French gems

FAVOURITE AUDREY TAUTOU FILMS

1. Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain AMELIE

Is this not the most perfect film ever made?  I am more than a little bit fanatical about this film (the man who used to play Yann Tiersen songs on a bluesy old piano in Bath hasn't returned in a while.  I fear I might have something to do with this) and insist on watching it at least twice a year (usually shortly after hearing snippets of the soundtrack in shops or sighting a man with an accordion).  Every time I see it I notice a tiny (magical) detail I've missed on a hundred previous viewings.

2. Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

I'm going to say that this is my second favourite Audrey film, where as in truth, I can't really remember very much about it.  Except that it was superb.  And that Jeunet is a genius.  So I think I need to watch it again.

3. Hors de Prix PRICELESS

I loved this film!  It is lots of fun and great to see her in a role so far removed from the films above.  She is a fierce character who romanticises with wealthy old men who can afford to give her the luxurious lifestyle she desires, until she accidentally seduces a hotel bartender by mistake (who is fabulously French looking and extremely funny).

4. HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT

A bit of a sinister one, but pretty entertaining with lots of twists!  I will say no more.

5. BEAUTIFUL LIES

When I first started watching this a couple of days ago, I thought to myself, 'I wish Audrey Tautou was my hairdresser' until I realised how fierce she is in this film!  It is a bit of a comedy of errors, set on this majestic looking island in the south of France, where, having received an unwanted love letter from a stranger (in reality, a guy who she employs), Audrey's character redirects it to her mum who is in desperate need of a revival, after struggling to come to terms with the fact that her husband has left her for a younger woman.  You can probably imagine how this might go badly wrong.  Not my favourite of her films, but certainly very entertaining!  I love how the male protagonists in her films are quite unconventional, 'real' people and not shiny Hollywood actors.

6. Ensemble, c'est tout HUNTING AND GATHERING

This would probably be third on my list if I could actually get hold of a copy!!  It appears it was only released on the other side of the globe (if anyone can find me a copy, I will be eternally grateful!).  All I can do is recommend the book, which is superb.  It is essentially an awkward romance set in a neglected, but very grand Parisian building, where the lives of four unlikely characters become intertwined.

I'll add to the list when I've watched some more!  I wasn't charmed enough by The Divinci Code to add it to the list, but perhaps I'll give it another go.  Please send me your recommendations!