Movie Box Review

Pre-Festival Coverage:
Festival Preview

Daily Coverage:
Day 1 - Friday March 26, 2010
Day 2 - Saturday March 27, 2010
Day 3 - Sunday March 28, 2010
Day 4 - Monday March 29, 2010
Day 6 - Wednesday March 31, 2010
Day 9 - Saturday April 3, 2010

Film Reviews
3 saisons / 3 Seasons
Africorama
Bambou / Bamboo
barons, Les / The Barons
coach, Le / The Coach
coeur simple, Un / A Simple Heart
Complices / Partners
Dans tes bras / In Your Arms
divan du monde, Le / Everybody’s Couch
Eden à l'Ouest / Eden Is West
journée de la jupe, La / Skirt Day
petit Nicolas, Le / Little Nicholas
semaine sur deux (et la moitié des vacances scolaires), Une / Alternate Weeks (and Half the Vacation)

Videos:
The Barons Q&A with Actor Nader Boussandel

Vlogs:
Vlog #1: Le Divan du Monde/Everybody's Couch, Le Coach/The Coach, Eden a L'Ouest/Eden is West, 3 Saisons/3 Seasons
Vlog #2: Un coeur simple/A Simple Heart, Dans tes bras/In Your Arms, Les barons/The Barons



Cinéfranco 2010 ran from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Pre-Festival Coverage:
Festival Preview

Daily Coverage:
Day 1 - Friday March 26, 2010
Day 2 - Saturday March 27, 2010
Day 3 - Sunday March 28, 2010
Day 4 - Monday March 29, 2010
Day 6 - Wednesday March 31, 2010
Day 9 - Saturday April 3, 2010

Film Reviews
3 saisons / 3 Seasons
Africorama
Bambou / Bamboo
barons, Les / The Barons
coach, Le / The Coach
coeur simple, Un / A Simple Heart
Complices / Partners
Dans tes bras / In Your Arms
divan du monde, Le / Everybody’s Couch
Eden à l'Ouest / Eden Is West
journée de la jupe, La / Skirt Day
petit Nicolas, Le / Little Nicholas
semaine sur deux (et la moitié des vacances scolaires), Une / Alternate Weeks (and Half the Vacation)

Videos:
The Barons Q&A with Actor Nader Boussandel

Vlogs:
Vlog #1: Le Divan du Monde/Everybody's Couch, Le Coach/The Coach, Eden a L'Ouest/Eden is West, 3 Saisons/3 Seasons
Vlog #2: Un coeur simple/A Simple Heart, Dans tes bras/In Your Arms, Les barons/The Barons



Cinéfranco 2010 ran from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The following video clips are from Q&A for the screening of Les barons / The Barons with actor Nader Boussandel on Saturday 3, 2010 at Cinéfranco 2010. All questions are answered first in French, and then translated into English.

See my review of Les barons / The Barons here.

Lead actor Nader Boussandel responds to audience question regarding if the character was close to himself:


Lead actor Nader Boussandel responds to audience question regarding being an actor or comedian:


Lead actor Nader Boussandel responds to audience question regarding on the relationship with other actors:


Lead actor Nader Boussandel responds to audience question regarding if he has plans to do more films in Belgium:


Lead actor Nader Boussandel responds to audience question regarding the character Malika (spoilers):


Cinéfranco 2010 ran from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The following video clips are from Q&A for the screening of Les barons / The Barons with actor Nader Boussandel on Saturday 3, 2010 at Cinéfranco 2010. All questions are answered first in French, and then translated into English.

See my review of Les barons / The Barons here.

Lead actor Nader Boussandel responds to audience question regarding if the character was close to himself:


Lead actor Nader Boussandel responds to audience question regarding being an actor or comedian:


Lead actor Nader Boussandel responds to audience question regarding on the relationship with other actors:


Lead actor Nader Boussandel responds to audience question regarding if he has plans to do more films in Belgium:


Lead actor Nader Boussandel responds to audience question regarding the character Malika (spoilers):


Cinéfranco 2010 ran from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Cinéfranco 2010 came to a close yesterday with another stellar day of Francophone film, and it was a day of copro's including France/Belgium and France/Switzerland including films set in France including La journée de la jupe / Skirt Day and Complices / Partners as well as Belgium with Les barons / The Barons for which principle actor Nader Boussandel was in attendance to introduce the film as well as stay for a Q&A.



La journée de la jupe / Skirt Day
Dir: Jean-Paul Lilienfeld
Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Denis Podalydès, Yann Collette, Nathalie Besançon, Marc Citti, Yann Ebonge, Sarah Douali, Khalid Berkouz, Sonia Amori, Kévin Azaïs
France/Belgium

I've always been a fan of films about teachers. The most common type is inspiration teacher films of the feel-good vein, but La journée de la jupe / Skirt Day is a completely different type of teacher film. One where the teacher has to shout, fight and restrain fear from her students day in, day out, until the situation takes an unexpectedly changes and changes everything. The build up of tension resonates quickly and assuredly creating a volatile environment that quickly illuminates everything from power struggles and control to racial tensions and gender stereotypes as they bubble to the surface. Centred by a formidable performance from Isabelle Adjani as Sonia Bergerac, it's not surprized that she's won multiple awards for her role here including the 2010 César for Best Actress / Meilleure actrice. A fascinating character study, comment on society and overall extremely powerful drama.



