French Cinema in Close-Up

Chosen (March 2016) as one of the Best Reference Titles of 2015 by Library Journal, New York: "There may be other biographical dictionaries of the French cinema, but none with such engagingly written biographies as this one. Editors Abecassis (French, Oxford Univ.) and Block have assembled an international cast to write personal sketches of actors and actresses in the French cinema. American audiences will recognize names such as G©rard Depardieu, Oscar winners Juliette Binoche and Simone Signoret, and singer-actor Maurice Chevalier. Chevalier's sketch chronicles his many early successes, postwar troubles, and triumphant return to the United States after 1954 with Love in the Afternoon. The highlights of the dictionary are the hand-drawn caricatures by artists Jenny Batlay, who's based in New York, and Igor Bratusek, at the Sorbonne in Paris, that accompany each sketch. Read collectively, the pieces document trends in French cinema and its close connections with the theater" -Library Journal, New York (2016).

"If you're feeling self-conscious about your lack of knowledge on French cinema, cease at once! Micha«l Abecassis (of the University of Oxford) and Marcelline Block (of Princeton University) have edited this illustrated mini-dictionary of French actors and actresses just for you." -reviewed in Cultureth¨que, of the Institut fran§ais du Royaume Uni.

" French Cinema under the Magnifying Glass [-reviewed in Books Ireland magazine]: " This book is a collaborative project that weaves together writing from almost 70 different contributors in order to form an illustrated mini-dictionary of actors and actresses who have influenced French cinema since it began. ... The mini-dictionary format makes all of this easily accessible to the reader, who can use three different indexes in order to search by actor, film or contributor. ... Each contributor makes use of different source materials, including personal anecdotes, quotes from biographies, interviews and everything in between. ... In fact, some entries-for example that of Jenny Batlay, which details several personal encounters with Charles Aznavour in order to paint his portrait-are so rich in personal detail that it feels as if the reader is hearing the story from an old friend. This is further enhanced by the clever use of caricature. Each entry begins with a sketch by Jenny Batlay or Igor Bratusek that adds a touch of humour ... these funny little sketches of the greats of French cinema also underline the individual nature of the work, as each entry looks different from its predecessor. ... "As each actor's unique story is explored, so are the main themes of French cinema. In particular, the book draws attention to the way in which cinema and theatre are deeply connected by showing how many of cinema's first stars began their careers on the stage and had already found fame there. Owing to the attention to personal detail, as the lives of cinema's celebrities are unravelled so are the links between the art form and events such as World War I, World War II and France's student protests in 1968. All of this combines to offer a much deeper understanding of French cinema and those who influence it. This collection of essays makes clever use of academic analysis and anecdotal sources in order to present nearly 200 portraits of those who have had the greatest influence on French cinema. Thanks to its innovative format of a mini-dictionary, it allows for a vast range of contributors, which ensures that each portrait is different from the others. In linking French cinema to the other arts and to the history of France, the book succeeds in offering everyone who picks it up, from the veteran cinema buff to the merely curious, a chance to learn something new. This collaborative project succeeds in placing French cinema in general under the magnifying glass, not just its actors and actresses." -Books Ireland magazine, October 2015