Good food ingredients in the U.S. ? Yes, they exist but you only will get what you pay for...

Story of a lost “ lapin chasseur”.

As you know, Stéphane, I too frequently complain, when I cook , that the results I obtain here are not as good as those that I get when I cook the same dish in France. The dish rarely reaches the same level of flavor and personality and too often turns bland. And I always add: ‘’It is because the ingredients are not as good as in France’’. Last summer, every time I went to shop for food, I was amazed when I bought various ingredients, like meat, chicken, eggs, cheese, and especially vegetables and herbs, how expensive they were compared to what I pay in Chicago. But when I cooked with them, it really smelled good in the kitchen, and when we ate them it really tasted much better. So, I would say to your mother: ‘’ Au moins, on en a pour son argent’’ (At least, what I got is worth what I paid for ’’). Anyway, as I told you a few weeks ago, since we have a really rough and depressing winter, I feel like preparing old French bistrot-type winter dishes, that are most of the time cooked in a sauce. As we say in France, ‘’ Des plats roboratifs qui tiennent au corps’’ (invigorating and filling dishes). And now that I have a ‘’cocotte-minute’’ (pressure cooker), thanks to you... Er... Santa Claus, it is less a time-consuming event to prepare them, even during the week. So, this week-end I had decided to do a ‘’Lapin Chasseur’’ (Rabbit stewed in ‘’hunter’’ style, meaning with mushrooms and wine). To me rabbit is the ultimate ‘’comfort food’’ and I have been an avid rabbit eater since childhood. To the point that for my Fiftieth birthday, I had asked my friend Yves Roubaud, who was the executive- chef at Shaws at that time, to prepare a provençal lunch for my friends and I, that would include a ‘’lapin à la provençale’’. That was 18 years ago, but I still have the exciting aroma of his rabbit on my taste buds. I have no idea where he had found that rabbit, but it was quite a tasty and meaty animal.
So, since a good fresh rabbit is very difficult to find in Chicago nowadays, and when you find it, like at Fox & Obel, it is so expensive that you give up, I went to this huge Korean super-market in Niles, where you not only find an amazing collection of fresh fish, shellfish, and mollusks, but also tons of frozen rabbit, for a ridiculously low price. Since it was only for your mother and me, I bought a small rabbit, barely 2 Lbs, for only 4.75 dollars, instead of the 18 dollars a fresh one would have cost me at Fox and Obel. . Problem is, it took a whole day to thaw, and like almost any rabbit that you buy in a U.S. supermarket, it had no head, no liver, no heart, and worse: no kidneys. Besides it was way too lean. The kidneys are very important because of the very white pieces of fat attached to them that gives a special taste to the sautéing.
I tried to ask a butcher where their rabbits were coming from, domestic or from some Asian country, but got only a very evasive answer from the giggling man who tried to tell me that they were American. Once my rabbit was defrosted, I had serious doubts that it was an American rabbit, since this poor anemic animal looked like it had been deprived of nourishing herb and carrots, and was probably the product of an industrial production chain. Some years back, I used to buy fresh American rabbits raised in Arkansas or Mississippi, that I found at Treasure Islands, and they were quite meaty and tasty, not as much as a ‘’Lapin du Gâtinais’’, but they were quite edible. Anyway, since the color of the meat was totally adequate, and it was smelling OK, I hoped for the best and decide to proceed with my initial cooking plan, that involved a simplified and quick formula. I cut the rabbit in 7 pieces, browned them briefly in a pan in a mix of butter and olive oil, while I was sautéing 2 chopped onions, 3 shallots and the “lardons” (small pieces of sliced thick-cut bacon) in the cocotte-minute. Then I added the pieces of rabbit, 2 pinches of dried thyme, a bay leaf, 2 cloves of garlic (diced ), 1 sliced carrot, and 1 small can of already cooked white mushrooms (what we call in France ‘’champignons de Paris’’), + one spoonful of tomatoe concentrate diluted in warm water. Then I covered everything with one and a half cup of dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc), and mixed in one Tb spoon of cornstarch diluted in warm water. After stirring everything , I covered the pressure cooker with the lid , turned the flame a little higher, and once the steam came out with a hissing sound from the safety valve, I cooked the dish for 20 minutes at relatively low heat. But when I opened the pot, I was quite surprised by the very limited amount of aroma that came out of it. I served the sauce, that looked like it should be, over farfalle pasta. The meat was very tender but totally bland and could not hold the comparison with my fresh rabbits of a few years back.  
What a disappointment. I think that the quality of the rabbit was at fault. And that I should have used salt pork instead of bacon. And that the dish would have been tastier if I had used fresh sliced mushrooms instead of the cheap generic can from Jewell that I bought in a hurry. And that a little flour instead of the diluted corn starch I used to go faster would have made a more unctuous sauce. After dinner I said to your mother: ‘’ After all, you get what you pay for’’. But we could not find an exact equivalent of this saying in French. So, the always biased me told her : ‘’ It is because in France the ingredients are much better’’. So, over there we say the reverse: ‘’ At least, what I got is worth what I paid for ...’’ Next time I will try to put to practice what I learned again for the 100th time last night Don’t be cheap with the ingredients. And if you cannot afford the right ones, cook another dish.

