Toutes les Francais Sont Putains (aka All the French are Whores) (RePost from the old Ryan’s Reviews site)

TlFSP Description (from the box):

A love story Toutes les Francais Sont Putains is an ultra-black comedy about bizarre fetishes, and the length one man will go to get laid.

Major Cast: Luke Rook and Elske McCain

Special Features: Trailer

written and directed by Matthew Reel

DVD by Lulu Hell Productions

TlFSP is one of the darkest and most bizarre love stories Ive ever witnessed. Im not sure that I saw the humor that would qualify this film as an ultra-black comedy, I didnt find much of anything funny in the thirty-plus minutes this film was on screen; I did find twisted love story unlike any other.

TlFSP opens with the Man, Luke Rook, watching porn and begging the Woman, Elske McCain, Fuck me! She refuses. The Man pleads more, and she not only refuses, but exposes her breasts just to tease him. The Woman is a femme fatale like I have not seen in a long while. She is a succubus – she has locked in on him and he is powerless to her. In order to prove his devotion, the Man fills his shoes with broken glass and walks to the Womans house.

Like The Goat Sucker before it, TlFSP is a beautifully shot nightmare. While the images before the viewer are hard to stomach – shoes literally pouring blood, for example – Reel takes these monstrosities and shoots them in ways to make them fake gold. Reel again utilizes intercut stock footage, various different film stocks, bizarre psychedelic lighting (especially when the Woman is around), jarring black cuts, washed out images, etc. to make this short film feel like a depraved mix of HG Lewis, David Lynch, and Gregg Araki.

TlFSP gains some production value over its predecessor, as Reel – an Arizona filmmaker – had sections shot in obviously downtown New York City. Also adding to the production value of TlFSP is the musical accompaniment for the film. Like in The Goat Sucker, there is very little dialogue in this film, and much of the action, mood, and atmosphere is carried by the music.

Also strong in TlFSP is the direction / camera work, the (aforementioned) lighting, and the editing. Reel has again captured the feeling of the late 60s / early 70s with his use of grain and color, along with the music. Reel also has the decency to use manual focus on his camera – something lacking from so any micro-budgeted movies Ive seen.

Overall, I was affected more that I would expect from this 33 minute film. TlFSP is a simple idea, dragged out to beautifully horrible lengths. TlFSP is not a film for everyone, or even for a wide audience; TlFSP is a film for people into experimental, extreme film. And as an experimental, extreme film, TlFSP succeeds. After the extreme voice he has created with both The Goat Sucker and Toutes les Francais Sont Putains, Im extremely excited to see what Reels will do with his first budgeted feature, Hellvolution, now in pre-production

Overall 8 / 10

Toutes les Francais Sont Putains on the imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0821953

Toutes les Francais Sont Putains site: http://www.cultstitch.com

3 thoughts on “Toutes les Francais Sont Putains (aka All the French are Whores) (RePost from the old Ryan’s Reviews site)

    1. I would look up the director, Matt Reel. I know he’s still on Facebook. Jessicka Rabid can be purchased directly from Troma, but I think you’d need to get in touch with him directly for FRENCH.

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