie all year, and I finally saw it. Much of the film is just what I expected: part fantasy reminiscent of Purple Rose of Cairo (one of my favorite films) where Owen Wilson's character Gil - a writer on vacation with his girlfriend - meets some of the great artists and writers of the 1920s and earlier (in his dreams, of course). My favorite part was when he meets Toulouse Lautrec in a can-can and this is a really fun part.

In the film Gil makes a comment that Parisians are more sophisticated than Americans, and dreams of living there. He is also a nostalgia buff and idolizes artists of the past, which is a preoccupation that is criticized by other characters in the film.

At midnight each night, his dreams come true and is magically is transported back into time to Paris in the 1920s, and gets "advice" from the likes of Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway. Gil's left wing political views aren't explored any further, even when he comes into contact with all of these artists who would have shared his political passions. One character makes a comment about Trotsky which made me want to see a scene with Trotsky and Gil (it doesn't happen but that would have been interesting!).

I always love it when a film brings together so many historical figures because it always makes me want to learn more about them. In the movie, we see short glimpses of Cole Porter, Josephine Baker, and filmmaker Luis Bunuel, but they are very short and those people don't become supporting characters, which I was secretly hoping for. I'm not a Bunuel expert so I probably missed some of the inside jokes that Allen writes in here. Picasso shows up, and I wished there were more scenes with him. I'd even love to see Chagall at work. Oh well, now we're talking about my dream and not Gil's.

The movie met my expectations for the most part, and I pleasantly surprised to see so many shots of great Paris landmarks. I've been there and this brought back alot of great memories of my trip. Someone even mentions going on a trip to Mont St Michel. Wow - I've been there too and how fun it would have been to see that on the big screen. Has there ever been a movie filmed on Mont St Michel? I wonder.

But still, there is something missing from this film that I still have not been able to put my finger on. I don't consider this to be a masterpiece like I think Purple Rose is. I walked out of this movie longing to see John Huston's Moulin Rouge again. Now that's a great film.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1965) my favorite film musical

I love this film directed by Jacques Demy. I just love everything about it. The colors. Catherine Denuve. Beautiful music by Michel Legrand. There is no other movie like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

A review from the blog Confessions of a Film Philistine here

The Train (1964) starring Burt Lancaster

In this thriller directed by John Frankenheimer, the setting is German occupied France in 1944. A train filled with masterpieces by Picasso, Gaugain and Renoir are seized from France by Nazi Officer Paul Scofeld and ordered to be shipped to Germany. A member of the French resistance, Burt Lancaster, attempts to keep the train from getting to its destination. Good film! Music by Maurice Jarre, and also starring great French actors Jeanne Moreau(François Truffaut's Jules and Jim - 1962) and Michel Simon ( Jean Renoir films La Chienne, Boudu Saved From Drowning ).

Additional reading:

Blog post: The Train (The Magnificent 60s)

Blog post: Behind the Scenes of The Train (The Magnificent 60s)

Blog post: Film Fanatic

Fanny (1961)

Though has beautiful seashore scenery of Marseilles, I found this to be a somewhat depressing romantic drama (with a few lighthearted moments). Directed by Joshua Logan, it reteams Maurice Chevalier with Leslie Caron, but it doesn't have the heart of Gigi. The film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Charles Boyer. Boyer and Horst Bucholz co-star as father and son in Fanny's life. Horst, who works in his father's cafe, is endlessly pursued by Fanny (Caron), who loves him, but he doesn't want to be tied down; he wants to be a sail the world. Yet fate - and her pregnancy - complicates things. Fanny eventually marries Maurice who is also in love with her also....but then things gets more complicated. I recommend only for the scenery of Marseilles, the costumes, and cinematography by Jack Cardiff. Though this film has no songs, it was based on a 1954 Broadway musical "Fanny" by S. N. Behrman, Joshua Logan, and Harold Rome, which in turn had been adapted from the triology of 1930s plays "Fanny", "Marius" and "César" by Marcel Pagnol. I prefer Gigi instead.

Sarah of ...And Scene has written a good review of this movie and included some nice screen caps. View the post here.

A Little Romance (1979)

As the title implies, this is a romance between a couple of kids. I guess it may have been the "My Girl" of its day. It's not a comedy, but there are some elements of humor. For the most part it has a serious tone.  At the film's center is Lauren, a rich American girl played by 14-year old Diane Lane. She and her parents (mother is played by Sally Kellerman) live in Paris because of her dad's job. She attends a boarding school and develops a romance with a young Parisian teen.  They spend their time watching movies and discussing capitalism, Heidegger, and existentialism. One day they literally bump into an elderly Parisian gentleman played by Laurence Olivier, in a small role, and one of his last movies. He ends up giving them some advice about life and love and inspires them to to travel to Italy to kiss on a gondola on the River Seine. As the young couple run away throughout Europe, the furious parents send out a search party, while Olivier sits back and sighs. Georges Delerue won an Oscar for his music score. The ending is touching and heartbreaking. I'd like to see a reunion movie with the two stars as adults. Diane Lane was a pretty good performer at this age. As an additional bonus, there is a cameo by Broderick Crawford (Oscar winning Best Actor for 1949's "All the Kings Men")