Les barons / The Barons
Dir: Nabil Ben Yadir
Cast: Nader Boussandel, Mourade Zeguendi, Julien Courbey, Monir Ait Hamou, Édouard Baer, Amelle Chahbi
France/Belgium

Les barons / The Barons was one of the films I was most looking forward to see at the festival, as the concept of thinking of life giving you a limited amount of 'step credits' and therefore not in a rush to get anywhere, sounded pretty hilarious to me. The film uses this idea of not being in a hurry not only as a great outlet for comedy but also gracefully incorporates exploring the concept dramatically as well. Sure, going nowhere sounds good today - but what are the long term effects? How long can you keep it up and how does that effect those around you? Will opportunities pass you by? What happens when you change your habits and patterns? It's a fascinating exploration that is showcased through a fantastic performances by the central characters of The Barons Hassan (Nader Boussandel), Mounir (Mourade Zeguendi) and Aziz. The dynamic between the three is a highlight of the film, their comfort level with each other, the friendly banter, how they support each other and of course the awkwardness if they even begin to think of drifting apart.

There was also an almost Bollywood feel to the film that you can even get from the poster (see above), although is didn't have a super long running time or any musical numbers, but it did incorporate a rather sizable cast of characters, adeptly fit in an impressive amount of comedy, drama and even romance all into the film. There also were some cultural & gender dynamics that I didn't see eye-to-eye with, but it's refreshingly open about the subject which I greatly appreciated. Overall, it was a lot of fun and had a lot of heart. One of my favourites of the festival.

Principle actor Nader Boussandel was in attendance at the screening and there for a Q&A and I'll post vids of the Q&A soon.


Les barons / The Barons actor Nader Boussandel

Complices / Partners
Dir: Frédéric Mermoud
Cast: Gilbert Melki, Cyril Descours, Nina Meurisse, Emmanuelle Devos, Jérémy Kapone
France/Switzerland

What a refreshing turn to see a crime/thriller that has in it's midst a rather gentle love story. That's a new one in my book. Although, getting back to the 'crime/thriller' aspect it makes the love story hit a tragic tone, but again does this in a gentle and very open way. The film follows several subtle pairs of partners that are relate back to a crime, and I was impressed with how nicely the film unfolded with great pacing allowing all the characters and relationships to develop naturally overtime. There were fantastic performances all around but I was particularly impressed by the younger actors in the film including Cyril Descours (who played Victor) and Nina Meurisse (as Rebecca) who always keep the heart of the film close to the heart of the audience.



Cinéfranco 2010 ran from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Cinéfranco 2010 came to a close yesterday with another stellar day of Francophone film, and it was a day of copro's including France/Belgium and France/Switzerland including films set in France including La journée de la jupe / Skirt Day and Complices / Partners as well as Belgium with Les barons / The Barons for which principle actor Nader Boussandel was in attendance to introduce the film as well as stay for a Q&A.



La journée de la jupe / Skirt Day
Dir: Jean-Paul Lilienfeld
Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Denis Podalydès, Yann Collette, Nathalie Besançon, Marc Citti, Yann Ebonge, Sarah Douali, Khalid Berkouz, Sonia Amori, Kévin Azaïs
France/Belgium

I've always been a fan of films about teachers. The most common type is inspiration teacher films of the feel-good vein, but La journée de la jupe / Skirt Day is a completely different type of teacher film. One where the teacher has to shout, fight and restrain fear from her students day in, day out, until the situation takes an unexpectedly changes and changes everything. The build up of tension resonates quickly and assuredly creating a volatile environment that quickly illuminates everything from power struggles and control to racial tensions and gender stereotypes as they bubble to the surface. Centred by a formidable performance from Isabelle Adjani as Sonia Bergerac, it's not surprized that she's won multiple awards for her role here including the 2010 César for Best Actress / Meilleure actrice. A fascinating character study, comment on society and overall extremely powerful drama.



Les barons / The Barons
Dir: Nabil Ben Yadir
Cast: Nader Boussandel, Mourade Zeguendi, Julien Courbey, Monir Ait Hamou, Édouard Baer, Amelle Chahbi
France/Belgium

Les barons / The Barons was one of the films I was most looking forward to see at the festival, as the concept of thinking of life giving you a limited amount of 'step credits' and therefore not in a rush to get anywhere, sounded pretty hilarious to me. The film uses this idea of not being in a hurry not only as a great outlet for comedy but also gracefully incorporates exploring the concept dramatically as well. Sure, going nowhere sounds good today - but what are the long term effects? How long can you keep it up and how does that effect those around you? Will opportunities pass you by? What happens when you change your habits and patterns? It's a fascinating exploration that is showcased through a fantastic performances by the central characters of The Barons Hassan (Nader Boussandel), Mounir (Mourade Zeguendi) and Aziz. The dynamic between the three is a highlight of the film, their comfort level with each other, the friendly banter, how they support each other and of course the awkwardness if they even begin to think of drifting apart.

There was also an almost Bollywood feel to the film that you can even get from the poster (see above), although is didn't have a super long running time or any musical numbers, but it did incorporate a rather sizable cast of characters, adeptly fit in an impressive amount of comedy, drama and even romance all into the film. There also were some cultural & gender dynamics that I didn't see eye-to-eye with, but it's refreshingly open about the subject which I greatly appreciated. Overall, it was a lot of fun and had a lot of heart. One of my favourites of the festival.

Principle actor Nader Boussandel was in attendance at the screening and there for a Q&A and I'll post vids of the Q&A soon.


Les barons / The Barons actor Nader Boussandel

Complices / Partners
Dir: Frédéric Mermoud
Cast: Gilbert Melki, Cyril Descours, Nina Meurisse, Emmanuelle Devos, Jérémy Kapone
France/Switzerland

What a refreshing turn to see a crime/thriller that has in it's midst a rather gentle love story. That's a new one in my book. Although, getting back to the 'crime/thriller' aspect it makes the love story hit a tragic tone, but again does this in a gentle and very open way. The film follows several subtle pairs of partners that are relate back to a crime, and I was impressed with how nicely the film unfolded with great pacing allowing all the characters and relationships to develop naturally overtime. There were fantastic performances all around but I was particularly impressed by the younger actors in the film including Cyril Descours (who played Victor) and Nina Meurisse (as Rebecca) who always keep the heart of the film close to the heart of the audience.



Cinéfranco 2010 ran from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Day 6 at Cinéfranco was all about relationships, love and a few unique mother-children relationships. It was also a great opportunity to see fantastic female performances from Michèle Laroque in Dans tes bras / In Your Arms to powerhouse Sandrine Bonnaire in Un coeur simple / A Simple Heart, today certainly felt like ladies night.

Dans tes bras / In Your Arms
Dir: Hubert Gillet
Cast: Martin Loizillon, Michèle Laroque, Lola Naymark, Catherine Mouchet
France

Unreleased and unrealized emotions hold the current of Dans tes bras / In Your Arms. Martin Loizillon stars as the 16 year old Louis as someone who doesn't quite seem comfortable in their own skin and is searching for answers. He gives quick a spectacular performance that even leaving things unsaid, we see so much. Paired up against Michèle Laroque as Solange, the two have dynamic and charged encounters throughout the film. I loved how Dans tes bras / In Your Arms didn't shy away from the awkwardness of the situations that are created. It showcases how with family, regardless of how close you are or not, you certainly have a strong feeling of how encounters will go but so often you can be really off the mark.

The only downside was that I did feel something lost in the translation. My French is nowhere near strong enough to straight up understand what I'm hearing, but it's strong enough to know when things aren't as they seem. Could be the writing, or more even phrases where the literal translation just doesn't mean the same thing, but a few times it did feel like I was missing something. That being said, it was really about the relationships and performances which were very well done.



Un coeur simple / A Simple Heart
Dir: Marion Laine
Cast: Sandrine Bonnaire, Marina Foïs, Pascal Elbé, Patrick Pineau
France

Based on the short story by Gustave Flaubert, Un coeur simple / A Simple Heart is an astonishing adaptation to film from director Marion Laine. Centred on the main character of Félicité, in an unbelievable performance from Sandrine Bonnaire, we follow her literally simple life. Described as someone who is just a little odd, it goes to show that being odd doesn't mean you don't have a wealth of emotions and a hell of a lot to give. It's a challenging story in many ways, but also a beautiful one as well. Through heartbreak and loss but also an overwhelming sense of openness and simply joys. A rare treat.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Day 6 at Cinéfranco was all about relationships, love and a few unique mother-children relationships. It was also a great opportunity to see fantastic female performances from Michèle Laroque in Dans tes bras / In Your Arms to powerhouse Sandrine Bonnaire in Un coeur simple / A Simple Heart, today certainly felt like ladies night.

Dans tes bras / In Your Arms
Dir: Hubert Gillet
Cast: Martin Loizillon, Michèle Laroque, Lola Naymark, Catherine Mouchet
France

Unreleased and unrealized emotions hold the current of Dans tes bras / In Your Arms. Martin Loizillon stars as the 16 year old Louis as someone who doesn't quite seem comfortable in their own skin and is searching for answers. He gives quick a spectacular performance that even leaving things unsaid, we see so much. Paired up against Michèle Laroque as Solange, the two have dynamic and charged encounters throughout the film. I loved how Dans tes bras / In Your Arms didn't shy away from the awkwardness of the situations that are created. It showcases how with family, regardless of how close you are or not, you certainly have a strong feeling of how encounters will go but so often you can be really off the mark.

