Suite Française (2015)

Boring

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

I feel like I've seen this story many times before in film. However, on the plus side, Kristin Scott Thomas is on brilliant form as the Mother-in-Law from hell Madame Angellier. You may not like her but you begin to understand her and eventually have some empathy for her. Sam Reilly and Ruth Watson are also extremely watchable as Benoit and Madeleine Labarie. Unfortunately, Alexandra Maria Lara, probably best known as Hitler's secretary in Downfall (parts of which are now mercilessly parodied on YouTube), is sadly underused in this film. Unfortunately, Michelle Williams is woefully miscast as our 'heroine' Lucile Angellier. Williams fails to breathe any life into a character who finds herself trapped in an loveless, arranged marriage. Meanwhile, Matthias Schoenaerts, a wonderful actor, seems distinctly ill at ease as Lieutenant Bruno von Falk. I found their scenes together unconvincing, lacking in chemistry and rather awkward.All in all, not a terrible way to spend a couple of hours, but this film is unlikely to trouble the all time classic films depicting WWII.

A film with nothing new to say about love,war or anything else unfortunately. Cliché watchers will have a field day as conflicted Nazi officer falls in lust with lonely, put - upon Frenchwoman. He is a composer who left home to join the Wehrmacht and is somehow surprised that his fellow soldiers are not all gentlemen looking for a "good" war but frankly barbarians almost to a man. "Mein Gott,what am I doing here?"he must have thought. Too late,pal;get on with the job of killing Jews,Frenchmen,Russians,gypsies, the mentally ill, the disabled and other such "untermenschen". He has written a sub - sub Debussy piano piece and plays it.He makes the piano talk -it says "Take your hands off me!" His easily - impressed French mistress - seemingly in a semi - catatonic state throughout their "affair" spends hours fingering his music lovingly. Read into that what you will. Eventually they both remember there's a war on and they're on opposites sides of it. She tries to smuggle a wanted man to Paris,and is stopped at a sentry post . Two soldiers end up getting shot. The officer rides up on his motor bike (the things German composers can do,eh?) and after an unconsciably long time staring at each other open - mouthed lets her drive off. By this time my eyes were blurred not with tears but with sleep. Mis K.Scott - Thomas at her ball - breaking best is worth the five stars . Otherwise if there's a documentary about sugar cane production in China on another channel - watch it.

If you loved the book as much as I did, stay away from that movie! The book was so beautifully written, with so much subtlety. The movie ruined it, it's very heavy handed and the actors can't save it, I felt like I was watching an other Hollywood movie. And I'm not even talking about the factual errors. No wonder it never made it to the big screen here!

It's 1940 and France is on the verge of falling. Lucile Angellier (Michelle Williams) lives with her mother-in-law Madame Angellier (Kristin Scott Thomas) who ruthlessly collects rent from her tenant farmers. Her husband along with many of the men are away at war. She befriends poor farmer Madeleine Labarie (Ruth Wilson) and her crippled husband Benoit (Sam Riley). As France is occupied, the villagers are forced to billet German officers. The Angelliers are assigned Bruno von Falk (Matthias Schoenaerts). He's been assigned to read through the letters written by the villagers ratting out each other. Madame Angellier evicts the Josephs and Celine Joseph (Margot Robbie) is bitter for being forced into the barn.I really like all the supporting characters in the village. The conflicting paths are compelling and the same character often have opposing modes. The central romance is less appealing. This requires Michelle Williams to lose her senses and fall in a full-on romance novel relationship. She does her best but a younger and more naive actress would probably work better. It should be a relationship of intense trust issues but the movie is driving for romanticism. It's really wrong-headed. There are also other minor issues about the third act.