Jane Grey, PhD
Paris
Community News, Events, FREE exhibits, Culture, Fun Stuff,
Resources and Practical Hints about the City of Light.
Please scroll down for current listings and links.
Watch this space for updates.
Even the pigeons are romantic in Paris.
Saturday, March 20
Noon to 4:00 pm
Paris 16e
Metros: Iena , Alma Marceau , Georges V
Buses: 32 , 92
Around Paris
Travel in the Middle Ages
Travel in the middle ages could be dodgy business.
This fascinating exhibit explores all the important
aspects of travel of that era: the state of the world,
travel preparations, transportation, stages of the
journey, foreign connections and cultural exchange,
and the return trip. There are many charming
reproductions of medieval art will illustrate the
enlightening texts on display, which are in French.
Note: There is NO English-language guide or
translation available for the exhibit. This is a revival of
an exhibit originally shown in 2004, and the
tower of John the Fearless is the oldest and
highest medieval structure in Paris. The purchase
of the ticket to the exposition allows you to visit
the tower as well.
“Le Voyage au Moyen Age”
Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday only
1:30 - 6:00pm
Tour Jean sans Peur
20 rue Etienne Marcel
Paris 2e
Metro Etienne Marcel
http://www.tourjeansanspeur.com/
Entry: 5 euros
Through April 4, 2010
FREE every day:
Paris City Museums
In English: http://www.paris.fr/portail/english/Portal.lut?page_id=8229
The impressive and excellent permanent collections of the museums owned by the city of Paris can be seen for FREE on ANY DAY the museum is open (most are usually closed on Mondays and national holidays.) Note: special and temporary exhibits are NOT included in the free entry. Municipal museums in Paris also endeavor to make collections accessible by the handicapped.
The participating Paris City Museums with daily free entry to permanent collections are:
• Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris is the city’s museum of modern art, and not to be missed. Its collection rivals that of the Pompidou Center. Here you will see Raoul Dufy’s gigantic La Fée Electricité, one of the biggest paintings in the world at 10 m x 60 m (about 33 ft. x 197 ft.) The museum also has an inexpensive coffee shop with a wonderful, large terrace off the street which anyone can visit without paying entry to the museum. www.mam.paris.fr
• Musée Carnavalet has over 100 rooms devoted to the rich and varied history of Paris. www.carnavalet.paris.fr
• Musée Cognacq-Jay - This collection of 18th century French art and objects was amassed in the early 1900s by the founder of the Samaritaine department stores. www.cognacq-jay.paris.fr
• Musée de la Vie Romantique - artifacts from the era of the Romantics of the 19th century are shown in the quaint house of painter Ary Sheffer, whose frequent visitors included Chopin and novelist George Sand. Sheffer’s ateliers house the temporary art exhibits. There is a tiny tea shop with tables in a lovely little garden off the street. www.vie-romantique.paris.fr
• Musée Bourdelle - Sculptor Antoine Bourdelle was a student of Rodin. The permanent collection is huge, and the atelier and garden are fascinating and charming. www.bourdelle.paris.fr
• Musée Zadkine - This is the atelier and garden in Montparnasse where Russian sculptor Ossip Zadkine worked and lived for nearly 40 years. www.zadkine.paris.fr
• La Maison de Balzac was the house of Honore Balzac and contains his personal momentos and literary artifacts. www.balzac.paris.fr
• Mémorial du Maréchal Leclerc de Hauteclocque et de la libérationde Paris/ Musée Jean Moulin is the museum of the WW2 French resistance and a memorial to its leaders. The building is located in the park constructed on top of the Montparnasse train station. Avoid visiting after dark, when the park is difficult to navigate; exits are poorly marked and there are several floor levels which are hard to see. www.ml-leclerc-moulin.paris.fr
• La maison de Victor Hugo is on the famous place des Vosges.
www.musee-hugo.paris.fr
• Le Petit Palais - The city’s fine art collection is in a gorgeous building which hides a great café on an inner courtyard. www.petitpalais.paris.fr
• Musée Cernuschi - This collection of asian arts is located adjacent to the lovely Monceau Park. www.cernuschi.paris.fr
EXCEPTIONS: These Paris Municipal Museums and heritage sites do NOT have free entry:
• Locations such as the Catacombes, and the Crypte of Notre-Dame
• Museums and locations which are used only for temporary exhibits, such as the Pavillon des Arts and the fashion museum Galliera.
http://www.paris.fr/portail/Culture/Portal.lut?page_id=4693
In English: http://www.paris.fr/portail/english/Portal.lut?page_id=8229
Films
Jane's Speedy Guide to the Movies in Paris
Noise – 3.5 stars
This 2007 film is just being released in French cinemas on
November 25. An upper-middle-class New York family man becomes a vigilante to eliminate excessive and unnecessary
noise in the city. As a noise narc, I loved this film.
