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Geek Vibes Nation
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
Criterion Presents To Release The Award-Winning French Drama 'Misericordia' On Blu-Ray This September
Criterion Presents, formerly known as Janus Contemporaries, has announced that they will be adding the award-winning Misericordia to the collection on Blu-Ray and DVD on September 23, 2025. Named the best film of 2024 by Cahiers du cinéma and nominated for eight César awards, the tantalizing comic thriller is the most acclaimed masterwork yet from the ever-audacious Alain Guiraudie (Stranger by the Lake). The film stars Félix Kysyl and Catherine Frot. Get more details below! Synopsis: A web of secrets, suspicions, and desires ensnares the inhabitants of an insular French village in this tantalizing comic thriller from ever-audacious auteur Alain Guiraudie. Returning to his rural hometown to attend the funeral of the mentor he loved, enigmatic, sexually fluid drifter Jérémie (Félix Kysyl) stirs up long-simmering feelings of lust, jealousy, and rage among those he left behind—including the dead man's widow (Catherine Frot), her hot-tempered son (Jean-Baptiste Durand), and a curiously protective local priest (Jacques Develay) with whom Jérémie forges a twisted bond. Amid the evocatively earthy milieu, Guiraudie constructs a slippery, continuously surprising moral universe where love and hatred, eroticism and violence, spiritual grace and mortal sin, are intimately entwined. Special Features Meet the Filmmakers, a new interview with director Alain Guiraudie Trailer
Geek Vibes Nation
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'Misericordia' Review - A Casually Chaotic Queer Dark Comedy
Logline: A tantalizing thriller unfolds against a pastoral country setting in the latest from French auteur Alain Guiraudie (Stranger by the Lake). Jérémie (Félix Kysyl) returns to his hometown for the funeral of his beloved former boss, the village baker, and decides to stay for a few days with the man's widow, Martine (Catherine Frot). Before long a threatening former rival, a mysterious disappearance, and an omnipresent priest turn Jérémie's short visit into a gathering of the unexpected. Even the nicest people have a breaking point. No matter how quiet, kind, or seemingly meek you assume someone is, just know that if you push the wrong buttons or strike the right nerve, a delicate and non-threatening Caesar mushroom can actually be a death cap. The analogy will make sense when you watch the film. Not only do people have a limit to how much nonsense they can withstand, but you never know what someone is going through. You may not have to worry about being their thirteenth reason, but you could be their first victim. Be kind and stay alive. 'I think he's completely crazy.' No matter how careful you are or how sneaky you think you're being, the secret will always eventually be revealed. Written and directed by Alain Guiraudie, Misericordia is a casually chaotic queer dark comedy. With a dash of mystery, a heap of suspense, and more subtle humor than you can handle, this fatal French subterfuge is the hidden gem you want to find. Championing genuinely hilarious and awkward moments along with an affinity for mushroom foraging, the film is loaded with subtext that gets increasingly more outrageous as the story progresses. Veiled in suspicion and clouded by uncertainty, everyone in this idyllic town seems to be hiding something. There's violence, manipulation, sexual tension, and more than a few lies. And just the narrative gets juicy and truths are uncovered, the most surprising one exposes itself in more ways than one. Our lead, Jérémie, has the most to hide, but with how his life has been going, also the most to gain. Furthermore, as we witness the mystery unfolding from his perspective, you're plagued with one moral conundrum after another. The first instinct is to cut and run, but if Jérémie is for the messiness, then so are we. Come for the drama but stay for the absurdity. 