The Boston French Film Festival is in full swing at the Museum of Fine Arts. Here are six quick reviews of remaining screenings, sequenced in order of preference, that are worth your time.
‘The Girl in the Snow’ (L’Engloutie)
This movie is a strange and provocative story about a young woman embedded as a teacher in a small and secluded mountain community in 1899. The surroundings are snowbound and treacherous; the French title, “L’Engloutie,” means something like “engulfed.” From the start, the teacher is a woman with sexual agency, contrary to our assumptions about the period. When she expresses her sensuality, there are consequences for the superstitious denizens of the outpost. It’s all very intriguing, more than a little mysterious, almost like something Ingmar Bergman might have contrived, except that the perspective of the director, Louise Hémon, is strikingly feminine.
‘Little Amélie, or the Character of Rain’ (Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes)
“Little Amélie” is an animated tale based loosely on the childhood in Japan of writer Amélie Nothomb, who is well-known in France for her stories of French men and women who try to adapt to Japanese culture. In this movie, a newborn learns – eventually – that she is not the center of the universe. Very witty at its start, the movie becomes increasingly more emotional as the people who support Amélie’s growth either change or disappear. The animation is frequently stunning. “Little Amélie” was a nominee for Best Animated Film at this year’s Oscars.
‘Colors of Time’ (La venue de l’avenir)
“Colors of Time” has a dual time frame. In one, the members of an extended family contend with the inheritance of a countryside property and its contents. In the second, taking place mostly in late 19th century Paris, the movie follows some of the family’s ancestors, especially a young woman without many relatives, and we learn the history behind certain paintings the household contains.
The director, Cédric Klapisch, is a favorite of mine, but this time his inventions don’t have enough substance. The connections between the storylines are of the most basic sort; not much resonates between them. And the integration of well-known personalities into the earlier timeline is a grandiose overreach. That said, the period recreations are often exquisite, and the movie held me, though it felt slightly thin.
‘Leave One Day’ (Partir un jour)
The setup of “Leave One Day” is almost like a Hallmark movie. A successful woman, partnered, is required to go back to her hometown to attend to a family matter. While there, she connects with an attractive old flirtation, sparks fly, and …
Of course, this is a French film, so it’s not all as simple as that. There’s a pregnancy, an ailing father with a chip on his shoulder and hidden relationships. And, most importantly, it’s a musical.
“Leave One Day” is interesting conceptually, but doesn’t completely succeed. Like the American musical “La La Land,” the performers here are not polished vocalists. In contrast to “La La Land,” the musical numbers usually don’t have much flair. Plus, the movie centers on a woman who is querulous and tense. Unlike a Hallmark movie, the guy she leaves behind in the city is a decent, loving and sexy man. She doesn’t deserve him, particularly because there’s a major complication with the man back home that’s never fully addressed. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the small-town locale and feeling, and some performers shine. Dominique Blanc as the heroine’s mother is a standout.
‘A Private Life’ (Vie Privée)
After a patient supposedly commits suicide, a psychiatrist suspects foul play and becomes increasingly unhinged as she investigates the death.
“A Private Life” is a vehicle for the considerable talents of Jodie Foster, who is fluent in French and performs the role of Liliane, the psychiatrist, in that language. The character is brusque and certain of herself, and she is blind to challenges to her assumptions. Foster’s strength carries us past some of the rougher patches of Liliane’s behavior. The resolution of the mystery makes sense, but the accompanying life lesson is too pat.
Some great French actors make up the supporting cast: Daniel Auteuil, Mathieu Almaric, Virginia Efira, Irène Jacob and Vincent Lacoste show up. And there’s a brief cameo by the late, great documentarian Fred Wiseman.
‘Comédie-Française’ (De la Comédie-Française)
Filmed on location in Paris at the home of France’s world-renowned theatrical troupe, this is a broad farce about the opening night of a production of “Macbeth.” The actors bicker, screw around, have health crises, face marital problems, juggle politics and contend with technical issues. None of it has the slightest relationship to reality — this is an especially spare production of the play, and I doubt that any show at the Comédie-Française would be as underrehearsed as this one – but there are some laughs.
Discover these films and more before the festival ends on August 23. Film times and tickets are available at www.mfa.org.
