14/01/2009

A total of 12 new releases hit French theatres today, including eight diverse European productions.

These include UK director Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Danny Boyle
film profile], which is basking in the glory of its four Golden Globes (Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score). The film is being launched by Pathé Distribution on 125 screens.

There has also been an enthusiastic critical response for Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Turkish/French/Italian co-production Three Monkeys [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Zeynep Ozbatur
film profile], which picked up Best Director at the latest Cannes Film Festival and is being released by Pyramide on 57 screens.

Among the non-domestic European films, TFM Distribution are releasing a 13-print run of Carlos Saura’s Fados [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. The title was co-produced by Lisbon-based Fado Filmes (80% investment) and Madrid’s Zebra Producciones (20%), with backing from Eurimages.

Of the five majority French productions on the line-up, film critics have focused their praise on Arnaud des Pallières’ Park [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. Unveiled at Venice (see news), the title is adapted from the novel by US writer John Cheever.

Produced by Les Films d’Ici in co-production with France 3 Cinéma and Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, Park stars Jean-Marc Barr, Sergi López and Nathalie Richard. Ad Vitam are releasing the film on 13 screens.

The films with the largest print-runs this week are Patrice Leconte’s comedy La guerre des miss [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (“The War of the Misses”, see news), starring Benoît Poelvoorde and Olivia Bonamy (produced and distributed by Gaumont on 366 screens); Francis Huster’s drama Un homme et son chien [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (“A Man and His Dog”), featuring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Hafsia Herzi and Jean Dujardin (Océan Films - 279 screens); and Gilles Bourdos’ French/German/Canadian co-production Afterwards (see news ), starring Romain Duris, John Malkovich and Evangeline Lilly (produced by Fidélité - Mars Distribution: around 250 screens).

Finally, also hitting screens are Thierry Boscheron’s Les vieux sont nerveux [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (“Old People are Nervous”, Elytel Films Distribution), three US films (including Italian director Gabriele Muccino’s Seven Pounds) and a Japanese title.

(Translated from French)