A Prophet (Un Prophete) didn’t win the Golden Globe, but did just garner an Oscar nomination for “Best Foreign Film”. Here, again, is the trailer: U.S. release date is February 26, 2010, in New York and Los Angeles.
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As a writer and/or director, Luc Besson is responsible for quite a few of my favorite films (Nikita, Angel-A, The Fifth Element, the Transporter franchise) so I’m looking forward to the release of this Besson-penned film. Opening in the U.S. on February 5th, this action flick is a future entry in the “Filmed in France” category. The synopsis: A personal aide to the U.S. Ambassador in France, James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) has an enviable life in Paris and a beautiful French girlfriend, but his real passion is his side job as a low-level operative for the CIA.  All James wants is to become a bona fide agent and see some real action.  So when he’s offered his first senior-level assignment, he can’t believe his good luck – until he meets his new partner, special agent Charlie Wax (John Travolta). A trigger-happy, wisecracking, loose cannon who’s been sent to...
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If you think Jerry Lewis is the only thing the French know about being funny, and Amelie was a fluke, read on. Here are three other diverse, hilarious French films. 1.  Après Vous (2003) Daniel Auteuil is one of the finest comedic actors of all time. He possesses a willingness to completely inhabit the character; those chameleon-like qualities help make the difference between a good film and a great one. In Après Vous (After You) he plays a headwaiter (Antoine) who stumbles upon a lovesick man (Jose Garcia as “Louis”) trying to end it all. After saving his life, and concerned for the safety of the lovesick man, Antoine takes Louis in and soon discovers that no good deed goes unpunished. He intercepts a suicide note Louis mailed to his grandparents, gets the nervous Louis a job in his upscale restaurant, and tries to help him reconcile with his...
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France’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Golden Globes  is A Prophet (Un Prophete), the Grand Prix winner at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Here’s the synopsis: Condemned to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena cannot read nor write. Arriving at the jail entirely alone, he appears younger and more fragile than the other convicts. He is 19 years old. Cornered by the leader of the Corsican gang who rules the prison, he is given a number of “missions” to carry out, toughening him up and gaining the gang leader’s confidence in the process. But Malik is brave and a fast learner, daring to secretly develop his own plans… Looking forward to this one.
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