My favorite movies of 2007 on DVD

MY FAVORITES MOVIES OF 2007 (part 2) 
  Films I rented or saw on my DVD player: 

  1. ESPIRITU DE LA COLMENA (THE SPIRIT OF THE BEHIVE) Victor Erice (Spain, 1973)

I always wanted to see this film that has been for a long time the object of a real cult among the European film critics that I respect. Unfortunately, it never benefited of a large commercial release in the U.S., although a new copy was re-released in a very few venues in 2007, including in Chicago. It is a very important film in the history of modern Spanish cinema, since it was one of the few in that delicate transition period that dared to brave the censorship of the Franco regime towards the end of his dictatorship in dealing with the painful subject of repression and fear during the terrible Spanish civil war. The story takes place in 1940 precisely at the end of the Civil War in a small Castilian village where to young sisters, Ana, the youngest played by the marvelous Ana Torrent, who was 7 year-old at the time of filming and became famous 3 years later in Carlos Saura’s “Cria Cuervos”, and 10 year-old Isabel, live in a big country house with their parents. We soon find out that the father, who’s life revolves entirely around his caring of and writing about bees, and the mother who writes letters to an unknown far-away lover and dreams of a more fulfilling life, do not have a happy life together and are not very caring about their daughters who spend a lot of time by themselves. The parents relationship obviously has been seriously impacted by the war. The visit to the village of a traveling picture show featuring the famous “Frankenstein” shot by James Whale in 1931 with Boris Karloff, is going to excite Ana’s imagination and phantasms to the highest point, since her sister makes her believe that a monster like Frankenstein’s lives nearby but is in fact a spirit, and can be met by being called by anybody who cries his or her name. Ana will look for him and find instead a wounded young man, a fugitive Republican soldier probably shot by the Guardia Civil, in an abandoned barn . She will believe that he is the reincarnation of the monster and will feed him and help him, until her parents bring her back home while she is traumatized by the experience. This beautiful but very melancholic film, shot by a great director of photography, Luis Cuadrado, who was progressively turning blind during the filming of this movie, is very lyrical and poetic, and sometimes flirts with an eerie expressionism. You will be haunted for a long time by the very moving musical score. It is too bad that Victor Erice shot only 3 feature films in 34 years. This one, his first, was followed by El Sur (The South) in 1983, and “Quince Tree of the Sun”, a beautiful essay on art in 1992. But “Spirit” is probably one of the most authentic masterpieces of the European cinema in the Seventies.

