La Belle Verte (1996)

It is a film about Values. Real values. About best things in life - things that are not actually 'things'. And it's very funny in places. I would say it's best to watch the picture in a mellow spiritual mood together with a loved person, if there is one. If there isn't - La Belle Verte will surely bring out your inner good and you will soon find yourself in a better position towards those around you. To put it short - French cinema at its best!

Lali Rao, wrote in an earlier comment : " ... An important role in this film is played by Colline Serreau who is effective as Mila ..." Filmmaker = main actor. This is a very intrinsic "detail". ;-) This is a brilliant 100% situational-observational comedy, where I feel at every corner the leading example of the great master in this kind of universally not much used type of humour: I'm talking about Jaques Tati. Here, I feel the female reincarnation of mister Tati. And it's also reflected in that simple fact, Colline plays her own film, just as Jaques has done, ever since he started standing behind and in front of the camera at the same time. Of course, there is zero copy of 'style' involved. It's rather a splendid continuation of a unique manner of working and of building humour out of the observation of daily reality, through eyes that give it a unique turn. THAT, is it ! But, YES, it would be better you understand french. By translating, part of the soul is killed, because those translators don't understand the product, and the product is very french ! The biggest mistake from Anglosaxon's is always looking for "morality", "higher messages", etc... if it's not full slapstick to remind them of so called humour. Laughing can be both refined and more intellectual referenced. That's what Tati learned us. Observe closely, and the COMIC already jumps onto you, from every situation in daily life. Colline Serrau understood this lesson from "the master". ;-) ( And YES, I write humour as humour, not as humor, as this site's spelling checker wants me to do. Because I'm European, and stick to "English". Beg me pardon, Americans... ;-) )

Just saw this last night. It is very original, funny and has a great message. It's not the best piece of film-making cinematically speaking that I've ever seen, but well worth seeing and will give you a fresh look at "progress" of western civilization. I only wish there were more films like this that had a real message to them, unlike the trite "slices of life" that are so common.Warning that I don't the translation if very good.I don't know French very well but the title itself should be translated "The Beautiful Green" and not "Green Beautiful", plus we saw other translation anomalies. Wish I knew French better!

This one of the most blatantly non-American fascistic movie I've seen in a long time. So we are treated with ET's living in an ecological paradise looking like a sixties leftover's wet dream. Notice that all of them are white and clean-cut ; apparently, there doesn't seem to be any opposition to this "ideal" way of life (no work, no music, no incentive, no arts, no nothing. Ah, yes : popping rug rats seems to be the only thing worthwile.) One of them is forced to go to Earth, though they admit they've been "quite racists" towards the earthlings. So, on ET's goes to Earth, and what does she do ? Nothing. Oh, yes, scramble the brain of some guys who doesn't think the right way, but in a playful manner. But… nothing gets any better. Obviously, their status of Unbermensch gives those aliens the right to mess everything up. Of course, if they are so powerful, they could do something against pollution or whatever seems to be bad, but no, they don't mess with Untermensch. At the end, the alien messes up a football match in a playful way, spoiling the fun of the people who watch it (considered as morons, I guess.) Well, I hate football and rather go to the dentist than see through a whole game, but why can't people appreciate it ? But apparently, in this ideal universes, This Is Bad. Thou Shalt Not Have Fun As Thou Wish. Great. So much for open-mindness. At the end, the ET's finally go back, bringing with them some "good" persons (meaning : who understands that there is nothing better than doing nothing but raising rug rats in a perfect, white, clean-cut environment and goose-stepping… no, they left that one out. Well, in the movie's world, those aliens can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. I'd rather listen to Faith No More with my Algerian friends than deal with their "Silence concertoes", whatever that is. If that makes me one of the subhumans (even if I'm white, so I have a redeeming quality), well, so I am and sue me. In France, the National Front leader is called… no, don't call him at all, just boo. It is obvious that if he was a woman and a mother, Mrs Serraut would have found her Führer. Oh, and for those interested, no, there are no special effects. Though those hippies dresses