Can You Name the 10 Best French Films

Can You Name the 10 Best French Films Do You Know The Names of France's 10 Best Films? ChaptersThe French New WaveThe Post-New Wave EraFrench Movies in the 1990sFrench Movies of the New MillenniumWhat This Decade has to OfferWhat makes a film good? Is it the acting? The action? Maybe the lead character is portrayed by your favourite star, and no matter what s/he plays in, it's bound to be good!Perhaps a good movie is best defined as one that sucks its audience in, holds them in a thrall and releases them, with a great whoosh of emotion, some two hours later.The average movie critic tends to dissect each film s/he reviews by its technical as well as artistic elements.We, the audience, prefer turning our untrained eyes to the silver screen â€" not to rate and judge but absorb the story and, hopefully, identify with the protagonist or the idea s/he espouses, don't we?Having just established the idea that defining  anything as best is a matter of   personal preference, let us advance these ten titles, in the hopes that you agree with our assessment: that they are a perfect expression of French cinema at its best.No need to fret over the rumour that cinema goers in France are turning their backs on French film; the industry is as prolific as ever, turning out some 300 titles each year!We'll discuss some from each era.Anna Karina, of the New Wave generation of stars, bitterly regretted turning down a role in Breathless Source: Wikipedia Credit: Joost Eversevolution of society at that time.A few titles from that era include:BreathlessHiroshima mon AmourVivre sa vieJules et Jim400 BlowsLa Grande VadrouilleYou may discover an expanded list of titles and learn more about how the French Nouvelle Vague â€" New Wave impacted the art of filmmaking.The Post-New Wave EraFrom the late 1960s until the early 1980s, French film makers continued to experiment with cinema verité, incorporating elements of Noir and amour â€" in the sense of romance, to turn out cinematic marvels.The film Diva, released in 1981, was instrumental in the French film industry turning away from the realism that had gripped it for over a decade, and brought about a return to lightheartedness.Directors Luc Besson and Leo Carax came into their own at that time, offering up such treasures as The Big Blue and Lovers on the Bridge.Daniel Auteuil came into prominence at this time for his role in Jean de Florettes, which he reprised in the sequel Manon des Sources.His co stars Yves Montand and Emmanuelle Béart were already quite well-known at that time; it is a testament to Mr. Auteil's acting ability to share equal billing with such luminaries.Incidentally: Mr. Auteuil enjoyed a brief marriage to the eternally beautiful Emmanuelle!Elsewhere during this period, film making in France took slightly different directions.Animated stories were coming into vogue, thanks to The Angel.“The masks erase all human personality in the characters” - film critic Raphael BassanThis pivot, away from stark reality, exaggerated expressions and overt emotion, put the story ahead of the per formers' ability to inject themselves into their character.It also gave the director total, autonomous control to realise his vision, and ultimately became one of the most discussed submissions at Cannes in 1982.NOTE: The Palme D'or winner that year was jointly awarded to Missing and Yol â€" neither one a French language film, but exquisite pictures nonetheless.The Cannes judges have traditionally been very stingy in awarding French films the Golden Palm Source: Wikipedia Credit: Karel LeermansElsewhere in the decade, film makers hastened to not lose the momentum that animated film generated at Cannes with The Angel.Michel Ocelot kept that particular fire stoked with Kirikou and the Sorceress, a full length animated film.Other important movies of the decade include Nikita, and The Fifth Element which, besides launching the career of one Milla Jovovich, maintains the dubious distinction of having polarised film critics.Love it or hate it, it was considered a box office success at the time â€" it earned back nearly three times its production budget!, and is still a cult favourite today.Sadly, Claude Sautet would make his last film in this decade: A Heart in Winter is considered to be the defining film of his career; a genuine masterpiece.We wonder what he could have done with digital cinema technology...French Movies of the New MillenniumThe obvious kickoff for outstanding French films of this new era must be Amelie, starring the irrepressible, fresh-faced Audrey Tautou as its eponymous character.While Hollywood seems to have a formula for their Rom-Com â€" romantic comedy genre, Amelie goes much deeper than the attraction-rejection-inevitable conclusion matrix by exploring the lead character's isolation, fostered on her by her unusual upbringing.This gem of a story, and the darling Audrey who brings it to life is, by some accounts, France's best known film.Eight years later, another star captured the international film-going community by her performance in La V ie en Rose.Marion Cotillard's true to life portrayal of chanteuse Edith Piaf's tragic life and premature death surely must stand at the top of any music aficionado's â€" and film fan's collection of must see movies.Oddly enough, while Cannes is located in one of the most fabled regions of Mediterranean France, on the Riviera, The Film Festival academy had been very stingy in bestowing its highest honour on films originating in her own country.Perhaps that could be a testament to those judges being completely unbiased in seeking the epitome of quality film making.That changed in this era of French film, with eye-opening entries such as Entre les Murs â€" which won the coveted Palme D'or in 2008, and the unforgettable performance of Isabelle Huppert in The Piano Teacher, in 2001.The only French film to rival James Cameron's Titanic, as far as audience size and box office return goes, is the comedy Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis.This farce was unintentionally overlooked on the international stage due to several action thrillers, directed by French visionaries, with all-star casts from several different nations.Some of those titles include:RidersCatwomanAssault on Precinct 13Silent HillMirrorsthe Transporter trilogyDid you know that up to 40% of movies made in France today are headed by first-time directors?Which French movie would you have nominated as best for this decade? Source: Pixabay Credit: SteinchenWhat This Decade has to OfferLooking at French cinema today, we see a unique blending of so-called arthouse films; what Americans would consider Indie, and deliberately commercial products â€" illustrated by the emphasis on action and animation films.Would you consider Untouchable of the former or latter category?This 2011 tragi-comedy release, while not quite a record breaker, was a huge box office draw as well as a critical success, telling the story of a paraplegic and his carer.That doesn't sound very awe-inspiring, does it?When you throw a bit of action in, a b it of drama and a few laughs, you get a blended story that, remarkably, resembles real life.Quite possibly, that is the very aspect of this film that is the draw.What else from this millennium  would be worth watching?That question takes us back to our opening gambit: what constitutes a great film?Do you like to watch Jean Dujardin, or do you enjoy stories by Claire Denis more?Would something like Auberge Espagnole grip you? How about Blue is the Warmest Color?We can find out what the general consensus is, but out of all of these great titles over 60 years of French filmmaking, the table below reflects our selection of best French movies.EraTitleStarringNew WaveHiroshima my LoveEmmanuelle Riva Eiji OkadaNew WaveLa Grande VadrouilleBourvil Louis de FunesNew WaveLes 400 CoupsJean-Pierre Leaud Albert RemyPost New WaveJean de FlorettesYves Montand Gerard Depardieu1990sCyrano de BergeracGerard Depardieu Anne Brochet1990sLa Cite des Enfants PerdusRon Pearlman Judith Vittet2000sLe Fabuleu x Destin d'Amelie PoulainAudrey Tautou Matthieu Kassovitz2000sLa Vie en RoseMarion Cotillard Gerard Depardieu2010sIntouchablesFrançois Cluzet Omar Sy2010sLa Vie d'Adele - Chapitres 12Léa Seydoux Adèle ExarchopoulosIf you like this article, why not check out our post on France's love for cinema?If  you want to find a tutor, searching for French course London  produces the most face to face results on Superprof.