Agnes Varda's Le Bonheur at 50

Released in February 1965, this early work by Agnes Varda is ostensibly a cheery movie with bright colors, dappled sunshine and a beautiful, loving family. Yet behind this Monet-esque revery are ideas that may have you questioning some of the basic moral principles of modern society. The story centers on Francois (Jean-Claude Drouot), a square-jawed cabinetmaker who gladly spends every spare moment with his lovely wife and adorable young kids (played by Drouot’s real life family).

Much time is spent establishing the family’s idyllic existence in suburban Paris, as we see them engage in relaxing country picnics and nature walks, as well as exploring the deep bonds of affection and sexuality between Francois and his wife Therese. One day, Francois emerges from his mountainous sawdust pile to send a telegram, and a chance encounter with a postal clerk (Marie-France Boyer) launches a series of profound and strangely disturbing events. There is little else about the plot that can be disclosed, but suffice to say that some very controversial sexual politics are presented. So controversial that if the film had not been directed by a woman, Le Bonheur probably would have ended up on the scrapheap of misogynist cinema.



The bonus material offers a number of interesting interpretations of the film, and is quite thought provoking. The disc itself is beautifully restored thanks to Thomson’s HD Spirit Datacine, a new generation film scanner that makes possible nearly perfect recovery of even badly degraded negatives (which was apparently the case here). In all, this is a film that sticks with you, albeit in a very odd and unsettling way.



Surprisingly for a film of this vintage,  2015 finds all of the principles alive and kickin'. Agnes Varda - who has truly seen it all - is a couple years shy of her 90th birthday. The dashing Jean-Claude Drouot is pushing 80 but is busier than ever, having become a virtual fixture on French TV in recent years. Madame Drouet and Boyer are among the living as well, although their acting careers have taken a backseat to other interests. Wouldn't you love to sit at a Paris sidewalk cafe with this lot? Oh the stories they could tell….





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TCM for March 2015

Cheer up folks, it's almost spring! TCM makes it official with some fine cinematic offerings sure to lift those winter blues. My picks below. All times Eastern. Full Schedule HERE

3 Wednesday

12:30 AM

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007)

A poacher has to elude the Texas Rangers and the mob after stealing drug money.

Dir: Joel Coen Cast:  Javier Bardem , Josh Brolin , Beth Grant .

C-122 mins, Letterbox Format

7 Saturday

The first Batman serial, complete with racial slurs, begins on the 7th

10:00 AM

BATMAN: ELECTRICAL BRAIN, THE (1943)

The Caped Crusader battles a Japanese scientist turning people into zombies

BW-26 mins,

4:15 PM

PSYCHO (1960)

A woman on the run gets mixed up with a repressed young man and his violent mother.

Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Anthony Perkins , Vera Miles , John Gavin .

BW-109 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

8 Sunday

10:00 AM

GREY GARDENS (1976)

Documentary of a reclusive mother and her daughter who created their on own world in their mansion known as "Grey Gardens."

Dir: David Maysles Cast:  Edith Bouvier Beale , Edith B Beale Jr. , Jerry Torre .

C-95 mins,

6:15 PM

MY FAVORITE YEAR (1982)

A flamboyant star throws a TV comedy show into chaos.

Dir: Richard Benjamin Cast:  Peter O'Toole , Mark Linn-Baker , Jessica Harper .

C-92 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

2:00 AM

DU COTE DE LA COTE (1958)

The French Riviera comes to life only after the tourists are gone.

C-12 mins,

3:00 AM

All is not happiness in Le Bonheur

BONHEUR, LE (1965)

A married young carpenter tries to make his mistress part of his family.

Dir: Agnes Varda Cast:  Jean-Claude Drouot , Claire Drouot , Sandrine Drouot .

C-79 mins,

10 Tuesday

8:00 PM

PLACE IN THE SUN, A (1951)

An ambitious young man wins an heiress's heart but has to cope with his former girlfriend's pregnancy.

Dir: George Stevens Cast:  Montgomery Clift , Elizabeth Taylor , Shelley Winters .

BW-122 mins, CC,

10:15 PM

RAISIN IN THE SUN, A (1961)

A black woman uses her late husband's life insurance to build a better world for her children.

Dir: Daniel Petrie Cast:  Sidney Poitier , Claudia McNeil , Ruby Dee .

BW-128 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

12 Thursday

5:30 PM

LITTLE BIG MAN (1970)

An American pioneer raised by Indians ends up fighting alongside General Custer.

Dir: Arthur Penn Cast:  Dustin Hoffman , Faye Dunaway , Martin Balsam .

C-140 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

8:00 PM

REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT (1962)

A washed-up prizefighter tries to free himself from his ruthless promoters to build a new life.

Dir: Ralph Nelson Cast:  Anthony Quinn , Jackie Gleason , Mickey Rooney .

BW-85 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

9:45 PM

Piper Laurie and Paul Newman get real friendly in The Hustler

HUSTLER, THE (1961)

A pool shark falls into the clutches of a crooked gambler.

Dir: Robert Rossen Cast:  Paul Newman , Jackie Gleason , Piper Laurie .

BW-135 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

14 Saturday

10:00 AM

BATMAN: BAT'S CAVE, THE (1943)

The search for a kidnapped reporter leads the Dynamic Duo to a rooftop chase.

BW-17 mins

5:45 PM

NIGHT OF THE IGUANA, THE (1964)

A defrocked priest surrenders to the sins of the flesh in a Mexican hotel.

Dir: John Huston Cast:  Richard Burton , Ava Gardner , Deborah Kerr .

BW-118 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

8:00 PM

MORE THE MERRIER, THE (1943)

The World War II housing shortage brings three people together for an unlikely romance.

Dir: George Stevens Cast:  Jean Arthur , Joel McCrea , Charles Coburn .

BW-104 mins, CC,

10:00 PM

RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY (1962)

Two aging gunslingers sign on to transport gold from a remote mining town.

Dir: Sam Peckinpah Cast:  Randolph Scott , Joel McCrea , Mariette Hartley .

C-94 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

3:30 AM

IN COLD BLOOD (1967)

Two vagrants try to outrun the police after committing a savage crime in this real-life shocker.

Dir: Richard Brooks Cast:  Robert Blake , Scott Wilson , John Forsythe .

BW-134 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

5:45 AM

MORE DANGEROUS THAN DYNAMITE (1941)

This short safety film looks at carelessness in the home that can lead to fires.

BW-10 mins,

15 Sunday

9:45 PM

WALT DISNEY'S WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLOR: I CAPTURED THE KING OF THE LEPRECHAUNS (1959)

In this episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, Walt takes a trip to Ireland in search of actual leprechauns.

BW-49 mins,

Visit Disney's Wonderful World of Color on the 15th

10:45 PM

BABES IN THE WOODS (1932)

Two children stumble on a clearing in the woods where they encounter gnomes and an evil witch.

Dir: Burt Gillett

C-8 mins,

11:00 PM

WALT DISNEY'S WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLOR: STORY OF THE ANIMATED DRAWING, THE (1955)

This episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color takes a look at the history of animation and animation techniques throughout the ages.

BW-60 mins,

12:00 AM

THREE CABALLEROS, THE (1944)

With his friends Jose Carioca and Panchito, Donald Duck discovers the joys of Latin American life.

Dir: Norman Ferguson Cast:  Aurora Miranda , Carmen Molina , Dora Luz .

C-71 mins,

1:30 AM

WALT & EL GRUPO (2008)

Walt Disney leads his production team on a good will tour of Latin America during World War II.

Dir: Theodore Thomas

C-106 mins,

3:15 AM

FIGHTING PRINCE OF DONEGAL, THE (1966)

British colonists kidnap a rebel Irish prince.

Dir: Michael O'Herlihy Cast:  Peter McEnery , Susan Hampshire , Tom Adams .

C-110 mins,

19 Thursday

9:30 PM

CYCLOPS (1957)

A scientific expedition discovers a 25-foot tall mutant.

Dir: Bert I. Gordon Cast:  James Craig , Gloria Talbott , Lon Chaney [Jr.] .

BW-65 mins,

4:45 AM

VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS (1965)

Delinquent teens ingest a substance and grow to 30 feet tall, then proceed to take over a small town.

Dir: Bert I. Gordon Cast:  Tommy Kirk , Johnny Crawford , Beau Bridges .

C-81 mins, Letterbox Format

20 Friday

1:30 AM

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (1967)

A small-town girl hits the big city in search of romance Roaring Twenties style.

Dir: George Roy Hill Cast:  Julie Andrews , Mary Tyler Moore , Carol Channing .

C-152 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

4:15 AM

VICTOR VICTORIA (1982)

An unemployed female singer poses as a female impersonator and becomes a star.

Dir: Blake Edwards Cast:  Julie Andrews , James Garner , Robert Preston .

C-134 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

21 Saturday

10:00 AM

BATMAN: MARK OF THE ZOMBIES, THE (1943)

Batman races to stop enemy agents from destroying a supply train.

BW-17 mins,

2:00 AM

The tragically hip life of Edie Sedgwick is chronicled in Ciao!Manhattan

CIAO! MANHATTAN (1972)

A one-time underground film star goes home to her mother to recover from years of drug abuse.

Dir: John Palmer Cast:  Edie Sedgwick , Wesley Hayes , Isabel Jewell .

C-90 mins, Letterbox Format

3:45 AM

SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM: TAKE ONE (1968)

Cameras capture the backstage drama as acting students audition for a film.

Dir: William Greaves Cast:  Patricia Ree Gilbert , Don Fellows , Jonathan Gordon .

C-75 mins,

5:00 AM

CORVAIR IN ACTION!, THE (1960)

Technicians herald the arrival of a new car that "delivers the goods as no other compact car can" in this short advertisement.

C-6 mins,

5:00 AM

DISTANT DRUMMER: A MOVABLE SCENE, THE (1970)

An education short film that exposes drug use and drug culture.

Dir: William Templeton Cast:  Robert Mitchum ,

C-22 mins,

5:00 AM

DISTANT DRUMMER: FLOWERS OF DARKNESS, THE (1972)

Filmmakers trace the history of opium and its role in today's drug trade in this short film.

Dir: William Templeton

C-22 mins,

22 Sunday

8:00 AM

GILDA (1946)

A gambler discovers an old flame in South America, but she's married to his new boss.

Dir: Charles Vidor Cast:  Rita Hayworth , Glenn Ford , George Macready .

BW-110 mins, CC,

10:00 AM

MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN (1936)

When he inherits a fortune, a small-town poet has to deal with the corruption of city life.

Dir: Frank Capra Cast:  Gary Cooper , Jean Arthur , George Bancroft .

BW-116 mins, CC,

12:00 PM

SOME CAME RUNNING (1958)

A veteran returns home to deal with family secrets and small-town scandals.

Dir: Vincente Minnelli Cast:  Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin , Shirley MacLaine .

C-136 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

8:00 PM

MacLaine and Lemmon in Irma La Douce

IRMA LA DOUCE (1963)

A Parisian policeman gives up everything for the love of a free-living prostitute.

Dir: Billy Wilder Cast:  Jack Lemmon , Shirley MacLaine , Lou Jacobi .

BW-143 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

10:30 PM

FANNY (1961)

An old waterfront character tries to help his daughter when her lover leaves her pregnant.

Dir: Joshua Logan Cast:  Leslie Caron , Maurice Chevalier , Charles Boyer .

C-134 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

25 Wednesday

10:00 PM

WHALES OF AUGUST, THE (1987)

Dir: Lindsay Anderson Cast:  Bette Davis , Lillian Gish , Vincent Price .

BW-91 mins,

26 Thursday

2:00 AM

PULP (1972)

A pulp fiction novelist fights to survive an assignment to ghost write a controversial star's memoirs.

Dir: Mike Hodges Cast:  Michael Caine , Mickey Rooney , Lionel Stander .

C-95 mins, Letterbox Format

4:00 AM

GUMSHOE (1972)

A would be private eye gets mixed up in a smuggling case.

Dir: Stephen Frears Cast:  Albert Finney , Billie Whitelaw , Frank Finlay .

C-86 mins, CC,

5:30 AM

TCM PRESENTS ELVIS MITCHELL UNDER THE INFLUENCE: BILL MURRAY (2008)

Celebrities reveal the classic movies that influenced their lives in interviews with acclaimed film critic/interviewer Elvis Mitchell.

C-29 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

27 Friday

10:30 AM

More than crocuses are blooming in Ozu's Early Spring

EARLY SPRING (1956)

A young salary man and his wife struggle within the confines of their passionless relationship while he has an extramarital affair.

Dir: Yasujiro Ozu Cast:  Ryo Ikebe , Keiko Kishi , Chikage Awashima .

BW-145 mins,

1:00 PM

ROMAN SPRING OF MRS. STONE, THE (1961)

A fading stage star gets caught up in the decadent life of modern Rome when she hires a male companion.

Dir: José Quintero Cast:  Vivien Leigh , Warren Beatty , Lotte Lenya .

BW-104 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

3:00 PM

WALK IN THE SPRING RAIN, A (1970)

When her husband moves them to a small farming town, a woman falls in love with a married neighbor.

Dir: Guy Green Cast:  Anthony Quinn , Ingrid Bergman , Fritz Weaver .

C-98 mins, Letterbox Format

28 Saturday

10:00 AM

BATMAN: SLAVES OF THE RISING SUN (1943)

Batman investigates a fake fortuneteller working with Japanese spies

BW-18 mins,

3:45 AM

WHEN YOU GROW UP (1973)

In this short film, children learn about the world of fun that awaits them when they grow up and go to work.

Dir: Jerry Kurtz

C-11 mins,

29 Sunday

2:00 AM

TRISTANA (1970)

A young girl's guardian falls in love with her.

Dir: Luis Buñuel Cast:  Catherine Deneuve , Fernando Rey , Franco Nero .

C-98 mins,

4:00 AM

UN CHIEN ANDALOU (1929)

Random scenes -- including the famous eyeball-slitting, a bicycle race and a hand crawling with ants -- capture the insanity of dreams.

Dir: Luis Buñuel Cast:  Pierre Batcheff , Simone Mareuil , Jaime Miravilles .

BW-16 mins,

4:30 AM

SIMON OF THE DESERT (1965)

A religious sage fights temptation from Satan himself.

Dir: Luis Buñuel Cast:  Claudio Brook , Silvia Pinal , Hortensia Santoveña .

C-45 mins,

20 Monday

8:00 PM

Nuclear power is not your friend in The China Syndrome

CHINA SYNDROME, THE (1979)

A television newswoman stumbles onto deadly secrets at a nuclear power plant.

Dir: James Bridges Cast:  Jane Fonda , Jack Lemmon , Michael Douglas .

C-122 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

10:15 PM

BROADCAST NEWS (1987)

A news producer is caught between a committed journalist and a flashy anchor.

Dir: James L. Brooks Cast:  William Hurt , Holly Hunter , Albert Brooks .

C-133 mins,

12:45 AM

NETWORK (1976)

Television programmers turn a deranged news anchor into 'the mad prophet of the airwaves.'

Dir: Sidney Lumet Cast:  Faye Dunaway , William Holden , Peter Finch .

BW-121 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

31 Tuesday

8:00 PM

ZAZIE DANS LE METRO (1960)

A little brat turns Paris upside down during a two-day visit with her uncle.

Dir: Louis Malle Cast:  Catherine Demongeot , Philippe Noiret , Hubert Deschamps .

C-93 mins,

10:00 PM

AU REVOIR, LES ENFANTS (1987)

A French boarding school harbors Jewish children during the Nazi occupation.

Dir: Louis Malle Cast:  Gaspard Manesse , Raphael Fejto , Francine Racette .

C-105 mins, Letterbox Format

12:00 AM

Lacombe, Lucien is part of a Louis Malle festival on the 31st

LACOMBE, LUCIEN (1974)

A French teen collaborating with the Nazis falls for a wealthy Jewish girl.

Dir: Louis Malle Cast:  Pierre Blaise , Aurore Clement , Holger Löwenadler .

C-138 mins, Letterbox Format

2:30 AM

MURMUR OF THE HEART (1971)

A 15-year-old comes of age despite his father's neglect and his mother's smothering love.

Dir: Louis Malle Cast:  Lea Massari , Daniel Gelin , Michel Lonsdale .

C-118 mins, Letterbox Format

4:30 AM

ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS (1958)

A businessman kills his boss to cover up his affair with the man's wife.

Dir: Louis Malle Cast:  Jeanne Moreau , Maurice Ronet , Georges Poujouly .

BW-91 mins, Letterbox Format

News and Notes: Oscar Aftermath 2015

• The Academy Awards were given out last night. I actually watched most of it and didn't get offended or upset even once! A new record for me. Congratulations to all the winners.

• Stephen Follows does a great job crunching Oscar stats. He has created a page with lots of interesting info about the cost of marketing films and the demographics of Academy voters. Check it out.

• France's Oscar equivalent, the Cesars, were given out Friday. Timbuktu did very well as did a couple of American actors. Winners list here.

Last Minute Looks at Some Oscar™ Hopefuls

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Boyhood ✭✭✭✭

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Directing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing

I found the concept of this movie to be more interesting than the final result. It was fun to see everyone grow up and age before our eyes, and certain scenes were wonderfully done. Yet, by the end of this overly long case history, Mason (Ellar Coltrane) remained opaque. While his parents (Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke) seemed to grow as characters over the course of the film, I didn't feel as though I knew Mason any better than at the beginning. To me, his sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater) was a much more interesting character - and a better actor - and I found myself wanting to learn more about her experience. I hope Linklater had the foresight to film a "Girlhood" concurrently. Despite my complaints, it's still an impressive achivement from a mainstream filmmaker who has never been afraid to put a personal twist on things. And if it takes the Oscar™ I'm ok with it.

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Leviathan ✭✭✭½

Nomination: Best Foreign Language Film

This film was a little disappointing. Andrey Zvyagintsev's previous features, The Return and Elena, were much more interesting and hypnotic. In comparison, Leviathan is an overly-plotted genre piece that fails to tie up all its loose ends. As for it being a condemnation of Putin's Russia, forget it. Leviathan shows that when it comes to land grabs, Russian politicians are no more craven and corrupt than your typical American one. Ida's going to take this category anyway.

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier ✭½

Nomination: Best Visual Effects

I guess the effects were impressive but what a stupid feckin' movie. Two and a half hours of people beating the snot out of each other yet no one is ever seriously hurt. Giant airships are going to shoot everybody or something and Bucky is now a bad guy. I mean what's the point of this crap?