Dreaming of France - 4

Dreaming of France
meme created by An Accidental Blog
join this week's round and add your link here
Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to my blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it. Maybe we can all satisfy our yearnings for France, until we get there again.

~*~
Today I will feature a DVD I watched over the weekend.

Le pacte du silence
France 2003
Directed by: Graham Guit
Starring:
Gérard Depardieu as Joachim
Élodie Bouchez as Gaëlle / Sarah
Carmen Maura as Mère Emmanuelle
My rating: 4

Per imdb:
Everyone has a secret. Twins Sarah and Gaëlle near 25; for ten years, Sarah has been a fundamentalist Carmelite in a Brazilian convent, and Gaëlle has been in prison for a heinous crime.

Sarah comes to the attention of Fr. Joachim, a priest and physician; he can find no cause for her debilitating abdominal pain. When Sarah and he are transferred to Paris, Joachim looks for Gaëlle, now on probation and finding no respite from society's approbation. An enterprising reporter is digging into Gaëlle's life, the mother superior of Sarah's convent hovers over her, and Joachim investigates the phenomenon of twin's symmetry.

Is there any release from the past

My two-bits:
Slow thriller with a schlubby-turns-sexy main character (character reference mentioned in previous Dreaming of France post) that is Gérard Depardieu.

This movie left me with a HUH? at the end. Makes you want to go back and rewatch to figure out which twin is which.

There were scenes shot in Paris, but unrecognizable to me. Just goes to show. I gotta go travel back to explore more parts of town...

Take a peek:

Dreaming of France - 3

Dreaming of France
a new meme
created by An Accidental Blog
join this week's round and add your link here
Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to my blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it
Maybe we can all satisfy our yearnings for France, until we get there again.

~*~
Today I will feature another movie I saw during the French Cinema Now Fall film presentation.

A World Without Women
France 2011
Directed by: Guillaume Brac
Starring:
Constance Rousseau as Patricia
Laurent Papot as Juliette
Vincent Macaigne as Sylvain
My rating: 5

In its brief but eventful runtime, this film knowingly delineates a complex parent-child relationship and explores how each party goes about seeking romantic connection.

Patricia and her daughter Juliette have rented a cottage in a lazy beachfront town. The former is flirtatious with men, verging on desperate, while her pretty and intelligent child is more timid and careful with her affections.

Both of them play a back-and-forth emotional tease with Sylvain, the flat’s schlubby proprietor, and the resulting psychological effects on all parties are presented with subtlety and impressive acting.

My two-bits:
Loved that this took place at a seaside location - wonderful views.

As the description says a schlubby character, Sylvain, is the focus in this story. Suprisingly this focus the women have on Sylvain makes him a very appealing and attractive man despite the schlubbyness.

Winners for November pt2

Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended October 31, 2012
during the Something Amiss at Pemberley event

Thanks to all contestants!

JANE AUSTEN theme:

Dancing with Mr. Darcy edited by novelist Sarah Waters
Winner: bibi rodriquez

The Darcys of Pemberley by Shannon Winslow
Winner: Lúthien84 of My Love for Jane Austen

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
Winner: Vicki of Decked out in Ruffles

Honor and Integrity by Aimee Avery, June Williams, Enid Wilson
Winner: Ash

Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen by Sally Smith O'Rourke
Winner: Faith Hope Cherrytea


non-Jane:

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
Winner: Sarah of Book-A-Holic

Necronimicon by H.P. Lovecraft
Winner: Michelle of The True Book Addict


~*~
* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses within two weeks.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar

Winners for November pt1

Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended October 31, 2012
during the Keep Calm and Carry On: Zombie Edition event

Thanks to all contestants!

Detention of the Living Dead by Rusty Fischer
Winner: MAD of Mary Ann DeBorde Writes (and Reads!)

Zombie Tarot
Winner: AimeeKay of AimeeKay's Reviews From My First Reads Shelf

The Zombie Always Knocks Twice by E. Van Lowe
Winner: Midnight Cowgirl of Happy Pretty Sweet

Zombie Cat by Isabel Atherton
Winner: Freda of Freda's Voice

The Zombie Playground: Grisly Trilogy, Book 2 by Brian Rowe
Winner: Stephanie of The Eclectic Girl


For Zompacolypse 2012 Halloween Hop:

Zombtivities by Britnie Drettwan
Winner: Cryscringle of Life Through My Eyes


Easter Egg giveaway:
Prize: will be something from the Plants v Zombies store

Winner: MAD of Mary Ann DeBorde Writes (and Reads!)


~*~* easter egg giveaways: are surprise giveaways embedded in posts that sometimes have an egg image at the bottom or simply hints at a giveaway for comments participation throughout the event or just because i'm feeling generous

* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses within two weeks.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar

Dreaming of France - 2

Dreaming of France
a new meme
created by An Accidental Blog
join this week's round and add your link here
Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to my blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it
Maybe we can all satisfy our yearnings for France, until we get there again.

Today I will feature a movie I saw during the French Cinema Now Fall film presentation.

Mobile Home
Belgium/Luxembourg/France 2012
Directed by: François Pirot
Starring:
Arthur Dupont as Simon
Guillaume Gouix as Julien
My rating: 5

Two best friends living in the Belgian countryside conjure up a scheme for leaving town in this sly debut feature. Simon and Julien are handsome girl chasers, handicapped by the fact that they are out of work and living with their parents. Using money that his folks had set aside for his future, Simon decides to buy the titular vehicle and asks his best pal to join him on the road toward new adventures and locales. What ensues is a marvelous comedy of errors involving vehicular malfunctions, financial difficulties and female temptations. As the two pals, actors Guillaume Gouix and Arthur Dupont have terrific rapport, and the film offers a bittersweet message about friendship and the search for home.

My two-bits:
As the subtitle feature was not synced I watched over half of the movie in french. With basic high school french under my belt I was clueless as to what was actually said. BUT, the gist of what was going on was evident. It was a coming of age story that was told with likable characters.

AND then, the subtitles kicked in and things became crystal. Made me want to get a move on and start french language lessons soon.