5 French dramatic movies you should watch

Sometimes you want to discover good foreigners movies but you don’t know what you can watch

. First you think about USA because most of the movies or series which are shown on TV come from there.  So I can advise you 5 dramatics (because I mostly see and love dramas) movies.

"Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas"

First of all, « Je vais bien, ne t’en fais pas »  is a 2006 French drama film directed by Philippe Lioret based on the 2000 novel with the same title by Olivier Adam.

Lili, a 19 year old, returns from holidays and learns that her twin brother Loïc has left the house after a violent argument with their father. Lili had a very strong relationship with her brother and is distraught after having no contact with him at all, concluding that something happened to him.

I enjoyed this movie because it shows a strong relationship that can exists between 2 twins ( lily, the actress is Mélanie Laurent and Loic) and you are surprised all along of the movie.

 "Jeux d'enfants"

“Jeux d’enfants”  (“Love me if you dare”)  is a 2003 movie directed by Yann Samuel. It’s a classic one. When you think about recent French movie this one may come to your mind. You certainly know the French actress, Marion Cotillard who had won an Oscar in 2008. The main actor is also famous in France, Guillaume Canet. Do you know the game truth or dare? In this case it’s only dare all along the movie between Sophie and Julien. This is a great funny and dramatic movie.

The film begins in Belgium, where a little girl, Sophie, is being bullied by other children. Only a bus driver and a boy, Julien, help her collect her books that the others have thrown into a puddle.To cheer Sophie up, Julien gives her a small tin box, a gift from his fatally ill mother. Because it is important to him, he asks her to lend it back to him from time to time. As Julien wants the box back at the moment he gave it to her, Sophie demands proof of how important it is to him. Julien disengages the handbrake of the bus without hesitation, and the bus full of children rolls down a hill. Their game has begun: the box changes its owner after each completed dare.

"Respire"

“Respire”  (“Breathe”) is a 2014 French drama film based on the novel of the same name by Anne-Sophie Brasme. Mélanie Laurent is the director.

Charlie is a 17 years old girl. One day at scholl, the director  presents a new student: Sarah and place her next to Charlie. They become friends. Really quickly grows adoration for Sarah. This one takes the opportunity to manipulate Charlie.

It’s a recent movie, really interesting because of the theme (Passionate relationships) and where unexpected situations happened. When I saw the synopsis I was thinking that it would be a pompous movie but not at all. That’s why I recommend it.

 "Polisse"

“Polisse”  is a 2011 drama film written, directed by and starring Maiwenn. The title is derived from Maïwenn's son's misspelling of the word "police". The film won the Jury price at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and in 2012, was nominated for thirteen César awards

The film centres on the Child protection unit (Brigade de Protection des Mineurs) of the Paris Police, and a photographer who is assigned to cover the unit..

It’s a film to watch because it presents the police in a way that we don’t know. Police has in general bad reputation and we discover that’s the work is not easy at all. Some scenes are completely strange and can hurt the sensibility.

 "Elle s’appelait Sarah"

“Sarah's Key” in English is a 2010 French drama directed and co-written by Gilles Paquet-Brenner

Sarah's Key follows a journalist's present-day investigation into the Vel d’hiv roundup of Jews in German-occupied Paris in 1942. It tells the story of a young girl's experiences during and after these events, illustrating the participation of the French bureaucracy as well as French citizens hiding and protecting Sarah from the French authorities. The film alternates between Sarah's life in 1942 and the journalist researching the story in 2009.

This movie is historical and the story is really strong touching and poignantly. Even if you don’t like historical movies it’s to my mind one of the most indispensable. Obviously the 2nd world war is a very discussed theme, this movie talk about it, in a different way.

 Bonus : “Les chansons d’amour”

“Love songs” in English is a 2007 musical film directed by Christophe Honoré, starring Louis Garrel, Ludivine Sagnier. It was one of the 20 films selected for the main competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. The film is divided into three parts: The Departure, The Absence and The Return. Louis Garrel (Ismael in the movie) is the main character and it tells his sentimental life.

All along the movie you listen several songs. The movie is full of clichés but songs are really nice, and the story isn’t the kind of love story movie you expect.

Bérénice Kermoal.