Film Review: Getting to Know FRANCE

WDCB’s Gary Zidek reviews the new foreign language film, FRANCE.

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A TV journalist suffers a crisis of conscience in the new French-language film FRANCE. Written and directed by Bruno Dumont, the movie provides a fascinating, though inconsistent, character study of a celebrity broadcaster named France de Meurs. The character is brought to vivid life by French actor Léa Seydoux (who many of you might know from the last two James Bond movies where she starred as the mysterious Madeline). She delivers a magnificent performance here in a role that requires a tremendous amount of nuance. France the character, and the film, aren’t easy to pin down.

Blanche Gardin & Léa Seydoux in FRANCE

Some viewers might struggle with the film’s tonal shifts. Humor and absurdity mix with lingering thoughtful moments, the mix might be confusing to some. There might also be something lost in translation for American audiences. Clearly Dumont named his main character after his home country in an attempt to create a metaphor for how he views France (the country). There are some universal parallels with American culture when it comes to poking fun at the media and the way we as a society value celebrity. But the film seems to be aiming for a deeper, more specific connection to French viewers.

That being said, I enjoyed FRANCE thoroughly. As the movie continued, I began to appreciate Dumont’s ambitious approach to commenting on some sobering realities of these uneasy times. Of course, the project wouldn’t work without the talents of its star. The film is carried by Seydoux’s magnetism and acting ability. France is a challenging character, in that Dumont makes it difficult to root for her. She’s not a fun villain that we can laugh at, or a misunderstood anti-hero. Dumont leaves a lot of room for interpretation creating a cinematic Rorschach test.

I give FRANCE 3 out 4 stars. It opens locally Friday January 14 at the Gene Siskel Film Center.