Perth Voice Interactive

THERE’S still time to catch some great French movies at Luna Leederville before the Alliance Francaise Film Festival winds up on April 2.

Now in its 35th year, the 2024 festival has a diverse line-up of 41 films with everything from gritty dramas to lavish period pieces.

It’s not short on star power either with movies starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve and Michel Gondry.

“Our stories reflect struggles, triumphs, passion, and possess an extraordinary ability to touch hearts,” says festival director Karine Mauris.

If you fancy seeing an all-time classic, the 1945 film Children of Paradise is screening tomorrow (Sunday March 24) at 3.30pm.

Voted best film of all time by the Association of French Cinema Journalists, it’s set in the Parisian theatre scene of the mid-1800s.

At the heart of this cinematic gem is an enigmatic woman pursued romantically by four very different men, including the film’s most iconic character, the tragically lovelorn mime, Baptiste.

Created under oppressive conditions in Nice and Paris during the dark days of the Nazi occupation, it’s a bit of a miracle Children of Paradise got made. 

Released shortly after liberation, many hail it as the greatest French film of all time, with Marlon Brando once declaring it “maybe the best movie ever made.”

If you fancy something a bit more light hearted than check out the comedy Take a Chance on Me.

The movie revolves around a down-on-her-luck young woman Marie-Line and an older male judge, who rules against her in court.

The two are complete opposites, but the judge sees something in Marie-Line and hires her as his driver.

This leads to a poignant, fun-filled and ultimately life-changing road trip, filled with heated debate, misadventures and personality clashes.

French pop singer Louane Emera, who made her acting debut in The Bélier Family, is great as the downtrodden yet high spirited Marie-Line, while legendary stage and screen veteran Michel Blanc (A Good Doctor) plays the curmudgeonly judge with conviction and humour. Take a Chance on Me is showing at 11am on March 26.

If you like a good old thriller, then go and see The Sitting Duck, the electrifying real-life tale of whistle-blower Maureen Kearney.

She was a trade unionist who challenged the powerful nuclear industry at an immense personal cost.

Feared, admired and loathed for her considerable influence, Kearney’s world takes a harrowing turn when she exposes the unsettling details of a clandestine deal between French and Chinese power companies.

This revelation leads to a brutal assault that sets off a chain of events exposing the failures of the justice system and the endemic corruption within government and big corporations. The Sitting Duck is showing at 11am on March 28.

They’ll be a pinch of Hollywood glamour at the festival with Johnny Depp starring in the Australian premiere of Jeanne du Barry.

The lavish drama from writer/director Maïwenn is inspired by the life of the rags-to-riches social climber Jeanne Bécu.

 The working-class woman became the mistress of King Louis XV, played by Depp in his first French-language speaking role.

Shot on location at Versailles and featuring majestic costumes and production design, Jeanne Du Barry is a visual feast for the eyes. It’s showing at 1:15pm on March 30.

The 35th Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is at Luna Leederville and Luna SX Fremantle until April 2. Some films have multiple showings. You can see the full program at affrenchfilmfestival.org.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK