fagerard Reviews

Cerf-volant du bout du monde (1958)

Pierre Prévert and Henri Alekan

[10/10 · 28 August 2012]

In addition to my previous comment, after double-checking online the opening titles, I believe it is worth pointing out too that the artistic consultant of "The Magic Kite" was Pierre Prévert (illustrious screenwriter and poet Jacques Prévert's younger brother, and his collaborator on various productions). As for the cinematography, the DOP was nothing less than Henri Alekan (best known for his work on Jean Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast", on Julien Duvivier's "Anna Karenina" – starring Vivien Leigh –, as well as on Wim Wenders' "The State of Things' and "Wings of Desire"). Two more reasons to have a further look at this possibly underrated film and to give it a chance to enter some day the charts of French kid-movies made before the Global era (which that project developed between France and China was quite ahead of, in its very own way).

Jamilya (1969)

Another underrated masterpiece after Chinghiz Aitmatov

[10/10 · 7 March 2010]

I do remember quite vividly having seen this film in black and white on TV, around 1970 – I was a teenager at the time and never forgot that enigmatic title, "Dzhamilya". As I happened to read Chinghiz Aitmatov's original novel, a few years ago, every single page of it reminded me the stunning visuals of the whole movie. In his foreword to the book, French writer Louis Aragon described "Dzhamilya" as perhaps the most beautiful love story ever told... So there's no real surprise that I probably fell a bit in love, at age 14, of the young leading actress, Natalya Arinbasarova, Andrei Konchalovsky's wife, who had already used her, a couple of years before, in his directorial debut, "The First Teacher" (1966), after a story by the same author and also set in the remote Kirghiz countryside, near the Chinese border – another jewel for the audience who are not afraid of anthropological truth in film and prefer poetic inspiration to action movies. There's definitely something of both Andrei Tarkovsky's and Terrence Malick's visions about these two underrated Russian masterpieces of the late 1960s, i.e. "Dzhamilya" and "The First Teacher" (which I strongly recommend to see as well).

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Mr Tibbs goes to Washington

[9/10 · 9 November 2008]

I'm not surprised the French TV has programed Norman Jewison's classic "In the Heat of the Night" the very day after the 2008 historical election of the 44th President of the US... Of course, Sidney Poitier is still as smart and handsome as he was in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", but both films were not aiming exactly the same audience. Being such a perfect thriller, "In the Heat of the Night" addresses a much larger number of spectators of all ages, and not only intellectual ones. Just watch it, or watch it again nowadays, and show it to your children—an excellent way to have a better understanding of how some clever blockbusters are capable of actually improving society. Even if it took four decades to make the dream of Mr Tibb's fans come true. Sidney Poitier can be proud of his job at the time. As the first black Hollywood star ever, he's definitely one of those giants of the XXth century who helped people to think about what "Liberty" really means in order to bring a major change on earth.

Passion for Life (1949)

teachers of the world, you have got to see it...

[8/10 · 28 October 2008]

As a former user said, "teachers of the world, you have got to see it...". I happen to teach myself at the University and they just showed "L'Ecole Buissonnière" tonight, at the late show, on the National French TV France 2. What a good surprise it has been ! Actually, this is a very interesting movie of the late 40s, based upon the personal experience of Célestin Freinet, in 1920, but the subject is still all the rage. No doubt that all those who enjoyed "The Dead Poets Society", "Mona Lisa's Smile", "Looking for Forrester" or "Les Choristes" will appreciate it. Not to mention more recent titles, such as "L'Esquive" and .... the 2008 Palme d'or in Cannes, Bertrand Cantet's "Entre Les Murs".

That Most Important Thing: Love (1975)

Watch this underrated masterpiece of the 70s

[10/10 · 22 May 2007]

Romy Schneider was absolutely right to consider this film as her major professional achievement. Thanks to Christopher Franck's remarkable adaptation from his own awarded novel LA NUIT AMERICAINE (not to be mistaken with Truffaut's well-known DAY FOR NIGHT) and to Georges Delerue's haunting soundtrack, Zulawski is here at his paramount, because his usual romantic excesses perfectly fit this time the subject. As for the cast, all the actors have never been so right in the part they've been chosen for : from Fabio Testi to Jacques Dutronc, from Klaus Kinsky to Claude Dauphin, not to mention Michel Robin. The scene in the bar, just after the theatrical premiere of Shakespeare's RICHARD III, when the whole crew reads the articles dedicated to their play, almost looks like a mirror of Zulawski himself, as most of his works have been misunderstood, if not definitely "killed" by the critics. if you happen to belong to the happy few who sincerely praise L'IMPORTANT C'EST D'AIMER, try to see some day the films that writer Christopher Franck personally directed from other novels of his about the same bohemian milieu, specially JOSEPHA, featuring Miou Miou & Claude Brasseur.