focus on French language films

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3 Films by Louis Malle Few directors have portrayed the agonies and epiphanies of growing up as poetically – and scandalously – as Louis Malle. Laced with autobiographical details, Murmur of the Heart; Lacombe, Lucien; and Au revoir les enfants tell stories of youth, set against the tumult of World War II and postwar France. Controversial, tragic…    more      36 Fillette While on a camping vacation with her family, 14-year-old Lili sets out to lose her virginity. She pursues for her first lover Maurice, a 40-year-old computer salesman, but "at the moment of truth," she's assailed by lingering doubts. Alternately aggressive and resistant, Lili confuses herself and frustrates Maurice as she tries to make up her mind…    more      5 x 2 Focusing on the failed relationship of a thirtysomething couple, French director Francois Ozon (SWIMMING POOL, UNDER THE SAND) organizes this film into five chapters they shared together. In backwards chronology, the first chapter of Marion (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) and Gilles's (Stephane Freiss) story has them signing divorce papers…    more      A Louvre Treasure: Awakening Apollo This documentary beautifully captures the amazing process of restoring the Louvre's gorgeous Apollo Gallery to its original glory, undoing years of water damage and accumulated grime. In 2002, 60 highly trained experts used their unusual skills and an impressive amount of sheer effort to carefully rehabilitate one of the world-famous…    more      A Man and a Woman While visiting their children at boarding school, handsome race car driver Jean-Louis meets movie script-girl Anne, a slightly sullen but beautiful widow. A widower himself, Jean-Louis discovers he and Anne have quite a bit in common. Remembering for the first time what it's like to feel overwhelmed by passion, they begin a rapturous…    more      A Man Escaped This compelling, thrilling tale of courage and faith recounts a Resistance fighter's daring escape from a Nazi prison, just hours before he was to be executed. Based on a true story, the film meticulously details Lieutenant Fontaine's preparations for escape. With stealth and precision, he puts into action a plan as suspenseful as anything…    more