Vintage Paris

The French Film Festival hits Sydney tomorrow and is promising its usual spectacular line up of French fabulousness featuring "the dernier cris of French talent including Juliette Binoche, Vincent Cassel, Virginie Ledoyen, Catherine Deneuve, Daniel Auteuil, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Beart, Gerard Depardieu, Gérard Jugnot, Ludivine Sagnier, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi".

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing the cabaret style musical Paris 36 which kicks off opening night. Set in a working class suburb of Paris in 1936 (funnily enough!) it's been nominated for 5 Cesar awards (kind of like the French Oscars) including costume design, which I am especially interested in. All those fantastic vintage dresses and 1930's showbiz gowns!

From what I can gather the film is a loving tip of the hat to studio-bound French pictures of the World War II period that's both entertaining and fabulously over the top. Although I'm generally not a lover of musicals, the French really know how to put on a show (Ever been to Moulin Rouge???) and the reviews have been excellent so I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

There are some 30 films playing over the next couple of weeks at the Verona and the Palace Academy in Paddington as well as Norton Street Cinema in Leichardt. The festival is also on around the rest of the country throughout March in capital cities. Click HERE for screenings and session times.