Photo of the Week
Another view of the Centre Pompidou. Photo © Darren Palmer of Paris by Photo.
Wednesday, 30 May 2012 00:00
Paris Update What's New in Paris
RESTAURANT/CLUB/CAFE
Wanderlust: Finally, part of Les Docks, Cité de la Mode et Design will open to the public on June 6. Brunch on the terrace, take a yoga class, take in a concert or dance all night. 34, quai d'Austerlitz, 75013 Paris.
SHOPS
Stella Cadente: The designer of very feminine clothing and accessories has a new Paris store that's like a gold-lined tunnel. 102 boulevard Beaumarchais, 75011 Paris.
Ecolo-Chic: Pop-up store in the Marais selling ethically resourced products, from toys and design to organic wine. 90, rue des Archives, 75003 Paris.
SMOKING
A new organization, L'Union pour les Droits des Fumeurs Adultes, has been formed to lobby for the rights of French smokers
JUSTIN ON THE ROOFTOPS
Keep your eyes peeled: Justin Bieber will be filming for the Web TV program live@home in an undisclosed location on the rooftops of Paris on the evening of May 31. Click here to win a pass to the taping.
Wednesday, 30 May 2012 00:00
Paris Update Flash News
CAKE THE WAY WE LIKE IT
Goodies on display at Merce and the Muse.
Nowadays, American expatriates in Paris can easily satisfy almost all their nostalgic food cravings, from hamburgers to Reese’s peanut-butter cups or Oreo cookies. Until Merce and the Muse opened in the Upper Marais, however, it wasn’t easy to find good homemade, American-style cakes. The desserts at this homey, flea-market-furnished café are not just good, they are scrumptious and original, made from owner Merce Muse’s own recipes. The other day I shared a slice of chocolate layer cake with vanilla icing and another of pistachio cake with rose icing with a friend, but in truth I wanted to eat all of both of them. 1 bis, rue Dupuis, 75003 Paris. Tel.: 09 53 14 53 04. Open Tues.-Sun. for breakfast, lunch and coffee; brunch on Sunday. Heidi Ellison
Paris Update This Week's Events
For full details about an event, click on its name to visit the official Web site (in English when available).
 Art Saint-Germain-des-Prés
>Left Bank gallery walk. Collective opening, May 31, 6pm. May 31-June 3.
Carré Rive Gauche
>Another Left Bank gallery walk, with 120 participating galleries. June 1-June 3.
Champs-Elysées Film Festival
>A new Franco-American film festival, presided over by Lambert Wilson and Michael Madsen. Various locations, Paris, June 6-12.
Chartre en Lumières
> The town of Chartres illuminates its monuments and the cathedral with colorful light installations. Through Sept. 15.
Designer's Days
>Design shops, galleries, schools and more participate in a city-wide design event. Various locations, Paris, May 31-June 4.
Festival de l'Imaginaire
> Performances by troupes from around the world, Maison des Cultures du Monde, Paris, through June 17.
Festival de Saint Denis
> Music festival featuring both stars like Sir Colin Davis and young talents; ends with a dawn performance by horse whisperer Bartabas and oud player Mehdi Haddab, Cathedral and Legion of Honor, Saint Denis, through June 30.
Festival Extensions
> Concerts, dance, films and more, various locations, Paris and Val de Marne, through May 31.
Festival International des Jardins de Chaumont-sur-Loire
>"Gardens of delights, gardens of delirium" is the theme of this year's garden festival, Chaumont-sur-Loire, through Oct. 21.
Festival Jazz à Saint-Germain-des-Prés
>Jazz acts ranging from amateur to big names like Ahmad Jamal and Yusef Lateef (together). Various locations, Paris, Through June 3.
Le Court en Dit Long
>Festival of short films. Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles, Paris, June 4-9.
Nomades
>Cultural festival in the third arrondissement; art, poetry, concerts and more. Various locations, Paris, May 31-June 3.
Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
>The features and short subjects entered in this category at the Cannes Film Festival shown in Paris, Forum des Images, Paris, May 31-June 10
Salon du Vin de La Revue du Vin de France
>Annual wine fair. Palais Brongniart, Paris, June 2-3
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Président
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Film
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/ Drama
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Created on Tuesday, 26 September 2006 23:00
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Published on Sunday, 22 February 2009 21:45
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Written by Tom Ridgway
Vote Non!
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| Président isn’t a bad film – it’s a monumentally terrible film. |
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You’re watching a film about a fictional president of France with the surprising title of, well, Président, and you’re thinking, Now, any country can make a mistake with its president (although doing it twice with a Texan might be considered a little more than a mistake), but the more you watch this president on the screen, the more you find yourself asking, Who the hell voted for this man?
As played by Albert Dupontel in a mesmerizingly bad performance, le Président is a humorless, self-satisfied and intensely tedious man. You can’t imagine anyone getting to the voting booth and putting a cross next to his name: the only way he could ever have been elected would have been in a run-off against Jean-Marie Le Pen, like France’s incumbent.
The predictable story of an ambitious young man called Mathieu (Jérémie Renier, looking confused more by why he accepted the role than by the film’s supposed machinations) who is corrupted by power, Président isn’t a bad film – it’s a monumentally terrible film, full of clunky dialogue (not even politicians talk like this) and suspense (such as it is) that’s signposted at every twist and turn. Its take on politics is as simpleminded as a teenager’s rage against his parents (“Everyone hates me, but revenge will be mine!”). You begin to wonder if director Lionel Delplanque (who also co-wrote the screenplay) has ever read a newspaper or listened to a politician speak.
Président is one of those films where everything is off: Every scene goes on a beat (or nine) too long, the dialogue is declaimed rather than spoken, and the cast looks utterly lost.
There’s one fantastic scene, however. A meeting is called to discuss how to publicize the president’s initiative to drop African debt (did I mention that the film aims for topicality, too?), and his staid establishment advisors suggest a summit. Good idea, mumbles the assembly.
Then our young tyro Mathieu hesitantly puts up his hand. Yes, says the president, smiling at his protégé, go on. Well, says Mathieu, to get people interested, we need to stage a concert! Brilliant! Er, you think, he’s running the country and he’s never heard of Bob Geldof? Yep, apparently the France of Président was the only place that didn’t an earful of Sir Bob last year. Which all goes to show that the critics may well be right: politicians today – and this Président in particular – are all terribly out of touch.
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Tom Ridgway
© 2006 Paris Update
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