En face is the first full length cinema film from director Mathias Ledoux, a bizarre
yet stylish mix of suspense thriller and typically French eroticism. The film's
first half is gripping, thanks to the creepy location and an even creepier performance
from Christine Boisson as the mysterious housekeeper Clémence. Unfortunately,
as the film develops it becomes less and less convincing and increasingly frustrating,
as the plot gets tangled up in its complexity and the production team go into artistic
overload. Whilst it is possible to enjoy the performances from the film's stars,
Jean-Hugues Anglade and Clotilde Courau, the film is ultimately unsatisfying, ruined by
a senseless explosion of B-movie histrionics towards the film's climax, leading to a surreal
ending which looks as if it belongs to an entirely different film.
The above content is owned by frenchfilms.org and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
A young writer, Jean, and his wife Michelle are struggling to make ends meet when, out
of the blue, they inherit a luxurious house opposite their own meagre apartment.
The house belonged to Monsieur Guillemet, whom never of them met before and who stipulated
in his will that the house is theirs providing they do not dispose of his private papers
and they continue to employ his housekeeper, Clémence. The apparent dream
come true soon begins to turn into a nightmare when Jean discovers that Guillemet may
have been murdered and that both Clémence and his wife have many secrets to hide...
Cast:Jean-Hugues Anglade (Jean),
Clotilde Courau (Michelle),
Christine Boisson (Clémence),
José Garcia (Hugo),
Danièle Lebrun (Woman in red),
Jean Benguigui (Henri de Villard),
Emmanuel Salinger (Inspector Ruault),
Laurence Février (Ghislaine de Villard),
Daniel Dublet (Notary),
Ariel Wizman (Vet),
Anne Loiret (Victoria),
Gérard Bôle du Chaumont (Inspector assistant),
Jérôme George (Video technician),
Hélène Rodier (Janitor),
Frédéric Norbert (Flowershop manager),
Jean Desailly (Voice),
Pascale Ruben (Secrétaire)
Country: France
Language: French
Support: Color
Runtime: 90 min
Aka:Across the Road
The greatest French Films of all time
With so many great films to choose from, it's nigh on impossible to compile a short-list of the best 15 French films of all time - but here's our feeble attempt to do just that.
Continental Films, quality cinema under the Nazi Occupation
At the time of the Nazi Occupation of France during WWII, the German-run company Continental produced some of the finest films made in France in the 1940s.
Since the 1920s, Hollywood has dominated the film industry, but that doesn't mean American cinema is all bad - America has produced so many great films that you could never watch them all in one lifetime.
In the 1910s, French cinema led the way with a new industry which actively encouraged innovation. From the serials of Louis Feuillade to the first auteur pieces of Abel Gance, this decade is rich in cinematic marvels.
From Jean Renoir to François Truffaut, French cinema has no shortage of truly great filmmakers, each bringing a unique approach to the art of filmmaking.