Away We Go — 2 stars
A pregnant couple’s road trip to find a new place to live results in visiting the the most neurotic families in North America. This slowish story redeems itself – partially – with a few good laughs.
This Is It – 3 stars
The Michael Jackson documentary is better than
I dared hoped. This close-up look at a dedicated,
consummate showman in action reminded me how
much his music has been part of the scenery of
my own life. If you have any doubt of his influence,
search YouTube for Thriller + any major city in
the world and be amazed at how it continues to thrill,
25 years later, around the globe. For example,
check out this video of a “Thriller” event at a
Filipino correctional facility:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o
RIP Michael and thank you.
L’Affaire Fairwell – 3 stars
(France)
English title: Farewell
Set in 1981 Moscow, this Cold War thriller was an
unexpected treat. Emir Kusturica is excellent as the
KGB agent who goes double to change the world.
I got positively nostalgic for offices with typewriters
and phones which only have cords.
Micmacs
Highly recommended by Lisa Nesselson, my personal film guru. Read her review of the newly released “Micmacs” on
http://www.hollywoodwiretap.com/?module=news&action=story&id=40446
Rose et Noir – 1 star
(French) This appallingly hyper-campy mix of fashion design, political thriller, social commentary and every conceivable French stereotype of character and dialogue was a waste of my time. Its lone star is for the excellent costumes.
The Informant – 2.5 stars
Matt Damon: 3 stars
General acting, story and pace: 3.5 stars
The would I bother again factor: 1 star
Final rating: 2.5 stars for a well-crafted, entertaining and yet mostly forgettable film.
Mary and Max – 2.5 stars
A little girl in Australia and an older man in NYC become pen pals in this “claymated” film, a bittersweet story of friendship and forgiveness between two social misfits. I left the film feeling sadder but not wiser.
Julie and Julia - 4 stars
I loved every minute of these parallel stories about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of two cooks and their marriages.
The September Issue - 3.5 stars
Riveting documentary about the making of VOGUE magazine and its hard-as-sculpted-nails editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
My Sister's Keeper - 3.5 stars
French title: Ma Vie Pour la Tienne
I cried my eyes out over this story of a little girl who was conceived to provide body parts for her sick sister, and sues her parents for medical emancipation.
UP - 4 stars
French Title: La-Haut
UP is an animated masterpiece which made me laugh out loud frequently, all the way through, except when it made me cry. It has everything: love, humor, friendship, fantasy, charm, adventure, danger, suspense, action, pathos, a balloon-flying house, a dirigible, an old man, a boy, a dog, a bird, a bad guy, chocolate and a happy ending. Its grown-up theme of coming to terms with loss and disappointment was beautifully done. A perfect movie. I was very sorry it had to end, so I saw it twice.
The Reader - 2.5 stars
A somewhat disappointing adaption of the novel by the same name. Ralph Fiennes was miscast but Kate Winslet was nonetheless compelling.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - 3.5 stars
French title: Harry Potter et le Prince de Sang Mêlé
If the Harry Potter films lasted five hours each, that would suit me just fine.
State of Play - 3 stars
French title: Jeux de Pouvoir
Russell Crowe here is very smart, very witty, very cute, very sexy and very fun, and that's enough for me.
Victoria - 3 stars
Original Title: Young Victoria
Emily Blunt is perfectly cast in this enjoyable biopic about Queen Victoria's early years from just before she was crowned to just after her marriage to Prince Albert, charmingly played by Rupert Friend of “Cheri” (below).
Cheri - 3.5 stars
An aging courtesan and the son of one of her friends fall in love. I felt a lot of sympathy for the characters who were ultimately caught in the cruel traps of time and convention. Extra stars for delightful performances by Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Friend and Kathy Bates, plus exquisite costumes and décor.
