The best of 2023. During the month of December, AlloCiné offers thematic tops based on audience ratings to highlight the best films and series of the year and suggest some sequences.
The best of the year in France in 2023, you will find them on the drama side. A fascinating biopic, an animated cyberthriller at the top, a poetic portrait of women, a psychological legal thriller or even a drama about a lesser-known aspect of French justice: we were treated to some really strong and varied works. Here are the top 5 best French movies of 2023 according to AlloCiné viewers!
Fifth – Abba Pierre – Martial Life 4.1/5
Born into a wealthy family, Henri Grues played many roles throughout his life: resistance fighter, deputy, defender of the homeless, revolutionary, and even an iconoclast. His devotion to the most needy has earned him international fame. From the creation of Emmaus to his famous address in the winter of 54 AD, he entered history under the name he chose: Abbé Pierre. Still, human, he doubted his actions every day.
The program features humanism, altruism and solidarity in a powerful and moving film, brilliantly performed by Benjamin Lavernet and Emmanuelle Bercot (who plays Lucie Koutaz, the hero’s secretary). If we know Abbé Pierre, we still discover here the most secret aspects of his life: the weaknesses, the sufferings and the intimate life of the man we nicknamed “the voice of the voice”, the man he sometimes criticized and betrayed. L’Abbé Pierre – Une vie de combat is a moving film that challenges, questions and lifts the curtain on the life of an otherwise ordinary icon.
4th – Mars Express 4.2/5
A dark animated sci-fi film among the best French films of the year? Yes, Mars Express did – and was submitted to the prestigious Cannes and Annecy festivals.
In the year 2200, Aline Ruby, a headstrong private detective, teams up with android Carlos Rivera to find Jun Chau, a missing cybernetics student. Their investigation will lead them into the dark bowels of Noctis, the capital of Mars, where they will have to deal with corrupt institutions, trafficking, brain farms and other abuses of all-powerful corporations. But Jun Chou is also the target of cyber-enhanced assassins, and a desperate race against time begins: Aline Carlos must save a young woman who, unbeknownst to her, holds a secret that could threaten the precarious balance on which their relationship rests. civilization. .
Visually stunning, dark and sophisticated, Mars Express is a real gem. Besides the beauty of its art and animation, its story is rich and thought provoking while entertaining. Exciting, efficient, modern and dizzying, Jeremy Perrin’s (The Last Man) cyberthriller is simply epic, and see if it hasn’t been done before.
3rd – Braids 4.2/5
La Tresse is an adaptation of Laetitia Colombani’s novel of the same name. The latter brings to the screen here his own work, which has sold more than 5 million copies.
The story takes us to meet three women on three continents: three lives and three battles to fight. In India, Smita (Mia Maelzer) is an untouchable who dreams of seeing her daughter escape her miserable condition and go to school. In Italy, Julia (Fotini Peluso) works in her father’s workshop. When he crashes, he discovers that the family business is in ruins. In Canada, Sarah (Kim Raver), a famous lawyer, is about to be promoted to the head of her firm when she learns that she is ill. Although they don’t know each other, Smita, Julia and Sarah bond without knowing what is most intimate and unique about them…
Everything about La Tresse is amazing, from the great staging to the brilliant photography, including the brilliant music. A film of great poetic and visual power, it relies above all on its outstanding actors. Every second of the feature film is a wonder: women, languages, emotions. Travel and the moving portrait of women.
2nd – Anatomy of a Fall 4.3/5
If not all Palme d’Or branches are popular successes, some still manage to explode, and this is the case of Anatomy of the Autumn, which received the prestigious prize last May and has since surpassed a million in France and internationally. It’s also racking up awards.
The film tells the story of Sandra, Samuel and their visually impaired 11-year-old son, Daniel, who live in the mountains far away from everything. One day Samuel was found dead at the foot of their house. The investigation is open. Suicide or Murder: Sandra is charged despite suspicion. A year later, Daniel witnesses his mother’s trial and the true autopsy of the couple his parents created.
With fascinating density and complexity, Justin Triet’s flagship film blends genres. The story of a faded couple, investigation, trial, exceptions, confessions, Anatomy of a Fall It goes beyond the codes of a thriller and becomes a stunning psychological drama. The deftly shot feature film is also ably performed by a dedicated cast, starting with the brilliant German actress Sandra Hüller. Brilliant and virtuosic, it is one of the most remarkable cinematic works of the year.
1 – I Will Always See Your Face 4.4/5
Here is the best-rated French film since The Untouchables (2011).
I will always see your faces, you will discover the little-known French system, the restorative justice system, which allows victims to repair themselves by interacting with the offenders, while being supervised by professionals and volunteers like Judith, Fanny or Michel. Nassim, Isa and Thomas were convicted of violent theft, while Grigori, Navel and Sabine were victims of housebreaking, burglary and robbery. And then there’s Chloe, the incest-rape victim. Everyone experiences this restorative justice. In their path are anger and hope, silence and words, alliances and heartache, awareness and newfound trust. And sometimes, finally, a famous repair …
Thrilling, dense, fascinating, breathtaking, incredible: so many words have been used to describe Gene Hare’s masterpiece. I will always see your faces It forces us to experience these powerful encounters from within, and even though we are in fiction, we are still very close to reality. Add to that a 5 star cast with the impressive Gilles Lelouch, Adele Exarchopoulos and Leila Becht and you have an intense and exciting film: the best French side of the year.
Ranked by movies released in theaters in 2023 and with at least 500 ratings. Feel free to post your notes and reviews on the profiles of these movies (and others) and post your tops in the comments below!
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
