France 2 Cinéma (France): 13

Loro (2018), a film by Paolo Sorrentino starring Toni Servillo, follows the story of Sergio Morra, a young businessman from Taranto. He engages in small-scale trafficking of young escorts to bribe local politicians and obtain licenses through unconventional means. Tamara, an equally unscrupulous woman and a mother, helps him with his schemes. Seeking more power and influence, Sergio and Tamara head to Rome with the goal of getting close to Silvio Berlusconi. In the city, Sergio meets the enigmatic Kira, also known as the Queen Bee due to her direct connection to ...

Miss Sloane (2016), a political thriller directed by John Madden and written by Jonathan Perera, follows the story of Elizabeth Sloane. She is a cutthroat lobbyist known for her intense work ethic, who finds herself testifying before Senator Ronald Sperling’s congressional hearing. The hearing focuses on possible violations of Senate ethics rules during Sloane’s time at Washington D.C.’s Cole Kravitz & Waterman lobbying firm. Three months prior to this, Sloane’s firm is approached by Bill Sanford, a representative from the gun manufacturing ...

Youth (2015) is a comedy-drama film by writer and director Paolo Sorrentino. This marks his second English-language work. The story follows septuagenarian friends Fred Ballinger and Mick Boyle, who are currently vacationing at a luxurious spa in the Swiss Alps called Wiesen. Fred, a retired classical music composer, is approached by a representative for Queen Elizabeth II during their stay. The Queen wishes to grant him a knighthood and invites him to perform his popular composition ‘Simple Song #3’ at Prince Philip’s birthday concert. However, Fred declines the offer, stating that he has no interest ...

Paolo Sorrentino’s film, The Great Beauty (2013), is a thought-provoking art drama co-written and directed by the Italian filmmaker. It begins with a quote from Louis-Ferdinand Céline’s novel, Journey to the End of the Night, which highlights the power of imagination in travel. The story follows Jep Gambardella, a 65-year-old journalist and theater critic known for his enigmatic charm and love for the vibrant social scene in Rome. He navigates through a city steeped in rich history but defined by its superficial inhabitants, creating a striking ...

Passion (2012) is a film, both written and directed by Brian De Palma. In the movie, Christine is an American advertising executive working in Germany, collaborating with her protégé Isabelle on a new smartphone ad campaign. Despite being involved in a secret affair with Christine’s boyfriend Dirk, Isabelle comes up with a highly successful marketing concept. However, when Christine takes credit for it, Isabelle is disappointed but eventually makes peace with her boss after hearing about the tragic loss of her twin sister. Acting upon Dani’s suggestion, Isabelle shares her own version of the ad online, which ...

This Must Be the Place (2011), an Italian-French-Irish drama directed and written by Paolo Sorrentino and Umberto Contarello respectively, tells the story of Cheyenne. The former wealthy rock star has been living a mundane and uninspired life in Dublin for the past two decades. His retirement was prompted by the tragic suicides of two of his teenage fans. Seeking some sort of redemption, he makes the journey to New York to make amends with his dying father, only to arrive too late. His justification for not being in contact for 30 years was due to his father’s rejection when he began experimenting with goth ...

Love Crime (2010), is a French thriller, featuring Ludivine Sagnier and Kristin Scott Thomas. Directed by the late Alain Corneau, it revolves around Isabelle, an ambitious and talented executive at an American corporation’s Paris office. Her boss, Christine, is equally driven and has a habit of taking credit for Isabelle’s work to secure a promotion to the New York branch. Feeling frustrated with this dynamic, Isabelle teams up with her colleague Daniel to surprise Christine with a successful project that ...

The Secret of Kells (2009) is an animated fantasy film set in 9th-century Ireland during the Viking expansion. It follows the story of Brendan, a curious and brave boy living in an Abbey under the watchful eye of his stern uncle, Abbot Cellach. The Abbot’s main concern is protecting the Abbey from Viking attacks by building a wall around it. Brendan is apprenticed in the monastery’s scriptorium where he first hears about Brother Aidan, the renowned creator of the Book of Iona. As he becomes more fascinated with the illuminator and his unfinished masterpiece, Aidan arrives in Kells with his unique white cat, Pangur Bán, after escaping a raid on his ...

The science fiction drama film, Mr. Nobody (2009), written and directed by Jaco Van Dormael, follows the life of Nemo Nobody. As the last mortal on Earth in a world where humans have achieved quasi-immortality, 118-year-old Nemo’s memories are fading. He shares his life story with a doctor and journalist, discussing his three main loves and the impact of his parents’ divorce on his journey. Throughout the film, the speculative narrative explores alternate life paths resulting from different decisions made by Nemo at ages nine, fifteen, and thirty-four. With a nonlinear structure incorporating the multiverse ...

Hell (2005) is a French film directed by Danis Tanović. Originally drafted by Krzysztof Kieślowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, it was intended to be the second installment in a trilogy. The story takes place in Paris and follows three sisters: Celine, Anne, and Sophie. In one early scene, a woman and her young daughter (later revealed to be Celine) visit an office where they encounter two people: her father and a naked young man. Years later, after several chance meetings with Sebastian in their adulthood, a misunderstanding ...

Love Me If You Dare (2003) is a French romantic comedy-drama film directed by Yann Samuell. The story follows the unlikely friendship between Sophie, a young girl being bullied, and Julien, a kind-hearted boy. After helping her retrieve her belongings from bullies, Julien gives Sophie a tin box as a token of their newfound bond. In return, he asks to borrow it back occasionally, which she agrees to. However, when Julien requests the box back immediately after giving it to her, Sophie challenges him to prove its significance. Without hesitation, Julien disengages the bus handbrake and their game begins – with each ...

The Nest (2002) is a French action/thriller movie, co-written and directed by Florent-Emilio Siri. The literal translation of the French title is Wasp’s Nest. It serves as a quasi-remake of two other films, Assault on Precinct 13 from 1976 and Rio Bravo from 1959. On Bastille Day, while most are celebrating the French national holiday, a group of thieves prepares to rob a warehouse in an industrial park. Simultaneously, Laborie, an agent in the French special forces, leads an international team guarding the notorious Albanian mafia leader, Abedin Nexhep.

The film 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), directed and produced by Ridley Scott and written by Roselyne Bosch, tells the story of Christopher Columbus’s quest to sail westward to Asia. Despite knowing that the world is round, Columbus faces challenges in securing a crew and ship for his journey. The Catholic theologians at the University of Salamanca strongly oppose his plan, as it goes against the teachings of Ptolemy. However, Columbus finds support from Martín Pinzón, a shipowner from Palos, who introduces him to banker Santángel. In exchange for bringing back ...