Spread – 1 star
French title: Toy Boy
A gigolo gets his comeuppance when he actually falls in love.
The lone star is for the great frog at the end of the film.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - 0 star
A moralistic, sexist, tedious tale.
Sunshine Cleaning – 3 stars
Two adult sisters, each struggling in her own way, start a post-crime clean-up business. This film is sometimes touching, sometimes gross and I had compassion for the two deeply wounded sisters who were just trying to make life work...somehow.
Coraline – 4 stars
Imagine you are a kid and you have a dream about finding a secret door to a perfect world with perfect parents. Then it turns into a nightmare. This movie is the dream. An impressively clever animated film, Coraline is a humorous thriller and a masterpiece of its genre. It is visually and conceptually brilliant. I saw it twice and would happily see it again soon.
Amerikka – 3 stars
Original title: Amreeka
Language: Arabic and English
When a Palestinian woman and her teenage son immigrate to Illinois, USA, they are shocked by the prejudice they face and find life much harder than they anticipated. It is also a heartwarming story of the love of a mother and family.
The Martian Child – 3 stars
French title: Un Enfant pas comme les Autres
A sweet, feel-good movie about a widower who adopts a “problem” child. John Cusak does a nice job in the role as the adoptive father, and the boy actor is talented and endearing.
The Hangover – 3 stars
French title: Very Bad Trip
For its genre, which is “adult men getting drunk and into ridiculous, asinine trouble” this is completely ridiculous and asinine and not too bad.
Signore et Signori – 1 star
I walked out on this 1966 Italian film, annoyed by the sexist and infantile dialogue and characters. The lone star is for the costumes.
Who's That Knocking at My Door? (1967) - 2 stars
Original title: I Call First
Debut feature film for both director Martin Scorsese and star Harvey Keitel. Re-released in Paris this summer, this is another 60s film with a religiously and offensively sexist theme which I did not enjoy at all. However, it was very powerful when Scorsese cleverly shows us the main character desperately avoiding the wrongness of his righteousness.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - 4 stars
French title: Le Labyrinthe de Pan
Spanish title: El laberinto del fauno
Winner of a multitude of awards including many Oscars, if you hear this is a fairy tail set in Franco’s Spain, you might expect a cross between "Persepolis" and "Coraline." It is not, and in no way is it for children. This mesmerizing film consists of the contrasting stories between a child’s daunting but hopeful fantasy world and her violent, brutal reality. I saw this one night this summer when the film was re-released in Paris, and walked out of the cinema dazed, talking to myself. It’s a tour de force. Strongly recommended. But don't take the kids.
Departures – 4 stars
Japanese title: Okuribito
When a young symphony cellist loses his job and returns to his
home village to start anew, he takes a job at a
funeral parlor without knowing what he’s getting into.
This is a beautiful, amusing, interesting and touching movie,
and won the 2009 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Coco Avant Chanel – 3 stars
English title: Coco Before Chanel
In French. Audrey Tautou is well cast in this bio-pic
on the early life of Coco Chanel, who knew how to
seize, as well as create, life’s opportunities.
Frost/Nixon – 4 stars
Riveting story of David Frost’s famous
interview of Richard Nixon. Frank Langella
is brilliant as Nixon.
Star Trek – 3.5 stars
I’m not a Trekkie but I enjoy the Star Trek movies,
this one even more than I expected. The Spock
story is particularly well done.
In the Electric Mist – 3 stars
French title: Dans la Brume Electrique
By far, this is not a perfect film, but I let myself
get carried by it, and could almost feel the sensuous,
mystical beauty of the Louisiana bayou.
Easy Virtue – 3 stars
French title: Un Mariage de Rêve
Entertaining film version of the witty Noel Coward
classic play, with excellent costumes.
The Boat that Rocked – 4 stars
French title: Good Morning England
If you weren’t around to hear the music of 1966,
this film will make you wish you had been.
Perfectly cast. Très très fun.
Entreinte Brisés – 2 stars
French title: Los Abrazos Rotos
English title: Broken Embraces
The Spanish director Almodovar may be a god in
France, but this film will leave you wondering why.
Night at the Museum 2 – 2.5 stars
Amusing entertainment.
Milk 3.75 stars
French title: Harvey Milk
Sean Penn is wonderful in his Oscar-winning role
as the first openly gay publically elected official in the USA.
