#Gerard Way please take your time with these comics PLEASE we are begging

[r0semultiverse]

I’m so serious when I say that I hope that The Umbrella Academy comics have a more satisfactory ending & don’t have as much character assassination. ☂

[oldiesstationlover11607]

HESITANT ALIEN GERARD IM BEGGING YOU

Cheater - Hesitant Alien!Gerard Way x Reader

Warnings: Mikey Way being a dick (note: I love mikey way too much and know he would never in any way do this to his brother), cheating.

Word Count: 1670

A/N: I wrote this 1000 years ago but I think it fits the prompt pretty well :) would love to have more MCR requests :)

“Are you ready?” Gee asks as he stands in front of a mirror holding a flat makeup brush in one hand. 

“You’re seriously asking me that?” I complain from the couch, looking at him in the mirror. I haven’t forgiven him for splitting up the band. I don’t think I ever will. My Chemical Romance saved me, it was my life, my reason to live, but he destroyed it. He killed it. Me. 

“Baby, come here,” he waves me over gently and I get up, grudgingly. “I’m sorry I hurt you,” Gee cups my face gently. “You know I wasn’t coping, you know I was starting to get bad again.”

“I know that Gerard. I can’t be mad at you for ending the band, I know that, but I’m certainly allowed to be mad that it’s over. It’s easy for someone like you to write a new album and move on by yourself because you’re a singer. People like Mikey, Frank and I, we’re not you or Ray. We can’t just straight away find another opportunity. You gave us that opportunity, not many people are gonna give us another chance. But I’m happy for you Gee, I really am. This new album is gonna do great things.”

Gerard just stands there listening to me. He watches tentatively, paying attention to every word I say. I’ve just opened up in a way I wish I could take back. I want him to act like I didn’t say anything. I want us to just go back to being happy. 

“You know I love you, right?” he asks, shocking me. My eyes go watery. I’m so tired of feeling like I’ve lost my entire world. “You’re going to find more work Lo, you’re going to find a group that appreciates your talents. And if you don’t then we’ll work on your music together,” he kisses my lips gently. 

“I love you too Gee. I know you love me, I’m just tired. Forget I said anything, you know me, I just go off when I’m tired,” I sigh, closing my eyes. 

“I know baby, I’ve known you since you were twelve,” he laughs. The sound of the crowd gets louder as Mark, Gee's manager comes into the room. 

“You’ve got about 3 minutes Gerard,” he sticks his head in through the doorway. 

“Thanks Mark,” he responds, “I’ve gotta head out now, sorry. I’ll see you after Lo, I love you,” he kisses my forehead, grabs his cellphone and rushes out the door, leaving me alone. 

It’s different being backstage and not the one up there. It’s been about 2 years since I was on a stage, the feeling of adrenaline and excitement turning into loneliness and quiet. Gerard’s dressing room is the same size as the band’s used to be, except now instead of having four other people in it, it’s just him. He’s the star now. I flop down onto the couch and turn on the television, showing a live stream of the show. 

“Lola?” I hear a voice come from the doorway, a familiar voice. Turning around I see a face I haven’t seen in months. Mikey. My best friend Mikey. Gee’s brother. 

“You’re here? Mikey–wait what? Gee said you were busy?” I mumble in shock. 

“I’m never too busy to see you Lola, you know that,” he walks into the room and shuts the door gently. He’s tall, taller than I remember, sitting next to me on the couch. 

“I thought you were in Jersey, Gee said you were taking time off?” I question, looking over at him. He sits there, quieter than usual. He’s normally more energetic, excited to talk about the latest and greatest comic book he’s reading. 

“I came to tell you something, I just couldn’t keep it in anymore, I had to come.” Now I’m worried. Mikey’s never like this. 

“Mikey, you know you can tell me anything, you’re my best friend,” I sigh, glancing at the television as the outside screams get louder. Mikey grabs my hands softly, his fingertips calloused from playing bass. “You’re worrying me.”

“No, don’t be worried! Please,” he looks distraught, “I–it’s just hard to tell you this given… Gerard and I… and Frank… I–”

“Mikey spit it out!” I snap, overstimulated by the loud television, my own stress and Mikey sitting in front of me mumbling every three words. 

“I–I, uh…” he sits forward and cups my jaw, linking his lips with mine. I gasp into the kiss which he takes to his advantage, pushing his tongue into my mouth. This is wrong. This is wrong. Gerard is out there preparing for one of the biggest moments in his career while his brother is making out with his fiancé in his dressing room. Mikey’s other hand grips my neck, gently pressing me forward.

