Right as the Festival d'été francophone came to an end with Tuesday night's celebration of Saint Jean-Baptiste Day, the 2nd Annual French Film Festival began. Although by the time you read this the first movie (Roman de Gare) will have already been showing for a week, hopefully some of these recommendations will come in handy if you have time to check out the festival. All of the movies come with English subtitles, bien sûr, so don't worry if your French is not up to par.

3) Priceless (Hors de prix) - This is a light comedy about a gold digger (Audrey Tautou) who sleeps with a hotel bartender (Gad Elmaleh) because she mistakes him for a rich man. The guy decides that she's just too good to let go, and here begins his quest to win her heart. Yeah, the plot has been done before. Yeah, the movie came out in 2006. But it's potentially an enjoyable film that contrasts with the more serious subject matter of some of the other ones. If you find Audrey Tautou as charming as I do, perhaps this film is worth seeing. You can catch it starting July 4th.

2) Love Songs (Les Chansons d'amour) - I don't usually like musicals, but something about the quirky trailer and the Parisian backdrop makes me want to see this one. It's all about the intricacies of a love triangle, and also what happens when a fourth actor comes into the picture (does that make it a love rectangle?). This film, which has become a bit of a cult favorite in France and Belgium, makes its debut on July 11th.

1) The Last Mistress (Une vieille maîtresse) - Something about steamy 19th-century romance makes for good film. Think The Atonement, but more French (that means that at least the sex scenes should be more exciting!). I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this one - it's been acclaimed at a bunch of movie festivals, and I've generally heard good reviews. It starts July 25th.

I'm hoping to make my way to see all three of these films, so I'd love to hear your take on them in the comments section!

The 2nd Annual French Film Festival runs from June 20th to August 14th.
Most of the movies will be playing at The Park Theatre, but be sure to check the website for location details before you go.
Tickets range from $7 to $12. A festival pass costs $48.

Image taken from Ecrans.fr.