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      French Way

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      Phil Hall Film Threat A charming farce centered around the glorious Josephine Baker. Rated: 4/5 Jan 25, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

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      Audience Member This film from 1945 France is a little bit of fluff. The quality level of the production is modest at best, the tone feels too light during air-raid alarms (even for a romantic comedy), and the acting feels stagey. However, it has its moments, and it entertained me. The story of the young Romeo and Juliet couple (Georges Marchal and Micheline Presle) is pretty standard, but the growing attraction between their feuding parents (Saturnin Fabre and Gabrielle Dorziat) is very cute. The battle for dominance in the marriage of two café owners was also amusing. Most of all, though, I loved seeing Josephine Baker, who is a delight. How fantastic it is to see her in this role, without the least hint of a stereotype. Her musical numbers don't have a wow factor, and her dance routines are toned down, but the joy on her face and her charisma really come through. The movie was filmed in 1940 and not released for five years because of the war, meaning she was 34 and had been in Paris for 15 years. You see the wisdom in her moving to France, because, as she put it, "One day I realized I was living in a country where I was afraid to be black." It's an average film, but I gave it a little bonus, because to see her is special. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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