Everything Everywhere all at once by Daniel (theatrical release August 31)The craziest film of the year, by far. One of the best too, without hesitation. Far from the flatulence of their first feature (Swiss Army Man), the director duo, made up of Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, is gaining momentum and maturity with this “indie blockbuster” by A24 which made headlines across the Atlantic — becoming the greatest success in the history of the most hyped studio of the decade. A multiverse story, without superheroes, but with a couple running a laundry, of a rare intensity, richness, intelligence and originality.Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen (theatrical release on 31 August) We inevitably think of Ari Folman’s film, Valse avec Bachir, for the form – a documentary in the form of a story, all in animation. But Flee is something else entirely. The Danish director tells the true testimony of his high school friend, who fled Kabul in 1989 and who tried with his family to arrive in Europe, before stagnating in Moscow. To tell his story and to tell how “Amin” told him his story. All during a discussion between friends, a real one, provoking a disconcerting feeling of intimacy. We understand better that the film was nominated in the categories “Best Animated Film” and “Best Documentary Film” at the Oscars 2022. The Five Devils by Léa Mysius (theatrical release August 31) months that genre cinema is renewed in France, that it tries, finally, to incorporate the codes of our cinema specific to the fantastic, avoiding the Hollywood blockbuster aspect. Despite certain failures (critical or commercial), Les Cinq Diables is proof that it can be successful, refreshing and engaging. This story of a young girl with an overdeveloped sense of smell who can relive her mother’s memories and unravel family secrets is also proof that it is necessary to follow Léa Mysius’ work very closely. A future great filmmaker. Les Petites Marguerites by Vera Chytilova (released in theaters on August 31) We know that if we talk to you about the Czech new wave, it doesn’t seem to sell very well. Nevertheless, if we tell you that the most famous film by director Vera Chytilova, released in 1966, is a cult masterpiece, a sort of frankly punk feminist poem which enjoyed a second glory across the Atlantic thanks to a certain video release in the Criterion Collection, we weigh our words. A masterpiece, which looks to the side of Dadaism and the cinema of Godard. But that’s not the most important: seeing these two young women having fun, being bored and discovering this stylistic and pop madness on the big screen is an opportunity that should not be missed.Le Visiteur du futur by François Descraques (theatrical release on September 7) No one would have bet, in 2009, on this little web series, shot between friends with rudimentary equipment. However, François Descraques held there a formidable concept: a traveler from the future arrives in the life of Raph, a young man a little lost, to warn him of a cataclysm. Four seasons, a comic strip, a novel and a manga later, the visitor is treated to adventures on the big screen. The result reflects the image of its creator and director: ambitious, inventive and generous. A great SF spectacle as we see too little in France, where we find everything that made up the soul and the humor of the series. Something to delight fans and make new followers. Chronicle of a temporary affair by Emmanuel Mouret (theatrical release on September 14) That you know the busy filmography of Emmanuel Mouret and that you discovered it with his last feature , which had great post-containment success (The Things We Say, The Things We Do), or that you don’t know the guy at all, it doesn’t really matter. This romance between a young divorced woman (Sandrine Kiberlain) and a husband cheating on his partner for the first time (Vincent Macaigne) is sweet, sometimes hilarious, sometimes gut-wrenching.Fire of Love by Sara Dosa (theatrical release 14 September) Appreciated at the Sundance festival, Fire of Love is a love story and the story of an incandescent passion. Directed by the American Sara Dosa, it documents the story of the couple of French volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft, united in life by their burning common passion for volcanoes which will cost them their lives in 1991, on the side of a Japanese volcano. erupting.Made from the stunning and terrifying videos full of glowing lava and desolate landscapes shot by the Kraffts on and inside craters around the world, in a New Wave style, enriched with moving images, archived interviews and narrated by director Miranda July, Fire of Love is a unique documentary that focuses on the unusual “love triangle” that united the two researchers and their volcanic obsession.Avatar by James Cameron (released in cinemas on September 21)A few weeks before the release of the second part of the saga launched by James Cameron 13 years ago, you will take a booster shot with the first