Let’s say that you want to prep for an upcoming trip to France. You know a little bit of french, but don’t have a lot of practice with listening comprehension. Netflix is a great resource because pretty much all Netflix originals have French dubbing and/or subbing available. Turn on the subtitles for things you already love, and it’s basically studying!
(The French dub of Bojack Horseman is especially good.)
However, French films have a certain je ne sais quoi that’s really worth experiencing. There is no better way to understand a people than to digest their art. Art is transformative and transportative. Broaden your horizons and explore, wherever you are.
(And no, Amelie is not going to be on this list.)
10 jours en or: The Feel-Good Christmas One
What is this movie about?
This heartwarming movie follows Marc, a businessman or salesman of some sort. His job requires frequent traveling and deadlines, which doesn’t leave room for much else besides the occasional one night stand.
That all changes when a woman leaves her son in his reluctant care. Also it’s Christmas. He has to take the kid to someone, and also meet his deadline. He picks up people along the way, learns about life. If I’m being flippant in the synopsis it’s to cover up how much this movie made me cry with emotion. Not sadness, but with a bittersweet, tender, joy.
Spot the French (cinematic and cultural context):
Marc, the main character is played by Franck Dubosc, widely considered to be a french national treasure. Though he is known mostly for his roles in comedic films, this movie gives him a chance to show off his dramatic range.
The main structure of this film makes it a “road movie” or a movie in which the primary goal is to get to a destination and the plot stems from the obstacles encountered along the way and the lessons learned. This genre is really old (think: Homer’s The Odyssey) but since the 1960s has become a quintessential part of French cinema. “10 jours en or” is a great introduction to this French cinematic institution.
For fans of:
1990s movies where gruff businessmen learn how to be family men, Christmas movies that don’t fetishize the trappings of Christmas, movies where you make your own family
Marguerite: The Really Good One
What is this movie about?:
Based loosely on the true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, Marguerite changes the setting to 1920s Paris. (A more historically faithful version starring Meryl Streep also came out recently, though they are both worth seeing.) Marguerite is extremely wealthy, is obsessed with opera, but cannot sing at all. She uses her fortune to support private concerts where she also performs. This generosity means that no one has has the heart (or the nerve) to give her honest feedback. Yet, she must find out. This film is a comedy of manners, a satire of upper echelons of society and the art world, but it is never mean or malicious to Marguerite. Plus, it’s gorgeous.
Spot the French:
Ok so, this list had to include one gorgeously shot character drama, this is a list of French cinema afterall. Many of the concerts benefit war orphans or those wounded in the war. In the 1920s, art in France was thriving but the scars of WW1 ran extremely deep. Some studies suggest that there were 40% less men than women in France. The avant garde art circles were home to: the surrealist movements, absurdism, dadaism, anarchy, and women’s rights. You get to see a little of this historical context in the film, which is really cool.
For fans of:
Meryl Streep-type movies, critically acclaimed movies, period dramas, awkward situations, absurdism, symbolism, movies that will impress your film school friend, “films”
NOT for fans of:
Opera. You might be better off if you don’t know what these songs are supposed to sound like.
Ares: The French Can Do Violent Dystopian Sci-Fi Too!
Sometimes stylized “Arès”
What is this movie about?:
It’s the future and everything is dark and scary. An opening shot establishes how far things have fallen by showing - gasp - the Eiffel Tower has advertisements on video screens. You see, the economy crashed and corporations bought the country. The biggest sport is boxing and the sponsors are drug corporations who juice the athletes up. Reda, who boxes under the name “Ares”, was a mediocre boxer before leaving the sport after having a drug induced heart attack. His sister gets framed by the corporate government and in order to bribe her freedom, he must start boxing again, this time with the most dangerous sponsor yet. Plot ensues.
Spot the French:
This is a science fiction dystopian film, with lots of violence and blood. It’s also a French film. The stereotype is that French films are all about beautiful people having affairs with long shots of the pastoral countryside. Critically acclaimed films, but only interesting to film majors. While of course this isn’t true (ref: Luc Besson), there is a French sensibility in this film. Most notably, in the role that interpersonal relationships play in character motivations and generating conflict. Far from slowing the plot down, it gives a sense of immediacy to the dangers which makes for a gripping plot.
For fans of:
Science-fiction, gritty futures, boxing matches, Blades Runner, shirtless men, French films that don’t feel pretentious
He Even Has Your Eyes: How Did They Make Racism Funny?
French title: “ Il a déjà tes yeux” which translates directly to the English title.
What is this movie about?
Married French-African couple Paul and Sali have just opened their flower shop when they get the good news. Their years of waiting for a child are over; they have been approved for an adoption. The only problem is that the prospective child is white. They don’t care but everyone else in their life does, from the social worker to Sali’s immigrant parents. It’s a cheery and lighthearted comedy.
