Cinema St. Louis’ 17th Annual Robert French Film Festival Runs April 4-12

Good food and the French are a natural combination, so it is only natural that this year’s French Film Festival in St. Louis would pair them to make French cuisine it’s theme. Cinema St. Louis dropped the “classic” in the title for it’s annual Robert French Film Festival, at the Hi-Pointe Theater, from April 4 – 12. This year’s festival is titled “Cuisine Francaise,” in celebration of St. Louis’ French heritage, and still features mostly classic French films. On the menu this year are French-language films, narrative and documentary, that have cooking, chefs, food or restaurants at their center.

Among these mouth-watering films is the acclaimed documentary MENUS-PLAISIR – LES TROISGROS, a deep-dive look at a French family of restaurateur-chefs and their Michelin-starred restaurant. Other treats are HOLY COW, SUGAR AND STARS, MERCI POUR LE CHOCOLAT, BABETTE’S FEAST, DELICATESSEN, and KINGS OF PASTRY, plus the animated favorite RATATOUILLE.

This year, the festival adds the local debut of two new films to the classics mix, with the premiers of the award-winning French comedy HOLY COW (VINGT DIEUX), on opening night, Friday, Apr. 4, at 7:30pm, and the biographical drama SUGAR AND STARS (A LA BELLE ETOILE) on Friday, Apr. 11. All the festival films are in French with English subtitles, except for RATATOUILLE, which is in English, and all are shown at the Hi-Pointe Theater.

The Classic French Film Festival kicks off on Friday, Apr. 4 with an opening night party, starting at 6:30pm, with food and wine provided by Parker’s Table and sweet treats from Le Macaron French Pastries. That is followed by the 7:30pm screening of HOLY COW (VINGT DIEUX), a comedy-drama from director Louise Courvoisier, in which teenager Totone finds his carefree life upended when he now has to take charge of his younger sister, which leads to a quest to win a cash competition prize for his comté cheese.

On Saturday, Apr. 5, it is DELICIOUS at 1pm, a comedy-drama set in the 1700s, about a chef who has been fired but rebuilding this life and confidence, with the help of a young woman, to open the first restaurant in France. It is followed by a D.A. Pennebaker documentary at 4pm, KINGS OF PASTRY, which features 16 pastry chefs demonstrating their artistry in a competition for the prestigious Les Meilleurs Ouvriers de France medal in their field. At 7pm, it is the crazy sci-fi/fantasy comedy DELICATESSEN, about a post-apocalypse eatery with man on the menu.

On Sunday, Apr. 6, we are treated to MENUS-PLAISIR – LES TROISGROS, from renowned documentarian Frederick Wiseman, which will be shown at 1pm at the Hi-Pointe. The 2023 documentary was universally praised by critics and won several awards. In French, “menus-plaisir” means minor pleasures, and that can include food, although food is a pretty big deal in France.

Although the documentary is French, it has no narration and there are long stretches with little to no dialog, where we just hear ambient sounds of cooking instead of music. The effect is relaxing and immersive, a more visual experience with beautiful cinematography where we are swept along in a day in the life of the multi-generation Troisgros family, that goes from shopping in the morning at a local farmer’s market, to menu planning for the week at one of their three restaurants, to food prep and lunch service at their 3 Michelin starred premier restaurant. It is an experience to savor and director Wiseman gives you the time to do that, with a four hour-running time. However, there is no need to watch the entire film to enjoy its immersive, gorgeous, relaxing experience, although if you do, you will emerge refreshed and in a glow.

The film feast – er, fest – continues on Friday, Apr. 11, with SUGAR AND STARS (A LA BELLE ETOILE) at 7pm. This biographical drama focuses on Yazid, who has had a passion for pastry-making since childhood, despite growing up in foster homes and group home care. In this film, he tries to make his dream of working with the best pastry chefs, and joining their ranks, come true.

Saturday, Apr. 12, brings that kid’s treat, the animated RATATOUILLE, at 1pm, director Brad Bird’s hit about a rat who dreams of being a chef and joins up with human to make both their dreams come true at a Paris restaurant. At 4pm, the incomparable Isabelle Huppert stars in director Claude Chabrol’s MERCI POUR LE CHOCOLAT, playing a concert pianist’s wife who discovers some secrets about her husband’s past. It doesn’t get more classically French than this delicious mystery.

The Classic French Film Festival closes with another quintessentially French film, the cinematic banquet of BABETTE’S FEAST, at 7pm, a drama set in late 19th century Denmark, about a mysterious housekeeper, who creates a feast that transforms life for the deeply-religious villagers.

Bon appetit!