sans contrefaçon
Le Misanthrope.
Don quichotte sous la nef du Grand Palais.
Chefs-d'oeuvre de la galerie Vollard at the Musée d'Orsay.
Les châteaux de la Loire.
La Soupe aux choux.
Le Merle Moqueur.
Les Bronzées font du ski.
Indochine.
There comes a point in even the most diligent francophile's acculturation process when, the list of high-brow must-see/do excursions utterly exhausted, and you along with it, the hosts start grasping at straws and then, with a devious grin, drag you into the sloshy, silly, and deliciously débile underbelly of French civilization. I'm not talking about les Catacombes. I'm also not talking about half-hearted attempts to mimic Hollywood's monopoly on cheap laughs.
I mean the bona fide Gallic plebeian antics and cartoonish buffoonery that make Louis de Funès the most hilarious face contortionist ever. Or the B.D.-inspired lyrics of mega-80's rock stars Indochine. And especially the camaraderie that explodes in a rum bar when the theme song to San Ku Kai reverberates from the speakers.
Les Français -- they're just like us!!
Don quichotte sous la nef du Grand Palais.
Chefs-d'oeuvre de la galerie Vollard at the Musée d'Orsay.
Les châteaux de la Loire.
La Soupe aux choux.
Le Merle Moqueur.
Les Bronzées font du ski.
Indochine.
There comes a point in even the most diligent francophile's acculturation process when, the list of high-brow must-see/do excursions utterly exhausted, and you along with it, the hosts start grasping at straws and then, with a devious grin, drag you into the sloshy, silly, and deliciously débile underbelly of French civilization. I'm not talking about les Catacombes. I'm also not talking about half-hearted attempts to mimic Hollywood's monopoly on cheap laughs.
I mean the bona fide Gallic plebeian antics and cartoonish buffoonery that make Louis de Funès the most hilarious face contortionist ever. Or the B.D.-inspired lyrics of mega-80's rock stars Indochine. And especially the camaraderie that explodes in a rum bar when the theme song to San Ku Kai reverberates from the speakers.
Les Français -- they're just like us!!
Comments
speaking of lovably french cinema, did you catch Les Ripoux 3 last night?
I'll never forget the first time I saw Le Père Noël est une ordure -- I was completely lost! But this was probably about seven years ago, and in the States. I have since had the opportunity to see it through a few more times and catch the nuances. Now it does make me laugh pretty hard -- although I'm the first to admit that I don't always "get" French humor!
Betty C., yes indeed! I think discovering the cult classic/pop culture side of France is what Sarkozy was talking about when he passed all those integration regulations back in 2006.
Alice, I was completely baffled by Le Père Noël the first time I saw it, too, especially since every single French person I'd ever met insisted that I absolutely had to see it. Hein? French humor can be pretty dark and absurd.