The only downside was that I did feel something lost in the translation. My French is nowhere near strong enough to straight up understand what I'm hearing, but it's strong enough to know when things aren't as they seem. Could be the writing, or more even phrases where the literal translation just doesn't mean the same thing, but a few times it did feel like I was missing something. That being said, it was really about the relationships and performances which were very well done.



Un coeur simple / A Simple Heart
Dir: Marion Laine
Cast: Sandrine Bonnaire, Marina Foïs, Pascal Elbé, Patrick Pineau
France

Based on the short story by Gustave Flaubert, Un coeur simple / A Simple Heart is an astonishing adaptation to film from director Marion Laine. Centred on the main character of Félicité, in an unbelievable performance from Sandrine Bonnaire, we follow her literally simple life. Described as someone who is just a little odd, it goes to show that being odd doesn't mean you don't have a wealth of emotions and a hell of a lot to give. It's a challenging story in many ways, but also a beautiful one as well. Through heartbreak and loss but also an overwhelming sense of openness and simply joys. A rare treat.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Day 4 of the festival and took a bit of a quieter approach getting to see just one of the films being screened, but it was a fantastic documentary so it all worked out!

Africorama
Dir: Richard Lacombe
Documentary
Canada

Africorama follows three people from Quebec who go to Africa on separate journeys to contribute on international cooperation missions, but with either intentional or happy accident personal journeys as well. From new friendships formed to exploring personal history, we learn so much about the culture and connections through each of the experiences of the travellers. I really enjoyed that there was always a focus first and learning and absorbing the environments they came to, before recommending change. A greater understanding starts by simply listening. I also found it beautiful that although all three travelled with the intent to help and support, it's undeniable that they were all positively affected by the experience and relationships that formed along the way.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Day 4 of the festival and took a bit of a quieter approach getting to see just one of the films being screened, but it was a fantastic documentary so it all worked out!

Africorama
Dir: Richard Lacombe
Documentary
Canada

Africorama follows three people from Quebec who go to Africa on separate journeys to contribute on international cooperation missions, but with either intentional or happy accident personal journeys as well. From new friendships formed to exploring personal history, we learn so much about the culture and connections through each of the experiences of the travellers. I really enjoyed that there was always a focus first and learning and absorbing the environments they came to, before recommending change. A greater understanding starts by simply listening. I also found it beautiful that although all three travelled with the intent to help and support, it's undeniable that they were all positively affected by the experience and relationships that formed along the way.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Cinéfranco: Le Divan du Monde, Le Coach, Eden a L'Ouest, 3 Saisons & see Cinéfranco website
Poster: The Wild Hunt (review) opens April 9, 2010 (correction: it played at TIFF, Canada's Top Ten and Slamdance)
Theatrical: Mother, Chloe, Cooking with Stella
Random: Somersault
Sword & Sandal: Pathfinder

Cinéfranco: Le Divan du Monde, Le Coach, Eden a L'Ouest, 3 Saisons & see Cinéfranco website
Poster: The Wild Hunt (review) opens April 9, 2010 (correction: it played at TIFF, Canada's Top Ten and Slamdance)
Theatrical: Mother, Chloe, Cooking with Stella
Random: Somersault
Sword & Sandal: Pathfinder

Day 3 at Cinéfranco had a great range of films. The comedies ran strong with family friendly Le petit Nicolas / Little Nicholas and need a family quick Tricheuse / So Woman!, I found myself really taken in by the dramas of the day. The haunting immigrant tale of Eden à l'Ouest / Eden Is West was captivating and centred in an absolutely fantastic performance by Riccardo Scamarcio. But the highlight of the day was ending off with a screening of the emotionally powerful and three-time Genie nominated 3 saisons / 3 Seasons with director/co-writer Jim Donovan and co-writer/actress Carinne Leduc were in attendance at the screening.



Eden à l'Ouest / Eden Is West
Dir: Costa-Gavras
Cast: Riccardo Scamarcio, Juliane Köhler, Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos
France/Greece/Italy

Eden à l'Ouest / Eden Is West follows Elias, an illegal immigrant through his journey for a better life. Never knowing what will happen next and constantly keeping a watchful eye, he navigates his way from one unknown situation to the next. Riccardo Scamarcio gives a stand out performance as Elias, and keeps the audiences so so involved in this film. He's got the hunger for freedom, but a you can always see the fear lurking inside keeping him on edge and ready to bolt if backed into a corner. And his steely eyes drawn in a lot of the ladies along the way, although in an interesting take here is they always seemed more interested him that vice versa. I love how much the film kept ambiguous, which keeps the viewer in a virtual parallel to the experience Elias has of being in a new country and not knowing where he be next and often communicating more in instinctual reaction as opposed to common ground through language.



