La Belle Verte - The Beautiful Green

"Who wants to go to earth? No one? They're primitive, they still use cars and computers." Aliens

☆☆☆☆☆ Enlightening

La Belle Verte - The Beautiful Green (1996) is a thought provoking Sci-Fi comedy.

Directed and starring Coline Serreau.

Starring Vincent Lindon and a very young Marion Cotillard.

Basically, you have a very funny Sci-Fi comedy written by members of Green Peace, NASA and French Satirists. I had to download the English subtitles to help with all the dialogue within each scene. I'm quite sure that there is even more humor and subtext that the English subtitles missed.

The broad and absurd comedy is where this film really shines. Take the scene below where an entire football game's players are transformed by Coline's telepathic abilities into dancers filled with love for all. The audience at attendance doesn't know whether to have their usual game riot or dance along with the transformed players. The slapstick comedy within this scene and throughout the film can be understood by any audience member in the world. Coline subtle use of holistic views through comedy to inform us is similar to Kim Ki Duk subtle use of Buddhist philosophy through drama in his film, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring (2003). Both films have a beautiful message that is unique and effortless.

The film gets you thinking about what we value in our lives. Instead of preaching and judging us for our materialistic culture we are lightly tapped on the shoulder with comedy. As an audience member I laughed most in the slapstick scenes that I could relate to what the characters were arguing and struggling with in their own lives. A wonderful film that is both entertaining and enlightening.

Film Scene

Trivia - Coline composed the original music score.

Film Trailer

La Mome - La Vie En Rose

"Stay with me." Edith

☆☆☆☆☆ Masterpiece

La Mome - La Vie En Rose (2007) magnificence is due to Marion Cotillard's acting and Edith Piaf's songs.

Directed by Olivier Dahan.

Starring Marion Cotillard among others.

As Juliet says, to Romeo in Shakespeare's, Romeo and Juliet; "What is in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet". Marion is the most fragrant flower of La Vie En Rose. It is a towering performance that is truly remarkable to watch. Cotillard's work reminds me of John Travolta's work in John Badham's, Saturday Night Fever (1977). Both Marion and John reveal their characters humanity and elevate the story in the film.

Watch in the scene below how utterly she has allowed her character to consume every inch of her physical, mental and spiritual self. Incredible attention to minute character traits such as her sloped shoulders, overbite. When you look into Marions eyes, you see Edith Piaf. Cotillard allows her character to completely inhabit her. Marion performance took me on a painful journey through Edith's tragic life and triumphant career.

Not many actors can go as far as Marion does in La Vie En Rose without suffering life long mental and physical ailments. Acting is littered with the corpses of actors who went too far in character and could not pull out properly at the end of role. This is an Oscar winning performance that every actor strives for in their career.

Film Scene

Trivia - Marion Cotillard's makeup in the Edith's elderly scenes took up to five hours to apply. 

Film Trailer

Midnight In Paris

"You always take the side of the help. That's why daddy says you're a communist." Inez

☆☆☆☆☆ Classic

Midnight In Paris (2011) is a magical romantic fantasy that sweeps you away nostalgically.

Directed by Woody Allen.

Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdam's Marion Cotillard among many other great actors.

Midnight in Paris is a great escapist story.  The acting by everyone is superb and they all seemed to relish their role. Woody inspires his actor to go beyond the written word in the way Roman Polanski does with his actors in Carnage (2011).

My favorite acting moment on this film; among many great acting moments, is from the scene below.
Owen Wilson reveals in one scene (at start of the clip below) that he is engaged. This of course is a surprise and heartbreak for Marion Cotillard, who fancies Owen. Watch Marion in the next scene, subtly receive the useful tidbit from Owen and ...slowly, ...quietly, ....methodically figure out a graceful, civil French way of dealing with Owen's love interest.  Marion, has taken her character to a real moment. It is no longer a scene written and directed by Woody Allen. Watch her moment by moment in the scene below. First she listens, then she let's Owens revelations about his American Fiance affect her instrument and finally, we see Marion think menacingly with a smile. We as audience members get to see and feel and more importantly connect with Marion's dilemma. We can see Marion plotting how to get the upper hand on Owen's American dim-witted fiance, played brilliantly by Rachel McAdam's. Rachel was, so good at being dim-witted and mean that I started to dislike her character as much as Owen eventually does. Marion is subtly dazzling. So much so, that Woody changed the scene and camera setup and had Marion face the camera. Wilson is at his comedic best throughout the film. Owen in the scene below to me looks as though he is quietly searching for the camera and wondering why the camera is not on his best work ever.

As an audience member I was swept away by Woody's delightful script, masterful directing, Darius Khondji seductive camera work and the entire casts spellbinding performances.

As an actor I was mesmerized by everyone performances. This is the first film I have seen where every single actors work is Oscar level. They freely let go and inhabit not only their characters, but the time and place that Woody puts them in. Enjoy!

Film Scene

Trivia - Owen Wilson only met and spoke with director Woody Allen when filming began in France.

Film Trailer