'You'll learn to love me.' Wrapped and thriving in a Shakespearean essence, this eerily calm enigma is as much about identity as it is about deceit. In some ways, they're intertwined. While some aspects of the film can be interpreted as battling the rejection of your truth, other parts can be seen as an outward projection of internal conflict. With an initial atmosphere and aesthetic that feels cold and aloof, by the end, you'll feel its warm, firm embrace. You'll be left both shocked and entertained. The talented performances drive the experience as the sophisticated yet approachable writing of Guiraudie breathes exuberance into its dry wit. There are some beautiful shots with a set and costume design that feature dark and muted colors, perfectly matching the tone. If you're a fan of Alain Guiraudie's work, this is sure to delight. Its rewatchability is medium. From (L to R) FÉLIX KYSYL as Jérémie, SALOMÉ LOPES as Young Police Officer, SÉBASTIEN FAGLAIN as The Policeman, TATIANA SPIVAKOVA as Annie, CATHERINE FROT as Martine, DAVID AYALA as Walter Pace & Pop This film maintains a curious pace and tone for the entire runtime. Combining comedy, mystery, and thriller sensibilities, you never quite know what's coming next. What popped for me was the diabolically reserved nature of Jérémie as casual chaos ensues. From (L to R) Félix Kysyl as Jérémie and Jacques Develay as The Abbot in 'Misericordia' Characters & Chemistry Starring: Félix Kysyl, Catherine Frot, Jean-Baptiste Durand, Jacques Develay This ensemble cast is amazingly effective. Their subtle and layered performances are the lifeblood of the film. The dry delivery, the hungry stares, and the loud, panicked nonchalance are intriguing and hysterical. Between the unraveling psyche of Félix Kysyl's Jérémie and the ever-lingering priest played by Jacques Develay, their performances awaken the film's dangerously adventurous and addictive qualities. Let me not forget the deeply curious and somewhat suspicious performance of Catherine Frot. Misericordia is now streaming on the Criterion Channel. Stay safe and keep an eye on the sneaky priest. Rated: NR Runtime: 1h 43m Language: French Director: ALAIN GUIRAUDIE Writer: ALAIN GUIRAUDIE Artistic direction: LAURENT LUNETTA Cinematography: CLAIRE MATHON Production design: EMMANUELLE DUPLAY Costumes: KHADIJA ZEGGAÏ Hair and make-up: MICHEL VAUTIER Assistant Director: FRANÇOIS LABARTHE Sound: VASCO PEDROSO, JORDI RIBAS, JEANNE DELPLANCQ, BRANKO NESKO C.A.S Editing: JEAN-CHRISTOPHE HYM Original score: MARC VERDAGUER Producer: CHARLES GILLIBERT
Local France
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Local France
French films with English subtitles to watch in June 2025
The cinema club Lost in Frenchlation holds regular screenings of French films with English subtitles, with the aim of allowing French language beginners to appreciate the richness and diversity of French cinema. The films are usually a mixture of new releases and classics. Here's what is coming up in June – including a special premiere to mark the Champs-Elysées Film Festival and not one but two Blanche Gardin vehicles. Miséricorde – Wednesday, June 4th What? The New York Times described Alain Guiraudie's 2024 multi César–nominated movie as 'film noir with the lights turned on', while French critic Caroline Besse called it a 'delicious thriller like a mushroom omelette'. We hold no such cinematically flavourful opinion on this tree-bound missing person mystery set in darkest Aveyron, save to say you'll probably really enjoy it. Catherine Frot is a joy as the concerned widow whose son is caught up in the centre of the story. Advertisement When? Drinks at 7pm, screening at 8pm, followed by a Q&A with one of the stars. Where? Jeu de Paume, 1 Pl. de la Concorde, 75008 Paris. Tickets? Tickets – costing between €7.50 and €11.50 – can be ordered here . Les Musiciens – Friday, June 6th What? Frédéric Pierrot is on scene-stealing form in this well regarded drama. He is the misanthropic perfectionist composer of a piece of music that an idealistic heiress (Valérie Donzelli) wants to see performed at a unique concert bringing together four Stradivarius instruments. When? Drinks at 7pm, screening at 8pm, followed by a Q&A with director Gregory Magne. Where? L'Entrepôt, 17 Rue Francis de Pressensé, Paris 14. Tickets? Tickets – costing between €6 and €9.50 – can be ordered here . Un Monde Merveilleux – Thursday, June 12th What? Blanche Gardin continues to be utterly astonishing in this clever near-future comedy as a rebellious and technosceptic former teacher eking out an existence as a petty criminal, who kidnaps a caregiver robot in an effort to regain custody of her daughter. Advertisement When? Drinks