1.   Dismissing the critics, Depardieu defends the movie as being rooted in the tradition of distinctive French filmmaking.

2.   Even if such a national renaissance cannot expect to be repeated in a half-century, there is no question that French filmmaking is undergoing a resurgence.

3.   One factor distinguishing Assayas in the politicized arena of French filmmaking is his insistence on approaching characters on a personal level.

4.   These days a mood of optimism and brash confidence has once again taken hold of French filmmaking.