2. TOKYO EYES Jean-Pierre Limosin, (Japan-France, 1998)

I had read a lot about this director who made only 5 feature films, but is well-known for a few very good made-for-TV documentaries including portraits of famous Iranian director Kiarostami, and of legendary Japanese actor-director “Beat” Takeshi Kitano, who has a very funny cameo appearance as a not too bright Yakusa gangster in Tokyo Eyes. I had rented his interesting NOVO (2002), that tells in a very glossy and stylish way the sex and love adventures of an amnesic young man. But I did not expect such a thrilling and creative movie. TOKYO EYES , written by Limosin, was supposed to be shot in France with French actors. But Limosin, who is fascinated by Japan but does not speak the language, decided suddenly to instead shoot it entirely in Japan, with Japanese actors, and in Japanese. He took with him his very gifted director of photography Jean-Marie Fabre who created a very exciting and fast moving cinematography that reflects perfectly the local urban environment, and recalls the style of imagery and rhythm the great Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle had created in “Chungking Express” in 1994. The story line is very entertaining: A young computer and video games programmer, K, played by the impressive Shinji Takeda, is a vigilante during his free time and shoots people, like bullies and night club bouncers, whose behavior he disapproves. But before shooting them he modifies his gun and wears very thick glasses that confuses his vision, so that he voluntarily misses his targeted victims. The sister of the policeman who is tracking this “faux-serial killer” nicknamed “four eyes”, a very sexy and alert young hairdresser played by Hinano Yoshikawa, a Japanese model and singer, is fascinated by this case that her brother does not seem to eager to solve. She manages to identify and to meet K, becomes his friend and gets romantically involved with him. He will eventually be fatally shot by his own gun in the hand of the small time gangster played by Kitano who fires it by accident. But K. seems to survives and will be reunited with Hinano in a very mysterious ending. The whole film is reminiscent of French New Wave films, especially Godard’s. At one point the girl is dressed like Anna Karina in a “Woman is a Woman”. This film is a pure cinephile’s delight.

3. LE PETIT LIEUTENANT Xavier Beauvois, (France, 2005) Xavier Beauvois,

whose 5 feature films have not been widely released in the U.S , is a 40 year-old man who left his native working class environment in Northern France to come to Paris to learn cinema, with the help of the great Jean Douchet, a famous movie critic and professor. After being the assistant director of André Téchiné, he reached relatively rapidly a good level of recognition in 1995 with his second feature film ‘‘ N’oublies pas que tu vas mourir’’, that was rewarded the coveted Prix Jean Vigo and the Jury Prize at the Cannes film fest, that touched both critics and general audiences with his lyrical but very restrained story of the daily life and relationships of an HIV-positive student in Paris. With this film, that was nominated for 6 Césars (the French equivalent of the Oscars), Beauvois reaches an almost perfect level of balance between a very precise narrative process, and a very efficient directing style, sometimes reminiscent of Techiné and Tavernier, but in a much more contemporary and austere way. His story describes the evolution of a charming but tough and ambitious young man, Antoine, played very convincingly by the very good Jalil Lespert whom we had discovered in ‘’Human Resources’’ who, as soon as he graduates from the police academy and after some work in a small provincial town’s police station, decides to go to Paris and volunteer to work as a detective (he has rank of lieutenant) in the crime department of a commissariat (district police headquarter). He leaves behind his young wife and his parents and friends. The first part of he film focuses on his discovery of the tough but sometimes boring routines of his new job, and his relations with other cops, among them Solo, played very efficiently by Roschdy Zem (‘’Indigenes’’). The description of his work and of his new life is described in a almost documentary style. It is probably one of the best depiction of what is really the daily life of a police station ever filmed. The second part is more focused on a specific investigation about the death of a poor immigrant Polish homeless man, found in the Seine river. And essentially about the relationship that Antoine develops with his boss, a veteran female police inspector who is recovering from alcoholism and the death of her son, who was the same age as Antoine’s. This role is perfectly played by Natalie Baye who was justly awarded the Cesar of the best actress. The cinematography by the super director of photography Caroline Champetier, one of the best in France, is very precise and avoids all easy clichés often found in the ‘’noir’’ or ‘’policier’’ genres.  