at 7pm, screening at 8pm, followed by a Q&A with first-time feature director Guilio Callegari. Where? Luminor, 20 Rue du Temple, Paris 4. Tickets? Tickets – costing between €7.50 and €11.50 – can be ordered here . Le Grand Bain – Sunday, June 15th What? Remember The Full Monty – the 1997 British comedy about unemployed middle-aged Sheffield steelworkers who form a male striptease act? Think that, only French, and involving an all-male synchronised swimming team rather than loveable poundshop Chippendales. Just as heartwarming, too. When? Tea bar open from 7pm for a hot drink, screening at 7.30pm – with subdued lighting so cinemagoers can combine the movie with a spot of casual knitting as part of World Wide Knit In Public Day. Where? Studio des Ursulines, 10 Rue des Ursulines, 75005 Paris. Tickets? Tickets – costing between €5.40 and €9.40 – can be ordered here . Champs-Elysées Film Festival: L'Incroyable Femme des Neiges (The Incredible Snow Woman) – Sunday, June 22nd What? As part of the Champs-Elysées Film Festival, Lost in Frenchlation proudly hosts the premiere of Sébastien Betbeder's comedy drama – in which the remarkable Blanche Gardin (you may remember her as the technosceptic mother from Un Monde Merveilleux ) stars as an arctic explorer who fears nothing … except confronting her own existence back in her native Jura. Advertisement When? Limited drinks – included in the ticket price and served on the rooftop – start at 6.30pm, screening at 8.30pm followed by a Q&A with cast and crew. Hot food is available on the evening for €9, payable on the night. Where? Publicis Cinéma, 129 avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008, Paris. Tickets? Tickets – costing €40 until June 1st and €45 thereafter, including rooftop cocktails – are available here .
Washington Post
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Desire and misbehavior are off the leash in ‘Misericordia'
Watching an Alain Guiraudie film is a reminder of how sunny most movies are, even the ones we're supposed to take seriously. The French writer-director makes transgressive dramas that double as the bleakest of black comedies, where friendships between men veer from social to sexual to antagonistic and back, and where the morality of a country village can be a thin veneer over the darkest deeds of the heart.
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
A sinner, a killer and a very controversial erection: has director Alain Guiraudie surpassed Stranger By the Lake?
There's a wonderfully frank clifftop scene in Misericordia, Alain Guiraudie's new rural thriller, in which a priest seems to give absolution to a murderer. Not through some great act of clemency, though, but because of what he wants in return. 'He's a lot like me,' says the director, laughing. 'He's navigating between his greater ideals and his desires as a man. I think a lot of us do that.' Morally flexible clergymen, vacillating killers, characters whose desires lead them into terra incognita – this is Guiraudie's morally unstable terrain. Misericordia is the mirror image of his much-praised 2013 psychological drama Stranger By the Lake. Where that film made a murderer a dimly grasped object of desire, here the point of view is the killer's. Jérémie stirs up dormant passions when he returns to his childhood village for the funeral of his former baker boss. In Guiraudie's hands, it's never certain whether a story will turn out tragic or comic. In Misericordia, it's both: the film starts off in Talented Mr Ripley territory, before spiralling into bed-hopping, gendarme-dodging farce. I'd hoped to meet Guiraudie in Aveyron, where he was born and where many of his films are set, but he's upped sticks from the south-west and now lives in Paris. 'After 20 years, I fancied a change of horizon,' he says, sitting in a brasserie near the capital's Buttes-Chaumont park. 'And also I was there less and less. My furniture may as well have been in a storage unit.' With a full head of silvery hair and well-hewn features, the 60-year-old still looks fresh from a hike in the stark Aveyron highlands, in his Polartec jacket, climbing shoes and headband. Through Misericordia, Stranger By the Lake and his 2016 comedy-drama Staying Vertical, he has broadened the scope of on-screen depictions of rural France, something he thinks has narrowed since the 1970s. Mainly, Guiraudie likes to remind audiences that sexuality is just as rich out there as it is on the Parisian thoroughfare moving past our brasserie window. 