Prevalence of American Movies

[Thomas]

I know that many American movies come to theaters in France, and several other countries in the world. However, in the States, you will rarely find foreign movies in the theaters. A couple questions for all of you...

-What do you think of this situation? What I mean is, is it a good thing or a bad thing that many American movies can be seen in France? And what about the fact that it's hard to find foreign movies in American theaters?

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Je sais que beaucoup de films américains viennent aux cinémas en France, et aux plusieurs d'autres pays dans le monde. Cependant, aux USA, on trouvera rarement des films étrangers aux cinémas. Une question pour vous tous...

Qu'est-ce que vous pensez de cette situation? Ce que je veux dire, c'est quelque chose de bon ou de mauvais que l'on peut voir beaucoup de films américains en France? Et le fait qu'il est difficile de trouver des films étrangers aux cinémas américains?

[Flo]

I am not a spécialist about movies, I like to see movies in V.O. when it is possible.
In your mail, you talk about "theater" for the room that we can see movies. In french, Thea

[Flo]

I have not finish.. to say that in French Theater means a place where actors play a scenery.... Bye

[Martin]

Je pense qu'en matière de cinéma l'Amérique s'impose : il y a des bons films qui y sortent comme des mauvais mais tous passent par la France ...

Je trouve ça dommage qu'aussi peux de films étrangers soient adapté et diffusés dans d'autres Pays ...

[ramdam90]

Hi , pour répondre à FLO qui a commis une érreur de compréhension : en anglais américain c'est à dire aux USA , un cinéma se dit " a theatre" , tandis que dans la langue de la reine elizabeth, en angleterre un cinéma reste " a cinema" !
voila une petite explication qui méritait d'être faite !

[Flo]

Thanks to Ramdam 90 for the explication of theatre in USA.
Yesterday evening I had one evening free, I chose to see a film american, it was the only film which I could like.  It calls "Faussaire" (The Hoax).The realizer Lasse Hallstrôm, is Swedish. It's the story of a fact which occured in the America of the seventhies. A writer without success, Clifford Irwing {the actor is Richard Gere] wrote  the biography of the excentricon billionaire Howard Hugues without never to have met him and while making believe that it was with his request.
The film is pleasant and it describes the America during the war of Vietnam, the scandale of the Watergate... Kinldy

[mamour]

hi every body!!une piece de théatre en anglais se dit "a play" I saw that in House Md in v.o!!!

[Freddyben]

In my opinion, American movies are a good thing for cinema, we love watching many of them because it's often thrilling action but I still love much more well-made French movies (and some Italian movies with Roberto bellini) I mean there is much more sincerity in european movies, actors are much more true and friendly, we can "se reconnaitre en eux" (I don't know how to say that in English). But I like some stars from the USA like Clint Eastwood : I loved most of his western movies and I'm definitly a fan of his last masterpiece : "a million dollar baby" a real masterpiece! and you know why, because there was lots of sincerity. I have to say I don't much like most of current american actors even so I'm young but they're too cold and too unnecessarly pretentious. But actually, I don't know why French movies are so rarely in american theaters, who knows the answer?

[Thomas]

Freddyben, have you seen Johnny Stecchino? It's one of my favorite movies, and it's hilarious. I would translate "se reconnaître en eux" as "recognize ourselves in them". I have only seen a few French movies, but I hope to see a lot when I'm over there. I really like Clint Eastwood, too -- have you seen Dirty Harry?

And as for American actors being cold...well, perhaps. Some of them are, that's for sure, but I think that they must just be bad actors Look at Bruce Willis, for example. He plays in a variety of roles, from the Die Hard movies all the way to The Whole Nine Yards (and The Whole Ten Yards, too), and shows his versatility as an actor.