4. FREE ZONE Amos Gitai, (Israel, 2005)

I consider this Israeli director as one of the best story-teller in the present international cinema landscape. I still have vivid memories of the intensity of emotions I felt while watching some of his best films such as “Kippur”, “Kadosh”, “Kedma” or “Yom Yom”. Once again we are sharing the complex relations between individuals within the framework of the turmoils linked or derived from the Israeli-Palestinian, or Israeli-Arab conflicts. This time it is almost a “road movie” involving a very strong Israeli woman, Hanna, who drives a taxi, and her American passenger, another strong but emotionally disturbed woman called Rebecca, who insists to accompany Hanna to the “Free Zone” , a strange no-man’s land between the borders of Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, where all kinds of not necessarily legal business deals are negotiated. Hanna needs to drive there to collect an unpaid debt to her wounded husband from a former partner who sells military vehicles in that strange Free-Trade Zone. Rebecca needs some perspective to distance herself from her separation with an Israeli boyfriend who might have shown some nasty behavior against Palestinian refugees. They will find, when they finally reach their destination that both the man they are looking for and the money are gone. Hanna forces a Palestinian woman who works for him to drive with them and help in finding him. The rapidly changing nature of the relationship and of their initial personal objectives between these 3, culturally different, women is fascinating to follow. The Palestinian actress Hanna Laslo won the Best Actress at Cannes for her role as Hanna, but both Natalie Portman, and Hiam Abbass (“Paradise Now”) are equally convincing. At the beginning of the film that takes place near the famous Wall in Jerusalem, there is an extraordinary long take, in one shot, of Natalie Portman crying alone in the car, that is a piece of cinematic anthology. Besides, the shooting in this Arab zone by an Israeli film director constitutes in itself a premiere.

5. QUAND LA MER MONTE (WHEN THE SEA RAISES) Yolande Moreau and Gilles Porte (Belgium, France, 2004)

Sort of a masterpiece in a minor genre, this gem of a very touching, and beautifully written and directed film, was perhaps my best surprise of the year when I rented it from Netflix. I knew Yolande Moreau, a Belgian comedian with both an unusual physical appearance and a unique way to phrase her sentences, after having seen her many times on French Television in the very popular farcical short sitcoms series “ Les Deschiens". In the early eighties she also wrote, directed , and played in a one-woman travelling show, “Sale Affaire, du sexe et du crime” (Dirty business, sex and crime). She personified a very plain, low-middle class woman who has just killed her lover and shares her feelings about it with the audience. In this film, her first that she co-directs with Gilles Porte, a director of several short films, she recreates her life when she traveled from cities to villages in Northern France and Southern Belgium, on both sides of the border. She plays her original role in front of real audiences that are filmed live by Porte. She talks at night from her modest hotel or motel rooms on the phone with her husband about redecoration he tries to do in their house, and with her child. At the same time she develops an intriguing and almost surreal relationship with a member of her audience, Dries (played by Wim Willaert a very good Flemish actor with a strange accent), who is a “giant carrier”, drinks a lot, and starts to follow her from town to town. They will have a brief but complicated romantic liaison. The job of “giant carrier” (porteur de géant) is unique to this part of Europe where giant folkloric and comic figures made of papier-maché and light wood are walked around during local festivals and celebrations of all kinds. Dries’s giant, name Totor, plays an important part in the story. The cinematography by Gilles Porte himself captures in a very authentic way , and visually stunning style, the particularly lively atmosphere (and cheerful behavior of its people) of this region around Armentières, Béthune, and Lille. A very heart-warming experience.

6. LES TEMOINS (THE WITNESSES) André Téchiné, (France, 2006)

This film that just got its first theatrical release in New-York City in February 2008, should be available from Netflix, and released in some theaters, pretty soon. I obtained a DVD from Europe through a friend. The 21st film of Techiné’s very interesting and consistent career, is perhaps, along with ‘’Wild Reeds’’ (Les Roseaux Sauvages, 1994), his most personal work . According to some comments he made to the press when the film was presented to the Berlin Film Festival in January 2007, he had to do this film as a reflexion on that period in the mid eighties when AIDS became a pandemic worldwide, including France, when several of his personal friends were affected by the virus and died, but he was himself spared from that curse. What he witnessed at that time left a deep mark in his perception of why some people survive and some die. In some ways you already find this subject treated at a different level in both “Wild Reeds” and the very moving “Les Egarés’’ (‘’Strayed’’, 2004). Here we have a story in 3 phases: 1. In Paris in 1984 Sarah (beautiful Emmanuelle Béart) writes children books but has a problem to adjust to her new condition of mother. Her husband, Mehdi (Sami Bouajila) a tough vice-squad policeman of Maghrebian origin has a problem understanding her lack of focus and patience with the newborn child. At the same time a very naive and charming provincial young man Manu (Johan Libéreau), arrives in Paris and decides, against her will, to live in his sister’s room, ana aspiring opera singer (a very convincing Julie Depardieu) in a cheap hotel full of prostitutes while he looks for a job. In fact he spends more time looking for brief sexual encounters in gay meeting places. That is how he meets a doctor, Adrien (Michel Blanc) a very close friend of Sarah, who falls in love with him and takes him home. 2. Manu is introduced by Adrien to Mehdi and Sarah. During a week-end in the Mediterranean villa of Sarah’s parents Mehdi saves Manu from drowning, and later engages in a very passionate relationship with him. But Manu gets sick (HIV Aids) without knowing exactly what happens to him and while continuing his sexual affair with Mehdi. Adrien, the Doctor, tries to help Manu who does not seem to care. Adrien becomes the leader of a medical research team that works on the new pandemic and tries to fight it and inform the public. He gets through rough times with Mehdi. 3. Manu dies. Mehdi finds out that he is not infected. He tells the truth to Sarah about his relationship with Manu and she decides to write a novel about it after reading his journal relating the progress of his disease. Life goes on. In spite of such a painful subject, Techiné tells his story with restraint and precision, without a trace of moral or social judgment. The film is never a tear-jerker and avoids ambiguous situations or elliptical editing. It is not a masterpiece, but it is a model of story-telling and professional directing.  

