What makes a film good? Is it the acting? The action? Maybe the lead character is portrayed by your favourite star, and no matter what s/he plays in, it's bound to be good!
Perhaps a good movie is best defined as one that sucks its audience in, holds them in a thrall and releases them, with a great whoosh of emotion, some two hours later. Having just established the idea that defining anything as best is a matter of personal preference, let us advance these ten titles, in the hopes that you agree with our assessment: that they are a perfect expression of French cinema at its best.
| Movie | Year | Genre | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jean de Florette | 1986 | Comedy, Crime | Claude Berri |
| Manon des Sources | 1986 | Romance, Drama | Claude Berri |
| La Haine | 1995 | Crime, Thriller | Mathieu Kassovitz |
| The Dinner Game | 1998 | Comedy | Francis Veber |
| Amelie | 2001 | Comedy, Romance | Jean-Pierre Jeunet |
| Les Choristes | 2004 | Musical, Drama | Christophe Barratier |
| The Intouchables | 2011 | Drama, Comedy | Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano |
| The Artist | 2011 | Comedy, Romance | Michel Hazanavicius |
| My Life As A Courgette | 2016 | comedy, drama | Claude Barras |
| The Taste of Things | 2023 | Romance, Historical, Drama | Tran Anh Hung |
Famous French Movies That You Will Love
Some of the French-language movies that have been produced over the decades are absolutely brilliant in their own right. While subtitles and dubbed films allow us to get into the film without the need to try to follow along in French, there's bound to be something lost in translation.
This means that many French films in French are reserved for real cinema-goers looking for something new and unique. Here are 10 French movies across different genres to kickstart your love for French cinema.
1. Jean de Florette (1986)
Synopsis: In this acclaimed French movie drama, the enterprising Ugolin Soubeyran (Daniel Auteuil) returns to his native countryside after serving in the military during the First World War. Intent on growing expensive flowers, he conspires with his uncle, Cesar (Yves Montand), to gain access to a hidden spring on a [neighbouring] property.
When their initial attempt to buy the land fails, they must contend with Jean de Florette (Gérard Depardieu), who arrives with his family to work the coveted plot and turn it into a profitable farm.
Jean de Florette is the first part novel adaptation of The Water of The Hills by Marcel Pagnol.
2. Manon des Sources (1986)
Synopsis: The sequel to Jean de Florette which was released in the same year, this film follows Manon (Emmanuelle Béart), a beautiful shepherdess in Provence, France, who has lost her father and seen her family's livelihood ruined through greediness of her neighbours: Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil) and his grandfather, Cesar (Yves Montand).
Now grown and living in isolation from the village, she plots revenge against the men for their misdeeds. Her plot is complicated by Ugolin, who has fallen in love with her but Manon's retribution will not be deterred.
Both Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources are considered European cinema masterpieces to this day, placing 60th among the 100 greatest world cinema films released by Empire.
3. La Haine (1995)
Synopsis: When a young Arab is arrested and beaten unconscious by police, a riot erupts in the notoriously violent suburbs outside of Paris. Three of the victim's peers, Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Said (Said Taghmaoui) and Hubert (Hubert Koundé) wander aimlessly about their home turf in the aftermath of the violence as they try to come to grips with their outrage over the brutal incident.
After one of the men finds a police officer's discarded weapon, their night seems poised to take a bleak turn.
The film was originally shot in colour, but it was changed to black and white by the director during post-production.
4. Diner des Cons (1998)
Synopsis: The Dinner Game, or Le dîner de cons, follows the efforts of wealthy publisher, Pierre Brochant (Thierry Lhermitte) to find the strangest "idiot" with a ridiculous obsession (like a hobby or interest to be part of a weekly dinner game among the Parisian businessman circle.
Brochant successfully found François Pignon (Jacques Villeret), a tax collector who seemingly fits all the bills of an idiot, and brought him to dinner. Brochant's idea backfired when Pignon proved to be quite a character and caused him lots of trouble, especially with those around him, despite Pignon's kind intentions.
The Dinner Game was a winner at the French box office, finishing second behind the global blockbuster film, Titanic in 1997.