Milk’s story is well-told in this atmospheric film,
a guaranteed flashback to the 70s with a great soundtrack.
Last Chance Harvey 0 stars
French title: Last Chance for Love
One of the few films I’ve walked out on. If you like to
watch unhappy people make and take endless
portable/cell calls, don’t miss this movie.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2 stars
French title: L’etrange Histoire de Benjamin Button
This over-hyped film never lets you forget it’s a tall tale
with some very sophisticated make-up techniques,
but it’s mildly entertaining.
The Wrestler 3.5 stars
pro wrestler with nothing left to lose. It’s a tough
story that I won’t watch again soon, but it’s
unforgettable, and a fascinating look at the pro
wrestling scene, a world in which getting old is not allowed.
Australia 3.5 stars
One star for the tour of a dramatic slice of
Australian history, one star for Nicole Kidman's
costumes, and one star for Hugh Jackman, and
a half-star extra credit for good old-fashioned fun.
Twilight - 3.5 stars
This dark yet enchanting story of a teenage girl
who falls in love with the ultimate Bad Boy.
Great soundtrack.
Slumdog Millionaire - 3.5 stars
about a boy from the Indian slums who wins the
top prize on the game show “Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire” and how he knew all the answers.
Excellent soundtrack.
Revolutionary Road - 2 stars
French title: Les Noces Rebelles
Here’s my measuring stick for a film:
Would I want to see it again?
Do I think about this film after I’ve seen it?
Do I care about the characters and their story?
To all these questions, I answer no for this film.
The acting gets 4 stars but the do-I-care factor gets 0.
Hence the 2 stars.
BURN AFTER READING - 3.5 stars
A very entertaining spy movie that’s not a spy movie.
Great cast and fun.
LES AILES POURPRES: LE MYSTERE DES FLAMANTS - 3.5 stars
Narrated in French.
English title: The Crimson Wings: The Mystery of Flamingos
to be released around the world in 2009.
See the 5-star super-trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9vBVOXrldM
I’ve now seen this movie twice, but as you know from
my website, I’m ga-ga about birds. The main reason
I don’t give this film 4 stars is because I feel the ending
is inexcusably lackluster. Nonetheless, this documentary
of a million pink flamingos who migrate to breed on an
island of salt in Tanzania is by turns fascinating, touching,
amusing, beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved it.
LES PLAGES D'AGNES – 2.5 stars
In French. This rambling narrative of the life of French
cineaste Agnes Varda is about half an hour too long but
interesting if you love the cinema and/or stories about
the lives of artists.
CHANGELING - 3.5 stars
(French title: "L'Echange") In 1928 the LAPD returned the wrong boy to a woman whose son had disappeared. She objected, and they insisted it was she who was wrong, not they, even throwing her into an insane asylum. Based on a true story.
TWO LOVERS - 1.5 stars
Forgettable. Joachim Phoenix is rumored to be retiring from acting after this film. Probably for the best.
THE DUCHESS - 3.5 stars
Underrated by the critics. The story of an 18th century noblewoman whose privileged rank obliges her to give her husband a male heir, or suffer the consequences, is well-told, well-cast, well-written and well-paced, with beautiful costumes and decor.
THE VISITOR - 3.5 stars
A widower reawakens from his dreary existence when he encounters a couple illegally living in his NYC apartment. Excellent cast.
SERAPHINE - 3.5 stars
In French. Based on the poignant true story of the artist Séraphine de Senlis, a simple and pious cleaning woman whose talent was discovered by a German art dealer at the dawn of WW1. Her art is currently on exhibit at Musée Maillol, through 30 March 2009.
Health and Well-Being
Alison Benney generously gives tons of information about keeping fit in Paris on her comprehensive website in English, Paris Fitness. Read Alison's blog on Paris culture.
Emily Borel is a Franco-American Shiatzu therapist and Reiki Master with lovely energy. Visit www.emilyborel.com
Paris Therapy Services website lists 30+ English-speaking therapists and counselors by arrondissement and speciality.