[Freddyben]

Hey Thomas,
Unfortunatly I didn't see the movies you're talking about but I'll try to watch some of them and will let you know what I think as soon as possible. But I want to insist on the point that there are very good actors in America, they're not all cold, not at all. A one that I do like is Jim Carrey since I saw him in The Majestic and that's actually one of my two favorite american movies, the other one is surprisingly made by the same writer/director : Frank Darabont and that's naturally The Shawshank Redemption, an amazing movie ! I could give you a third one to make a big three, oh! let's say a big four : The Green Line (also Frank Darabont, really by chance I swear, I'm a real fan !) and also a one I loved so much : O' Brothers. So to finish my list of favorite american actors I have definitly Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington, both fabulous actors. About Bruce Willis unfortunatly I have to say that I don't much like him, sorry but since I saw him giving an interwiew to a French anchorman not a long time ago for his new Die Hard, I lost all appreciation (I hope you understand what I mean) I had for him because I used to like his personality in his movies. He was just too unnecessarly pretencious looking down the kind and friendly anchorman .  You see I think that actors to be good they must be good inside run first.
If you let (I try to translate: "si tu permet", I sould have maybe said : If you please) I'd love to advise you my three favorite French movies I loved so much, in order : 1) Les choristes casting Gérard Jugnot and François Berléand in an emotional and sensational movie that has even been creating a huge fashion in France with chorus (or choir concerts ?). 2) Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (in NZ it was : Amelie) casting Audry Tautou (The French woman in The DaVinci Code, the film will show you some charms of Paris. 3) La grande séduction which is actually a Quebecois film and that is absolutly funny and touching.

[Thomas]

You must be up late, Freddyben Actually, I like to stay up late, too. I haven't seen The Majestic, but I like a lot of other Jim Carrey movies, and have for years. Have you seen The Number 23, one of his latest movies? It was...interesting. The Shawshank redemption and O Brother Where Art Thou? are really good movies, definitely. What did Bruce Willis do in that interview? I don't watch a lot of TV, so I don't see things like that very much. As for those French movies you named, I've seen Amélie (the title in the US as well), but not the other two -- I'll have to see if I can get them. I really do wish actors would just have more fun with what they do -- it's definitely too much about the money and fame, and I think that that ruins some good actors and hurts the industry in general

[Freddyben]

Well said, it's what I think too : money, money and money again, that's too much. I didn't see The Number 23 but I'll try to watch it too, perhaps It wasn't in French theaters since we don't watch as many american movies as you do (60% American movies, 30% French movies, 10% others, in french theaters). Bruce Willis didn't do much, he just looked down a friendly anchorman who was joking around but I think Bruce didn't get his humor (maybe he doesn't have much humor) and I guess he was expecting an again-very-serious interview with a frightened journalist asking him only questions on the movie as usual. But it wasn't the case, the interview was wedge in on prime with millions of French peoples staring at him in these kind of funny programs with a famous anchorman and various guests around a table in the middle of the stage discussing various topics, so it was definitly not here to get serious, and so did the anchorman, he was really funny and made me laugh. But I have to highlight that he was absolutly respectfull to Bruce but It was too special for Bruce I guess, he wasn't in his habits, lost marks... Yet I don't see him the same way anymore but that doesn't keep me from going to his movies anyway. By the way what did you think about Amelie movie? In France there are lots of peoples who like it so much and lots of peoples who don't at all, it's this kind of movie that broadly divides opinions (so a good movie  ).

[Thomas]

Well, Amélie had good and bad parts, definitely. I found the general plot of the movie to be very interesting, however, I thought it was pretty depressing when she finds out who the guy in the photos is; it's kind of ironic, but it's certainly not what I expected at all!

However, I watched the movie in French, and it was several years ago (4 I believe), and I know I didn't understand all of it -- I really need to rewatch it so I can get more from it.

[Freddyben]

Yeah, you're right you sould rewatch it because there is lots of charm in the words of this movie.

[Freddyben]

Just to tell you Thomas that I eventulally watched "the number 23" movie and it was really interesting as you said but I hadn't much more interest on it even though Jim Carrey was pretty good as usual.
By the way I absolutly have to advise one of my top rated French movies and that you gotta watch since it's (in my opinion) a masterpiece. It's called "Le grand bleu" directed by Luc Besson (that you must know I think) and first role actor Jean Reynaud (and I'm sure you know him), both French of course !