Shall We Kiss
directed by Emmanuel Mouret
starring Virginie Ledoyen, Emmanuel Mouret, Julie Gayet, Michaël Cohen, Frédérique Bel, Stefano Accorsi
The movie begins in Nantes, where a chance encounter between a Parisian fabric designer (Julie Gayet) and a local art restorer (Michaël Cohen) leads to dinner, drinks and nearly to the titular meeting of the lips. But wait, the woman says — first, she must tell a cautionary tale about how a similarly innocent smooch created seismic shifts in the relationships of two other couples. That story then plays out in flashback, with the hangdog Mouret perfectly self-cast as a lovelorn schoolteacher who falls for his best female friend (Virginie Ledoyen), no matter that she's happily married and he's dating a beautiful stewardess (played by ebulliently ditsy Frédérique Bel). I'll say no more about how it all ends up, except that Mouret marries Rohmer's visual lucidity and love of smart dialogue to the sort of screwball-comedy antics that wouldn't have seemed out of place in the films of Lubitsch or Hawks, and he does it all with a beguiling lightness of touch. - Scott Foundas, LA Weekly
La Leon
directed by Santiago Otheguy
starring Jorge Roman, Daniel Valenzuela, Jose Munoz, Daniel Sosa, Ana Maria Montalvo
The Parana Delta. Surrounded by a labyrinth of waterways meandering through lush wilderness, Alvaro lives a simple, lonely life harvesting reeds and fishing. In this remote area of Argentina lost in time, Alvaro’s homosexuality and his love for books aggravates his isolation. The only link between this boundless territory and the city is the water-taxi "El Leon". It's captain, El Turu, is a violent and intolerant man. He feels threatened by Alvaro's "difference" and is set on harassing him. But El Turu’s scorn masks an inner turmoil...