Top 150 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2020: #61. Comédie humaine – Xavier Giannoli

Comédie humaine

France’s Xavier Giannoli scored a sleeper hit with 2018’s supernatural tinged drama The Apparition starring Vincent Lindon (scoring a Cesar nod for newcomer Galatea Bellugi), but moves towards something a bit more high profile next year with his adaptation of Balzac’s Lost Illusions, which will star Cecile De France, Xavier Dolan, Gerard Depardieu, Jeanne Balibar, Vincent Lacoste, Andre Marcon, Benjamin Voison, Jean-Francois Stevenin and Louis-Do de Lencquesaing. The title is produced by Olivier Delbosc and lensed by five-time Cesar nominee Christophe Beaucarne (Mr. Nobody; Coco Before Chanel). Giannoli has competed twice in Cannes, with 2006’s The Singer (also starring De France and Depardieu) and 2009’s In the Beginning. He’s also competed twice in Venice, with 2012’s Superstar and 2015’s Marguerite (which snagged Catherine Frot a Cesar for Best Actress).

Gist: Taking place between the years 1837 and 1843, Balzac’s classic novel focuses on the young poet Lucien de Rubempre, who leaves Angouleme for Paris in the pursuit of becoming an author.

Release Date/Prediction: Giannoli completed principal photography in October of 2019. While Cannes is a possibility, Venice may be a more likely premiere for Giannoli’s eighth feature.