French cinema VU
by johannrousselot | created - 13 Mar 2018 | updated - 10 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Delicatessen (1991)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Crime
Post-apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who occasionally prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants.
Directors: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Marie-Laure Dougnac, Dominique Pinon, Pascal Benezech, Jean-Claude Dreyfus
Votes: 90,063 | Gross: $1.79M
2. A Monkey in Winter (1962)
105 min | Comedy, Drama
Albert is an inn owner who vowed never to drink again if he and his wife survived the war. They did, and the reformed alcoholic keeps his vow. But times have changed and soon after the war,... See full summary »
Director: Henri Verneuil | Stars: Jean Gabin, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Suzanne Flon, Gabrielle Dorziat
Votes: 3,313
3. The Sicilian Clan (1969)
GP | 122 min | Crime, Drama
An ambitious young mobster plans an elaborate diamond heist while seducing the daughter of a ruthless mob patriarch as a determined police commissioner closes in on all of them.
Director: Henri Verneuil | Stars: Jean Gabin, Alain Delon, Lino Ventura, Irina Demick
Votes: 9,153 | Gross: $3.00M
4. Life Is a Long Quiet River (1988)
90 min | Comedy
A revengeful nurse switches a girl and a boy at birth. They are raised in two radically different families. When the switch is revealed many years later, the now teenagers and families need to cope with their new environments.
Director: Étienne Chatiliez | Stars: Benoît Magimel, Hélène Vincent, Valérie Lalande, Tara Römer
Votes: 4,723 | Gross: $0.19M
5. Breathless (1960)
Not Rated | 90 min | Crime, Drama
A small-time crook, hunted by the authorities for a car theft and the murder a police officer, attempts to persuade a hip American journalism student to run away with him to Italy.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Van Doude, Jean-Luc Godard
Votes: 87,951 | Gross: $0.34M
6. Crooks in Clover (1963)
105 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A dying mob boss hands over his business to an old friend, Fernand. The boss' assistants want to get rid of the latter. But are the Volfoni brothers and Théo real threats? Ensuing fights and shootouts are more comical than deadly.
Director: Georges Lautner | Stars: Lino Ventura, Bernard Blier, Francis Blanche, Claude Rich
Votes: 6,594
7. The Prey (2011)
R | 105 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Bank-robber Franck Adrien is serving a prison sentence after robbing a national bank. Before he was caught he managed to hide the money but now it's not just the police who are looking for ... See full summary »
Director: Eric Valette | Stars: Albert Dupontel, Alice Taglioni, Stéphane Debac, Sergi López
Votes: 5,857 | Gross: $0.01M
8. Read My Lips (2001)
R | 115 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
She is almost deaf and he lip-reads. He is an ex-convict. She wants to help him. He thinks no one can help except himself.
Director: Jacques Audiard | Stars: Vincent Cassel, Emmanuelle Devos, Olivier Gourmet, Olivier Perrier
Votes: 16,464 | Gross: $1.36M
9. La Femme Nikita (1990)
R | 117 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Convicted felon Nikita isn't going to jail; she's given a new identity and trained, stylishly, as a top secret spy/assassin.
Director: Luc Besson | Stars: Anne Parillaud, Marc Duret, Patrick Fontana, Alain Lathière
Votes: 76,445 | Gross: $5.02M
10. Ridicule (1996)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, History
To get royal backing on a needed drainage project, a poor French lord must learn to play the delicate games of wit at court at Versailles.
Director: Patrice Leconte | Stars: Charles Berling, Jean Rochefort, Fanny Ardant, Judith Godrèche
Votes: 8,183 | Gross: $2.50M
11. A Prophet (2009)
R | 155 min | Crime, Drama
A delinquent Muslim man struggles to get by in prison until he is taken under the wing of a powerful mob boss. But his gradual rise through the mob's ranks brings him in conflict with his mentor.