7. TOSCA Benoit Jacquot, (Italy, France, Germany, 2001)

I am usually totally allergic to filmed opera, especially the Franco Zeffirelli type. But I do not mind an intelligent cinematic adaptation of a good opera, as it was the case with Joseph Losey's "Don Giovanni", or Bergman's "Magic Flute". In the case of Tosca, Benoit Jacquot who is a very competent, sensible, and eclectic director with a 30 year-long career (La Désenchantée, La Fille Seule, l’Ecole de la Chair, A Tout de Suite, Sade, Intouchable) who openly confessed that he strongly disliked Italian Opera, has taken a very different approach: making a good film for cinephiles who do not have to be opera-lovers to appreciate this fully cinematographic reflexion on melodrama, a bit like Resnais did it in Private Fear in Public Places. But it never reaches the point of becoming too didactic or a caricature of the ultimate melodramatic opera, precisely because the cinematic qualities of the melodrama are given a more important priority than its purely operatic ones. His idea was to shoot in beautiful natural settings, located mainly in Germany, very good professional opera singers, ‘’acting’’ the opera and at the same time showing us black and white video clips of the same artists in ‘’civilian’’ clothes, recording the music in a studio, under the direction of conductor Antonio Papanno. Sometimes when the singers-actors are shot in close-ups, some too obvious post-dubbing and lip-synch problems become a bit annoying. But the quality of the cinematography by Romain Winding, the elegance of the direction and the intense acting performances of Angela Gheorghiu (as Tosca), of Roberto Alagna (as the painter Cavaradossi) in less convincing way, and above all of Ruggero Raimondi, in a scary very impressive almost Shakespearian interpretation of Scarpia, the nasty Rome’s Chief of Police who wants to exchange the life of the painter for an affair with Tosca, make us actually ‘’feel’’ their respective passions and torments. Raimondi was also a great actor in Losey’s Don Giovanni, and in the "Carmen" made by Francesco Rossi, a good Italian director.

8. BLISSFULLY YOURS Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand, 2005)

I was totally mesmerized by the serene but almost mystical and hallucinated beauty of "Tropical Malady", the third film by this young Thai director, who studied cinema at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. A large part of it was taking place in a tropical forest in Thailand, and the sound track was spectacular. It was No. 7 in my list of favorite films seen in 2005 published on this blog. This time we are again watching a very sinuous, very slow moving like in a dream, progression of three people, one man and two women, in a heavenly Thai forest. A couple, a man suffering from a terrible rash all over his body who might be an illegal Burmese worker and a woman who tries to both obtain a work permit for him and to relieve his anxiety and pain, go for a picnic by a river and some sexual interlude, in the forest. They will be joined by a second woman and engage in a strange and sometimes sad relation with her. . It is impossible to really describe a story that is so unconventionally told. But I can assure you that the lighting, the sounds, the rhythm of the camera movements in this film are incredibly beautiful. But you need to accept the ‘’ mood’’ of this movie and be patient, otherwise you may hate it, and that would be too bad.  

