In the Directors Fortnight section ("Quinzaine des Réalisateurs"), a thriving alternative to the official selection that is celebrating fifty this year, a war/revenge movie by French filmmaker Guillaume Nicloux, who previously brought “Valley of Love” to the Cannes Festival in 2015. The First Indochina War took place in the fifties. Indochina was a French colony, then, that comprised parts of ... more >
ARCHIVES
CANNES FESTIVAL, “To the ends of the world”
1HR43, Les Films du Worso
Gaspar Ulliel and Gérard Depardieu
Directed by Guillaume Nicloux
The (sort of) truth behind the two versions of Abel Ferrara’s “Welcome to New York”
Includes conversations with Abel Ferrara and Vincent Maraval [Wild Bunch]
Film will come out in one theater only in San Francisco
Today, after a six month-press war launched by filmmaker Abel Ferrara against his chief financier, Vincent Maraval (French distributor Wild Bunch's head honcho) and IFC Films, the R-rated cut of Ferrara’s originally unrated “Welcome to New York” is opening theatrically—to Ferrara’s chagrin—in the US. It is, however, only showing at one theater: The Roxie, in San Francisco. Elsewhere in this ... more >
What’s the deal with Depardieu?
The actor's departure has caused full-on war
How do you say "can't we all just get along?" in French? The infamous expression would fit perfectly. A week ago we ran the letter that French actor Gérard Depardieu had published in a French daily in response to that country’s prime minister calling him “pathetic” for emigrating to Belgium over the excessively high tax rate which was imposed on his revenues. Depardieu, who’s been a well-loved ... more >
SMACKDOWN IN FRANCE!
Actor Gérard Depardieu holds his own
Since Screen Comment (an American publication) is headquartered in Paris we would be remiss not to cover the latest blowup concerning cinema, politics and civil society here. Actor Gérard Depardieu ("Green Card") recently took up residence just across the Belgian border so as to avoid France's excessively costly ISF ("impôt sur la fortune") tax, imposed on the rich. Depardieu is not the first to ... more >
FRENCH ACTOR prefers Belgium’s climate
Waddaya know, taxes are lower there, too
In a kind of libertarian frenzy French actors are fleeing their country’s high taxation. Christian Clavier, a comedic actor who was very popular in the eighties, chose London. Before long, Gérard Depardieu, who also owns vineyards in addition to acting, will have moved to Belgium. According to Belgian daily Le Soir, the “Green Card” actor has bought property in Néchin, a village near the French ... more >
Oh what now, Gérard?
France's most famous actor lets his fists do the talking--again
Paris-A motorist pressed charges last week against France's best-known actor Gérard Depardieu ("Green Card"). According to the complaint the motorist got punched by the actor following a collision in the center of the capital. On Friday the actor admit during a radio interview to having had "a slightly disproportionate reaction." "There's a scooter, there's a car whose driver wasn't paying ... more >
Potiche
Legendary actress Catherine Deneuve shines very brightly
Catherine Deneuve, Jérémie Régnier and Gérard Depardieu
Directed by François Ozon
French actress Catherine Deneuve has never been terribly hip, thank God, but she has been consistent in popping up on the big screen year in and year out. But her career did go through a period of slouching as Deneuve seemed to be lining up one uninspiring movie role after another in the last decade. There were some courageous choices, such as Je Veux Voir, a documentary in which she travels to ... more >