Down in the dumps about democracy? Try an evening of French animated shorts at The Kabbaz
Nov
14
2024
Feeling deflated, depleted, depressed, and disappointed? Somewhat disoriented, downhearted, down in the dumps, or demoralized? Get thee to the cozy Theatre Raymond Kabbaz on Pico Boulevard for a singular foray through fantasy, futurism and fun. It’s the Kabbaz’s annual French Animation Festival, and, attending last year, we came out smiling from ear to ear. But, ...
Box of sixty bon-bons: The American French Film Festival (TAFFF) starts Oct 29
In the run-up to The American French Film Festival (TAFFF) at the end of October, we picked through a box of “chocolat” to select a few of the yummier-looking titles of the sixty films that will be on offer at the Director’s Guild of America, October 29 thru November 3, 2024. This Festival is among ...
So long, Alain Delon, at The American-French Film Festival
Oct
7
2024
with natalie baye, notre histoire One of the most charismatic leading men to grace the silver screen, Alain Delon appeared in 107 films, starred in some of the most iconic European films of the 1960s and ’70s, and worked with many of the most celebrated directors of his time. While there’s no denying his iconic ...
‘A Week of French Language Cinema’ is a good week!
Mar
4
2024
Some call it “Francophonie.” Others call it “la belle langue.” All we know is it just feels nice on the world-weary brain to allow the dulcet tone of francais into your ears — if only for a few hours. For the fifteenth year straight, in collaboration with the Consulates General of Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, France, ...
REVIEW: ‘Rise’: dance film earnestly misses its pointe
The French film En Corps, curiously translated as Rise and presented by Blue Fox Entertainment, is a well-made, earnest, and thoroughly innocuous movie. It will interest anyone who watched Natalie Portman in Black Swan and railed to the heavens, “Why didn’t they cast a real dancer in the role!?” This new film will more than ...
French animated films, avec baguette
Nov
10
2022
Animation Fest at TRK, a compilation of 13 short French animated films created by young film makers from renowned French animation schools, contains themes best digested by adults — the richness and variety of the proposed selection tackle eclectic themes and current issues, turning a critical gaze on modern society using the power of animation. ...
On International Animation Day, French short subjects at Theatre Raymond Kabbaz
Oct
8
2021
Pierre Leloup, artistic director of Theatre Raymond Kabbaz appreciates film animation and doesn’t believe it should just be for kids: “Animated film is an art form in its own on right,” says Pierre, adding that these marvelous, hand-crafted movies “efficiently introducing challenging topics in a visually compelling way, leaving plenty of room for symbolism, fantasy, ...
Ticket to happiness: ‘Le Bonheur’ turns 55 at Laemmle Theatres
Aug
16
2021
cute nuclear family – what could go wrong? It’s a personal favorite and a beautiful film, if only for its score. But it is also a visual feast. Shot in the suburbs of Paris, Agnes Varda’s Le Bonheur opens with an idyllic scene of a perfect little French “famille” tripping the light fantastic of a ...
Curtain up for ‘Bayadère’ rehearsal at Palais Garnier
Aug
8
2021
Front-row seats in a live, costumed performance would be better. But, for second best, watch this video’ed répétition, (rehearsal) of an Act Three duet from La Bayadère danced by these two full-bodied, gorgeously trained grands étoiles of Paris Opera Ballet: Amandine Albisson, as Nikiya, partnered by the hunky-but-sleek dreamboat, Hugo Marchand, as Solor. The rehearsal ...
For cinephiles, Francophiles, feminists: ‘Young French Cinema’! 2
Dec
15
2020
If you fit one, or all, of the categories — cinephile, Francophile, feminist — as do I (all three) then Wednesday night, December 16, Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz has something in store for you! It’s a new documentary, Delphine and Carole, slated to open a new, COVID-averse film festival, “Young French Cinema.” The friendship between screen ...