The latest issue of Cahiers came yesterday. The contents:

Cover: 'Lost in Translation' ("Sofia Coppola et la dérive des
sentiments")

-Frodon editorial
-Two page letter "Aux lecteurs des Cahiers" by Charles Tesson -- a
run-through on issues surrounding his recent departure and some of the
changes at the "revue."
-New section in place of Jousse's Bloc-Notes: "La Lettre" -- here (as
to-be-always?) by Alain Bergala: "A Frédéric M., qui va tourner son
premier court métrage."
-Thirty-one page "Spécial Chine: Voyage dans le continent le plus
fécond du cinéma contemporain" -- large sections on Jia Zhangke, Tian
Zhuang-zhuang's remake of 'Springtime in a Small Town,' Jiang Wen, Wang
Xiao-shuai, Lou Ye, Meng Jinghui, Wang Bing, and Li Yang.

Reviews:
-'Lost in Translation' by Sofia Coppola -- Emmanuel Burdeau
-'Turning Gate' by Hong Sang-soo -- Antoine Thirion
-'Uzak' by Nuri Bilge Ceylan -- Sylvain Coumoul
-'Tornando a casa' by Vincenzo Marra -- Sébastien Bénédict
-'Father and Son' by Aleksandr Sokurov -- Hélène Frappat + a report on
the Sokurov retrospective at Turin: "Dieu n'a pas besoin du cinéma"
-'L'Esquive' by Abdellatif Kechiche -- Jean-Philippe Tessé

Short Reviews -- includes lovely pans of 'The Last Samurai' and
'Gothika' (which I had no idea was directed by Mattieu Kassovitz until
now)

-Report on the Vendôme festival: "Images en région: des pros, des
types, des prototypes" by Burdeau
-Report and breakdown of French film funding by region: "Une nouvelle
manne pour le cinéma français" by Sarah Chatel
-"Friedkin, sur le fil: A Turin, redécouverte de l'oeuvre compulsive et
ambigue de William Friedkin, cinéaste d'action" by Vincent Malausa. I
love that little appellation -- "William Friedkin -- cinéaste d'action"
-Report on the festival at Nantes: "Fantômes chinois à Nantes," by
Elisabeth Lequeret, with a remark on Tsai's 'Goodbye, Dragon Inn' that
says the film is the first since 'The River' to attain such high levels
of intensity.
-"Humberto Mauro, pionnier du cinéma brésilien," on the occasion of a
retrospective at Nantes, by Nicolas Azelbert.
-"A Tokyo avec Ozu" by Frodon -- about the release (with the first two
shots I've seen from the film) of Hou's new 'Kohi ji ko' whose title
apparently is -not- exactly 'Coffee Time' as previously reported, but
rather: 'Coffee, Time, Light.'
And then a few other bits and bobs, including a piece on Stan Laurel
solo by Jean Douchet. And the news that Abbas Kiarostami, Ken Loach,
and Ermanno Olmi are starting a project that takes place entirely on a
train -- the first third will be directed by Olmi, then handed over to
Kiarostami, and finally to Loach. I would be three-thirds interested
in this rather than two-thirds if it didn't include Loach, whom I tend
to find squalid. Raul (for the record, is it "Raul" or "Raoul"?) Ruiz
is beginning 'Livre à vendre,' and Manoel de Oliveira 'O quinto
iimperio, ontem como hoje.'

Essays:
-"La guerre du temps (I): Enjeu ultime du marché, le temps est l'objet
du combat en quoi consiste aussi l'expérience esthétique." by Bernard
Stiegler
-"Le chant de Lee: L'eau s'infiltre dans la pierre. Eclat, précision,
souplesse, fluidité, douceur sont les intonations que Bruce Lee donne à
son chant." by Gilles Grand
-"Tourneur, le goût de laisser voir: Dans ses entretiens, le cinéaste
sait se rendre insaisissable, comme il a su détourner la machine
narrative hollywoodienne en invoquant l'invisible." by Pierre Alferi
-"Pas le paradis: La dérision suggestive de la série 'Curb Your
Enthusisasm' souligne les puissances ambiguës d'une séduction fondée
sur le néant." by François Bégaudeau
-"Minnelli double bande: Commentaire de plans, nouvelle série. Essai
no. 1: tentative de pister dans l'arrêt sur image les intermittences du
visible." by Emmanuel Burdeau -- an analysis of seven shots (with
accompanying 'scope screen-grabs) from 'Gigi.'
-"Le festival et ses dehors (sur Belfort 2003)" by Antoine Thirion
-Dictionnaire (dé)raisonné: "C comme chien (andalou)" by Francis
Marmande on, of course, 'Un chien andalou.'

Note that in addition to this Tourneur piece, there's also an ad for a
new volume out from the Centre Pompidou by Michael Henry Wilson
entitled 'Jacques Tourneur, ou la magie de la suggestion.'

The films with the highest ratings in this months Conseil des dix are
'Lost in Translation' with four stars from Burdeau and three from the
rest, and 'L'Esquive' with three across the board. 'Pas de repos' by
Guiraudie is next in line with mostly threes and a few twos.

craig.