Our February Selection of French Films on TV5MONDE Cinema on Demand
Throughout February, TV5MONDE Cinema On Demand is celebrating love in all its forms! From the romantic comedy Le retour du héros, starring Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin alongside award-winning actress Mélanie Laurent, to the poignant drama Plein sud, featuring Léa Séydoux in one of her breakout roles, viewers can enjoy a selection of heartwarming cinema all month long.
Le retour du héros (2018)
In French with English subtitles. Available beginning February 22
A deliciously sharp comedy with a romantic setting and spectacularly entertaining character chemistry between Jean Dujardin and Mélanie Laurent.
To save her sister from heartbreak, Elisabeth writes fake love letters from her sister's lousy fiancé, Captain Neuville, who left for the Napoleonic Wars, but Elisabeth's secret is threatened when Neuville suddenly returns.
“The main pleasure here is the sparky chemistry between Laurent's screwball-style smart cookie heroine and Dujardin's lovable rogue.- Observer UK
Directed by: Laurent Tirard
Cast: Mélanie Laurent, Jean Dujardin, Noémie Merlant
Genre: Comedy
Luna (2018)
In French with English subtitles. Available beginning February 1st
Within a deeper look at the purity of the French countryside vs. the machismo of the urban suburbs, Laetitia Clément does a beautiful job of embodying a young girl in the middle of it all, grappling with a dark secret.
During a night of drunken revelry, Luna and her friends attack a young stranger for amusement. When the stranger takes a new job at Luna's work without recognizing her, Luna must grapple with some tough decisions.
“Balancing the tempos and climates of the various episodes of the plot carefully... Elsa Diringer excels at giving her protagonists identities and a certain veracity" - Cineuropa
Directed by: Elsa Diringer
Cast: Laetitia Clément, Rod Paradot, Lyna Khoudri
Genre: Drama
Un homme à la hauteur (2016)
In French with English subtitles. Available beginning February 22
A rom-com with a twist. Un homme à la hauteur is a whimsical love story for anyone who's felt a bit different and is in need of some cheering up by Jean Dujardin's famous toothy grin.
Diane, a brilliant lawyer who is recently divorced, finds unexpected love over the phone, but when she finally meets her mystery man in person, she is surprised to learn his is not what she had envisioned.
“Dujardin and Efira are both charming and beautiful, and the film glistens in its breezy cobblestoned scenery." - Globe and Mail
Directed by: Laurent Tirard
Cast: Jean Dujardin, Virginie Efira, Cédric Kahn
Genre: Comedy
L'amour est un crime parfait (2014)
In French with English subtitles. Available beginning February 8
Never one to shy away from intense roles, Mathieu Almaric plays a mysterious, intelligent and unpredictable ladies' man. The Larrieux brothers lead us on a roller coaster ride of emotions and plot twists.
Marc is a literature professor at the University of Lusanne known for having affairs with his female students. When he discovers his latest fling dead in his bed, Marc panics and hides the body.
“It boasts excellent technical credits and some fine acting, nods and winks to Hitchcock, and more than its fair share of dark gyrations and shady femme fatales." - Screen Daily
Directed by: Arnaud Larrieu, Jean-Marie Larrieu
Cast: Mathieu Amalric, Karin Viard, Maiwenn
Genre: Drama
À coeur ouvert (2012)
In French with English subtitles. Available beginning February 15
Binoche and Ramirez radiate true passion as their one of a kind, thrill ride of a relationship unravels in a most gripping way.
Mila and Javier are open-heart surgeons who have been married for 10 years. They live life passionately, but when Mila becomes pregnant she worries for her baby's safety as Javier's drinking escalates.
"Binoche and Ramirez manage to master several unavoidably extreme, emotionally-charged sequences, and dynamic editing using ellipses and jump cuts successfully conveys a constant power struggle between hope and suffering." ICineurop
Directed by: Marion Laine
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Edgar Ramirez, Hippolyte Girardot
Genre: Drama
Plein sud (2009)
In French with English subtitles. Available beginning February 15
A good option if you've just finished Harmony Korine's 2012 Spring Breakers and you're aching for something just as racy, riveting, and bikini-clad.
While struggling with his troubled past, Sam sets off on a seemingly aimless journey to the south of France. Along the way, he picks up a brother and sister duo dealing with their own troubles
“Lifshitz tells the story in a dreamlike summer haze of sunshine, sexuality and bronzed bodies.” – Screen Daily
Directed by: Sébastien Lifshitz
Cast: Yannick Renier, Léa Seydoux, Nicole Garcia
Genre: Drama