5. Amelie (2001)
Synopsis: Amélie is a fanciful comedy about a young woman who discreetly orchestrates the lives of the people around her, creating a world exclusively of her own making.
Shot in over 80 Parisian locations, acclaimed director Jean-Pierre Jeunet ("Delicatessen"; "The City of Lost Children") invokes his incomparable visionary style to capture the exquisite charm and mystery of modern-day Paris through the eyes of a beautiful ingénue.
The director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, initially had English actress Emma Watson in mind when he wrote the role of Amélie for this film.
6. Les Choristes (2004)
Synopsis: Pierre (Jean-Baptiste Maunier) is an aimless child at an austere boarding school in France. The students and faculty are constantly at odds with one another, until a music teacher, Clément Mathieu (Gérard Jugnot), arrives and starts a choir.
Clément, who has troubles of his own tries to change the reactionary policies of the school, choosing instead to encourage his students. His efforts have a particular impact on Pierre, who shows great musical promise.
The story of Les Choristes is loosely based on The Little Singers in Paris, a famous boy choir in France and the adaptation of the 1945 film A Cage of Nightingales.
7.The Intouchables (2011)
Synopsis: The aristocratic and intellectual Philippe (François Cluzet) is a quadriplegic French millionaire who is interviewing candidates for the position of his carer, with his red-haired secretary Magalie. Out of the blue, Driss (Omar Sy) cuts the line of candidates, brings a document from Social Security and asks Phillipe to sign it to prove that he is seeking a job position so he can receive his unemployment benefit.
Philippe challenges Driss, offering him a trial period of one month to gain experience helping him. Driss can decide whether he would like to stay with him or not.
This film is also inspired by the true story of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and his French-Algerian caretaker, Abdel Sellou and is the third highest-grossing French film in France to date.
8. The Artist (2011)
Synopsis: George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) was once a famous silent film actor, where he met a young Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo). A few years later, the silent film industry began to dwindle alongside the fame of Valentin while Miller herself became a top star with the bloom of sound films.
The two met again under different circumstances and sparks flew. Wanting to help Valentin without bruising his ego, Miller invited Valentin to be part of a musical production.
Dujardin's portrayal of Valentin's journey earned him an Academy Award, solidifying his status among France's greatest actors.
The Artist won Five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin (the first French actor to win) in 2012.
9. My Life As A Courgette (2016)
Synopsis: Set in Switzerland, this story showcases the complexity of family relationships through the eyes of orphans. After indirectly causing his mother's death, a young boy named Icare (voiced by Gaspard Schlatter) is sent to a foster home and goes by the nickname, Courgette.
His life takes a different turn when he falls in love with a new girl, Camille (voiced by Sixtine Murat) and grows closer to an officer named Raymond.
This French movie successfully brings out layers of emotional depth through the characters — it's relatable, comforting and thought-provoking to watch.
10. The Taste of Things (2023)
Synopsis: This movie showcases the intricate relationship between Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel), a renowned gourmet and his cook, Eugénie (Juliette Binoche). Beyond the working relationship, both of them recognised feelings for each other but Eugenie refused to marry Dodin even after his continuous proposals.
To win her hand, Dodin eventually makes a beautiful meal for her but things do not seem as easy as they look. Benoît Magimel and Juliette Binoche, one of the most celebrated French actresses, are a delight to watch for their great chemistry and amazing acting skills.
The Taste of Things showcases the heart of food preparation, devotion to the world of French cuisine, and the slow-burning romance. Tran Anh Hung won the Best Director award for the Palme d'Or.
Reel To Real Life French With Superprof
Language is not a genetic gift, it is a social gift. Learning a new language is becoming a member of the club – the community of speakers of that language.
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Now that you have reviewed these amazing French movies, you may even start searching for them on your favourite streaming sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime, right? One way to make your watch experience more enjoyable is to master the French language from scratch so that you can also relate better to the history of French cinema.
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As you gain proficiency in the French language, you can eventually watch French movies without subtitles and immerse in the original dialogues! How fun is that?
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