Le petit Nicolas / Little Nicholas
Dir: Laurent Tirard
Cast: Maxime Godart, Valérie Lemercier, Kad Merad, Sandrine Kiberlain, Vincent Claude, Victor Carles
France

I totally didn't anticipate digging this one. Kids movie, comedy, lots of kids in the house, but wow it was a lot of fun. It has a great whimsical energy to it and takes the idea of one misconception going really wrong and following through on that through and through. Following Nicolas and his friends as they try to fix the scenario, we are treated to the crazy creativity of solutions only kids would think of to solve their problems. Refreshing, inviting and optimistic the film completely charmed the audience over, myself included.

3 saisons / 3 Seasons
Dir: Jim Donovan
Cast: Caroline Néron, Romano Orzari, Carinne Leduc, Shawn Baichoo, Frank Schorpion
Canada

3 saisons / 3 Seasons was easily the most anticipated film for me this year at Cinéfranco. Toronto gets a lot of films released, but we don't get everything and it pains me when a Genie nominations film doesn't hit the screens. But, festival come to our rescue and therefore the three time Genie nominated 3 saisons / 3 Seasons (Best Motion Picture, Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Carinne Leduc & Film Editing) played last night. What a powerhouse films. After finally seeing it, I'm surprized it wasn't nominated for writing and directing as well. Following several relationships with common themes, we see the world through many different eyes and lives, but are subtly aware that all life is connected. It's that beautiful subtly and strong performances that make 3 saisons / 3 Seasons a cut above. The films is graceful even when dealing with harsh subject matter, which is so refreshing. It doesn't shy away from the harshness, but doesn't dwell in it visually and it doesn't need to because the audience can help but feels as we are invested in all characters in film, flaws and all. There is a beautiful honesty in the film, one that makes the lives of the characters feel so real that feel right alongside them every step of the way. Beautiful, bold and brilliant, 3 saisons / 3 Seasons is a must see.

3 saisons / 3 Seasons has a repeat screening on Wednesday March 31, 2010 at the Revue Cinema at 9pm. I highly recommend checking it out.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Day 3 at Cinéfranco had a great range of films. The comedies ran strong with family friendly Le petit Nicolas / Little Nicholas and need a family quick Tricheuse / So Woman!, I found myself really taken in by the dramas of the day. The haunting immigrant tale of Eden à l'Ouest / Eden Is West was captivating and centred in an absolutely fantastic performance by Riccardo Scamarcio. But the highlight of the day was ending off with a screening of the emotionally powerful and three-time Genie nominated 3 saisons / 3 Seasons with director/co-writer Jim Donovan and co-writer/actress Carinne Leduc were in attendance at the screening.



Eden à l'Ouest / Eden Is West
Dir: Costa-Gavras
Cast: Riccardo Scamarcio, Juliane Köhler, Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos
France/Greece/Italy

Eden à l'Ouest / Eden Is West follows Elias, an illegal immigrant through his journey for a better life. Never knowing what will happen next and constantly keeping a watchful eye, he navigates his way from one unknown situation to the next. Riccardo Scamarcio gives a stand out performance as Elias, and keeps the audiences so so involved in this film. He's got the hunger for freedom, but a you can always see the fear lurking inside keeping him on edge and ready to bolt if backed into a corner. And his steely eyes drawn in a lot of the ladies along the way, although in an interesting take here is they always seemed more interested him that vice versa. I love how much the film kept ambiguous, which keeps the viewer in a virtual parallel to the experience Elias has of being in a new country and not knowing where he be next and often communicating more in instinctual reaction as opposed to common ground through language.



Le petit Nicolas / Little Nicholas
Dir: Laurent Tirard
Cast: Maxime Godart, Valérie Lemercier, Kad Merad, Sandrine Kiberlain, Vincent Claude, Victor Carles
France

I totally didn't anticipate digging this one. Kids movie, comedy, lots of kids in the house, but wow it was a lot of fun. It has a great whimsical energy to it and takes the idea of one misconception going really wrong and following through on that through and through. Following Nicolas and his friends as they try to fix the scenario, we are treated to the crazy creativity of solutions only kids would think of to solve their problems. Refreshing, inviting and optimistic the film completely charmed the audience over, myself included.