Director: Jacques Audiard | Stars: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Reda Kateb
Votes: 102,197 | Gross: $2.08M
12. Bernie (1996)
87 min | Comedy, Drama
A 30 year old orphan finds his life's official version hard to swallow. His parents couldn't possibly have abandoned him in a trash can as a baby. No, they were victims of a mafia plot and today, if they're still alive, they need his help.
Director: Albert Dupontel | Stars: Claude Perron, Albert Dupontel, Roland Blanche, Hélène Vincent
Votes: 4,038
13. Irreversible (2002)
Not Rated | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Events over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order as the beautiful Alex is brutally raped and beaten by a stranger in an underpass tunnel.
Director: Gaspar Noé | Stars: Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel, Philippe Nahon
Votes: 147,699 | Gross: $0.75M
14. My Night at Maud's (1969)
GP | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A devout Catholic man's rigid principles are challenged during a one-night stay with Maud, a divorced woman with an outsize personality.
Director: Éric Rohmer | Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Françoise Fabian, Marie-Christine Barrault, Antoine Vitez
Votes: 14,554
15. Pardon Mon Affaire (1976)
PG | 105 min | Comedy, Romance
As loyal as a dove, a family man is about to tell his first lie to his wife when he falls for an enchanting woman in a billowy red dress. With a bit of help, he just might get what he wishes for; however, is love always a bed of roses?
Director: Yves Robert | Stars: Jean Rochefort, Claude Brasseur, Guy Bedos, Victor Lanoux
Votes: 2,354
16. Monsieur Hire (1989)
PG-13 | 81 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A recluse is accused of murdering a young woman simply because his neighbors think he is strange.
Director: Patrice Leconte | Stars: Michel Blanc, Sandrine Bonnaire, Luc Thuillier, André Wilms
Votes: 7,137 | Gross: $1.42M
17. Far from Men (2014)
PG-13 | 101 min | Drama, War
Algeria, 1954. Two very different men thrown together by a world in turmoil are forced to flee across the Atlas mountains. Daru, the reclusive teacher, has to escort Mohamed, a villager accused of murder.
Director: David Oelhoffen | Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Reda Kateb, Djemel Barek, Vincent Martin
Votes: 8,812
18. Pierrot the Fool (1965)
Not Rated | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Pierrot escapes his boring society and travels from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea with Marianne, a girl chased by hit-men from Algeria. They lead an unorthodox life, always on the run.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Anna Karina, Graziella Galvani, Aicha Abadir
Votes: 36,951
19. The Bohemian Life (1992)
Not Rated | 103 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Three struggling artists try to make passable livings in Paris despite setbacks and tragedies.
Director: Aki Kaurismäki | Stars: Matti Pellonpää, Evelyne Didi, André Wilms, Kari Väänänen
Votes: 6,429
20. Carne (1991)
40 min | Short, Crime, Drama
After a dreadful incident coupled with an ungovernable paroxysm of violence, a butcher will fall into a downward spiral that will burn to the ground whatever dignity still remained in him.
Director: Gaspar Noé | Stars: Philippe Nahon, Blandine Lenoir, Frankie Pain, Marie Berto
Votes: 7,843
21. La haine (1995)
Not Rated | 98 min | Crime, Drama
24 hours in the lives of three young men in the French suburbs the day after a violent riot.
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz | Stars: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, Abdel Ahmed Ghili
Votes: 196,540 | Gross: $0.31M
22. Three Colors: Red (1994)
R | 99 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
A model discovers a retired judge is keen on invading people's privacy.
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski | Stars: Irène Jacob, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Frédérique Feder, Jean-Pierre Lorit
Votes: 110,035 | Gross: $4.04M
23. Three Colors: White (1994)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After his wife divorces him, a Polish immigrant plots to get even with her.
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski | Stars: Zbigniew Zamachowski, Julie Delpy, Janusz Gajos, Jerzy Stuhr
Votes: 79,633 | Gross: $1.46M
24. Three Colors: Blue (1993)
R | 94 min | Drama, Music, Mystery
A woman struggles to find a way to live her life after the death of her husband and child.