“What the fuck?” a voice shouts from the corner slamming the door shut. Mikey pulls away quickly, faster than he pulled me in. It’s Frank. Fuck. “What the actual fucking hell are you two doing? Mikey Way I swear to god,” Frank grabs Mikey by the arm and forces him against the wall. 

“Don’t hurt him Frank, please. Gerard will kill you if you hurt him,” I cry.

“Don’t try me Lola. You and I both know Gerard is going to die inside when I tell him you’re cheating on him,” Frank snaps.

“Mikey?” he walks in. The scene, a large dressing room. His ex-bandmate, holding his brother against a wall while his fiancée sits on the couch crying. “Get off of him!” he shouts trying desperately to pry Frank off of Mikey. 

“You’ve got no fucking idea what these two have been up to Gerard. I walked in on these two with each others’ tongues down their throats,” Frank shouts back. Gee looks like he’s going to throw up. He looks like his whole world is falling apart and being burned to the ground. 

“I–no. No Lola wouldn’t do that,” he looks at me, disappointed and broken. 

“She didn’t,” Mikey says, “I kissed her. It was an accident.” An accident? Him kissing me was an accident?

“Bull fucking shit,” Frank pushes him further into the wall, earning him a wince from Mikey.

“Accident?” Gerard takes a minute to process what’s happening. I can tell he’s trying to decide whether he’s angry or disappointed or sad. “Go fuck yourself, are you serious right now? That’s the excuse you’re going to give me?” Bingo. He’s pissed as fuck. “You’re my fucking brother Mikey. I’ve given you everything from the day you were born. You’re my brother and you did this!” He shouts at his little brother, his entire body showing his anger. The only sign of his sadness are his hands, his index finger and thumb tapping each other desperately, an anxiety coping mechanism he uses often. “Get him out, get him out now! Security!” Gerard shouts as three tall men escort Mikey out of the room. 

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Frank says, running out quickly after Mikey. 

Gee’s fingers continue to tap as he sits down on the floor, avoiding the couch. 

“Did he really kiss you?” he rests his head in between his knees. After a show like this, he doesn’t need conflict in his life, it destroys a person like Gerard. 

“Yes. He did. I didn’t like it, Gee.” I move to join him on the floor. He looks weak, his body shaking gently. 

“I–I can’t believe he’d do something like this. I can’t believe you let this happen.”

“I didn’t let anything happen Gerard. You left, he came in and said he needed to tell me something and then he just grabbed me. I might be upset that the band broke up but I would never do anything to hurt you Gee. You’re the love of my life,” I sigh. He lifts his head, looking at me with a damp, red and puffy face. 

“I love you Lola. I’m so sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry my brother did that to you. I’m sorry that I’ve ruined everything by breaking up the band,” he starts to weep, crying desperately. 

“Oh no, no honey, don’t cry,” I wipe away his tears as he rests his head on my lap. 

“I’m so tired, Lo. I just want to go to bed,” he continues to cry in my arms, exhausted from the last six months. “Can we go back to our hotel? I feel like shit.”

“Yeah, we can go Gee. I’m sorry the day ended like crap for us,” I sigh, getting up with him. Tomorrow will be a better day, I know it. He leads on my side, almost too tired to walk himself, eyes half closed. 

“I need to kiss you Lola. I need you,” he stops in the middle of the hallway, looking like he’s about to collapse from exhaustion. I nod and we slip into another room where we can get some privacy. He grips my jaw in the same place as Mikey did, except Gee’s touch is more desperate and loving than his brother’s. Gerard stops an inch away from my lips, scanning my eyes desperately to tell if I really love him. He tucks a strand of my bright pink hair behind my ear before kissing my lips gently. We both know we’re going to grow old together, regardless of what happens in our future. We’re made for each other. 

“You’re mine. You’ll always be mine. Mikey isn’t going to take that away from me,” he sighs, pulling away softly. 

“I know that Gee. I know.”

//

REQUESTS OPEN

[armedinkblot]

An Unnecessarily In-Depth Look into Moira O’Deorain

Under the cut is a long-winded examination into Moira and how I presume she became the cunning, sly mad scientist we know today. I wrote it out during quarantine because why not. This has been peer-reviewed and modified via an Overwatch/art Discord server. Please refer to the bottom of the post for my evidence/citations.

Let’s start with her twisted state of mind (the reason most of us love her, let’s be real). I believe Angela’s best interest in the safety of living creatures was a main contributing factor. It makes sense to me to think Angela reported her research to the higher ups out of fear of Moira "partaking in unethical procedures on living creatures", especially considering Moira’s published paper that was all on modifying genetics. Angela got painted as the good guy angel for exposing that, when Moira was only using time-tested experiments on rabbits, not like she was testing on humans. Yes, Angela was probably actually scared that Moira was being cruel and enjoying it too much (which she might have been, we don’t know) and was worried it might escalate. I don’t think Angela had any idea it would blow up that badly and ruin Moira’s entire career.

Whether or not Moira has always had a mad scientist inside of her is debatable, seeing as she presumably did graduate from a university at some point to be a renowned geneticist. Universities typically do not like or condone insane experiments and such antics, though in order to publish such a terrifying and controversial paper takes some kind of mental instability. Taking that into account, this means that either Moira is a better actor than we thought and had everyone fooled, or Angela and Overwatch just broke her completely. We won’t know unless Blizzard gives us more backstory. (Please give us some kind of lore, I am begging.)

Now, next we analyze the timeline we have (at the moment, Blizzard likes retconning). With Retribution, the comics, her release trailer shown at Blizzcon, and her origin story, I believe this paints a pretty tidy picture.

Here is my take on Moira’s descent into the manipulative witch she became.

Moira and Angela worked together somewhere, probably Overwatch based on Moira’s lab coat skin.

Moira publishes a paper about genetic and neurological reconditioning, dealing with cells. Her results are irreplicable and sketchy, damaging her reputation. Overwatch kept her working on smaller projects.

Moira either didn’t like or didn’t trust the biotech and opted for experimentation on rabbits, seen as unethical and cruel by the scientific community.

Angela reported her to the higher ups, most likely out of fear of things escalating because of her paper. Overwatch fires her.

At this last hit to her reputation, Moira’s lab is completely defunded and shut down, and she loses her right to practice science. At some point in this period, Angela stole some notes from Moira, which are found in Switzerland.

She continues to live in the abandoned lab and experiments on herself out of the public eye, causing the scarring on her right arm. This is likely due to not being able to afford new lab rabbits. Meanwhile, around this time, Blackwatch is created.

Moira joins Blackwatch as their medic without Overwatch’s high officials’ knowledge and begins testing on Gabe. Angela does not interact/interacts very little with Moira at this time that we know of.

Moira joins Talon behind the scenes, probably because of the unlimited funding and shared gray morals (sacrificing lives for humanity’s progression, for example).

Amelie is kidnapped by Talon. Part way through her neural reconditioning Overwatch saves her, though she kills Gerard and goes back. Let me point out that Moira is, as far as we know, the only geneticist capable of making such heavy modifications to someone’s DNA/body.

Gabe acts insanely out of character by killing Antonio, to which Moira appears very satisfied with a smug smirk and neat posture.

Overwatch falls apart because of it, likely part of Talon’s plan that Moira played a large part in.

Gabe joins Talon with Moira and Widowmaker, while Moira joins the higher ranking scientific officials in Oasis as Minister of Genetics.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now for the tidbits of information that backs up my theory and provides evidence. To start, a lot of the information I’ve gathered comes from the official Gamepedia, the Blizzcon 2017 transcript, and her page on the website. Here are the rest, including hyperlinks. Hyperlinks are in italics.

Her origin story:

She worked for Overwatch, but someone eventually "silenced" her. She states they were holding back her research due to ethics.

She leaves her lab in her lab coat, which she is seen in when Blackwatch comes to get her, meaning she’s more than likely still at the abandoned lab.

She experiments on Gabe, which the artist of the video admits he’s terrified of.

Retribution event:

Her ease with the execution, and the fact she smirks and just seems so... satisfied with his performance shows to me that she was expecting this behavior. (Just according to keikaku...)

She seems mostly unphased for the rest of the escape sequence.

Voice lines:

She and Amelie have an interaction where she asks, “How are you feeling, Lacroix?” Amelie very sharply responds, "I don’t feel. That’s the point, isn’t it?". Amelie phrasing the last part as a question proves Moira knows what happened to her, Moira being the one most likely to have done the work.

Angela and Moira’s first interaction ("Describing your work as unethical would be a kindness." "But the true question is whether or not you can deny my discoveries? no, I didn’t think so.") hints that they worked together sometime, to the point Angela knew how Moira’s experiments worked.

Moira also mocks Angela when she kills her, saying "Our guardian angel~" in a dry, sarcastic tone, hinting that Angela harmed her in the past and Moira found it satisfying to get back.

Comics:

In Legacy, Ana and Jack are seen pursuing Talon agents in Overwatch uniforms. Ana gets shot by Widowmaker, who was already converted. This means Amelie was taken while Overwatch was still together, therefore before the Venice Incident. Seeing as Moira was the one operating on Amelie based on common sense, she had been working for Talon behind Blackwatch’s back.

In Retribution, an explosion goes off that kills hundreds and severely injures Gerard. Jack seems uneasy with Gabe’s response to the incident, asking him to rethink if hunting Antonio down will help in the long run. At the end of the comic Gabe is portrayed with shadows like Reaper’s owl skull mask, hinting that Moira’s experiments had messed with his head a tad.

Other sources:

Angela and Moira both have each others' work in their labs in the Switzerland and Oasis maps, respectively, as well as confirmation from Michael Chu that they have a deep background history with each other. (See Participant #3 in this hyperlink)

Moira named her test rabbit from her origin story "Better Angela" out of spite; Angela had to have done SOMETHING to deserve that.

Moira replicated the Valkyrie suit to a degree, meaning either they worked together or Moira stole it and adapted it for her biotech needs. (Also see Participant #3 in this hyperlink.)

Angela and Moira both have sprays that clearly show they were once friends (or at least colleagues), namely the ones in front of the Overwatch logo and “Shadow” and “Light”.

Moira wears a headpiece like devil horns, most definitely to spite Angela’s halo.

I am more than happy to hear any feedback or additions to this whole thing, and if you’ve made it all the way through I appreciate it greatly. I know it’s long-winded and I could’ve made it much shorter, but I wanted to cover all the bases I could.

Thank you.

[atypical60]

It’s been a while since I’ve posted.  With early holiday decorating, work, cooking a feast for Thanksgiving dinner for two, Bonaparte and me, and anticipating if we will be home for Christmas due to another possible pandemic lockdown, it’s been the continuation of WTF else can go wrong in 2020.

Goodbye Thanksgiving. Hello Christmas–even though it might be spent “tout seul”–all alone!

I’ve been sitting around pouting over  our cancelled trip to Paris—of which I would have been enjoying this very day as I sit here pounding upon my laptop’s keyboard.  But instead, I bring Paris as well as other parts of France into your living rooms. Or bedrooms.  Or family rooms. Or wherever you enjoy watching TV.  It’s a way of traveling both through time and to another country and can get your imagination going during these trying times.

Same time last year.  I discovered this beautiful pile of croissants at Cafe de Paris on Rue du Buci–our neighborhood hangout.  Not this year….

Let’s face it— those Hallmark Holiday movies can, at times, be a bit of overkill so why not try something different?   French movies–with subtitles for those who don’t speak the language!  Subtitles don’t take away from the movie at all. In fact, I find that subtitles can assist in learning another language.

My bad.  I realize this is a post about French cinema but…I had to get a photo of my favorite French Netflix series in here. Dix Pour Cent.  As I eagerly await the new season  I am BEGGING you to watch the first seasons. It’s the greatest!!

For you, I’ve compiled a listing of some of my favorite French movies. Trust me, if I listed all of them, this post would turn into a novel. And I must resume writing about the weight gloss (I have a lot to say on that) and other subjects.  And Bonaparte has added his very pragmatic listing of French films that he highly recommends.  As my husband is a man of very few English language words, he leaves no descriptions.  Just films he loves that you might love.

I, on the other hand, will list some of my faves and brief descriptions.  Before I do.  Remember a few tips:  Invest in a DVD player equipped to play foreign films.  Seriously.  There’s a difference between many foreign DVD’s and ones in the States.  If you purchase an international DVD player, your life and movie-watching will be much easier.

  Many of these movies can be found online if you wish to purchase.  Many can be found for streaming on YouTube or Amazon Prime or any other streaming venues.  TV 5 Monde shows many films as well.    So here we go—some of my recommendations:

  It’s my favorite movie of all time.  ALL TIME!!

And I double-dog dare ya to not fall in love with Mathieu Kassovitz and Audrey Tautou–it is impossible. They are the most adorable couple ever!

Amelie or “Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amelie Poulain: This is my Number 1 favorite movie of all time.  Yes. ALL TIME!  THIS is what every person who thinks “Emily in Paris” is a great show should watch. They would certainly change their minds about that horrific show after viewing the first ten minutes of Amelie.   The film is delightful and a masterpiece.  Audrey Tautou stars as the lovely but shy Amelie.  A waitress in a Paris café, she feels her mission is to help others, all the while allowing love to pass her by.  She develops a crush on a young Parisien, Nino, and the rest is a wild, bittersweet, scavenger hunt.  All the characters in this movie are perfectly cast and the cinematography is outstanding.  Shot in a greenish filter, the view is almost ethereal—like a dream.  And in the end, when Amelie and Nino finally meet, I guaranty you will be crying like a baby.  Over the years I’ve seen this movie about 30 times, and the ending still get me.  I can’t stop crying.  If you want a feel good, beautifully filmed movie, sweetest story that will have you grinning from ear to ear, please make this a must-watch!