'The working class has become completely excluded from the representation of sensuality, of sexuality, of homosexuality,' he says. 'There's an impression those things only concern hot young people in sexy jobs. But it's important to remember you can be a worker, or a farmer, and gay. Or not even gay, but with an erotic life.' The priest wandering into shot fully erect in Misericordia – surely a screen first – gets that point across effectively, as does the middle-aged sex worker cheerfully plying her trade in 2022's Nobody's Hero. It seems natural that Guiraudie is on intimate terms with la France profonde: he grew up in a five-house hamlet north of Toulouse with his parents on a small dairy farm. The claustrophobia of Misericordia – 'where everyone is always making up stories about the neighbours' – is a direct lift. In such a place, the idea of making films seemed absurd: 'It felt very far off socially and geographically. My parents always had a tendency to dampen my ambitions. By saying, 'Careful. It's not possible. You won't get there.'' After dropping out of history studies in Montpellier, Guiraudie began writing novels, then realised they were closer to film scripts. He broke out of his inertia by describing it, writing a story about two layabouts in a village square bantering about some magazine project. Encouraged by a Toulouse producer to film it, he turned it into his first short: 1990's Les Héros Sont Immortels (Heroes Never Die). He learned everything about film-making on the job, while working simultaneously as a night watchman. 'It was the most thrilling period of my youth,' he says, 'apart from certain great parties.' The erotic action of Stranger By the Lake was focused on the titular cruising spot, its drama alternating between horny conversations at its nudist beach and pornographically shot tussles in the undergrowth. The film had a classical purity. Although it was rapturously reviewed, and was by far his most commercially successful, some American viewers felt it described a world that had been made obsolete by Grindr and the like. But Guiraudie points out that real-life cruising is far from dead – from Berlin's Tiergarten to the actual lake where they filmed, Sainte-Croix in south-east France. 'It hasn't completely disappeared,' he says. 'Especially in France, we're still attached to it. We've still got that romantic notion of sex and love.' Even the film's explicit sex scenes added to the Greco-Roman feel. Shot with body doubles, this was an area in which Guiraudie forced himself to take a head-on approach. 'I wanted to face up to the representation of sex and of my sexuality: homosexuality. It's complicated because you give up a lot of your intimate self and you have to ask a lot of actors.' For someone whose films are so carnal, Guiraudie is an unlikely sort of moralist, in his amused fascination with how best to negotiate the world. His characters, in their wayward navigation of their desires, seem constantly to be trying to locate the correct path – not that the director, as his films veer from tragic to comic, makes it easy for them. That appears to be Guiraudie's take on how the universe works: a sense of unfathomability probably inherited from his Catholic education. Until he lost his faith at the age of 14, he insisted on going to mass himself, despite his parents' indifference to it. He points out that Catholicism has the same kind of pragmatic accommodation to sex seen in his films: 'It integrates the physical needs of man quite well. The proof is that forgives easily [via confession].' Guiraudie has torn up and strewn across the table his Kusmi tea sachet. He's getting used to Paris, he says, a once-unthinkable notion: 'I'm liking it more and more. I'm doing things the opposite way round to everyone else, heading off to the countryside as they get older.' Currently writing a new film, this Molière of the Massif Central is headed somewhere new in his work too: it will be set in France's overseas territories. Not that us humans have any choice but to adapt. 'My impression is that whatever we're living through – amorous or otherwise – never lives up to our ideals.' He laughs once more. 'Reality always smacks us in the face.' Misericordia is out on 28 March
