''Face'' ( ''Liǎn''; ) is a 2009 Taiwanese-French film written and directed by

Tsai Ming-liang Tsai Ming-liang (; born 27 October 1957) is a Malaysian filmmaker based in Taiwan. Tsai has written and directed 11 feature films, many short films, and television films. He is one of the most celebrated "Second New Wave" film directors of T ...

Plot

Hsiao-Kang, a Taiwanese filmmaker, travels to France to shoot a film in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

. As he is not fluent in French, the director encounters some difficulties. Then, he learns that his mother has died.

Cast

Fanny Ardant Fanny Marguerite Judith Ardant (born 22 March 1949) is a French actress and film director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two César Awards and a Lumière Award. Early life Ardant was born on 22 March 1949, in Saumur, ...

- The producer / Queen Herodias *

Laetitia Casta Laetitia Marie Laure Casta (; born 11 May 1978)FMD profile
Retrieved 4 December 2009. is a ...

- The star / Salomé *

Jean-Pierre Léaud Jean-Pierre Léaud, ComM (; born 28 May 1944) is a French actor best known for being an important figure of the French New Wave and his portrayal of Antoine Doinel in a series of films by François Truffaut, beginning with '' The 400 Blows'' (19 ...

- Antoine / King Herode * Lee Kang-sheng - Hsiao-Kang, the director * Lu Yi-ching - Hsiao-Kang's mother *

Mathieu Amalric Mathieu Amalric (; born 25 October 1965) is a French actor and filmmaker. He has won several César Awards and the Lumière Awards. He is best known internationally for his roles in the James Bond film '' Quantum of Solace'', in which he pla ...

- Man in the bushes *

Nathalie Baye Nathalie Marie Andrée Baye (; born 6 July 1948) is a French film, television, and stage actress. She began her career in 1970 and has appeared in more than 80 films. A ten-time César Award nominee, her four wins were for ''Every Man for Himsel ...

* Samuel Ganes * Olivier Martinaud *

Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. Mo ...

* François Rimbau * Norman Atun * Chen Shiang-chyi * Chen Chao-jung

Background

''Face'' was written and directed by Tsai Ming-liang."Visage (Face) (2009)"
rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved December 15, 2015. It is set in the Louvre, as the museum had invited Tsai to make a film there. The Louvre contributed 775,000 euros, which was around 20 percent of the entire budget. The film is also inspired by director

François Truffaut François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French filmmaker, actor, and critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. He came under the tutelage of film critic Andre Bazin as a ...

, and the cast includes several actors who worked with Truffaut.Dupont, Joan
"The Louvre, Gardens to Boiler Room, Becomes a Filmmaker's Set"
nytimes.com. December 26, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2015. ''Face'' was described as a "meditation on the cinematic process." Like Tsai's other films, ''Face'' is about people who are incredibly alienated.Kohn, Eric
"In Favor of Imagery: Tsai's 'Visage' Paints a Puzzling, Pretty Picture"
indiewire.com. May 23, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2015.

Reception

''Face'' has a 60% rating on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

. It was nominated for the Golden Palm at the

2009 Cannes Film Festival The 62nd Cannes Film Festival took place from 13 May to 24 May 2009. French actress Isabelle Huppert served as jury president for the main competition. Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for the dram ...

. According to Eric Kohn of Indiewire, the film's story is "a bit difficult to follow". He added that "on a visual level, however, it's undoubtedly the prettiest movie in the festival's main competition."

References

External links

* 2009 films 2000s musical comedy films 2009 multilingual films Chinese-language films Films directed by Tsai Ming-liang 2000s French-language films Taiwanese musical comedy films Taiwanese multilingual films Films with screenplays by Tsai Ming-liang French musical comedy films French multilingual films Films set in Paris 2009 comedy films 2000s French films 2009 musical films {{Taiwan-film-stub