This movie has something for everyone. It’s a great “couples” movie.  It’s got some really intense trench and war scenes and the scenes between Manech and Mathilde pre-war are touching and beautiful.  Hands down, this is one great epic film!

A Very Long Engagement:  As with Amelie, this is another Jean-Pierre Jeunet film.  This has a great deal of sentimentality for me—it’s the first movie Bonaparte took me to see.  This epic drama has everything.  It’s a love story.  It’s a story about World War I.  It’s tragic and beautiful and has a large cast—but the best surprise is Jodie Foster as Elodie, the wife of a soldier and her French is perfect—she is completely bi-lingual.  Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard stars as prostitute Tina Lombardi headed for a bad fate.  It follows the story of Mathilde and Manech, two young lovers who are engaged.  Mathilde, played by Audrey Tautou, due to a bout with polio wears a leg brace but it doesn’t stop her. Manech, played by Gaspard Ulliel, is Mathilde’s fiancé headed for the trenches of war.  When word reaches Mathilde that Manech has been killed, she refuses to believe it and the film turns to her search for him.  It’s an excellent movie that you’ll want to watch on repeat!

The 400 Blows or les Quatre Cents Coups–whichever you prefer, this is one of the greatest films of all time. It’s depressing but hopeful and Antoine Doinel is one of the greatest characters ever. I recommend watching the series of his “life” into adulthood!

The 400 Blows:  This film by New Wave Film maker Francois Truffaut introduces the iconic character Antoine Doinel.  Antoine is Truffaut’s alter ego and much of the Doinel movies are based on incidents in Truffaut’s life.  The 400 Blows has its comical moments, but for the most part is somewhat sad. Doinel doesn’t get much love at home and ends up in a school for truancy.  There are five movies in the Doinel series and I highly recommend watching all of them.  It’s interesting to watch the series as Doinel goes from young teen to adulthood.  Jean-Pierre Leaud is excellent as the brooding Doinel.

I saw this for the first time back in NYC when I was 22 years old. At The Thalia theatre on the Upper West Side.  After seeing Charles Denner, I had such a serious crush on him that I daydreamed about marrying a Frenchman.  OH!  Wait!  I DID marry a Frenchman!

The Man Who Loved Women:  Another Truffaut film, this one, from 1977 was the movie that started my decades-long crush on actor Charles Denner, who plays Frenchman Bertrand Morane in his insatiable pursuit of women.  I loved it—it’s kind of sexist but who cares *French shrug*–its just a great movie!

Many of us are familiar with Jean Reno–he’s been in a lot of movies made in the USA. But..Christian Clavier is another story. He is one of the funniest actors on the face of the earth. I could devote an entire post on him alone.  His face, his emotions–he’s just so funny–and if you love time travel this is such an entertaining movie.  Warning-empty your bladder before viewing because you will laugh THAT hard!

Les Visiteurs: A hysterically funny movie, this is the first of I believe three Visiteurs movies.  It stars Jean Reno, and Christian Clavier, who wrote the screenplay with John Hughes.  It’s a time travel movie about a knight and his sidekick who, through a spell gone wrong find themselves in modern-day France.  This movie has laugh-out-loud moments and Christian Clavier happens to be one of my favorite comedic actors.  You may recognize Jean Reno from many movies made here in the States.  If you are looking for a very sophomoric movie with a ton of humor, this is it!

I’m impressed. Somewhere there’s a video game based on this movie.  But seriously folks–the suave and bumbling Jean Dujardin is great in these movies..

It was like watching The Artist all over again with these two–only with voices and far more laughs!

OSS 117 Cairo, Nest of Spies:  You will definitely recognize two of the lead stars from this movie. Oscar winner Jean Dujardin (his Oscar from The Artist) and Berenice Bejo, wife of director/writer Michel Hazanavicius.  Dujardin also starred in OSS117 Lost in Rio and next year he stars in another OSS 117 movie.   A take on James Bond films, Dujardin is perfectly cast as the suave albeit bumbling spy.  There’s a scene in this movie where he is singing a song in a restaurant and it is, hands down, one of the funniest scene’s I’ve ever viewed in my life.  It reeks of every 1960’s spy, espionage, secret-agent movie and is done so very well!  Enjoy. You’ll want more!

