Sweet sub-titled celluloid

>> Cinemania celebrates French-language cinema, anglo-style

by MATTHEW HAYS

It seemed somewhat odd when Cinemania first reared its head six years ago. Would there really be a need for a film festival of French-language films with English subtitles? Weren't there enough functionally bilingual people in Montreal that such a festival would seem out-dated?

Initially, Cinemania did appear to cater mainly to unilingual anglos, its lineup consisting primarily of films that had already had lengthy runs in Montreal, but now were appearing for the first time with subtitles. Since then, however, Cinemania has grown considerably in stature, with fest director Maidy Teitelbaum negotiating the premieres of some films of seriously high stature. The fest has now eked out a position as a bell-wether of what's hot and what's not en français. Take last year, for example, when Patrice Leconte's La Fille sur le pont won the central Cinemania prize, the Mel Hoppenheim Prix du Public. The film then went on to net coveted César Awards (French Oscars) later that year.

Goin' down the (French) road

This year, fest programmers continue to build on their previous successes. After winning the Jury Award at Berlin, Funny Felix will have its North American premiere at Cinemania. The film has Felix (Sami Bouajila) in a bizarre road movie, venturing across France to Marseilles, desperately seeking the father figure who abandoned him at birth. It's not an entirely surprising setup for a film, but the treatment will undoubtedly be strange, taking into consideration the folks behind the film. Directors Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau are the same team that made Jeanne and the Perfect Guy, a light and highly unusual musical about AIDS that played some of the fest circuit but ended up being somewhat neglected this side of the Atlantic, never getting the wide release it deserved. (Nov. 4-5)

Sauve-Moi (Save Me) is an example of that new hybrid, the mixture of cinema verité with fiction. The story revolves around a group of illegal immigrants in the city of Roubaix, and how one new addition alters the dynamic of the group. The film's script emanated from a book project, in which 17 immigrants were selected to come up with a narrative based on their own experiences. Roschdy Zem, Rona Harter and Karole Rocher appear in the result, a compelling and often disturbing look at immigrant life in this city (shot on location in Roubaix). (Nov. 3, 9)

Colonialism, family ties and 30-year-old romances are examined in the fest's opening film, Return to Algiers. It's the first film shot in Algiers since its independence and understandably, the feature resonates with lingering colonial guilt and the pain of repatriation. After fleeing Algiers in '62, a 17-year-old Algerian (Antoine De Caunes) settles in France and manages to make a life for himself. He's shocked to learn, some three decades later, that his old flame has a daughter who has dared to break Islamic law, inciting fundamentalist fury about her acts. De Caunes returns to Algiers, full of bittersweet memories, in a sincere effort to help his old flame's daughter. Return to Algiers is a melancholic film, buoyed by nuanced performances and sumptuous cinematography (the film is as much travelogue as anything else). (Nov. 2-3)

Serial killers and the original romance

With Scènes de crimes (Crime Scenes), cinematic serial killers are again on the loose and their nemeses (the police, played by André Dussollier and Charles Berling) are trying desperately to act before this loony strikes again. Though I've not seen this film yet, the buzz from the fest circuit indicates that first-time director Frédéric Schoendoerffer brings a considerable vitality to the hunt-for-the-serial-killer premise. (Nov. 4-5)

Fans of French cinema may remember iconoclastic director Catherine Breillat's very public pronouncements about her fellow country folk. They were not, she insisted, as laid back, liberal and sexually open-minded as we'd all been led to believe. Sacré bleu! Breillat, who impressed everyone with her ultra-naughty lust scenes in Romance, stated that the French are every bit as uptight and anal about things as their British counterparts. This year, Cinemania is presenting A Real Young Lady, Breillat's quarter-century-old first feature, a coming of age story about a frustrated, beautiful 13-year-old girl (played by Charlotte Alexandra, who would later appear in Emmanuelle 3). (Nov. 3, 6)

Angels, children and cattle

With Un Ange, director Miguel Courtois pushes the limits of flash, taking his two sexy leads, Richard Berry and Elsa Zylberstein, and injecting them with an overwhelming need for revenge. Zylberstein takes the rap for her wayward brother, going to jail for his crimes. She gets out only to find he has been shot dead by police. Berry, meanwhile, is a frustrated officer of the law. As movie logic would have it, the two are soon shagging, while also raging against the injustices of life. It might be seen as somewhat shallow, but Courtois's film certainly looks good. (Nov. 11-12)

There's even some kiddie product from France: A Cow and the Boy. Yes, it appears even the highfalutin French endeavour to make films about children bonding with other species. We've seen endless films about dogs, cats, horses, dolphins, geese, pigs and even various rodents. In this film, a young boy who lives on a farm befriends a calf whose mother died, as his did, during childbirth. This crucial bond sets them off on a meaningful friendship, but soon enough, there is crisis. Mad Cow Disease effects the dear calf Maeva, who doesn't have it but is threatened with murder after paranoia concerning the illness grips France. Maeva could face cow genocide along with her other cattle pals. Not unless her eight-year-old human friend can get Maeva to the French president, the only person who can pardon her execution (lucky thing these two weren't looking for a pardon from George W. Bush). It's yet more animal-child bonding--this time with subtitles! (Nov. 5, 9)

The sixth annual edition of Cinemania runs Nov. 2-12. All screenings will be held at the Maxwell-Cummings Auditorium at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; Info: 878-0082 or www.cinemaniafilmfestival.com