10 Outstanding French Films You've Probably Never Heard Of
9. 35 Shots Of Rhums (2008) - Claire Denis
One of France's most exciting current filmmakers, Claire Denis has illustrated herself with films as diverse as her dark cannibalism tragicomedy Trouble Every Day and her minimalistic reflection on the lasting traces of French colonialism in Africa in White Material. 35 Shots Of Rhum, however, distinguishes itself by an astonishingly rich and complex portrayal of human beings that humbles you with its generosity. Widowed Antillean train conductor Lionel and his daughter Joséphine live together in a modest apartment in a working-class Parisian suburb. Occasionally, they go out to eat and drink with long-time friends and neighbours. But Joséphine has grown up, and Lionel is all too aware that the life they have shared together for so long is slowly coming to an end, precipitated by the growing attraction between Joséphine and a drifting young orphan named Noé. With intoxicating warm colors, Denis captures these peoples' lives with a vivacity and compassion of such overwhelming honesty and power that you feel like you've known them all your life from the first 10 minutes. Rather than guide you from point to point, the film embarks you on a slow journey with characters as real and complicated as real human beings get.
I have been a film student for over 4 years, and an insatiable cinephile for even longer. I try to keep my mind as open as possible, so my tastes can range from mainstream masters such as Alfred Hitchcock or Steven Spielberg to independent artists such as Abbas Kiarostami and John Cassavetes. I am also a big fan of video games with customizable characters and/or dialogue choices and the ability to influence the plot by the character's decisions. As such, my favourite video games are "Saints Row 2", "Dragon Age: Origins", "Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic", "Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic II: The Sith Lords" and the "Mass Effect" trilogy. Aside from that, I also enjoy "Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne" and have fond memories of "Rayman 2: The Great Escape" and the original "Tomb Raider" games.
