Don’t Look Back (2009)

A French film with the title “Ne Te Retourne Pas”, a very odd and confusing psychodrama that had me intrigued but positively bewildered throughout. I suppose though, this is what makes it such a good film. I was captivated, I needed to watch it all and find out what was going on. If i’m honest, I still don’t really know and I won’t give away any clues anyway for those who are yet to see it, and I would recommend you do. It is rather exciting without the action and adventure that is usually required to cause such emotion.

Well made, if a little over written and therefore unclear in conclusion, but as I say, it is in this that makes it so very interesting. Some very intriguing visual effects, subtly introduced to aid the uncovering of the plot rather than be an attention of the movie itself.

It is French so subtitles to the ready, but it is worth the effort to see this.

Le Concert (2009)

A film of much beauty and emotion yet with humour to boot. This being a Russian/ French film telling the story of a make-shift Russian orchestra lead by the renowned conducter Andreï Filipov (Alexeï Guskov) thirty years after his concert was halted for hiring Jewish musicians.

The presentation is wonderful with some very captivating photography whilst the entertaining narrative keeps flow through the entire two hours. The music is tremendous and the central musical influence of the film is Tchaikovsky for it is a part of the plot. The lasting scene at the end is one of the most constant and lasting closing scenes I have seen in a feature. As the climax is the the concert that we see the creation of, it is only right that it holds the lasting note.

I have no complaints about this piece, it goes straight into my top 10 foreign language films.

Priceless (2006)

A French film (actual title Hors de Prix). Yes this film is years old, but I watched it on BBC the other day and it tickled me. A typical love story of a gold-digger who falls for a hotel barman who pretends to be a wealthy guest as not to lose his job.  As a result Irene (Audrey Tautou) loses her ‘sugar daddy’ and tries to make Jean (Gad Elmaleh) realise what she has given up for a silly night of passion with him. Jean then becomes the toy boy of some wealthy woman in another hotel and the two have some fun reaping the rewards of their gold-digging. In the end they realise that they cannot be without each-other so choose to leave their easy lives for the wealth of love instead.

Though that all sounds like any cinematic love story, the movie itself is fun and overall charming. It makes me wish I had the audacity to be a toy-boy, or the opportunity at least. It is a fun watch, seeing the manipulation of the wealthy as each party tries to get what they can from the relationship. The wealthy want the companion, the gold-digger wants the gold. Such fun.

Good locations, great acting by Audrey Tautou. I liked it, I think my mother would as well.