3 saisons / 3 Seasons
Dir: Jim Donovan
Cast: Caroline Néron, Romano Orzari, Carinne Leduc, Shawn Baichoo, Frank Schorpion
Canada

3 saisons / 3 Seasons was easily the most anticipated film for me this year at Cinéfranco. Toronto gets a lot of films released, but we don't get everything and it pains me when a Genie nominations film doesn't hit the screens. But, festival come to our rescue and therefore the three time Genie nominated 3 saisons / 3 Seasons (Best Motion Picture, Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Carinne Leduc & Film Editing) played last night. What a powerhouse films. After finally seeing it, I'm surprized it wasn't nominated for writing and directing as well. Following several relationships with common themes, we see the world through many different eyes and lives, but are subtly aware that all life is connected. It's that beautiful subtly and strong performances that make 3 saisons / 3 Seasons a cut above. The films is graceful even when dealing with harsh subject matter, which is so refreshing. It doesn't shy away from the harshness, but doesn't dwell in it visually and it doesn't need to because the audience can help but feels as we are invested in all characters in film, flaws and all. There is a beautiful honesty in the film, one that makes the lives of the characters feel so real that feel right alongside them every step of the way. Beautiful, bold and brilliant, 3 saisons / 3 Seasons is a must see.

3 saisons / 3 Seasons has a repeat screening on Wednesday March 31, 2010 at the Revue Cinema at 9pm. I highly recommend checking it out.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Day 2 at Cinéfranco was all comedy, all the time. Yep, all three films I saw were from France and comedies, spanning topics from crazy pooch antics with Bambou to subversive coaching in Le Coach. In between those two I caught Une semaine sur deux (et la moitié des vacances scolaires), which has lots of funny moments but is really a dramety. It was great to spend the day giggle in the dark with a great set of French film.

Bambou / Bamboo
Dir: Didier Bourdon
Cast: Didier Bourdon, Anne Consigny, Pierre Ardidt, Eddy Mitchell, Anny Duperey
France

I was very surprized to see a comedy that at first look seemed to be about really disliking a dog. That was a new one. I mean, dogs can be troublesome yes, but who could dislike the cutie pie cocker spaniel Bambou? Turns out that if the dog is causing problems, looks like there were already problems there. Along with the the dog Bambou, we follow the couples life that she becomes a part of as their relationship goes from bad to worse. The film is a cute comedy as it follows it's new dog owners and their oddball adventures involving everyone from neighbours, co-workers to even ragtag petty criminal friends yet somehow manages to keep it all together. And all the very cute dog moments help.

Une semaine sur deux (et la moitié des vacances scolaires) / Alternate Weeks (and Half the Vacation)
Writer/Dir: Ivan Calbérac
Cast: Bertille Chabert, Bernard Campan, Mathilde Seigner, Danièle Lebrun, Grégori Derangère, Judith Davis, Jean-Baptiste Fonck
France

If you can't tell grom the very succinct title, this films follows a family transitioning after a divorce as they opt for alternate week (and half the vacation) style custody for the kid, 12 year old Léa and her younger brother Maxime. With this premise it's amazing how beautifully all the different relationships are explored through the changing family dynamics as well as new people being added to the mix. While there is fair share of focus on both the parents, it's really our 12 year old protagonist Léa (played by Bertille Chabert), who keeps us strikingly centred throughout the film with her own gentle coming of age. Bernard Campan is absolutely lovely as the Calins Gratuits (free hug) giving father François who's all, in theory, about being open and talking directly with concrete suggestions to both of his 12 and younger kids. It's a refreshingly gracious family portrait of transition, growing and learning to live with lives with open hearts.

Le coach / The Coach
Dir: Olivier Doran
Cast: Richard Berry, Jean-Paul Rouve, Anne Marivin, Mélanie Bernier
France

Absolutely fantastic film following a professional coach for hire on an unusual case that needs to taken care of swiftly and quietly. An insightful and often hilarious look at human nature, the film easily showcases how the complexities of life and how unique and individual people can be. Anyone interested in human behaviour will get a kick out of Le coach, for it draws us in on curiosity but also charms us over in a heart beat. The writing is pitch perfect as well, playing out with an almost heist like caper film, even though set in a white collar business world. Great characters, stellar performances and a fantastic premise, Le coach hits it home on all fronts.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Day 2 at Cinéfranco was all comedy, all the time. Yep, all three films I saw were from France and comedies, spanning topics from crazy pooch antics with Bambou to subversive coaching in Le Coach. In between those two I caught Une semaine sur deux (et la moitié des vacances scolaires), which has lots of funny moments but is really a dramety. It was great to spend the day giggle in the dark with a great set of French film.

Bambou / Bamboo
Dir: Didier Bourdon
Cast: Didier Bourdon, Anne Consigny, Pierre Ardidt, Eddy Mitchell, Anny Duperey
France

I was very surprized to see a comedy that at first look seemed to be about really disliking a dog. That was a new one. I mean, dogs can be troublesome yes, but who could dislike the cutie pie cocker spaniel Bambou? Turns out that if the dog is causing problems, looks like there were already problems there. Along with the the dog Bambou, we follow the couples life that she becomes a part of as their relationship goes from bad to worse. The film is a cute comedy as it follows it's new dog owners and their oddball adventures involving everyone from neighbours, co-workers to even ragtag petty criminal friends yet somehow manages to keep it all together. And all the very cute dog moments help.

