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Julien Doré Bichon 2007 Nouvelle Star (a.k.a. French “Idol”) winner Julien Doré plays guitar and ukulele on his second album, Bichon—a title chosen to reflect the album’s animalistic side. Eclectic and uninhibited, Doré spent three years crafting these songs packed with whimsy and innuendo. Not one to take things too seriously, he thanks his couch in the acknowledgements and pokes fun at pop-culture figures such as Glenn Close and Bon Jovi. In an album highlight, Françoise Hardy lends her voice to the sexy duet “BB Baleine,” a nod to whales and... Brigitte Bardot? Anybody’s guess. (Sony BMG)
Stéphane Grappelli Plays Jerome Kern Jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli (1908-1997) toured and recorded music—his “fountain of youth”— well into his eighties. The largely self-taught French/Italian musician is best known for creating the Hot Club of France quintet with Django Reinhardt. This compilation of his interpretations of early 20th-century composer Jerome Kern showcases Grappelli’s smooth and inventive takes on familiar standards such as “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Ol’ Man River.” (Just a Memory Records)
ILLEGAL (2010) Belgian actress Anne Coesens gives a transformative performance as Tania, an illegal Russian immigrant who lives an isolated life in constant fear of discovery, with no other family but her adolescent son. During a routine police check, she is arrested and taken to a detention center, where she endures inhuman treatment. With no easy way out, she begins a perilous journey to return to her son. Director Olivier Masset-Depasse became interested in the subject after learning of a center close to his home. He began traveling there with a human rights lawyer to get an idea of what life was like on the inside. The film was honored with the Director’s Fortnight Award during its world premiere at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. (Film Movement)
GLASSY-EYED (2009) French director Frédéric Compain’s short film provides a revealing look at the artwork of American figurative artist Bill Utermohlen (1933-2007). Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1995, Utermohlen continued to paint for another 10 years, even after he lost his ability to speak. Compain explores Utermohlen’s unique artistic process of assembling a figure with photos and drawings from multiple points of view, as well as the later impact of his illness on his work. The film also includes interviews with the painter’s wife, art historian Patricia Utermohlen, shot in the home the couple shared. (Icarus Films)
ZAZIE DANS LE MÉTRO (1960) & BLACK MOON (1975) Two films from beloved Nouvelle Vague director Louis Malle have been digitally restored and updated with archival footage and interviews. Zazie dans le métro stars Catherine Demongeot as a young girl ready for an adventure as she spends a weekend in Paris with her uncle (Philippe Noiret). The high-energy film, packed with tricks and special effects, was adapted from a popular Raymond Queneau novel. Malle’s lesser-known Black Moon channels Lewis Carroll—talking animals appear—as it explores the fantasy world of a young woman taking refuge in the countryside during an unnamed war. (Criterion Collection)
KORKORO The Roma Holocaust led to the death of half a million European gypsies during World War II. French director Tony Gatlif, working with historians and limited archival documentation, has now made the first film on the subject. Korkoro shares the struggle of a fictional family traveling through France to work on the grape harvest. Faced abruptly with the horrors of German occupation—their property is stolen and they are taken to a deportation camp—the family’s fate seems sealed. Two sympathetic neighbors come to their aid, obtaining their release and providing permanent housing, but this new way of life proves challenging to their nomadic spirit. Actor James Thiérrée (Charlie Chaplin’s grandson) gives a tour de force performance as Taloche, based on a Belgian gypsy who died in a Polish concentration camp. Select screenings. (Lorber Films)
GAINSBOURG: A HEROIC LIFE Written and directed by Joann Sfar (better known for his Donjon comic book series), Gainsbourg, A Heroic Life recently garnered Césars for Best First Film, Best Actor (Serge look-alike Eric Elmosnino) and Best Sound. Inventive and daring, the film combines elements of animation and puppetry, chronicling the French icon’s journey from misfit to music star. His numerous leading ladies—Juliette Gréco (Anna Mouglalis), Brigitte Bardot (Laetitia Casta) and Jane Birkin (the late Lucy Gordon)—also grace the screen. Packed with Gainsbourg’s music, the film will likely inspire a new generation of fans. Slated release: August 31 (Music Box Films)
THE NAMES OF LOVE Opposites attract in The Names of Love, a romantic comedy starring Sara Forestier and Jacques Gamblin as Baya Benmahoud and Arthur Martin. Baya is an energetic young French-Algerian hippie who uses sex to convert conservatives to her causes, while Arthur is a middle-aged veterinary scientist specializing in bird-borne illnesses. The unlikely pair ooze natural chemistry and bond over their complicated family histories, impacted respectively by the Algerian War and Vichy. Director and writer Michel Leclerc brings humor and insight to such topics as Arab-Jewish relations, immigration, and cultural and racial identity. Forestier snagged the 2011 Best Actress César for her performance. Slated release: July 15 (Music Box Films)
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