French film photo galley for Romance/Comedy

French films Romance/Comedy

Les Marmottes (1993)

An all-star cast (which includes some of the biggest names in French cinema) somehow manages to make this inconsequential film pass for entertainment. Jean-Hugues Anglade and Jacqueline Bisset are particularly on fine form and provide the film with many of its best moments. The film is essentially a typical mid-1990s French romantic comedy... [More...]

Métisse (1993)

Two years before he created a sensation at the 1995 Cannes film festival with La Haine, a controversial film about racial tension in the housing estates of Paris, Mathieu Kassovitz made this comparatively slight film which tackled the race issue from a totally different angle. Métisse , Kassovitz’s first full length film... [More...]

Aux petits bonheurs (1994)

The charm of this romantic comedy owes as much to the contributions from its superlative cast as to its direction and scripting. One of Michel Deville’s most accessible films (although, surprisingly, not a commercial success), Aux petits bonheurs offers a quintessentially French look at male-female relationships, largely from the jaundiced perspective of encroaching middle-age... [More...]

Trois couleurs: Blanc (1994)

The second film in Krzysztof Kieslowski’s acclaimed Bleu-Blanc-Rrouge trilogy explores the theme of égalité (equality), but from an unusual, almost cynical perspective. The equality which underpins the plot in this film is that between a strong Parisian woman and her weak, apparently impotent husband... [More...]

Gazon maudit (1995)

Exquisitely funny, socially relevant and more than a little subversive, Gazon maudit exemplifies French cinema’s flair for romantic comedy and boldly pushes the genre into new territory. Although it often veers towards farce and ends up in some bizarre, if not surreal, situations, it has throughout that malodorous whiff of truth about it which is often lacking in such films... [More...]

Chacun cherche son chat (1996)

With its contemporary setting, in an ordinary area of Paris, and naturalistic performances (most of the cast being non-professional actors), Chacun cherche son chat is less a story about a young woman’s quest to find her lost cat and more a portrait about the morals and attitudes of modern society. The trivial story about the missing cat is really just a pretext for director Cédric... [More...]

Conte d'été (1996)

The third film in Rohmer’s ambitious Four Seasons cycle is a sunny tale about one man’s faltering quest for a summer romance. Filmed on the picturesque Brittany coastline in glorious summer sunshine, with an exuberant cast of talented young actors, this is easily the sunniest of the four films. The contradictions and uncertainties of youth afford ample opportunity for comic relief... [More...]

L'Appartement (1996)

L’Appartement is the remarkable debut film from director Gilles Mimouni, an extraordinary, almost unique blend of thriller and romantic comedy which constantly has the spectator hooked and surprised. The quality of the cinematography (which is at times breathtaking in its originality) and sublime acting performances make it a compelling work... [More...]

Mon homme (1996)

Once more, director Bertrand Blier courts controversy and the wrath of the entire feminist movement with this anarchic black comedy. With tongue welded firmly to cheek, Blier implies that women are so dependent on male dominance that they would go so far as to throw away all of their independence and humiliate themselves just for a bit of the rough stuff... [More...]

Un divan à New York (1996)

Un divan à New York was something of a radical departure for acclaimed Belgian filmmaker, Chantal Akerman, who is better known for her minimalist dark-edged dramas. The film is an obvious attempt at an American-style comedy, evoking the mad-cap situations of Woody Allen’s films, and was naturally ill-received by the critics on its initial release... [More...]

Marius et Jeannette (1997)

This delicate romance is a refreshing contrast to the traditional romantic film, particularly of the American variety. The protagonists, Marius and Jeannette are middle-aged, impoverished, not particularly attractive, and haunted by past upsets in their lives. Yet the film paints a poignant and compelling picture of romance which... [More...]

Conte d'automne (1998)

This is the final chapter in Rohmer’s ambitious Four Seasons cycle of films, and in many ways it is the sunniest and most entertaining. As we have come to expect of Rohmer, his script sparkles with intelligence and warmth, whilst his characters are fully formed, likeable and completely believable. What this film shows more than anything is Rohmer’s understanding of the aspirations... [More...]

L'Ennui (1998)

L’Ennui, the film which brought international acclaim for its director Cédric Kahn, provides one of French cinema’s most unsettling portraits of middle-life crisis and obsession. Although the film has a slightly surreal edge to it, the characters and their bizarre situation have a resonance of truth about them... [More...]

Belle maman (1999)

Although less original and daring than Gabriel Aghion’s previous film, Pédale douce (1996), Belle maman is a respectable comedy-romance which benefits from an exceptional star-studded cast. Catherine Deneuve hasn’t looked as good as this for years and her performance, alongside the magnificent Vincent Lindon... [More...]

La Fille sur le pont (1999)

Perhaps the most artistically self-conscious of Leconte’s romantic comedies, La Fille sur le pont is nonetheless an attractive film which, whilst lacking in the intellectual stakes, makes entertaining viewing. It achieves a striking balance of tension and comedy which offsets the film’s uneven pacing and over-reliance on visuals to make up for deficiencies in the plot... [More...]

Le Schpountz (1999)

One of the most contentious issues in the world of cinema is the justification (or lack thereof) for the remake. Since no producer in his right mind would consider remaking a bad film, it’s a sure bet that the only candidates for the remake treatment are those films which made an impact the first time round. But if the original film was so good... [More...]

Vénus beauté (institut) (1999)

A surprising mix of the conventional and the unexpected, Vénus beauté (institut) is superficially a familiar modern day love story, centred around a middle-aged woman who finally discovers true love after a life-time of avoiding it. Yet, cleverly, its narrative is constructed around several layers, many of which would probably be missed in a single viewing of the film... [More...]

Épouse-moi (2000)

Épouse-moi marks a promising directorial debut for Harriet Marin – a light romantic comedy with an unusual narrative structure, some quirky humour and a solid performance from the delightful Michèle Laroque. This is the kind of film which will appeal far more to non-French than to French audiences, since it offers the kind of sugary romantic fantasy which tends to enchant... [More...]

La Confusion des genres (2000)

In spite of its convoluted and implausible plot, La Confusion des genres is an engaging film which offers a perceptive and honest reflection on life, love and sexuality in the kind of totally liberated society in which we now live. This intelligent and well-structured film features a talented cast of actors, including Pascal Greggory whose intense portrayal of the brooding Alain is to be... [More...]

Le Goût des autres (2000)

The most highly rated French film of the year 2000 was this intelligent romantic comedy which marked the directoral debut for multi-faceted Agnès Jaoui. The film was a hit at the 2001 Césars, winning the best film and best screenplay awards, as well as best supporting actor/actress awards for Gérard Lanvin and Anne Alvaro... [More...]

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