9. GABRIELLE Patrice Chéreau (France, 2005) For many years Patrice Chéreau

was better known in France as a stage and opera director. He is also an actor and a script-writer, But since his first feature film in 1975, ‘’Flesh and the Orchid’’ an adaptation from the famous J.H Chase’s ‘’No Orchids for Miss Blandish’’ with Charlotte Rampling, Simone Signoret, Alida Valli and Bruno Cremer, he has become a darling of both critics and spectators, for his great ability to direct actors and particularly actresses in very complex, uneasy, passionate, and generally tense and dramatic love stories. He also got very good response in the U.S, where he taught film on the East Coast for a while, for films such as the beautiful ‘’Queen Margot’’ (1994), Intimacy (2001) and "Those who love me will take the train" (1998). "Gabrielle" is only his 10th feature film (he also directed several plays and operas for Television), but to me it is one of the most brilliantly ‘’ mis en scene’’ (directed). Adapted from ‘’The Return’’, a short novel by Joseph Conrad, is very precisely describing the catastrophic tragedy of errors that occurs when a ‘’bourgeoise’’ played perfectly portrayed by Isabelle Huppert, tries to leave her wealthy but vain and pretentious upper-class husband (great actor Pascal Gregory) after 10 years of a loveless marriage. She leaves a letter for him in their luxurious mansion explaining that she is leaving him for another man (a pretentious journalist whom her husband hates), but for no reason changes her mind and comes back home to retrieve it before he reads it... but too late. Their ensuing confrontations will be terrible, even during a fancy party where they entertain high-society guests, including her lover. Like in a Bergman or Visconti film, the tensions are going up, and down while the mansion’s servants try to keep the situation under control. All this is beautifully orchestrated in sumptuous framing and camera movements, and the acting is so painfully precise that it leaves you nervously exhausted at the end that I will not reveal. Quite a job...  

10. MARIE-ANTOINETTE Sofia Coppola (USA, 2006)

Why did almost half of the American film critics (a few even booed at its premiere at the Cannes Festival) pan this very creative, beautifully shot, and very astute movie goes beyond my comprehension... As a matter of fact I did not see the film when it was released in Chicago’s theaters in 2006, in spite of my being intrigued by the trailers, because I was influenced by some bad reviews. It was a poor decision on my part. I would have enjoyed it even more if had watched those splendid shots and bold camera movements in glorious colors on a big screen and listened to the great soundtrack, with its provocative mix of baroque and pop music from a good sound system. Perhaps some critics did not like the film because Sofia Coppola dared to do something completely different than in her previous successful pictures, especially ‘’Lost in transaltion’’. But is it really so different from the point of view on modern young women she ha s been trying to give since the ‘’The Virgin Suicides’’ . As Roger Ebert rightly wrote in his 4 stars review of Oct 20, 2006: "Nobody cares if the film does not always respect the real historical facts. It is a very contemporary reflection, made by a film-maker, not an historian, about a teenager ahead of her time, who is in a state of complete refusal of the role court people and her family expect her to play, and at the same time wants as a sort of revenge against the decadence and the moral corruption that surrounds her, to find an escape in a passionate search of pleasures". Kirsten Dunst is very charming in the title role. But I enjoyed Rip Torn as Louis XV, Danny Huston as Marie-Antoinette’s brother and Asia Argento as Madame Du Barry even more. Needless to say, the scenery is stunning. The film was actually shot on location at the Versailles Palace, and in other castles of the Paris area. some scenes were even shot inside the Opera Garnier in Paris. The dialogues are often very funny, and the numerous pastries, actually baked by the famous Parisian pastry chef Ladurée , are mouth watering. Alain Maes, February 2008

Pommes Frites

Hi Dad, I've been craving pommes frites like we have when in France and have not found any that really fit the bill here in silicon valley. Ironically, some of the best "french fries" are from a well known west coast chain of fast food joints called "In and Out Burger". They slice the potatos right in from of your eyes and then throw them directly in the deep fryer. The french and california french restaurants in silicon valley don't duplicate the hot and crispy outside with soft flavorful potato innards. I find myself sending the fries back very often at such places as the "Left Bank" because they always arrive cold and have no semblance to the fries in France. In Chicago, places like Kiki's make fantastic pommes allumettes which I've not found here. So what makes a good Pommes Frite and why is it so hard to find ones that are like we have in France? And on top of that, why are they called "French Fries" here in the US? Did French Fries even originate in France. Love Your Pommes Frites deprived son

