french cinema – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

ALL YOU NEED TO MAKE A MOVIE IS A GIRL AND A GUN – Jean-Luc Godard. Paris, 1959.

There are some things I will never understand. This movie may be one of them. But some things I cannot fully make sense of will still stand stand out as being innovative, artistic and surreal. This movie was the opening film at VIFF…about a film…that’s a bit vague (for lack of a better word). Visually it is stunning, filmed in all black and white. It’s also a true story and the original film Breathless went on to win several awards.

Nouvelle Vague stands for French New Wave, which was an influential film movement in France from the late 1950’s to the early 1960’s that rejected traditional filmmaking conventions through experimental techniques like jump cuts, location shooting, and handheld cameras. A direct response against the formulaic and studio-controlled films of the time, which focused on strong, easy-to-follow narratives. This type of filmmaking is a “go with whatever flow” method and has a kind of film noir imaging – creating a more immediate and spontaneous feel.

The low-budget, documentary-style approach of this film speaks to me, because now I don’t feel so bad about my trial and error, guerrilla-style, unprofessional YouTube (~~not telling you about it right now~~) channel where I am director, etc.

Directed by Richard Linklater (included in Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world), it is fresh and compelling. It follows the true story of Swiss intellectual Jean-Luc Godard as he makes a movie starring American starlet Jean Seberg (who speaks French with an American accent) and boxer Jean Paul Belmondo.

The primary pioneers of the French New Wave were film critics and future directors François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Éric Rohmer, Claude Chabrol, and Jacques Rivette.

He’ll write it as they make it. A bout de souffle… Breathless… will change everything (from the VIFF guide).

Don’t think about getting any clarity in this one and forget about continuity – it is what it is! Love it or hate it – it will leave you feeling a little breathless. See original trailer below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAuqDI4EAl4

From “New Voices/New Visions” category at PSIFF

But I think there’s no need to explain the ~~only~~ main reason why I chose this film. It takes place in a luxury shoe factory! I mean if I were to work in a factory…..It’s fun and it’s whimsical but La La Land it is not.

It centers on Julie (played by Pauline Etienne “The Tokyo Fiancée”), a young woman who is trying hard to make ends meet and ends up taking a trial position in an upscale shoe factory where she works packaging up shoes in the shipping department. After a short period of time it appears the business will be either substantially downsized, sold or moved offshore for cheaper costs. Julie’s co-workers will stop at nothing to keep their positions.

Julie joins in a song and dance number with the group of female co-workers responsible for making the shoes in a protest to the proposed change. They end up raiding the shoe archives to discover a well-designed retro model in RED which they decide to revive to save the renowned brand and keep it from going to China. In doing so they stir up intrigue and interest.

Ahhh, you’ve got to love the French. This is my third French film in a row and I think mostly I’m drawn to these films because one of my best friends growing up in Montreal was very French from France. She was daring, beautiful, lots of fun and had an unbelievably bad temper if she didn’t get her way. I can sympathize.

Some newer red shoes I happen to like
shoes1 shoes2 And if you go boating (or want to look like you go boating) these from Gucci are pretty nice. shoes3 Vive la France!