La France

2007

1h 42m

Drama

List

94%

17 Reviews

Tomatometer

47%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

A woman searches for her husband during World War I after he sends a letter ending the marriage.

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Audience Member

Overall I would recommend you pass on this one. La France is a very disjointed story that just drags on for most of the time. When it doesn't drag on it goes completely off rails with either musical numbers that just don't fit with the overall feel of the film, or by challenging your suspension of disbelief. The acting is flat and although the overall story idea is good, it is poorly executed here. With that being said, there are a few bright spots in the film. The "real" mission of the Lieutenant made for an interesting twist, and although the musical numbers were badly out of place, the songs were pretty catchy. But at the end of the day, I think it would be best to avoid this one.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Audience Member

Did Roger Ebert miss the symbolism? Brilliant movie!! Realize the movie takes place post war as Camille is fighting a war against the war her husband was in; then all the symbolism & songs make sense...

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Audience Member

Film Comment calls the work of Serge Bozon and his contemporaries "The Wave With No Name" (March/April 2011). The only film I could find from Bozon and his cohorts to Watch Instantly is this strange and pleasing genre-bender. Part war movie (WWI), part road movie, part musical, part melodrama, it concerns Camille Robin (Sylvie Testud) a not very bright young woman whose husband is away at war. A jealous friend reads to Camille her husband's most recent letter that says he will not be writing again. It's not clear, or perhaps it's intentionally ambiguous, but I got the feeling that Camille may not be able to read and that the friend was lying as to what it says. At any rate, Camille cuts her hair, dresses as a man, and goes off to find him. Almost immediately she joins a group of French soldiers who tell her (him, they believe) that they are looking to rejoin their regiment, but are, in fact, deserting. Along the way, through the course of the film, this little band of soldiers break out in song, with a variety of hand-made instruments, and sing a series of songs that all begin "I, blind girl" and have the sound of sunny '60s California pop. Favorite quote from the film: "He's waiting for us in Atlantis, in Holland, wherever there are orphans full of infamy."

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Audience Member

What might be the drug of choice that inspired this film? My guess is Bigoud Cidre ArtÃsanal Le Brun Demi-Sec with a hint of Absinthe. It's 1917; girl misses her husband; leaves the town and tries to get to the Front by cutting her hair, joining a group of soldiers who turn out to be Deserters and it's clear why she and they are bottom of the class. Reminded me of Lowest-Common-Denominator; although this was a competition to be the thickest. Somewhat like a cheap version of Dickie Attenborough's "What a Lovely War" (1969), with instruments suddenly appearing and people breaking into grating Artisan songs; and some very non-Hollywood 1 minute shots of a river flowing. Must be allegorical or editing error

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

Tense at times, but fun most of the times!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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Audience Member

I think Serge Bozon deserves more recognition than he has received. Having said that, being a film geek I am glad the films have been so successful on the festival circuit. I was lucky enough to have been---coincidentally---at two film festivals on opposite sides of the world when his last two films premiered: Mods at the Revelation Film Festival [around 03 or 04] and La France in Houston earlier this year. On both occasions, I was blown away by the films as well as by Serge's knowledge of the genres and styles with which he was playing. Serge's films are intelligent without becoming didactic. Yet they are also stylish without losing substance. This is a very rare thing in today's cinema---even in the so-called arthouse and festival scene.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

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Serge Bozon

Director

Sylvie Testud

Camille

Pascal Greggory

Le lieutenant

Guillaume Verdier

Le cadet

François Négret

Jacques

Laurent Talon

Antoine

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Ben Kenigsberg

Time Out

Rated: 4/5

Nov 18, 2011

Full Review

Melissa Anderson

Time Out

Rated: 5/5

Nov 17, 2011

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John Hartl

Seattle Times

You might want to file this one under Novelties and Cult Items, Not Completely Baked.

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 5, 2008

Full Review

Steve Erickson

Gay City News

Impossible to classify, it's a war movie with a love story that only flowers in its beginning and then in its closing moments.

Mar 9, 2018

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Daniel Kasman

MUBI

It is a fantasy that hangs between something magical and something much darker...

Nov 17, 2017

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Seanax.com

Tender and lyrical and lonely, it's like a phantom dreamwalk along the borders of war...

Apr 11, 2010

Full Review

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Synopsis

A woman searches for her husband during World War I after he sends a letter ending the marriage.

Director: Serge Bozon
Screenwriter: Serge Bozon, Axelle Ropert
Production Co: Les Films Pelléas
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 8, 2010
Runtime: 1h 42m

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