French film round-up: Caramel, Live and Become, The Witnesses

A big French movie weekend, with three major (in my mind) releases:

First, there's Caramel, with interlocking stories that center on a beauty shop in Beirut. The film was a hit in France, and today's NY Times said it's "hard to resist." The trailer, which starts off with some static, is long as these things go, like five minutes.

Next up is Live and Become/Vas, Vis, et Deviens, another story with a Middle Eastern background, which tells of a young Ethopian boy who pretends to be Jewish in order to immigrate to Israel, away from the starvation and hardships of his homeland. The movie was a nominee for a "Best Picture" César in 2006; I saw it on DVD,and it's terrific.

Last, there's master director André Téchiné's The Witnesses/Les Témoins, which examines the early years of the AIDS crisis in Paris. It has a starry cast, including Emmanuelle Béart, Julie Depardieu, Sami Bouajila, Johan Libéreau, and Michel Blanc; the latter three actors are all nominated for Césars this year for their performances, as is Téchiné for his direction.

Comments

[Bob Spencer]

Caramel - Anybody remember Sex and the City? Even from the trailer, I can see why "Vas, Vis, et Deviens" won Best Picture. The trailer for Les Témoins moved too quickly to really get a feel for the movie, but it seems to have possibilities.