My favorite naughty girl!  And naughty she is!

But put the sexist behavior behind-this WAS filmed in 1956 after all, and watch it for the visuals of old St. Tropez!

And God Created Woman: This Roger Vadim film turned Bardot into a star. It’s so stinking sexist and not in a good way either.  But, it’s so worth watching because of Bardot and St. Tropez. This was filmed in 1956.  Back when St. Tropez wasn’t the St. Trop we know now.  No jet-setters.  No  yachts. It was a simple fishing village.  My husband spent his summers here and his grandmother had a home here.  The stories he tells me fills my head with wishes that St. Tropez was still a small fishing village!  Bardot is so incredibly beautiful and the dancing scene in the bar/restaurant is epic.  Filmed in black and white, it hasn’t really aged that well but I still think it is worth watching.

Gerard Jugnot is so wonderful in this–and it IS an exceptional film! It’s based on a true story and honestly-once will not be enough to watch this. I may watch it again this afternoon!

The Chorus:  Want a good cry?  Watch this movie.  Seriously.  It’s about a failed musician, Clément Mathieu, played by the wonderful Gerard Jugnot, who ends up teaching music at a boarding school for bad boys.  Well, more like boys with issues because there’s only one who is really bad.  But Mathieu starts a choir and the movie takes us on the journey.  It’s loosely based on a real-life story. This is a beautiful movie that keeps you on edge but ends up being such a feel-good film. You’re going to need a box of tissues for this one!

I know. I know. There’s a certain campiness and cheesiness about this movie–but it’s FUN!!  A great little costume dramedy and  Robin Hood frenchie style!

Cartouche:  Got kids? Got grandkids?  Got your kid-at-heart ready? This is such a barrel of swashbuckling fun—it’s impossible not to love this one.  Jean-Paul Belmondo, Claudia Cardinale and Jean Rochefort star in this most entertaining and thrilling movie! Taking place in the 18th century, it’s a kind of French-style Robin Hood movie.  It’s just so much fun.  In 1962, when this movie was made, I was seven years old. Trust me, I would have loved this movie whether or not I understood the language!

I laughed. I cried. I fell in love with Omar Sy…

It was also fun being in Paris at the premiere of this movie . I got to see my favorite French actors in the audience and Bonaparte beamed with pride at his cousin’s son’s success.  It was a nice moment and this movie is just so “feel good”!

Demain tout Commence:  Shameless plug here. This movie was written and directed by my husband’s cousin, Hugo Gelin.  And the title is actually a saying his aunt, Daniele used to say all the time—tomorrow, it begins.  This family-fare film is charming, funny and sweet.  It stars the actor with the greatest smile on earth—Omar Sy.  He’s a rather wild playboy type until one day he receives a surprise in the form of…. a baby.  Is it his daughter or not?  Anyway, the film follows his life with daughter.  It is just such a sweet, sweet movie that will have you laughing and crying at the same time—and I’m sure you will fall in love with this little movie!

How successful was this movie?  Enough so that when we visit Yves Gravesite in Montparnasse, there are buttons placed upon his grave!

Bonaparte’s brothers, Fracois and Martin.  It was so much fun to see them in the movie.  Makes me wish I had someone who would put me into a movie!!

La Guerre des Boutons:  The original. Released in 1962 and directed by Bonaparte’s uncle, Yves Robert, he and Daniele produced this and put their money in this project which was filmed largely on their estate.  My husband’s brothers Francois and Martin play two of the young boys in the movie.  It’s about a war of the buttons. The movie is about two rival teams of kids whose fun combats escalate. The buttons are cut off from clothing in this movie based on the book by Louis Pergaud, who was killed in WWI. It’s also a book and movie with strong anti-military overtones. It was remade in Ireland in the 1990’s and again in 2011 in France.  It is filmed in black and white. It may not be everyone’s choice but I think –especially in these uncertain times, it’s definitely worth watching!

This movie.  It personifies Film Noir.  It was so intense!  Louis Malle created a masterpiece with this dark thriller–and the soundtrack was pretty darn great too!

Elevator to the Gallows:  Whew.  This movie by Louis Malle will have you biting your nails. It’s such a dark thriller.  Starring Jean Moreau who is great, it’s the story of two lovers planning a murder.  And the effect of an elevator. That’s all I’m going to say.  It’s total film noir. And the soundtrack by Miles Davis adds to the darkness.  This is one movie you should not miss!