Une semaine sur deux (et la moitié des vacances scolaires) / Alternate Weeks (and Half the Vacation)
Writer/Dir: Ivan Calbérac
Cast: Bertille Chabert, Bernard Campan, Mathilde Seigner, Danièle Lebrun, Grégori Derangère, Judith Davis, Jean-Baptiste Fonck
France

If you can't tell grom the very succinct title, this films follows a family transitioning after a divorce as they opt for alternate week (and half the vacation) style custody for the kid, 12 year old Léa and her younger brother Maxime. With this premise it's amazing how beautifully all the different relationships are explored through the changing family dynamics as well as new people being added to the mix. While there is fair share of focus on both the parents, it's really our 12 year old protagonist Léa (played by Bertille Chabert), who keeps us strikingly centred throughout the film with her own gentle coming of age. Bernard Campan is absolutely lovely as the Calins Gratuits (free hug) giving father François who's all, in theory, about being open and talking directly with concrete suggestions to both of his 12 and younger kids. It's a refreshingly gracious family portrait of transition, growing and learning to live with lives with open hearts.

Le coach / The Coach
Dir: Olivier Doran
Cast: Richard Berry, Jean-Paul Rouve, Anne Marivin, Mélanie Bernier
France

Absolutely fantastic film following a professional coach for hire on an unusual case that needs to taken care of swiftly and quietly. An insightful and often hilarious look at human nature, the film easily showcases how the complexities of life and how unique and individual people can be. Anyone interested in human behaviour will get a kick out of Le coach, for it draws us in on curiosity but also charms us over in a heart beat. The writing is pitch perfect as well, playing out with an almost heist like caper film, even though set in a white collar business world. Great characters, stellar performances and a fantastic premise, Le coach hits it home on all fronts.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Opening Night at Cinéfranco started off with a packed house at the AMC 6 for the Ontario Premiere of Le divan du monde / Everybody’s Couch. The energy in the room was great and it was awesome to hear so much French and English buzzing around all in the same setting. The introduction to the film, and the festival itself, was mostly made in French and I was impressed that I followed along pretty well for most of it considering my French is pretty rudimentary. But, I did know where I was and what I’d be seeing, but it felt understand what I was hearing nonetheless. It all starts somewhere.

One thing that was very clear is the festival voting system for the films – they give you a ballot before the screening and afterwards you give it to one of two people when you leave. If you like it, you give it to the person in the green shirt. If you didn’t like it, you give it to the person in the red shirt. No scale or numbers here, it's a straight up yes or no. Very clear cut choices, I’ll be curious to see how the voting goes.



Le divan du monde / Everybody’s Couch
Dir: Dominic Desjardins
Cast: Mélanie Leblanc, Antoine Gratton, Marc Lamontagne
Canada

Le divan du monde / Everybody’s Couch follows Zoé (Mélanie Leblanc) looking to head home to the East Coast after a break up. How often do we see a confident female traveller? Not enough I say - this was entirely refreshing. I loved the honesty and strength of Zoé, in a great performance by Mélanie Leblanc who shows the graciousness yet acutely aware of her surroundings and the people around her and has a direct yet polite air about her. A little less adept at this is Alex (Antoine Gratton), whose inadvertent companionship adds a little bit of everything, including comedy to the journey. Antoine Gratton plays Alex with an amazing openness but an openness that often gets clouded by shyness, it's a fine balance that feels so very natural. Between the two travellers, what we end up with is a completely new kind of road movie, one that defies expectations but brings tenderness and humanity to the forefront. The gentle relationship portrayed between the two leads unfolds beautifully and naturally over time, and is a huge highlight of the film Described as being filmed on a micro budget, and there are times you get a slight sense of that, but nothing that would break the moment you are in. The film is all about the journey, and it was beautiful to see the independent yet concurrent journeys.

I also loved that the film fluxed between French and English, although it was predominantly in French. It gives it a beautiful, and truly Canadian, feel.

Director Dominic Desjardins was in attendance for the screening and there was a Q&A after the film. I didn't catch all of it because the questions were answered in the language asked, but what I did get was the score of the film was composed by Antoine Gratton who plays Alex in the film and is a musician.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Opening Night at Cinéfranco started off with a packed house at the AMC 6 for the Ontario Premiere of Le divan du monde / Everybody’s Couch. The energy in the room was great and it was awesome to hear so much French and English buzzing around all in the same setting. The introduction to the film, and the festival itself, was mostly made in French and I was impressed that I followed along pretty well for most of it considering my French is pretty rudimentary. But, I did know where I was and what I’d be seeing, but it felt understand what I was hearing nonetheless. It all starts somewhere.

One thing that was very clear is the festival voting system for the films – they give you a ballot before the screening and afterwards you give it to one of two people when you leave. If you like it, you give it to the person in the green shirt. If you didn’t like it, you give it to the person in the red shirt. No scale or numbers here, it's a straight up yes or no. Very clear cut choices, I’ll be curious to see how the voting goes.



