Andre Techine [3 Discs]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

The exceptional work of this visionary French director is spotlighted here in a defining four-film collection from The Director's Series." Includes Wild Reeds (Elodi-Bouchez. 1994/110 min.), My Favorite Season (Catherine Deneuve. 1993/122 min.), I Don't Kiss (Philippe Noiret. 1991/115 min.) and Hotel America (Catherine Deneuve. 1981/95 min.). 4 DVDs. Color/NR/widescreen.

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 3
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • cc

AWARDS

• French Academy of Cinema

•     Won Best Director - 1994 (André Téchiné)
•     Won Best Original Screenplay - 1994 (André Téchiné, Gilles Taurand, Olivier Massart)
•     Won Best Picture - 1994 (André Téchiné)
•     Won Most Promising Young Actress - 1994 (Élodie Bouchez)
•     Won Most Promising Young Actor - 1991 (Manuel Blanc)

• French Film Critics Circle

•     Won Prix Louis-Delluc - 1994

• Los Angeles Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Foreign Language Film - 1994

• National Society of Film Critics

•     Won Best Foreign Film - 1995
•     Won Best Screenplay (Runner-up) - 1995 (Jeanne Lapoirie, André Téchiné, Olivier Massart)

• New York Film Critics Circle

•     Won Best Foreign Film - 1995

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Catherine Deneuve - Emilie
       Daniel Auteuil - Antoine
       Etienne Chicot - Bernard
       Emmanuelle Beart - Ingrid
       Chiara Mastroianni - Anne
       Carmen Chaplin - Khadija
       Dominique Lavanant - Jacqueline
       Ingrid Caven - Woman at bar
       Bruno Todeschini - Man at Hospital

• Director:

  André Téchiné

• Producer:

  Georges Benayoun, Alain Sarde, Jean-Jacques Albert, Jacques E. Strauss, Jean Labadie

• Screenwriter:

  André Téchiné, Olivier Massart, Gilles Taurand, Pascal Bonitzer, Jacques Nolot, Michel Grisolia

• Cinematographer:

  Jeanne Lapoirie, Thierry Arbogast, Bruno Nuytten

• Composer (Music Score):

  Chubby Checker, Philippe Sarde

• Editor:

  Martine Giordano, Claudine Merlin

• Production Designer:

  Pierre Soula, Jean-Jacques Albert

• Executive Producer:

  Louis Grau

• Set Designer:

  Pierre Soula

• Costume Designer:

  Elisabeth Tavernier, Brigitte Laleouse, Claire Fraisse

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Francois Groult, Pierre Lorrain, Jean-Paul Mugel, Jean-Louis Ughetto, Paul Lainé

• Makeup:

  Cedric Gerard

• Special Effects:

  Philippe Hubin

• First Assistant Director:

  Denis Bergonhe, Philippe Landoulsi

• Production Manager:

  Christine Gozlan

REVIEWS:

• A deeply thoughtful, heartfelt drama, Les roseaux sauvages demonstrates how to make a coming-of-age film. In many American movies, coming of age is achieved through external activities, like taking a road trip or getting deflowered by a next-door neighbor; here, French teens attain maturity through an internal, cerebral evolution, revolving around one's identity and place in society. The film is set during the Algerian War, when France was questioning its own national identity and place in the world, and its strength lies in director Andre Techine's intelligent treatment of his young subjects: their dilemmas ring with unforced authenticity and resist the cliches that usually accompany accounts of adolescent turmoil. In one of the film's most memorable and unsettling scenes, Francois, coming to terms with his homosexuality, stares at his reflection in the mirror, repeating "I'm a faggot, I'm a faggot, I'm a faggot." The viewer is left to wonder if he is internalizing the label society has given him, trying to claim it for himself, or simply struggling to accept himself for who he is. Techine doesn't try to force an explanation, a tactic that is more refreshing than frustrating. French critics evidently agreed: Les Roseaux Sauvages won four Cesars in 1994, including Best Director, Best Film, and Most Promising Young Actress for Elodie Bouchez as the idealistic, conflicted Maite. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
• This downbeat character drama may be too slow-paced and elliptical for some people's taste, but it contains enough strong performances and compelling scenes to satisfy patient viewers who don't mind the surfeit of ponderous dialogue. My Favorite Season is more successful at uncovering the characters' hidden feelings and motivations through their actions, expressions, awkward silences, and sudden outbursts than through the content of their philosophical musings, which tend to be rather long on screen time and short on humor. The movie includes beautiful footage of Southern France, but the visuals aren't ostentatious or distracting; indeed, Techine makes particularly good use of spare, ordinary settings with an appropriately stifling atmosphere. The film's greatest asset, however, is the generally first-rate acting. Catherine Deneuve's subtle portrayal of Emile may seem at first glance to be too inexpressive and remote to reveal her character's inner life, but her performance is much looser than some of her famous "ice queen" roles of the past. She manages to convey the underlying sadness behind Emile's reserved demeanor, and even seems emotionally naked in a few scenes that display the mixture of anger, guilt, and love that she feels toward both her mother and brother. Daniel Auteuil does a superb job as her brother, Antoine. The character's self-loathing and possessiveness may be off-putting, but Auteuil manages to humanize Antoine by conveying his deep sense of longing and unease, particularly through his expressive use of his eyes; furthermore, he contributes some humor to this mostly dour film in a particularly memorable scene in which he considers jumping from a window. Martha Villalonga also demonstrates some humor in her spot-on performance as their caustic mother, Berthe, and the rest of the supporting cast does a fine job, although the subplot involving a Moroccan secretary (Carmen Chaplin) doesn't contribute much to the film. ~ Todd Kristel, Rovi