This movie.  It’s a gem that nobody seems to know about and I love it so much.  This is that movie you watch when you are a bit stressed and the visuals and the story will be so soothing for you.  I freaking LOVE this movie and the reaction from people–even my husband is “What movie are you talking about’?

Les Enfants du Marais:  Set in the very early 1900’s, after WWI. This is just one of those surprise gems.  I came across it a few years back when Netflix mailed movies to you.  There isn’t a lot of action—it’s just a slow, almost laze-like film about life in the French marshland in the Loire Valley.  It follows Riton, a sad-sack sort of guy, played by Jacques Villeret, with a wife and three really badly-behaved children.  Jacques Gamblin plays Garris, who lives alone with his memories of The Great War, and their friends, Tane a train conductor and Amedee, a complete dreamer who basically does nothing but read. Amedee is played by one of my favorite actors, Andre Dussolier.   The movie follows every day mundane life but it isn’t a boring movie. Visually it is beautiful and it’s one of those movies that you remember but can be difficult to find. Honestly, this movie deserves more love than it gets!

The French movie poster for Pardon Mon Affaire.  This movie was so stinking funny. Jean Rochefort was clearly the big star here because everything from his timing to his facial expressions were hysterically funny.   Want a great comedy?  Here you go!

Pardon Mon Affaire:  Alright.  Another shameless family plug. But I swear, this movie is so funny that you’ll thank me for recommending it. Jean Rochefort and Daniele Delorme star as a married couple.  Bonaparte’s uncle, Yves Robert who was married to his aunt, Daniele, wrote and directed the movie and Daniele starred as Jean Rochefort’s wife in the first of two movies. Daniele and Jean play a very happily married couple until one day, Jean is taken and obsessed with a young model wearing a red dress.  There’s a lot of miscommunication and comedy in this film—and Jean Rochefort on a building ledge is one scene that continues to get a ton of laughs.  In fact, this was remade in 1984 as The Woman in Red starring Gene Wilder and Kelly LeBrock.  I’ll take the French version s’il vous plait!

This is another little gem of a movie and if you can find it–you’ve found a lost treasure!

The Hairdresser’s Husband:  This was described as exotic. It was more dramatic than exotic if you ask me.  Another movie starring Jean Rochefort–I’m gonna go on record as saying he’s one of my favorite actors.  This was a quiet little movie about a man obsessed with hairdressers and he marries one. There life together seems wonderfully perfect and full of love–until one night.  It’s really kind of depressing but it’s great at the same time.  Personally, I loved it.  And think it’s worth sleuthing to find it!

One of the sweetest and charming musicals ever.  It never gets old and the music by Michel Legrand is classic.  So are the shoes that Catherine Deneuve is wearing. I want those.

 The Umbrellas of Cherbourg: Did you know that Catherine Deneuve could sing?  She can! The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a semi-operetta. There’s a lot of singing dialogue.  The story centers around Genevieve, a teenaged girl working in her mother’s umbrella shop. She’s in love with Guy, a young auto mechanic. Guy is drafted into the Algerian war.  Genevieve and Guy spend one night together.  She gets pregnant.  He’s away.  In the meantime, Roland, an older man who is in love with Genevieve wants to marry her.  He does.  The rest of the movie is love gone awry.  Guy returns and marries Madeleine.  Both Guy and Genevieve move on with their lives until a snowy night years later when Genevieve stops by the auto mechanics with a bit of auto trouble. Jacques Demy wrote and directed this movie and it’s become a classic.  It’s a great story plot but even better made as a musical.  It’s very touching and Michel Legrand’s music is incredible and well-known.  If you haven’t seen this 1964 classic, now is the time to watch it!

And those are just some of my favorite French imports. There’s an awful lot I haven’t mentioned because I want to move on and write about other subjects for now—but, this is a great narrowed-down start! Check out Bonaparte’s listing below!

FRENCH MOVIE LIST

Most of the films below are available on Netflix and/or video stores.

AMERICAN TITLE                                     FRENCH TITLE                                     

Indochine                                                        Indochine                                            Drama/History

Au Revoir les Enfants                                    Au revoir les enfants                          War Drama

My Father’s Glory (1)                                     La gloire de mon père                         Comedy/History

My Mother’s Castle (2)                                   Le château de ma mère                       Comedy/History

Pardon mon Affair                                          Un éléphant ça trompe …..                  Comedy

Métro                                                              Le métro                                             War Drama

Jean de Florette (1)                                         Jean de Florette                                  Drama/History

Manon of the Spring (2)                                 Manon des sources                             Drama/History

Cousin, Cousine                                             Cousin, cousine                                  Comedy

