Monday 9 March 2009

Modern life is not rubbish


Over the weekend I enjoyed preview discs of two cracking new French film releases.

Modern Life
(pictured) is a masterful study of the erosion of farming communities in the Auvergne. Director Raymond Depardon is from the area and his film oozes love and respect for his subjects. One thing I noticed was that the men interviewed were generally dejected and, well, knackered, while the women by their sides were smiling and upbeat in spite of the harshness of rural life. Not sure what to read into that. Anyway, it's on general release from April 3rd.

I found the 1970s-set thriller Rivals equally compelling. It's a moral fable, with impeccable period costumes and soundtrack, about two brothers on either side of the law and stars Guillaume Canet (director of Tell No One) and François Cluzet. It's out on DVD March 30th.

You can read the full reviews in the next issue of French Magazine, which goes on sale early April. You can subscribe here.

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