ZOMBIES. Some people like to watch such fantastical creatures on the silver screen, or read about their antics in books. The Night Eats The World (La Nuit A Dévoré Le Monde, 2018) should please their fans! Since I am a Michael jackson fan, Thriller was it for zombies and I.
A scene from Funan. Pic courtesy of French embassy Malaysia
One of the movies for the 18th edition of the Le French Festival 2019, this survivalist tale centres on Sam, played by Anders Danielsen Lie (22 July, Netflix), who goes to see his ex at her apartment to get back some music tapes. He wanders into one room and falls asleep despite the party going on outside the door.
When he wakes up, he sees zombies running around the street below, and outside the door! As anyone would, he holes up in the building, and manages to survive. Smart guy; he knows how to grow plants, rig electricity, water… He even plays drums, not caring if it draws the zombies to him. He thinks he is alone, maybe in the world.
The zombies look like all zombies do – blood-stained mouths, pale faces, cranky movements. Good work by the special effects team. However, the finale will please Gen x and Z movie fans for its bleakness. I just found it so depressing.
The French film festival also features a fun comedy called Sink or Swim (Le Grand Bain, 2018). It won Philippe Katerine, a singer-actor and filmmaker, the Cesar for Best Supporting Actor 2019, for his role the pool caretaker.
The movie is about a depressed middle-aged guy, played by Mathieu Amalric, who visits the local pool and sees a group of overweight men splashing about. He is drawn to their antics, and these guys soon form a men’s synchronised swimming team. Do they prove themselves in any way to friend and foes?
The animated offering Funan, directed by Denis Do, is depicts life under Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime. Inspired by the life of his mother, the story centres on one family and how they carry on with hope despite separation, starvation and forced labour. Funan won the Best Movie Award at the Annecy Animated Film Festival 2018.
The Cesar Best Film award winner Custody (Jusqu’a la Garde, 2018) will also be screened. The tale centres on a mother who is seeking full custody of her son, to protect him from his dad whom she accuses of domestic abuse. Directed by Xavier Legrand, critics have hailed the movie.
The movies, with English subtitles, will be screen at selected Golden Screens Cinemas from April 4. For more details on Le French Festival 2019, visit https://www.lefrenchfestival.com.my/ or gsc.com.my.
You can get snag some free passes for the Le French Festival 2019 by printing this page, or taking a snapshot, and showing it to the GSC counter at Midvalley on Sunday, march 24, till stocks last.
You snooze, you lose!