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski | Stars: Juliette Binoche, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Julie Delpy, Benoît Régent
Votes: 110,524 | Gross: $1.32M
25. What's in a Name? (2012)
PG | 109 min | Comedy, Drama
Vincent is about to become a father. At a meeting with childhood friends he announces the name for his future son. The scandalous name ignites a discussion which surfaces unpleasant matters from the past of the group.
Directors: Alexandre de La Patellière, Matthieu Delaporte | Stars: Patrick Bruel, Valérie Benguigui, Charles Berling, Guillaume de Tonquédec
Votes: 18,314
26. Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (1978)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A worried husband finds a lover for his depressed wife, but she falls in love with a bullied thirteen-year-old math prodigy and wants to have the boy's baby.
Director: Bertrand Blier | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Carole Laure, Patrick Dewaere, Michel Serrault
Votes: 4,286
27. Ménage (1986)
84 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A bisexual petty criminal named Bob encounters a married couple arguing in a bar. Bob breaks up the fight and proceeds to seduce first the wife and then the husband. Then Bob teaches the ... See full summary »
Director: Bertrand Blier | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Michel Blanc, Miou-Miou, Michel Creton
Votes: 3,612 | Gross: $0.93M
28. Young Ahmed (2019)
85 min | Drama
A Belgian teenager hatches a plot to kill his teacher after embracing an extremist interpretation of the Quran.
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne | Stars: Idir Ben Addi, Olivier Bonnaud, Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck
Votes: 4,703
29. The Promise (1996)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama
Roger uses his son Igor to ruthlessly traffic and exploit undocumented immigrants. When one of the immigrants is killed, Igor is guilt-ridden and wants to care for the dead man's family against his father's orders.
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne | Stars: Jérémie Renier, Olivier Gourmet, Assita Ouedraogo, Jean-Michel Balthazar
Votes: 8,538 | Gross: $0.45M
30. The Kid with a Bike (2011)
PG-13 | 87 min | Drama
Abandoned by his father, a young boy is left in a state-run youth farm. In a random act of kindness, the town hairdresser agrees to foster him on weekends.
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne | Stars: Thomas Doret, Cécile de France, Jérémie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione
Votes: 28,644 | Gross: $1.38M
31. Capital (2012)
R | 114 min | Drama
The newly appointed CEO of a giant European investment bank works to hold on to his power when an American hedge fund company tries to buy out his company.
Director: Costa-Gavras | Stars: Gad Elmaleh, Gabriel Byrne, Liya Kebede, Natacha Régnier
Votes: 5,581 | Gross: $0.10M
32. Sink or Swim (2018)
121 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
A depressed man joins a synchronized swimming team made up of middle aged men.
Director: Gilles Lellouche | Stars: Mathieu Amalric, Guillaume Canet, Benoît Poelvoorde, Jean-Hugues Anglade
Votes: 11,953
33. Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013)
NC-17 | 180 min | Drama, Romance
Adèle's life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire and to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adèle grows, seeks herself, loses herself, and ultimately finds herself through love and loss.
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche | Stars: Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Salim Kechiouche, Aurélien Recoing
Votes: 163,100 | Gross: $2.20M
34. Two Days, One Night (2014)
PG-13 | 95 min | Drama
Liège, Belgium. Sandra is a factory worker who discovers that her workmates have opted for a EUR1,000 bonus in exchange for her dismissal. She has only a weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses in order to keep her job.
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne | Stars: Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, Catherine Salée, Baptiste Sornin
Votes: 50,544 | Gross: $1.44M
35. The Unknown Girl (2016)
Unrated | 113 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A doctor gets obsessed with the case of a dead woman after learning that the woman had died shortly after having rung her door for help.
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne | Stars: Adèle Haenel, Olivier Bonnaud, Jérémie Renier, Louka Minnella
Votes: 10,340 | Gross: $0.15M
36. Micmacs (2009)
R | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A man and his friends come up with an intricate and original plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers.
