‘Rust and Bone’ film review   By Gary Chew     If your favorite kind of film is one that has poetic elements, yet seems almost random as it realistically unwinds, depicting hard-scrabble living, then have I got the movie for you: Jacques Audiard's “Rust and Bone,” also called “De rouille et d’os.”   A lower middle class Belgian named Alain van Versch (Matthias Schoenaerts) moves with his young son to Alain's sister's home in Antibes. It's on the French Mediterranean, about equidistant from Cannes and Nice.   Alain is scuffling for income. He's not even above thievery. But he seems to be a good father, and his sister (a working stiff) is helpful with caring for Sam (Armand Verdure), as wel

You do not need a passport to France to experience a taste of French culture this summer. The Sacramento French Culture Society will host the 11th annual Sacramento French Film Festival from June 15 to June 24 at the Crest Theatre. “Hôtel du Nord” is one of two classic French films shown this year. Produced in 1938, viewers watch a couple experience love, crime and tragedy at the Hôtel du Nord in Paris. Screenwriter, Jean-Louis Milesi, will present his social drama “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” on opening night. Jean-Pierre Darroussin plays a recently laid off social worker who heads off to Mount Kilimanjaro with his family and friends. Upon their return, they are robbed and his connection

With just two weeks before the opening of the always excellent Sacramento French Film Festival (SFFF), francophiles and quality film fans have two opportunities to warm up their love of French language cinema. Plus more pretty crap at the multiplex. Opening today at the Crest Theatre, “Monsieur Lazhar” (which is co-presented by the SFFF) is a French-Canadian film that was Canada’s entry and nominee in the Best Foreign Language category at this year’s Academy Awards. With a quick glance at the poster, it’s easy to think it’s another one of those “inspiring teacher” movies but it’s actually quite different. The film opens as Martine, a troubled schoolteacher to a class of 11 and 12 year old

French desserts will once again be available at the corner of Ninth and K streets downtown as the owner of a popular East Sacramento cupcake shop plans to open Estelle’s Patisserie on Dec. 1 in the building that formerly housed Danielle’s Creperie. “This has been my lifelong passion,” said owner Esther Son. “I’ve always dreamed of owning a bakery, ever since I was a little girl.” Though not traditionally trained as a baker, Son said she considers herself self-taught, and she has extensive experience in coming up with recipes and tweaking them until they’re perfect. Her cupcake shop, Esther’s Cupcakes, has been in business at 2600 Fair Oaks Blvd. for two years. “We were always coming do

Hundreds of spectators gathered Thursday night to watch waiters and waitresses from Sacramento restaurants as they gave their best definition of speedy service in the second annual Bastille Day Waiters’ Race in the courtyard behind 1801 L Wine Lounge. Waiters and waitresses from 25 central city restaurants made two laps around the block bounded by 18th and 19th streets and L Street and Capitol Avenue. With one hand, participants were required to balance a tray with a bottle of Perrier mineral water and two champagne glasses filled with water. The race began at 7 p.m. “From my perspective as the French consul, it’s great, that in a town like Sacramento, we have young waiters and waitresse

The Sacramento French Film Festival will celebrate its 10th year in June 2011 and has just unveiled its exhilarating film selection and its inspired and original poster created, as were the nine previous SFFF posters, by talented Sacramento photographer Kent Lacin. See the complete poster collection here. To be held June 17-26, 2011 at the Crest Theatre in Downtown Sacramento, the 10th Sacramento French Film Festival will present nine new premieres, two Saturday Midnight Movies, three classics, and one Short Film Program. This year the SFFF is also introducing a new category, entitled "The One That Almost Got Away" and aimed to highlight recent films that the SFFF team wished to show in p

The man once dubbed “The Soup Ami” by local media said goodbye to his loyal customers for the last time at downtown’s La Bonne Soupe Café Friday as he retired from a restaurant career that spanned 55 years and two continents. Daniel Pont, 72, said his retirement is bittersweet, since he loved operating his one-man shop on Eighth Street between I and J streets for the past six years. But he wants to spend time with his family. “I will probably take the next week and just rest,” he said in the small café Friday afternoon while a handful of customers hung around, sharing wine and thanking him for good times. “No driving, no working – just swimming pool, eating and sleeping.” He sold his bu

