Wednesday, December 19 at 7:30pm
Free Admission at the Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway

Belgium-based comedy/performance trio Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, and Bruno Romy follow their acclaimed comedies L’iceberg and Rumba with another hilariously odd slapstick romp inspired by such trailblazers of physical comedy as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati: this time, it’s a delightfully off-kilter adventure about a mild-mannered hotel clerk who falls in love with a wish-granting fairy. Utterly enchanted with one another, this peculiar couple embarks on a frantic romp around Le Havre, involving themselves in such wild escapades as a rescue operation at a hospital, a whirlwind pregnancy and a bacchanal with a female rugby team, to name just a few.

With sparse dialogue, clever camera work, and intricately choreographed stunts (as well as some wild dance numbers), this wonderfully unique and heartfelt comedy seems to have been born without a cynical bone in its body. Directors/stars Abel, Gordon and Romy rely upon their expressive, rubber-limbed performances to do the heavy lifting on this cavalcade of sight gags, creating an inspired physical comedy filled with both modern filmmaking flair and affectionate nods to the masters of classic slapstick. (Dir. by Dominique Abel , Fiona Gordon & Bruno Romy, 2012, Belgium/France, in French with English subtitles, 93 min., Not Rated, Kino Lorber) HD Digital Presentation

Just saw a fantastic 2011 French film “Intouchables” playing at the Crossroads Grand Cinema, 4811 E. Grant Rd., as part of their Reel Arts 6 series.

“Intouchables” is basically about love and humor. It’s in French with English subtitles, and has been the 2nd highest grossing movie of all time in France.

A wealthy aristocratic French widower Philippe is hiring a male aide, and along comes Black Muslim Driss, just wanting his “benefit” papers signed.

Philippe suffered a tragic paragliding accident and became a quadriplegic. His wife was ill and has died, and he misses her a lot. One wonders if Philippe has much to live for.

Driss is mostly homeless, an ex-con (served 6 months for robbery) but very physically strong and alert. He’s originally from Senegal, and has been adopted by an aunt in France, who is a widowed cleaning lady overburdened with children. The actor Omar Sy who portrays Driss is also half-Senegalese.

Phiilippe takes a chance in hiring him, which is based on a true, very heartwarming story. Driss is funny, candid, personable, and a budding artist on the side. The two (employer-employee) become friends and Driss helps disabled Philippe laugh again. The scenes of Philippe’s face lighting up made this an amazingly touching movie. There is no other way to physically express himself in this movie and the actor Francois Cluzet does a fine job with his facial expressions and voice.

View the trailer online of this comedy and go see this movie. You will be touched.

More info about Grand Cinemas, go to www.movievalue.com, for show times & ticket prices, or call 520-327-7067 for the recording at the Crossroads Theatre.

In French, with English subtitles, the charming cult classic “Amelie” is coming for 2 nights only, August 13 and 14 to the Loft Theatre’s Late Night Cult Classics (10 p.m. showings).

“Nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s magical French comedy is perhaps one of the most charming movies of all time. Amélie (played by the impish Audrey Tautou, in a role that forever made her an arthouse pin-up girl) is a painfully shy waitress working at a tiny Paris cafe. One day she makes the grand decision to help other lonely people fix their lives, dedicating herself to inspiring others to find true happiness … in the most delightfully unexpected ways. Her widowed father yearns to travel but won’t, so to inspire the old man she sends his garden gnome on a tour of the world; with whispered gossip, she brings together two cranky regulars at her café; she reverses the doorknobs and reprograms the speed dial of a grocer who’s mean to his assistant. Gradually she realizes her own life needs fixing, and a chance meeting leads to her most elaborate stratagem of all.
A beguiling mixture of cartoonish comedy, visual panache and whimsical romanticism, Jeneut’s follow-up to his classic films “Delicatessen” and “City of Lost Children” is sheer movie bliss.”

Don’t miss this one, as it’s an all inspiring, quirky, “do gooder” type of movie with a French twist. This movie actually made me smile! The Loft Cinema is at 3233 E. Speedway, east of Country Club.

Coming up in September for this same cult classic series: “The Big Lebowski” on September 3 to 6, for you Joel and Ethan Coen brothers fans.