Work, work, work. In the latest installment
of the "New French Connection" film series at BAMcinematek,
work is a prominent theme: people meet on the job and form relationships;
they learn life lessons through the tasks they must perform;
the workplace is even used to explore the experiences of legal
and illegal immigrants.
In some ways, young corporate characters are the cinematic cowboys
of the new millennium, with issues a bit grayer than those met
by the characters in classic Hollywood westerns.
While BAM’s Florence Almozini, who curates the series, doesn’t
search for works with similar ideas, at times it just happens.
"I look more for quality than certain themes or common traits,"
she told GO Brooklyn. "However, I do try to find a balance
between genre and style." These types of films, then, vary
from comedy to period drama to documentary.
The strongest film in the series, which runs Oct. 21-24, is a
documentary that explores the workings of one aspect of the French
justice system. A hit at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, "The
10th District Court: Moments of Trial" (Oct. 21 at 6:50
pm) is the latest film by French photojournalist/filmmaker Raymond
Depardon, whose films were presented in a BAM retrospective last
April. Depardon has placed his somewhat stationary camera in
a Parisian courtroom to record the comings and goings of defendants
in what seems to be the equivalent of criminal misdemeanor court.
All types of humanity parade in front of the Honorable Michèle
Bernard-Requin ("Requin" is French for shark.) – from
petty thieves to illegal immigrants. All look to her for their
freedom. Some beg, while others are outraged at their own bad
fortune. Through it all, the judge attempts to dispense justice
while maintaining order.
This film plays in sharp counterpoint to Depardon’s earlier court
documentary, 1994’s "Caught in the Act," in which various
defendants meet with their attorneys. "The 10th District
Court" comes to BAM straight from its U.S. premiere at the
New York Film Festival on Oct. 9.
Filmmaking brothers Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu, whose mid-length
film, "Roland’s Pass," was shown in the New Directors/New
Films festival at the Museum of Modern Art in 2001, have made
an intriguing study of a man-woman relationship. "A Real
Man" (Oct. 21 at 4:30 pm and 9:15 pm and Oct. 24 at 2 pm
and 6:50 pm) follows a couple through 10 years of existential
trials. Mathieu Almaric is Boris, a wannabe feature filmmaker
who makes industrial films. When we first come upon him, he’s
just been tossed off a project for a "skills network"
company. He does, however, take up with Marilyne, a junior executive
at the firm. They’ve just met, yet he proclaims his undying love
for her – through song.
Jump ahead five years.
Boris is home with the kids; Marilyne just arrives back from
a business trip. She’s now senior management. She takes Boris
and the children with her on a business trip to Ibiza, where
things deteriorate. It’s not just that she has the career and
he doesn’t; she doesn’t appear that interested in him or the
children.
Once again we leap forward five years, when the two come together
again in the beautiful Pyrenees. (The brothers have used this
mountain setting in their earlier work, as well as using Almaric,
who plays the bourgeois French Every Man with such aplomb.) "A
Real Man" has a fresh approach to telling the story of a
relationship, primarily by jumping ahead in time just at the
precise moment when something momentous occurs, and by their
judicious use of music. There’s quite a bit of singing to relate
emotions to the audience, and while it is not always successful,
it is a delight to go on this strange journey with them.
Stephane Vuillet’s "25 Degrees in Winter" (Oct. 22
at 6:50 pm) concerns immigrants, more motherless children and
work once again, but this time in Brussels. Miguel, whose family
immigrated to Belgium from Spain years before, works for his
brother’s travel agency. Driving to pick up a client at the airport,
he finds an illegal immigrant, Sonia, in his car. Seems Sonia
was about to be sent back to the Ukraine when she was "rescued"
by anti-deportation activists.
Miguel’s wife has been in New York trying to jump-start a singing
career. They never speak but manage to leave messages on each
other’s voice mail. She sends postcards, and dolls for their
daughter Laura. As he tries to retrieve and deliver plane tickets
to his brother’s client, Miguel also tries, with his mother (played
by the incomparable Carmen Maura) in tow, to help Sonia find
her husband, who left the Ukraine before her and seems to have
disappeared. The film contains a lot of slapstick humor, which
is refreshing in a film dealing with serious subjects.
Work even figures in Bruno Podalydès’ "The Mystery
of the Yellow Room" (Oct. 22 at 4:30 pm and 9:15 pm and
Oct. 23 at 2 pm and 6:50 pm). Well, perhaps it’s a stretch, but
detectives do have to work to search for the killer in this period
piece based on Gaston Leroux’s novel, which stars Sabine Azéma.
All in a day’s work, as they say.
But a man’s occupation is practically a leading character in
Jean-Marc Moutout’s "Work Hard, Play Hard" (Oct. 23
at 4:30 pm and 9:15 pm). Philippe (Jéremie Réniér)
is a young efficiency expert who tries to maintain his work life
and his love life.
On the metro, on his way to his first day on the job, Philippe
meets Eva and falls in love. Meanwhile, his first assignment
at work is to prepare a small, family-owned company for a corporate
takeover. Philippe is so good at his job that he is then charged
with firing part of the staff. Now he has to try to hold on to
Eva as well as to his conscience. In this first feature, Moutout
examines capitalism run amok. More than any other film in the
series, "Work Hard, Play Hard" shows the implications
of career vis-a-vis family.
"New French Connection" doesn’t show a large number
of films (five will be screened this year; four were screened
last year), and BAM certainly isn’t the only local place to see
French cinema. But a small series actually makes it possible
to see all the films in the program. And Almozini finds movies
that might otherwise fall through the cracks of U.S. exhibition.
"There are a large number of films produced in France every
year and while many of these films get shown in New York in various
showcases, festivals, or even distribution, there is still a
great amount of work that never makes it to the U.S.," she
said.
Here, then, is another opportunity for French film fanatics to
catch up on more of the current crop of imports.
Marian Masone is the associate
director of programming for the Film Society of Lincoln Center
and chief curator of the New York Video Festival at Lincoln Center.
"The New French Connection"
film series runs at BAMcinematek (30 Lafayette Ave. at Ashland
Place in Fort Greene) Oct. 21-24. Tickets are $10. To order,
call (718) 777-FILM. For more information, visit the Web site
www.bam.org or call (718) 636-4100.
