Alain Resnais: Decade in Film (Region 1 Import DVD)

LIFE IS A BED OF ROSES: An homage to some of France's greatest filmmakers--Georges Melies, Marcel L'Herbier, and Eric Rohmer--Alain Resnais' triptych film pays tribute to the power of the imagination. Its three stories follow a utopian architect, reform-minded professors, and children whose magical dreams come to life. Together, the film's mirrored plotlines weave into an enchanting exploration of the life of the mind. LOVE UNTO DEATH: Resnais (HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR) directs this candid exploration of love and mortality. When Simon (Pierre Arditi) suffers a nearly fatal seizure, it throws his entire life into new light. It also makes him reconsider his relationship with his loving girlfriend, Elizabeth (Sabine Azema). Strong visuals and effective performances help ground the film's swirling philosophical profundities. MELO: Known for stylistically adventurous films like LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD, Resnais transitions to a self-consciously subdued form in MELO. Adapted from the 1929 play by Henri Bernstein, the film follows the evolving love triangle between a violinist, his wife, and his best friend. "Melo" is short for melodrama, and the film offers an intriguing exercise in that tried-and-true form. I WANT TO GO HOME: When American cartoonist Joey Wellman (Adolph Green) gets invited to show his work in Paris, he leaps at the opportunity. But his real purpose is reconnecting with his daughter, Elsie (Laura Benson), who has fled her American roots in favor of the City of Light. With Gerard Depardieu appearing in the role of an esteemed French intellectual, Resnais' I WANT TO GO HOME is primed for a satirical series of culture clashes.