Product Details

• Actors: Élodie Bouchez, Gaël Morel, Stéphane Rideau, Catherine Deneuve, Daniel Auteuil
• Directors: André Téchiné
• Writers: André Téchiné, Gilles Taurand, Isabelle Coudrier-Kleist, Jacques Nolot, Michel Grisolia
• Format: Box set, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: French
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: July 22, 2008
• Run Time: 452 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00192QJQM
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,553 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• For more information about "André Téchiné 4 Film Collector's Edition (Hôtel des Amériques / J'embrasse pas / My Favorite Season / Wild Reeds)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Andre Techine's extraordinary work with actors and his visionaryapproach to the complexity of emotions have made him one of France'sleading post-New Wave directors. The four acclaimed films in this uniquecollection represent Techine's move toward naturalism and hismasterful ability to examine the human condition. The ANDRE TECHINE4-FILM COLLECTION includes WILD REEDS (LES ROSEAUXSAUVAGES) I DON'T KISS (J'EMBRASSE PAS) HOTEL AMERICA (HOTEL DESAMERIQUES) and MY FAVORITE SEASON (MA SAISONPREFEREE).System Requirements:Running Time: 452 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/CLASSICS Rating: NR UPC: 012236236252 Manufacturer No: 23625

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Visionary Genius of André Téchiné., September 29, 2008

By	G. Merritt (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

André Téchiné's name is synonymous with extraordinary French films. He is best known for My Favorite Season (1993) and Wild Reeds (1994), both of which are included in the recent release of the Andre Techine Boxset, which features four quintessential French relationship films.

1. Wild Reeds (Les roseaux sauvages). Set in a boarding school in the Southwest of France in 1962, Wild Reeds (Les Roseaux sauvages) tells the story of a ménage à trois between four French youths during the political turmoil of the Algerian War. François (Gaël Morel) and Maïté (Élodie Bouchez) are close friends who share a love for French cinema. Maïté is interested in becoming François' lover, but François is more interested in his classmate Serge (Stéphane Rideau). Serge is attracted to Maïté. Eventually, Francois and Serge have sex together, but Serge wants to marry his deceased brother's wife. These sexual interactions converge to make this emotionally-moving film an intelligent meditation on sexual awakening and the damaging effects of war on human relationships. It is as much a film about sexual turmoil as a film about political turmoil. Many consider this film to be Téchiné's greatest masterpiece. At the 1995 César Awards, Wild Reeds won awards for Best Film, Best Director (André Téchiné), Most Promising Young Actress (Élodie Bouchez) and Best Original Screenplay. Wild Reeds is a quintessential French film

2. I Don't Kiss (J'embrasse pas). Téchiné's 1991 film tells the dark story of twenty-year-old Pierre (Manuel Blanc), who travels to Paris from his home in the rural Pyrenees with aspirations of becoming an actor. After failing, he instead becomes a male prostitute but refuses to kiss his male clients. "I'll do almost anything for money, but I don't kiss." Emmanuelle Béart delivers a fine performance as Pierre's love interest, Ingrid.

3. Hotel America (Hôtel des Amériques). Set in Biarritz, Téchiné's 1981 film examines the troubled relationship between a successful middle-aged woman and an unfulfilled and emotionally unbalanced man. It marked the start of his long collaboration with Catherine Deneuve, his actress-muse.

4. My Favorite Season (Ma saison préférée). Téchiné describes My Favorite Season as a film "about individuality and the coldness of the modern world." It is ultimately a film about the damaging effects of modern life on human relationships. It tells the poignant story story of world-weary estranged siblings, Emilie (Catherine Deneuve), a lawyer, and Antoine (Daniel Auteuil), a chain-smoking neurosurgeon, who are reunited after three years when their aging mother Berthe (Marthe Villalonga) suffers a stroke. The film triumphs in its mature exploration of the emotional depths of their troubled relationship. Deneuve and Auteuil bring two of the best performances of their careers to the film in their subtle portrayal of middle-aged disillusionment and restlessness. Deneuve's real-life daughter Chiara Mastroianni (Persepolis; Love Songs) plays her emotionally-damaged daughter Anne in the film. This slowly-paced two-hour film delivers a huge emotional payoff in its final scenes.

Highly recommended for anyone with a love for French cinema at its best.

G. Merritt

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Four on Three, July 26, 2008

By	Amos Lassen (Little Rock, Arkansas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

"Andre Techine Four Film Collector's Edition"

Four on Three

Amos Lassen

Andre Techine has brought a ray of light to French cinema in recent years and now we have a boxed set which includes four of his best movies on three DVDs.
"Hotel America" is the story of Giles whose mother runs a small hotel in a French costal city. Giles has been sponging off of her. He meets a woman named Helene and she takes over the job of mothering him and even treating his wounds when he gets into a fight. He also has another relationship--with Bernard, a self-absorbed, mediocre singer-guitarist who is always in some kind of legal trouble. Bernard, however, feels passion for Luc, a gay man that he beat up in a washroom. This is a beautifully made film and Techine explores deep rooted insecurities and jealousies.
"I Don't Kiss" (J'Embrasse Pas) is the study of a young country innocent, Pierre, who comes to Paris to make a career for himself. He had no idea about his own intellectual and social limitations. He eventually gives up his dream of becoming an actor and enters the world of male prostitution. As Pierre, Manuel Blanc gives an outstanding performance which won him the Cesar, the French equivalent of the Academy Award.
"My Favorite Season" stars Catherine Deneuve as the big sister of Daniel Auteuil, a brain surgeon. The movie looks at family dynamics with warmth and charm. This is an emotionally charged film which gives us the bittersweet story of a brother and sister who are drawn together after their mother has a stroke.
The fourth film is "Wild Reeds" which I have extensively reviewed separately on these pages. Many feel that this Techine's masterpiece and is a compelling coming-of-age and coming out story set during the war in Algeria. It is a character study which is multi-layered portrait of four teenagers and their personal and political views.
Techine manages to give us films that speak to us and make us think and we are lucky to have this collection. Hopefully there will be more to come.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, May 19, 2009

By	PHIL "Phil" (madison wi usa) - See all my reviews

PLEASE READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!! I've tried to order this set 4-5 times in the last few months both from Amazon and third party sellers/new and used and each time I received sets containing two disc#2's and no disc#1.There's a bad run of this thing out there and no one is checking on this.Be sure to contact a seller and ask specifically if disc#1 is PRESENT in the set before attempting to make a purchase.