French Cinema
The influence of France on the world screen is undeniable. From early inventors and pioneers such as the Lumiere Brothers, George Melies and Alice Guy Blache, the birth of cinema can virtually be traced back to French shores. Cinematic innovators such as Jean Renoir and Michael Carne followed. By the 1960s New Wave directors like Truffaut, Godard and Chabrol had an indelible impact on fledgling American film makers such as Scorsese, Coppola and Bogdanovich who revolutionised the way films were made in the US; studios fell, auteurs ruled. With the advent of television, French film budgets shrank but thanks to government intervention and a good deal of imagination, French cinema is still going strong with contemporary talents like Jean-Jaques Beineix, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Luc Besson and the controversial Gaspar Noe.
At Alice we're very proud of our extensive French collection, covering all genres from French farce to period drama, magical realism to mystery and suspense. Viva la France!
The Separation (1994)
7.5/10
Director: Christian Vincent
Starring: Daniel Auteuil, Isabelle Huppert, Jerome Deschamps
Isabelle Huppert and Daniel Auteuil are spellbinding in their roles as lovers who endure the darkest hours of a relationship-the separation. Internati... Read more
The Singer (2006)
6.5/10
Director: Xavier Giannoli
Starring: Gerard Depardieu, Cecile De France, Mathieu Amalric, Christine Citti, Patrick Pi...
Gereard Depardieu stars as a fading singing star whose libido is reignited by a young woman who moves to town. Marian (Cecile de France) is an outwar... Read more
The Soft Skin (1964)
7.6/10
Director: Francois Truffaut
Starring: Jean Desailly, Francoise Dorleac
A.k.a. 'Silken Skin', 'La Peau Douce'. This carefully balanced mixture of comedy and melodrama has a middle-aged married man leaving his wife for an a... Read more
The Spanish Apartment ( L'Auberge Espagnole ) (2002)
7.3/10
Director: Cedric Klapisch
Starring: Romain Duris, Cecile De France, Judith Godreche, Audrey Tautou
Aka "Pot Luck". From the director of "When the Cat's Away" comes this frothy romantic comedy in which Xavier, a French college senior, signs up for a... Read more
The Story Of Adele H. (1975)
7.4/10
Director: Francois Truffaut
Starring: Isabelle Adjani, Bruce Robinson, Sylvia Marriott, Joseph Blatchley, Ivry Gitlis
Based on a true story, Adele (Isabelle Adjani), daughter of French author and patriot Victor Hugo ('Les Miserables', 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'), i... Read more
The Story of Marie and Julien (2003)
7/10
Director: Jacques Rivette
Starring: Emmanuelle Beart, Jerzy Radziwilowicz, Anne Brochet, Nicole Garcia
Marie (Emmanuelle Beart), a beautiful woman with a mysterious past, is reunited with Julien (Jerzy Radziwilowicz), a shy clockmaker she met one year e... Read more
The Story of My Life (2004)
6.8/10
Director: Laurent Tirard
Starring: Edouard Baer, Marie-Josee Croze, Clovis Cornillac, Alice Taglioni, Eric Berger
A thoroughly engaging romantic comedy with successful ghost writer Raphael having a head-on collision with his past as he is assigned the 'autobiograp... Read more
The Story of O (1975)
5.4/10
Director: Just Jaeckin
Starring: Udo Kier, Anthony Steel, Christiane Minazzoli, Corinne Clery
Banned in New Zealand for 25 years! O (Corinne Clery) is taken by her boyfriend Rene (Udo Kier) to a mysterious club where a group of submissive women... Read more
The Story of Richard O (2007)
4.8/10
Director: Damien Odoul
Starring: Mathieu Amalric, Rhizlaine El Cohen, Stephane Terpereau, Alexandra Sollogoub
Driven by lust and determined to explore his erotic obsessions, Richard O. (Mathieu Amalric) wanders the sun-soaked streets of Paris, indulging in eve... Read more
The Story of Souleymane (2024)
Director: Boris Lojkine
Starring: Abou Sangare
Souleymane, an asylum-seeking cyclist who delivers meals in Paris, has only two days to prepare for a crucial interview. This interview will determine... Read more