Spot the French:
This is a film in which the comedy comes from racial tensions in France. France has a sizeable non-white population in large part due to a legacy of colonialism. Racism does exist in France, but it’s a bit different than what we picture in America. This uncomfortable legacy in France is something that the French are still dealing with. For context: Algeria didn’t gain its independence until the 1960s, the same time the Beatles were in America.
The subject of this film is inherently political in nature, but light-hearted in tone. The writer-director actually co-stars in this film as the husband Paul. More focus is given to micro-aggressions than to acts of overt discrimination, like how the mother is assumed to be the nanny, even by the other nannies. This close-mindedness is not shown to be malicious nor just stemming from the white French. While this shouldn’t be considered the definitive representation of what it’s like to be a French person of color, it’s a really sweet and funny look at France from a French perspective, though one we may not be used to.
For fans of: bright colors, sweet and supportive couples, quirky shenanigans, funny (grand-)parents
West Coast: Little Rascals meets Notorious B.I.G.
What is this movie about?
Four French kids learn about life and the bonds of friendship while navigating that awkward stage of adolescence between youthful earnestness and disaffected angst. They are friends seemingly because of their shared love for American “gansta rap” and street culture. That they live in a small sleepy seaside town in Western France isn’t a problem.
Spot the French:
The plot of the film nominally revolves around the group’s attempt to recover the gun that they “borrowed” from one member’s dad. During the film I was very tense, expecting it to go off and the film to change tone and direction very suddenly. However, Chekov can take the day off.
There isn’t gun culture in the same way in France, and so, the gun is treated with as much seriousness as the baseball in The Sandlot. This can be explained in some part by the boys consuming the media that they have, but the reactions in general are not the same as if the plot was set in America.
This is a good general note for the film: it is not America-centric in perspective. Though it is about four boys who are obsessed with a very specific subculture of America, it’s really about what it’s like to grow up in France, and a part of France that is not Paris.
For fans of:
Stoner comedies, coming of age stories, Bo Burnham movies, The Sandlot
I Am Not An Easy Man
French title: “Je ne suis pas un homme facile” which means the same as the english title, literally “I am not an easy man”.
What is this movie about?
A deeply, irreverently feminist fish-out-of water story with a romantic comedy at its heart. Damien is an unabashed chauvinist and playboy until one day he bonks his head on a road sign for “Father Lachaise Cemetery”. Upon waking up he sees the sign over him reading “Mother Lachaise Cemetery”. Imaginative, funny, insightful, and ultimately sweet. Men will probably laugh because of how ridiculous it seems, women will probably laugh because of how relatable it is.
Spot the Feminism:
This film could have been handled incredibly poorly, but it succeeds largely in part to how deeply and fully realized this world is. From TV advertisements to background extras, everything is consistent and goes beyond superficial gender commentary. There’s a blink and you’ll miss it reference to a male #MeToo movement in this world. Damien is curled up in a robe on his couch watching a movie on tv, which we get to see a part of. The movie within the film is shot with the “female gaze”, as the camera lingers and roves over the male form. This dedication lends the “gender flip” a lot of credibility, which makes it easy to accept the world of the film. It also lends credibility to the director as someone who has carefully considered almost every aspect of this world, and by extension, our own.
For fans of:
Blazers, women in suits, high concept comedies, rom-coms, women with short hair, men’s legs.
A Very Secret Service: Mad Men + Archer
French title: “Au Service de la France” which means “In the service of France”
What is this series about?
In the opening scene, André Merlaux awakens, strapped to a chair, in his underwear. He is asked a series of questions to ascertain his loyalty to France, and then he is inducted into France’s top spy agency. This slightly surreal, slightly Monty Python esque introduction sets the tone for this droll workplace comedy about being a spy, killing people, and getting your expense reports in on time.
Spot the French:
Too much to count. The 1960s was an extremely influential decade for many countries, and France was no exception. At home, the Women’s Liberation movement was becoming visible. French colonies were agitating for independence and the Cold War was well underway. Nazis and Nazi sympathizers were still being searched for. It was a very delicate and politically complex time for France. This series is a good overview of this, though of course, it’s a comedy first.
For fans of:
Dry Humor, Get Smart (the TV show), light political comedy, physical comedy, absurdism, Monty Python
Call My Agent!: The Devil Wears Prada + Bojack Horseman
French title: “Dix pour cent”, which means “ten percent”, as in the ten percent that is the standard agent fee.
What is this series about?
Several agents at a top Paris film agency and their struggles to keep their clients happy as well as navigate their own complicated personal lives.
Spot the French:
This series is the most realistic and contemporary of all the works on this list, and it’s pretty cool. The fashion is exactly what urban French people wear, so if you are wondering what to pack for your next trip, this is a good guide.
For fans of:
the sartorial eye of The Devil Wears Prada, the overworked talent agent cat of Bojack Horseman, wry commentary on showbusiness.
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