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Nicolas Marié, Yolande Moreau
Votes: 31,268 | Gross: $1.26M
37. Bye Bye Morons (2020)
87 min | Comedy, Drama
A seriously-ill woman tries to find her long-lost child with the help of a man in the middle of a burnout and a blind archivist.
Director: Albert Dupontel | Stars: Virginie Efira, Albert Dupontel, Nicolas Marié, Jackie Berroyer
Votes: 6,833
38. Too Beautiful for You (1989)
R | 91 min | Drama, Romance
A sharp love triangle is formed by a wealthy businessman.
Director: Bertrand Blier | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Josiane Balasko, Carole Bouquet, François Cluzet
Votes: 3,020 | Gross: $1.78M
39. Shéhérazade (2018)
TV-MA | 109 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
Zachary, 17 years old, gets out of jail. Rejected by his mother, he hangs out in the mean streets of Marseille. This is where he meets Shéhérazade.
Director: Jean-Bernard Marlin | Stars: Dylan Robert, Kenza Fortas, Idir Azougli, Lisa Amedjout
Votes: 2,658
40. Divines (2016)
105 min | Crime, Drama
A street teenager from a dysfunctional family from a banlieue (HLMs) in Paris comes across a young dancer who turns her life upside down.
Director: Houda Benyamina | Stars: Oulaya Amamra, Déborah Lukumuena, Kévin Mischel, Jisca Kalvanda
Votes: 10,525
41. Faubourg 36 (2008)
PG-13 | 120 min | Drama, Music, Musical
When Chansonia, a nightclub, is shut down by the landlord, the stage manager Pigoil is forced to look for a new job. He finds hope when he discovers a young woman with a lovely singing voice.
Director: Christophe Barratier | Stars: Gérard Jugnot, Clovis Cornillac, Kad Merad, Nora Arnezeder
Votes: 2,935 | Gross: $0.85M
42. Je l'aimais (2009)
113 min | Drama, Romance
Someone I loved (Je L'Aimais) is based on the best-selling novel by Anna Gavalda. It's the story of Pierre (Daniel Auteuil), who takes his daughter-in-law, Chloe (Florence Loiret Caille) ... See full summary »
Director: Zabou Breitman | Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Marie-Josée Croze, Florence Loiret Caille, Christiane Millet
Votes: 1,304
43. The Dandelions (2012)
Not Rated | 89 min | Comedy, Drama
Rachel, shy little 9 year old, loved by her father and stifled by a possessive mother, meets Valérie, a fearless and shameless girl of her age. With her new friend, she engages to profanity, indecency and nonsense, and opens up to life.
Director: Carine Tardieu | Stars: Agnès Jaoui, Denis Podalydès, Isabelle Carré, Isabella Rossellini
Votes: 1,085
44. Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train (1998)
122 min | Drama, Romance
Friends of a recently deceased minor painter Jean-Baptiste take a train in Paris for Limoges, where he wished to be buried, and all the people on the train have their problems.
Director: Patrice Chéreau | Stars: Pascal Greggory, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Charles Berling, Jean-Louis Trintignant
Votes: 1,999 | Gross: $0.06M
45. Aaltra (2004)
Not Rated | 92 min | Comedy, Drama
In this pitch black comedy the rivalry between two neighbors escalates into an all out war. Through a maintenance error on a tractor they both end up, paralyzed, in a wheelchair. It seems ... See full summary »
Directors: Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern | Stars: Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern, Michel de Gavre, Gérard Condejean
Votes: 2,959
46. The Spanish Apartment (2002)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A strait-laced French student moves into an apartment in Barcelona with a cast of six other characters from all over Europe. Together, they speak the international language of love and friendship.
Director: Cédric Klapisch | Stars: Romain Duris, Judith Godrèche, Kelly Reilly, Audrey Tautou
Votes: 42,790 | Gross: $3.90M
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