French Movies You Should Watch

And misleading Hollywood narratives.

First, I want to say that although we live in the Texas Hill Country, we are fine and there has not been severe flooding in Austin. However, the flash floods and senseless deaths in Kerr County have touched almost everyone we know. If you are looking for ways to help, you can get money directly to victims here at GiveDirectly. (Charity Watch gives GiveDirectly an "A" rating for its efficiency and effectiveness in direct cash transfers.)

A shocking development in this tragedy is the backlash and lack of empathy for the victims because they live in Texas. The assumption being that if they live here they must have voted for Trump. If you read this newsletter then you know full well that Roberto and I are not even close to Trump supporters.

The CEO of GiveDirectly, who has been trying to raise funds this week, reports that many people are responding to the request with hostility.

We’ve been inundated with messages implying that the victims had brought this on themselves by helping elect Donald Trump and that the politics of the state should dictate the response.

Some examples of these responses:

“Future Trump voters. Oh well.”

“Go ask Elon for help.”

“Are you Texans feeling that you voted for the right man?”

The nastiness is shocking and is coming from the left. I rage all the time over Trump’s administration, but good God, what has happened to people’s basic sense of decency?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about decency and empathy. From the government’s decision to cut health care for millions to the slaughter of children in the Middle East. It feels like my expectation of basic morality is not only misplaced but woefully naive.

I partially blame the movies (you thought I was never going to get there, didn’t you?) While the American Dream is traditionally about a person starting with nothing who rises to great wealth and power, American films promise a different kind of dream: moral fortitude.

The townsfolk will bail out Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey. The coach will let Rudy play the big game. George McFly will overcome the school bully and everyone’s life will improve (Plus, the 70s TV I grew up with—Sesame Street, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, and The Electric Company—all spread a message of global acceptance and kindness for our neighbors.)

Hollywood films also offer warnings about sacrificing one’s moral code. Scarface makes a fortune but dies for his sins. So do Walter White, Bonnie and Clyde, and Butch and Sundance. Time and time again, we were told integrity is more important than money.

Al Pacino specializes in doomed anti-heroes.

I am angry that a lifetime of these films and TV led me to believe that in the end people would do the right thing and that there are repercussions for corruption. I know that many Americans shared this belief, and therefore the current state of the US has left us shocked and heart-broken.

You know who is not surprised? The French. They have been around a lot longer than us, and they are famous for their cynicism and existential views. Existentialists believe that life is meaningless and that as individuals we must confront this absurdity and create our own purpose.

World War II taught Americans that we were unstoppable heroes. It taught the French that people are cowards and monsters. Which was the more useful lesson?

In an attempt to improve my French and to better understand French culture, I asked the bartender at my local bar in Montpellier which French films I should watch. He made me the following list, adding that he was not saying these were “the best” French films. They are just the ones that every French person has seen.

Half this list is movies with Jean Reno. The other half seems to be movies with Jean Dujardin.

• Amélie (2001)

• Les Visiteurs (The Visitors, 1993)

• Le Grand Bleu (The Big Blue, 1988)

• Intouchables (The Intouchables, 2011) Not the UNtouchables.

• Le Comte de Monte Cristo (Count of Monte Cristo) - I’m not sure which version he meant but the 2024 version is great.

• Le Sens de la Fête (The Meaning of Celebration, 2017)

• La French (The Connection, 2015)

• Les Misérables (There are least five versions of this. I’m guessing he means the one from 1935, co-written by Victor Hugo)

• Le Dîner de Con (Dinner of Idiots, 1998)

• 99 Francs (2007)

• La Delicatesse (Delicatessen, 1991)

• La Belle Époque (Unfortunately, I don’t know if he means the 1992 Belle Epoque or the 2019 La belle époque, which is in Spanish. Both seem worth watching? I will have to follow up on this when we return to France.)

• Les Petits Mouchoirs (Little White Lies, 2010)

• La Vie est Belle (Life is Beautiful, 1997) - yes, this film is Italian but my friend insisted this was an important film to the French.

• L'Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment, 2002)

• Le Voyeur (The Peeping Tom, 1960)

• Le Chant du Loup (The Wolf’s Call, 2019)

• Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas, 2005)

I have seen a handful of these and some of them have “Hollywood endings.” Perhaps the French are also being lulled into a state of guileless positivity by the movies. However, my experience tells me that while they might enjoy an Avengers movie as much as the next guy, at the end, they roll their eyes and walk outside for a cigarette.

À la prochaine,

Carolyn & Roberto

PS- Please share the French movies you like!

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