Camille Claudel                                              Camille Claudel                                  Drama/History

La Cage aux Folles                                         La cage aux folles                              Comedy

Ridicule                                                          Ridicule                                              Drama/History

Cyrano de Bergerac                                        Cyrano de Bergerac                            Drama/History

Amelie                                                            Amélie                                                Drama

Nikita  Woman                                               La femme Nikita                                Drama

The Tall Man with a Red Shoe                       Le grand blond à la chaussure …            Comedy

Cesar and Rosalie                                           César et Rosalie                                  Drama

Vincent, François, Paul and the others           Vincent, François, Paul et …              Comedy

Umbrellas of Cherbourg                                 Les parapluies de Cherbourg              Music hall

400 Blows*                                                     Les 400 coups                                     Drama

Beauty and the Beast*                                    La belle et la bête                               Drama/History

Partners                                                           Les ripoux                                           Comedy

French Kiss**                                                                                                             Comedy

Monsieur Ibrahim                                           Monsieur Ibrahim                               Comedy

The Barbarian Invasions (Fr Canadian)         Les invasions barbares                       Drama

The Closet                                                      Le placard                                           Comedy

Grand Illusion *                                              La grande illusion                              War Drama

Swimming Pool                                              La piscine                                           Drama

Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob                    Les folles aventures du rabin Jacob            Comedy

Story of Adele H.                                            Adèle H.                                              Drama/History

A Heart in Winter                                           Un coeur en hiver                               Drama

The Wages of Fear*                                       Le salaire de la peur                           Drama

L’Auberge Espagnol                                       (Same title)                                         Comedy

The Beat that My Heart Skipped                    (?)                                                       Drama

Elevator to the Gallows*                                Ascenseur pour l’échafaud                 Drama

Mr. Klein                                                        Monsieur Klein                                   War Drama

Rules of the Game*                                        La règle du jeu                                    Drama

Right Now                                                      A tout de suite                                    Comedy

Le Casque d’Or*                                             (Same title)                                         Drama

The Taste of Others                                        Le goût des autres                   Comedy

Touchez pas au Grisbi*                                  (Same title)                             Drama

Classe Tous Risques*                                     (Same title)                             Action

I Would Lie to You                                        (?)                                           Comedy

The Sorrow and the Pity                                 Le chagrin et la pitié               War Documentary

Jules et Jim*                                                   (Same title)                             Drama

Lacombe Lucien                                             (Same title)                             War Drama

La Chevre                                                       (Same title)                             Comedy

La Vie en Rose                                               (Same title)                             Drama

Delicatessen                                                   (Same title)                             Drama

Three Men and a Baby                                   3 hommes et un coufin           Comedy

The Man who Loved Women                         (?)                                           Comedy

A Very Long Engagement                             De très longues fiancailles     War Drama

Merry Christmas                                            Joyeux Noel                            War Drama

Two Days in Paris                                          2 jours à Paris                         Comedy

Paris Je T’Aime                                              (Same title)                             Comedy

The Valet                                                        Le valet                                   Comedy

Return of Martin Guerre                                 Le retour de Martin Guerre            Drama/History

Night and Fog                                                 Nuit et brouillard                    War Documentary

Green Card**                                                                                                 Comedy

All The Mornings of the World                     Tous les matins du monde            Drama/History

Caché                                                              (Same title)                             Drama

Count of Monte Cristo                                   Le comte de Monte Cristo            Drama/History

The Children of Chabannes**                        Les enfants de Chabannes      War Documentary

  The Formatting is weird because I can’t add  proper columns to this blog post. Thanks WordPress!

NOTES:

Any movie directed by François Truffaut usually is interesting, at least for the quality of dialogues, which are made in “good French”, i.e. without much slang and clearly said.

Movies made by Eric Rohmer are also in excellent French but stories tend to be very slow.

The “Style” description above is very general.  “History” can refer to true historical subjects but also simply to movies taking place in early 20th Century or before.

* : Black and White movie

** : American made movie showing an excellent description of French life an/or behavior

And there you have it!  French cinema recommendations from The Frenchman and me!

The Danton Movie theatre in Paris.  I’ve passed this theatre thousands of times!  And there’s always a few hours of treasured cinema time to come by in here!

Shall We Attend French Cinema? Oui? Non? Oui! It’s been a while since I’ve posted.  With early holiday decorating, work, cooking a feast for Thanksgiving dinner for two, Bonaparte and me, and anticipating if we will be home for Christmas due to another possible pandemic lockdown, it’s been the continuation of WTF else can go wrong in 2020.