Belly dancers, authentic Mediterranean food and music by The Dunes will highlight culture in south and eastern Mediterranean French-speaking countries Sunday at Midtown’s Beatnik Studios. The annual Fête de la Francophonie French Heritage Festival will introduce Sacramentans to the culture, food and customs of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Lebanon, said Beatrice Hildebrand, executive director of the Sacramento chapter of the Alliance Française, which hosts the event. The event has been held throughout the United States since the 1980s, she said. “Every year, the month of March has been dedicated to celebrating francophone cultures from all over the world,” she said. “We try to focus on

Kicking off its 10th year, the Sacramento French Film Festival has invited French composer Raymond Alessandrini to direct an orchestral accompaniment for its first film/concert, which will be performed by the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra. “It’s something we’ve never done before. It’s quite exceptional,” said French Film Festival Executive and Artistic Director Cécile Downs. The show will be held at the Crest Theatre on Jan. 29 and 30. “It’s a very big event for us,” Downs said. “We (often) have guests, but usually they are just coming to present a film that is already finished. Having the composer of the score coming is more exceptional.” The film to be shown is a 1928 silent film

After seven years on Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento, The French Hen will be shutting its doors. In an e-mail message sent to patrons, Owner Nicole Turner said that her lease is up at the end of the year, and she is moving out her wares. She also wrote that all items – with the exception of consignment items – will be priced at 25- to 50-percent off. The store is located at 3200 Folsom Blvd. Turner’s statement in full: I wanted to let everyone know that I have decided to close The French Hen. It has been an amazing seven years. I have enjoyed being able to explore my creative side and I hope I have been an inspiration. I am going to miss seeing all of the friends I have made but I

Fresh baguettes, roasted lamb, local wines and aioli were the ingredients for a savory Village Feast last Saturday in Central Park in downtown Davis. Nearly 300 people assembled for the sixth annual Grand Aioli-style meal served to aid the Davis Farmers Market project, Davis Farm to School Connection — an organization aimed at bringing farm-fresh local fruits and vegetables to all 13 Davis public schools. At noon, members of the community entered the Village Feast area with their own silverware, plates and cups, beneath the sycamore trees in Central Park. Guests enjoyed wine, olives and almonds while strolling through the feast area, socializing and taking a look at the silent auction it

The Sacramento French Film Festival sponsored a special screening of "Le Couperet" at the Crest Theatre on Thursday. The premiere was a precursor to the 9th Sacramento French Film Festival, June 18-27. "Le Couperet," a social-political thriller and dark comedy, introduced audiences to a new meaning of “survival of the fittest” in the job market.   Jose Garcia stars as Bruno Davert, a middle-aged paper chemist who’s been forced into unemployment by the merger of his company. Unable to find work, he resorts to extreme measures to eliminate the competition in his specialized field. His rationale is that it will increase his chances of securing employment with the only leading company left i

In this day of Food Network stars and celebrity chefs, one culinary icon (BAM!) has been singing the praises of the pig for nearly as long as he's been mugging for the camera:   "Pork fat rules, baby".   Apparently, the man has never been to a Duck Off. Thursday night marked a unique culinary experience at Grange Restaurant: to my knowledge, Sacramento's first-ever Duck Off.  The five-course, prix fixe dinner benefitting the California Waterfowl Association, was preceded by an Iron Chef style competition between Grange executive chef Michael Tuohy and food writer Hank Shaw.  The cook-off was judged by a veritable who's-who of Sacramento Foodie Glitterati, including Darrel Corti and Rick

I walked onto the quad of Bella Vista High School on a Sunday afternoon to a sight of 20 or so men climbing walls, running like cheetahs on all fours and swinging from trees. This was the Sacramento regional parkour practice, led by a SFparkour.com representative, Victor Lo Forte. He has been a practitioner of parkour, or traceur, French for tracer, for three and a half years and has led the Sacramento group for about two years. "From what I understand, it's basically the discipline of training one's mind and body to prepare oneself to overcome obstacles in an environment," Lo Forte said. Parkour is said to be rooted in early 20th century French military practices. Georges Hébert, a Wor