Must-See Movies Feb 5: “God Save the Tuche,” “Paddington in Peru,” “Maria” starring Angelina Jolie!

God Save the Tuche by Jean-Paul Rouve

Starring Jean-Paul Rouve, Isabelle Nanty, Claire Nadeau…

What’s it about? The Tuche family once again enjoys a quiet life in Bouzolles. However, when Jeff and Cathy’s grandson is selected for a soccer internship in London, the whole family seizes the chance to explore England and encounter the royal family. Amid cultural clashes and blunders, the Tuches find themselves in the heart of British royalty!

Did you know? The Tuche franchise has sold over 14 million tickets. The series includes The Tuche, The Tuche 2 – The American Dream, The Tuche 3, and The Tuche 4, with respective admissions in France of 1.5, 4.6, 5.7, and 2.4 million. The fourth installment, released in December 2021 amid the ongoing Covid crisis, performed somewhat disappointingly in terms of admissions.

Paddington in Peru by Dougal Wilson

Starring Guillaume Gallienne, Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville…

What’s it about? While visiting his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now lives at the Home for Retired Bears in Peru, Paddington and the Brown family embark on an unexpected and mysterious journey through the Amazon rainforest to the peaks of Machu Picchu.

Maria by Pablo Larraín

Starring Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher…

What’s it about? The film chronicles the life of the world’s greatest opera singer, Maria Callas, during her final days in 1977 in Paris.

Did you know? This isn’t Pablo Larraín’s first foray into biopics, having previously directed Neruda (2016) about the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, Jackie (2016) about Jackie Kennedy’s life at the time of President Kennedy’s assassination, and Spencer (2021) about the divorce between Charles III, then Prince of Wales, and his first wife, Princess Diana Spencer.

La Pampa by Antoine Chevrollier

Starring Sayyid El Alami, Amaury Foucher, Damien Bonnard…

What’s it about? Willy and Jojo, two inseparable teenagers, spend their time fighting boredom in a small village in the heart of France. They’ve promised each other they’ll soon head for the city. But Jojo harbors a secret. When the entire village finds out, the dreams and families of the two friends shatter.

Did you know? Antoine Chevrollier spent three years writing La Pampa and quickly brought his co-writers to his childhood village of Longué-Jumelles in Anjou, to immerse them in the setting. La Pampa is an actual place just a few kilometers from the filmmaker’s childhood village.

My Favorite Cake by Maryam Moghadam, Behtash Sanaeeha

Starring Lili Farhadpour, Esmaeel Mehrabi, Mansoore Ilkhani…

What’s it about? Mahin, 70 years old and living alone in Tehran, defies all prohibitions to reignite her love life by arranging a meeting with Faramarz, a taxi driver. Their evening turns out to be unforgettable.

Did you know? My Favorite Cake has won numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Cabourg Film Festival in 2024, the Revelation and Critic Awards at the Valenciennes Festival, as well as the Ecumenical Jury and FIPRESCI Jury Prizes at the 74th Berlinale. It was also selected for festivals in La Rochelle, Montreuil, Amiens, and even Tokyo.

September 5th by Tim Fehlbaum

Starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin…

What’s it about? Set during the 1972 Munich Olympics, the film follows an American TV crew forced to abruptly stop their coverage of the events to broadcast live the hostage-taking of Israeli athletes, a situation watched by around a billion people worldwide at the time.

Presence by Steven Soderbergh

Starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang…

What’s it about? A family moves into a new house, haunted by a mysterious presence.

Did you know? Besides directing, Steven Soderbergh also serves as the director of photography under the pseudonym Peter Andrews, and as an editor under the name Mary Ann Bernard, a practice he has maintained for years.

The Sea Afar by Saïd Hamich

Starring Ayoub Gretaa, Anna Mouglalis, Grégoire Colin…

What’s it about? Nour, 27 years old, has illegally immigrated to Marseille. Along with his friends, he lives off small traffics, leading a marginal and festive life. However, his encounter with Serge, a charismatic and unpredictable cop, and his wife Noémie, will turn his life upside down. From 1990 to 2000, Nour loves, ages, and clings to his dreams.

Did you know? Saïd Hamich’s previous films were set over a short duration. They were fictions where the director reflected on how the identity of a place left behind or revisited can leave a mark. However, for The Sea Afar, he wanted to address the feeling of exile as a matter of time:

“Attempting to convey the unfathomable aspect of exile seemed possible only through the novelistic approach.”

A Guitar at Sea by Sophie Roze, Pierre-Luc Granjon, Alfredo Soderguit

Starring François Morel, Roseline Guinet, Omar Hasan…

What’s it about? It’s the story of a weasel who wants to live life on her own terms: traveling from farm to farm, playing music, and selling a few ties here and there. But the local animals are rarely welcoming… Could true happiness be finding a friend to play guitar with by the fire?

The Fall of Heaven by Eryk Rocha, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha

What’s it about? The Yanomami, an indigenous tribe from the Brazilian Amazon, wage a fierce battle to preserve their territory and ancient way of life against the threat of the “commodity people”. Through the powerful words of Davi Kopenawa, shaman and spokesperson for his community, the film offers a deep immersion into their cosmology and echoes an urgent call to protect the forest and redefine our relationship with nature.