18/02/2009

With six productions and two co-productions, French films dominate the 12 new releases hitting screens this Wednesday.

The line-up is headed by the fourth feature of box office phenomenon Danièle Thompson, Change of Plans [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see news), which is being launched by StudioCanal. From Season’s Beatings (1999), to Jet Lag (2002) and Orchestra Seats [+see also:
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film profile] (2006), the director has always attracted her target audience, picking up much acclaim and numerous César nominations along the way.

Centred on a dinner party, Change of Plans includes 11 main characters, played by Karin Viard, Dany Boon, Marina Foïs, Patrick Bruel, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marina Hands, Christopher Thompson (also co-screenwriter), Patrick Chesnais, Pierre Arditi, Blanca Li and Laurent Stocker.

The director commented: "Our desire is to keep viewers poised between bursts of laughter and emotion. This is closer to an Italian or Anglo-Saxon approach for in France we either make comedies or tragedies. We wanted to show how we mask our state of mind, our nervousness and our sorrow when we’re playing a social role. This is the social life – a game of appearances, hypocrisy and lies – through which we survive."

Produced for €12m by Thelma Films and Alter Films, Change of Plans received co-production support from TF1 Films Production, Studio Canal and Radis Films Production. The score was composed by Nicola Piovani.

Other French films on the line-up include Claire Denis’ 35 Shots of Rum [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see news), which is being released by Wild Bunch Distribution; and Pascal-Alex Vincent’s Give Me Your Hand [+see also:
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film profile] (launched by Bodega Films).

Meanwhile, EuropaCorp are releasing their production District 13: Ultimatum [+see also:
trailer
film profile], an action film by Patrick Alessandrin; and Les Films du Paradoxe are hoping for success with Michèle Rosier’s Ah! The Libido.

Finally, Parasite Distribution are unveiling the documentary Herbe (“Grass”) by Matthieu Levain and Olivier Porte; and Les Films du Losange are releasing Avi Mograbi’s Israeli/French co-production Z32 [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which astonished viewers in the Horizons section at Venice.

The rest of Europe is represented this Wednesday by Romanian director Horatiu Malaele’s Silent Wedding [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (distributed by Bac Films) and German filmmaker Thomas Arslan’s Vacation [+see also:
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film profile] (distributed by Les Acacias).

The week’s line-up is completed by three US films, including Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, the Golden Lion winner of the 2008 Venice festival. Starring Mickey Rourke, the film – financed by France’s Wild Bunch – is being released by Mars Distribution.

(Translated from French)