The Five French Films to Watch on TV5MONDE in March
In memory of Tonie Marshall, the French American actress and director who passed away one year ago, TV5MONDE will air five of her most notable films throughout March, including the film that made her the first and only woman to win a César Award for Best Director, Vénus Beauté (Institut).
Vénus Beauté (Institut)
March 11 at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT. In French, with English subtitles.
With sensitivity, Tonie Marshall paints magnificent portraits of women, carried by fabulous actresses, particularly Audrey Tautou.
At Vénus Beauté, three beauticians pamper a regular clientele. Angèle, the longest-serving, no longer believes in love; preferring short affairs and one night stands. One morning, an unknown man declares he loves her. Angèle is apprehensive, will she manage to let down her defences and begin a real relationship?
"Director Tonie Marshall maps out the drama with soul and delicacy." Independent (UK)
Director: Tonie Marshall (France 1998)
Cast: Nathalie Baye, Bulle Ogier, Mathilde Seigner, Audrey Tautou
Genre : Comedy
Au plus près du paradis
March 18 at 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT. In French, with English subtitles.
Tonie Marshall takes a page from the book of Hollywood comedy, but skilfully goes off the beaten track thanks to sharp dialogues and the offbeat interpretation of Catherine Deneuve.
"Resist or throw yourself fully into love and adoration? Tonie Marshall delivers her answer. She offers Catherine Deneuve the role of fragile and contemporary lover through simple staging and a timeless plot, reiforcing her charming style." - Ouirock.com
Director: Tonie Marshall (France, Spain, Canada 2002)
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Vincent Dedienne, Alice Belaïdi
Genre: Dramatic comedy
Répertoire des villes disparues
March 23 at 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT. In French, with English subtitles.
Our personal favorite for this month, an unsettling psychological thriller based in a small town with mysterious characters and spirits of the past...
In Irénée-les-Neiges, a remote little village in Quebec, the death of young Simon Dubé in a car accident leaves the local population in a state of shock. It's winter. In this period of mourning and fog, strange figures begin to appear, further reinforcing the prevailing sense of confusion.
"The gradual, matter of fact way that Côtê transforms Ghost Town Anthology into an actual ghost story is quite impressive." - AV Club
Director : Denis Côté (Canada 2019)
Cast: Robert Naylor, Jocelyne Zucco, Diane Lavallée
Genre: Drama
Bulle!
March 23 at 12.30 pm ET/9.30 pm PT. In French, with English subtitles.
This mini-series, shot in the Swiss countryside, aptly depicts the daily life of a loving but dysfunctional family when one of them falls ill.
Alice is organizing a party to celebrate her grandparents golden wedding anniversary. Feeling particularly tired and hyper-sensitive she goes for a medical check-up. The day before the party, she receives the results of her tests.
"Anne Deluz paints a family scene torn between secrets of the past and tensions of the present, with nuances and finesse." - Le Temps
Director : Anne Deluz (Swtizerland 2020)
Cast: Emmanuelle Devos (Emmanuelle Blachey), Suzanne Clément (Véra Jacob), Richard Berry (Jean Beaumel), Benjamin Biolay (Marc Ronsin), Sami Frey (Henri Blachey), Francine Bergé (Adrienne Postel-Devaux), Bernard Verley (Jean Archambault), John Lynch (Gary), Jérôme Deschamps (CEO of Theorès)
Genre: Dramatic comedy
France boutique
March 25 at 9:30pm ET/5:30pm PT. In French, with English subtitles.
Against a backdrop of a cheesy home shopping network, Tonie Marshall pulls off a melancholy and touching portrait of a couple in crisis.
After ten years of marriage, France and Olivier set up a TV shopping business, with themselves as the star presenters: France Boutique. But sales are suffering. They find a partner, an Internet-based company, managed by Sofia, who has just one aim: to bring them down and grab their TV slot.
"Tonie Marshall pursues the comic vision of French consumer society she deployed with wit and zest in her 1999 breakthrough hit, Venus Beauty Institute." - Screen Daily
Director: Tonie Marshall (France 2003)
Cast: Dewi Kunetz, Hugues Njiba-Mukuna, Sandra Poitoux, Bruck, Lilith Grasmug
Genre : Comedy