Avatar, right? Especially since in addition to allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the universe in time for The Way of the Water, the filmmaker has promised a 4K remaster worthy of the name for this terribly important blockbuster. Don’t Worry Darling by Olivia Wilde (theatrical release on September 21)Florence Pugh + Harry Style + Chris Pine + Gemma Chan + a slick direction by Olivia Wilde (to whom we owe the excellent Booksmart) + an oppressive SF script + a stylized 1950s vibe = one of the most anticipated films of the year. Just that. The Children of Others by Rebecca Zlotowski (theatrical release on September 21) The gifted French director returns to us with a fifth feature film, the most successful and the most sensitive of all, carried by an imperial Virginie Efira. Her name is Rachel, she is 40 years old, she has no children, she loves her students, she is friends with her ex and she falls in love with Ali, divorced and father of a four-year-old girl . While suffering the weight of the biological clock that sometimes imprisons women who want to become mothers, Rachel will attach herself to this child as if she were her own, while understanding that she will only be an extra in her life. Once again, Rebecca Zlotowski films a feminine trajectory that goes beyond the frames with a subtlety and a rare emotion. By filming Rachel’s intimate questions up close, the director questions the notion of family, maternal desire and the cruelty of time which passes at two speeds for men and women. Moonage Daydream by Brett Morgen (theatrical release on 21 September) After tackling a musical monster in 2015 in the incredible documentary Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, Brett Morgen does it again, this time focusing on David Bowie. In the same way, the American filmmaker mixes archive images, an account of the artist’s life and an artistic vision close to the universe of the rock star. A real event, for aficionados and neophytes, not to be missed.Ninjababy by Yngvild Sve Flikke (theatrical release on September 21)In theaters the same day as The Children of Others, Ninjababy evokes non-desire maternity with a welcome lightness. In this back-to-school candy, 23-year-old Rakel, a kind of modernized Norwegian twin to Juno, has every desire in the world, except that of becoming a mother. But she will get pregnant following a one-night stand and discover it six months later. Adoption is therefore the one and only solution and nothing will dissuade Rakel from his decision (unlike Juno who allowed himself to be convinced by pro-life activists to keep his child). Adapted from the graphic novel Fallteknikk by Inga Sætre , Ninjababy is a clever teen movie carried by a courageous heroine and which pays homage to its source material by mixing clothing animation and live action.Athena by Romain Gavras (release on Netflix on September 23)Gavras, second of the name, (to whom we owe the excellent Our day will come and The world is yours), is finally back, with a feature film co-written with Ladj Ly, carried by Dali Benssalah and whose scale seems unprecedented. Narrating the conflagration of a city following a police blunder, and mixing this violence with the tearing of a family, this Athena has the ambition to be the Greek tragedy that will mark the Venice Biennale with a hot iron – and this particularly busy film season. Andrew Dominik’s Blonde (released on Netflix on September 28) It was already the most exciting project of the year and it still is. Ana de Armas in a fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe, based on a rather brilliant bestseller by Joyce Carol Oates, directed by Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Cogan: Killing Them Softly) and with a strong supporting cast (Adrien Brody, Bobby Carnavale). It promises to be intense and crazy. Without filter by Ruben Östlund (theatrical release on September 28) In this new enjoyable satire, this time in the world of the ultra-rich and luxury, the Swedish director follows the adventure of Yaya and Carl, a couple of models and influencers on vacation on a luxury cruise for a trip that will turn into disaster. In a kind of reverse Titanic, where the weakest are not necessarily the losers, the film dissects the springs of class: the rich against the poor, but also men against women, and whites against blacks. After Play ( 2011), Snow Therapy (2014) and The Square (2017), Ruben Östlund continues his meticulous dissection of social conventions, petty cowardice and other moral dilemmas in a radical feature film. Five years after his Palme d’Or received for The Square, the filmmaker was once again crowned with the supreme award at Cannes this year, awarded by a jury “extremely shocked by this film” and which once again divided the festival-goers. At the end of August, we also learned of the sudden death of Charlbi Dean, the main actress of the film, at the age of 32. Article co-written by Arthur Cios, Manon Marcillat and Delphine Rivet.
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