Health Wise Paris is a non-profit English-language health information and networking association. Visit www.healthwiseparis.org/
SOS Help is the telephone listening hotline in English in Paris. Anonymous, confidential and FREE. There's a trained listener available between 3pm and 11pm every day. Telephone 01 46 21 46 46
Paris Practique
Kim Naef is a bilingual American all-round handyman who I’ve found enormously versatile, helpful, cheerful and reliable. Highly recommended. Telephone: 06 2410 8275 • Email: kimparis8@mac.com
Legal Matters
John Fredenberger is an American attorney specializing in tax and estate law for US expatriates. 01 4504 1010
Jean Taquet is an English-speaking French consultant with extensive experience helping the expat community. Visit www.jeantaquet.com
Classified Ads in English
FUSAC — English-speaking resources and classified ads www.fusac.fr
PARIS VOICE — the webzine for English-speaking Parisians www.parisvoice.com
FRANGLO —the free classified ad network for expats www.franglo.com
Paris Insiders
In search of a decent cocktail? American in Paris author, travel expert and Paris Insider Forest Collins, blogs on her quest for the best cocktails in town. Visit http://52martinis.blogspot.com
Author and doctoral candidate Jennifer K. Dick publishes monthly literary and cultural listings at http://parisreadingsmonthlylisting.blogspot.com/
Read Jen's blog at http://jenniferkdick.blogspot.com/
The Parler Paris website’s calendar lists lots of up-to-date
English-speaking events.
http://www.parlerparis.com/calendar.html
Beyond Paris
Michel Kassett is a gifted numerologist and better than wonderful. Highly recommended: an Individual Life Orientation Reading, in which Michel reveals your potential for joy, success and fulfillment, with clarity, insight and sensitivity. Visit www.yourlifeinnumbers.com/
Al Herter, self-made millionaire and Paris/NYC/World resident who enthralled the QLIC Café audience in September 2008 with his talk on making the most of money and his take on the current economic climate, now runs a great blog: www.thesmartmoney.wordpress.com
Allegra Taylor, best-selling author and holistic healer, teaches creative writing at workshops in the UK and around the world. Allegra was my co-facilitator at Skyros in 2006 and she is a gorgeous person, inside and out. Visit web.mac.com/brightfeathers/Site/Home.html
Other seasons in Paris
Parc de Bagatelle
The rosarium is pictured at left and below.
Bois de Boulogne,
Sèvres-to-Neuilly road
3 euros entry
Metro/Bus: Porte Maillot + Bus 244
or Pont de Neuilly + Bus 43
The small, round, sweet Prune Rouge, below, is what we could call a Sugar Plum.
By the way, both plums and prunes (pruneaux in French) can be laxative. Try peeling plums to help reduce this effect.
“There is a harmony in autumn, and a lustre in its sky,
Which through the summer is not heard or seen,
As if it could not be, as if it had not been!”
— Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 – 1822)
continual feast.
September: National Heritage Weekend, when government and national buildings are open to the public for free tours.
September: The Garden Festival (Fete des Jardins)
Early October: La Nuit Blanche is the Paris All-Nighter when museums and entertainment are open, usually with free events, on a Saturday night until dawn.
Tree lights go on at 5pm every day.
1. Bus N° 73
Duration: 5-20 minutes depending on traffic.
Cost: 1.60 euros
A full bus trip includes thrilling rides around the
Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde.
The 73 runs Monday through Saturday until about 9pm, between La Garenne Colombes and
Neuilly to the Musee d’Orsay.
Estimated duration, not including pit stops,
20-30 minutes
Cost: FREE
Through January 20
Metro: Concorde
Duration, not including the wait in line:
according to reports the ride lasts
3 to 4 full turns around the wheel,
depending on the mood of the operator.
I would plan on about 10-15 minutes.
Cost: 10 euros / 5 euros for children under 10
up the 234 steps (approximately 10 flights.)
Open til 10:30pm. Arrive by 9:45pm.
Closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Metro: Etoile
Cost: 9 euros
5. From a café or restaurant on the avenue
Pizza Pino
33 avenue des Champs-Elysées
Tel. 01 40 74 01 12
Metro FDR
Pizza Vesuvio
144 avenue des Champs-Elysées
Tel. 01 43 59 68 69
Metro Etoile or Georges V
Bistro Romain
122 avenue des Champs-Elysées
Metro Georges V
Cheapest café with the best view:
McCafé at the McDonald’s,
140 avenue des Champs-Elysées.
Metro Etoile or Georges V.
There’s a counter upstairs along a plate glass window
Classy expensive café:
Trendiest café:
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