Le divan du monde / Everybody’s Couch
Dir: Dominic Desjardins
Cast: Mélanie Leblanc, Antoine Gratton, Marc Lamontagne
Canada

Le divan du monde / Everybody’s Couch follows Zoé (Mélanie Leblanc) looking to head home to the East Coast after a break up. How often do we see a confident female traveller? Not enough I say - this was entirely refreshing. I loved the honesty and strength of Zoé, in a great performance by Mélanie Leblanc who shows the graciousness yet acutely aware of her surroundings and the people around her and has a direct yet polite air about her. A little less adept at this is Alex (Antoine Gratton), whose inadvertent companionship adds a little bit of everything, including comedy to the journey. Antoine Gratton plays Alex with an amazing openness but an openness that often gets clouded by shyness, it's a fine balance that feels so very natural. Between the two travellers, what we end up with is a completely new kind of road movie, one that defies expectations but brings tenderness and humanity to the forefront. The gentle relationship portrayed between the two leads unfolds beautifully and naturally over time, and is a huge highlight of the film Described as being filmed on a micro budget, and there are times you get a slight sense of that, but nothing that would break the moment you are in. The film is all about the journey, and it was beautiful to see the independent yet concurrent journeys.

I also loved that the film fluxed between French and English, although it was predominantly in French. It gives it a beautiful, and truly Canadian, feel.

Director Dominic Desjardins was in attendance for the screening and there was a Q&A after the film. I didn't catch all of it because the questions were answered in the language asked, but what I did get was the score of the film was composed by Antoine Gratton who plays Alex in the film and is a musician.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Cinéfranco 2010 begins this week and this year marks the it's 13th annual celebration of international Francophone cinema.

You can browse the entire festival line up online to see the films included in this years festival. I know I'm not the only one looking forward to see 3 Seasons / 3 Saisons, which is nominated for 3 Genies (Best Motion Picture, Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role & Film Editing) and is playing twice during the festival. Also very curious about Les sept jours du talion / 7 Days, a 2010 Canadian thrilled based on the novel by Patrick Senécal and starring Rémy Girard, Claude Legault, Martin Dubreuil and Fanny Mallette.

On the international front there are films from all over the world including the France/Greece/Italy co-pro Eden à l'Ouest / Eden is West from director Costa-Gavras, Luxembourg/Switzerland co-pro Réfractaire / Draft Dodger and Belgium/France co-pro Les barons / The Barons, a comedy that sounds hilarious reference getting a limited amount of 'step credits' therefore making people not in a rush to get anywhere.

Along with the features there are 2 shorts programs to enjoy. On Tuesday March 30, 2010 there will be a collection of shorts by Xavier Diskeuve and Philippe Lamensch then on Wednesday March 31, 2010 a series of shorts from the past several years including Denis Villeneuve's absolutely stunning short Next Floor.

The festival shows the majority of the films at the AMC Yonge & Dundas but also has screenings at the Revue Cinema and en boucle – Cinéma Graham Spry (Radio Canada) / Graham Spry Theatre (Radio Canada). See the screening schedule for locations.

For more information, check out the Cinéfranco: Website, Screening Schedule, Ticket Information, and the Festival Goals & Principles.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Cinéfranco 2010 begins this week and this year marks the it's 13th annual celebration of international Francophone cinema.

You can browse the entire festival line up online to see the films included in this years festival. I know I'm not the only one looking forward to see 3 Seasons / 3 Saisons, which is nominated for 3 Genies (Best Motion Picture, Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role & Film Editing) and is playing twice during the festival. Also very curious about Les sept jours du talion / 7 Days, a 2010 Canadian thrilled based on the novel by Patrick Senécal and starring Rémy Girard, Claude Legault, Martin Dubreuil and Fanny Mallette.

On the international front there are films from all over the world including the France/Greece/Italy co-pro Eden à l'Ouest / Eden is West from director Costa-Gavras, Luxembourg/Switzerland co-pro Réfractaire / Draft Dodger and Belgium/France co-pro Les barons / The Barons, a comedy that sounds hilarious reference getting a limited amount of 'step credits' therefore making people not in a rush to get anywhere.

Along with the features there are 2 shorts programs to enjoy. On Tuesday March 30, 2010 there will be a collection of shorts by Xavier Diskeuve and Philippe Lamensch then on Wednesday March 31, 2010 a series of shorts from the past several years including Denis Villeneuve's absolutely stunning short Next Floor.

The festival shows the majority of the films at the AMC Yonge & Dundas but also has screenings at the Revue Cinema and en boucle – Cinéma Graham Spry (Radio Canada) / Graham Spry Theatre (Radio Canada). See the screening schedule for locations.

For more information, check out the Cinéfranco: Website, Screening Schedule, Ticket Information, and the Festival Goals & Principles.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 - April 3, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada