bert-huys-242-355755

It's only the beginning of 2025 and already I feel like I've seen the best movie of the year.

It's one of the best movies I have ever seen.

'En Fanfare' reminds me a bit of 'Brassed Off', also about a brass band but then in a coal mine in The United Kingdom.

The beautiful classic music ties in nicely with the beautiful song 'Emmenez moi' of Charles Aznavour, my favourite French singer. The two leading actors - Benjamin Lavernhe and Pierre Lotin - are excellent in their roles of two brothers who only verly late in live know that they are brothers. It's a drama but with a lot of warmth and some laughs.

One can completely empathize with this realistic and deeply human story.

I highly recommend everyone to watch this beautiful film, but on the big screen in the cinema.

And when the film ended, there was applause from part of the almost full hall. I had never experienced this before in cinema, and I have been going for many years.

I have seen a lot of movies in the world of mafia. The Godfather offcourse, and also The Untouchables or Once Upon a Time in America or The Irishman.

But director Julien Colonna - what an overwhelming debut - finds a surprising angle in his first movie. 'Le royaume' shows the Corsican underworld through the eyes of the 15-year-old daughter of a clan head.

For all the actors, who were no professional actors, it was three years long that the director took the time to play their rolls superbly.

Main actress Ghjuvanna Benedetti plays very convincingly the role of the mafia daughter. She works for instance in her daily life at the fire brigade.

Her conversation with her father, actor Saveriu Santucci, who also plays magnificently, was one the touching moments I witnessed in all movies I have seen at the cinema.

Also I would like to say something about the very well chosen music and songs, with 'Complainte Corse' of famous singer Tino Rossi as a highlight.

It's the best film I have seen so far this year, here is my top 10 of movies in 2024: 1) LE ROYAUME 2) QUAND VIENT L'AUTOMNE 3) C'È ANCORA DOMANI 4) GOODBYE JULIA 5) WINTER BREAK / THE HOLDOVERS 6) HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES 7) LEE 8) PAST LIVES 9) IO CAPITANO 10) RADICAL

So go and watch 'Le Royaume'!

Well, François Ozon has done it again: a true masterpiece. A beautiful film about deep human feelings and insights. Only Frantz was perhaps a bit better of all the works of Ozon, of wnom I have seen a lot of movies.

This is the second best movie I have seen so far in 2024, at the cinema, the only place where one can appreciate a movie, just behind 'Le Royaume'. After 'Quand vient l'automne' is 'Goodbye Julia' on number 3, followed by 'Winter Break / The Holdovers', 'C'è ancora domani', 'Past Lives', 'Lee', 'Io Capitano' and 'Radical'.

The story telling of 'Quand vient l'automne' is mesmerizing and so well written. The use of automn colours brings so much power and strength to the movie A must watch!