France at the Flicks: Trends in Contemporary French Popular Cinema

This book focuses on the evolutions that have occurred in French popular cinema in recent years. It provides an extensive overview of some of the significant changes affecting a film market which is showing strong signs of revitalisation after years of Hollywood dominance. A number of domestic productions released since the late 1990s have rivalled American blockbusters in terms of audience figures and many of these big commercial successes are discussed in detail in this volume. The strength of this book lies not only in its timeliness in terms of its publication, but also in the fact that it combines case studies of films which enjoyed international appreciation as well as productions which were not distributed abroad. Consequently, the volume affords a unique insight into French films which resonate with audiences outside of France as well as those which are purely available to and enjoyed by local, domestic viewing groups. Moreover, many of the contributors to this volume extend beyond film analysis and explore the production, distribution and exhibition contexts as well as critical and audience reception. As a result, the book as a whole makes an original contribution to the growing area of French Film Studies and is intended to be enjoyed by students and scholars as well as keen followers of cinema in France.