International Cinema

Cannibals, retarded hitmen, and French Mafioso! This is a foray into the pitch-black humor of French cinema.

Je ne sais pas pourquoi. It may have been the croissant I had for breakfast, or my longing for the balmy breeze of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, but my mind was in France.  And there it remained as I wrote about some of my favorite foreign films, all of which are French.

Any post-apocalyptical film which involves suicide attempts, cannibalism, and an underground society AND makes you laugh just might be French. Delicatessen is a deliciously dark comedy which, despite its description, is thankfully quite void of gore and focuses on the lives of each character dealing with their economic sufferings, and their…resourceful methods of feeding themselves.  Beautifully shot, zany, and fully amusing, Delicatessen is a truly original gem of French cinema.

And on from cannibalism to kidnapping!

Les Triplettes de Belleville is an animated masterpiece.  While racing in the Tour de France, the main character, Champion, is kidnapped and forced to be part of the French mafia’s gambling scheme.  His grandmother and trusty dog set out on a rescue mission. Upon arrival to the bustling city of Belleville, complete with extremely rotund creatures (Americans?), they meet up with the delightfully daft Belleville triplets and take on the French mafia. This film’s brilliance lies in the animation and the fact that there is no spoken dialogue. The animation is exaggerated and strange and creates a surreal wonderland. The characters’ expression, sounds, and movements tell the story and you are effortlessly brought into a unique world of jazz music, frog explosions, and an intense reconnaissance mission.

The director and creator of the quixotic revenge comedy Louise-Michel tells this story with the darkest of humor. At its 2009 premier at the Sundance Film Festival, I again, was laughing hysterically as a pair of mentally challenged misfits set out on an assassination mission. They drink lighter fluid to sustain a buzz, trap animals for food, and set out to become heroic hitmen.  As described in the Sundance Film synopsis, “They may set out for revenge against capitalism, but their real oppressor is nature itself, which has cruelly twisted them.” Politically incorrect, cynical, and fantastically innovative, Louise-Michel may not be a movie for the masses, but that’s what makes it amazing.

Bon appétit!

-bradley smith