Les Visiteurs (1993) is a favourite of mine. It stars Jean Reno as a medieval knight who is transported to the present day (well, 1993). It's a sort of hysterical farce, with everyone running around over-acting horribly, but I just really like it for some reason.
Delicatessen is another one I like. It's about a former circus clown who goes to work as the caretaker in a crumbling block of flats (it's set in an undefined post-apocalypse). The landlord is also the butcher, and he isn't fussy about where he gets his supply of meat from.
^Edit: Ooh, Diva! That would be on my list as well. It'd be a good laugh to watch Subway, too.
I overdosed on French films, thanks to Channel 4's film seasons during the 1980s and the 1990s, so I don't watch many these days. The ones that stood out the most for me are:
Eyes Without a Face
Au Revoir les Enfants
The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
Au hasard Balthazar (please note that it's on my six most hated films list)
Les Diaboliques
La Belle et la Bete
Vagabond (Sandrine Bonnaire)
Les Nuits Fauves (Romane Bohringer)
L'Appartement (Romane Bohringer and Vincent Cassel)
Le Jetee
The Pickpocket
Brotherhood of the Wolf (Vincent Cassel)
The 400 Blows
La Haine (Vincent Cassel)
Purple Moon (Alain Delon)
La Reine Margo
Santa Claus is a Bastard
The Cheat
I used to watch anything starring Sandrine Bonnaire, Vincent Cassel, Romane Bohringer, Alain Delon or Phillipe Noiret.
The Night Is Young
L'intrus
Mouchette
Children of Paradise
Love on the Ground
Just Before Nightfall
Sans soleil
The Piano Teacher
The Rules of the Game
The Red Circle
Humanity
Pierrot le fou
Belle de jour
Private Fears in Public Places
Amour (Trintignant)
Jeux Interdits (Brigitte Fossey)
Les Enfants du Paradis (Arletty)
L'Ete Meurtrier (Adjani)
L'Armée des Ombres (Signoret)
Casque d'Or (Signoret)
La Grande Vadrouille (Bourvil)
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) (Amalrich)
Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (Deneuve)
Mourir d'Aimer (Girardot)
Adele H. (Adjani)
belle de jour
umberellas of cherbourg
jour fe fete
la nuit american
belle et la bete
belville redezvous
au bout de souffle
la grande illusion
the green ray
potiche was on film4 recently so should comeround again .....
I like the films of Cedric Klapisch - quirky and funny but a little bit emotional too. Ones I've enjoyed:
Le péril jaune
When the Cat's Away/ Chacun cherche son chat
Family Resemblances/ Un air de famille
L'Auberge Espagnole
Russian Dolls/ Les poupées russes
Paris
Le Diner de Cons - the funniest film that I have ever seen.
Bienvenue Chez les Ch' tis - Delightful.
Les 400 Coups/The 400 Blows
Intouchables/Untouchable
Les Enfants du Paradis
Le Boucher
Comments
Jean de Florette
Manon des Sources
I've Loved You So Long
36
Intouchables
Aprez Vous
The Closet
The Girl On The Bridge
Those are just of the top of my head. Probably come up with some more later
Delicatessen is another one I like. It's about a former circus clown who goes to work as the caretaker in a crumbling block of flats (it's set in an undefined post-apocalypse). The landlord is also the butcher, and he isn't fussy about where he gets his supply of meat from.
Amelie is just delightful and A Very Long Engagement is another to keep an eye out for
La Cage aux Folles
I overdosed on French films, thanks to Channel 4's film seasons during the 1980s and the 1990s, so I don't watch many these days. The ones that stood out the most for me are:
Eyes Without a Face
Au Revoir les Enfants
The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
Au hasard Balthazar (please note that it's on my six most hated films list)
Les Diaboliques
La Belle et la Bete
Vagabond (Sandrine Bonnaire)
Les Nuits Fauves (Romane Bohringer)
L'Appartement (Romane Bohringer and Vincent Cassel)
Le Jetee
The Pickpocket
Brotherhood of the Wolf (Vincent Cassel)
The 400 Blows
La Haine (Vincent Cassel)
Purple Moon (Alain Delon)
La Reine Margo
Santa Claus is a Bastard
The Cheat
I used to watch anything starring Sandrine Bonnaire, Vincent Cassel, Romane Bohringer, Alain Delon or Phillipe Noiret.
Rust and Bone - http://www.sonyclassics.com/rustandbone/
I've Loved You So Long - http://youtu.be/v2iSfhlNXZk
L'enfer - http://youtu.be/PTp2slGsS8E
White Material - http://youtu.be/OKzFi39XHI8
L'intrus
Mouchette
Children of Paradise
Love on the Ground
Just Before Nightfall
Sans soleil
The Piano Teacher
The Rules of the Game
The Red Circle
Humanity
Pierrot le fou
Belle de jour
Private Fears in Public Places
Jeux Interdits (Brigitte Fossey)
Les Enfants du Paradis (Arletty)
L'Ete Meurtrier (Adjani)
L'Armée des Ombres (Signoret)
Casque d'Or (Signoret)
La Grande Vadrouille (Bourvil)
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) (Amalrich)
Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (Deneuve)
Mourir d'Aimer (Girardot)
Adele H. (Adjani)
For a romantic, tragic, funny and deeply moving-without-ever-being-sentimental French film, 37 Degres du Matin (Betty Blue) can't be bettered.
More recent releases that I've loved have been Dans la Maison and Le Premier Jour du la Reste de ta Vie.
As to future releases, keep an eye out for Jeune et Jolie, same director who did Dans la Maison.
Edit: great thread OP. French cinema doesn't enough discussion on here.
L'Atalante
Les Ripoux is a hoot
M. Hulot's Holiday
Mon Oncle
Belleville Rendez-vous
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090563/combined
umberellas of cherbourg
jour fe fete
la nuit american
belle et la bete
belville redezvous
au bout de souffle
la grande illusion
the green ray
potiche was on film4 recently so should comeround again .....
Le péril jaune
When the Cat's Away/ Chacun cherche son chat
Family Resemblances/ Un air de famille
L'Auberge Espagnole
Russian Dolls/ Les poupées russes
Paris
She comes out of the clinic at 5, and must go back at 7 to get the results of the tests. She goes back at 7. The film is what happens in between.
Le Boucher (The Butcher).
Bienvenue Chez les Ch' tis - Delightful.
Les 400 Coups/The 400 Blows
Intouchables/Untouchable
Les Enfants du Paradis
Le Boucher