MY FAVORITES MOVIES OF 2007

Stéphane, As you know, I am not too fond of Hollywood blockbusters, but that does not mean that I do not like well-made and original American films, on the contrary. But, last year, more than ever, I badly missed my regular trips to France that used to give me opportunities to see the major French, Asian, South-America, Middle-Eastern and European films that are rarely distributed here, and that NETFLIX does not necessarily acquire rapidly after their public release in theaters. I missed several good films from China, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, France, Germany and Italy, that were shown in Europe and won awards in international festivals. They appear in most ‘’ Ten Best” lists in European film magazines, like “Les Cahiers du Cinema” that I suscribe to. I am on the waiting list at Netlix for several of them: "We own the night"(James Gray), "Still Life" (Jia Zhang Ke), "Chansons d'amour"-Love Songs (Christophe Honoré), '' Alexandra'' (Alexander Sokurov), ''Paranoid Park'' (Gus Van Sant), ''Secret Sunshine'' (Lee Chang Dong), Honor de Cavalleria (Albert Serra), '' The Man from London'' (Bela Tarr), ''Ne Touchez pas à la Hache'' (Jacques Rivette), '' La Forêt de Mogari'' ( Naomi Kawase), '' I don't want to Sleep Alone'' (Tsai Ming Liang), ''My Blueberry Nights'' ( Wong Kar Wai), '' Syndromes and a Century'' (Apichatpong Weerasethakul). 5 of them are to be released within the next two months. So, once again, it was not a great year for good foreign films in Chicago movie theaters.
The MUSIC BOX that used to have a very interesting selection of foreign films seen in important festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, or Toronto, does not show them anymore, or very rarely. The best three venues for foreign movies are the CHICAGO FILM CENTER that benefits from the very astute and knowledgeable programming from Barbara Scharres, in the Loop, FACETS on Fullerton avenue, and LANDMARK CENTURY on Clark St. Our favorite venue for films, CENTURY and FILM ARTS, in Evanston, that was always showing interesting foreign or indie films, has been acquired by a new company, CINEMARK, that is more interested in showing blockbusters. Therefore their programming policy has become totally risk-free and boring. What a pity. But, anyways, we managed to see a few good American, French, German, and Asian films, either in commercial venues or from FACETS, or I rented them from NETFLIX. Like it was the case last year, I compiled two separate lists. The first one, that I am publishing Today on the blog, consists of films I have seen in Chicago theaters. The second one is made of films, not necesarily recent, that I rented, or borrowed, and screened at home from my DVD player. That second list will be published within a couple of weeks.  
 
LIST 1: Films I have seen in Chicago theaters:  

1. CLIMATES Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey, 2006) I loved Ceylan’s last film, UZAK (Distant), a very somber, claustrophobic, but beautiful and thought-provoking movie that obtained the Grand Prize at the Cannes film festival in 2003. I loved this new one, his fifth feature film, even more. It starts with a very painful end of a relationship between a professor (Ceylan himself, who in real life is also a very gifted photographer) taking pictures of ancient Roman ruins, during a very hot summer afternoon, and his wife, or mistress, (Ebru Ceylan, his own wife who is also a very beautiful and convincing actress). She observes him and silently starts to cry. One of the most powerful scene expressing solitude and despair I have ever seen in a film. After many episodes, one of them involving a very unusual and somewhat funny sex scene with another mistress, the film will end in an almost surreal winter landscape in a mountainous area in Western Anatolia, where the professor travels to visit with his former lover (or wife) who is involved in some kind of social work in a little town, perhaps with the hope to restart their extinguished passion . The cinematography, that integrates perfectly the protagonists of this story in the landscape, as Antonioni used to do so well in some of his best films, is superb. Ceylan is both the producer and the script writer of this haunting movie, that, for me, places him among the top ten most interesting directors of our time.

2. LADY CHATTERLEY Pascale Ferran (France, 2007)

To me, the real sunshine of last summer, was Lady Chatterley, a very powerful and intelligent piece of cinematic beauty that was directed in 2006 by Pascale Ferran, a very gifted film maker who, unfortunately, does not make films very often.I was very moved but a bit disturbed by her first feature film, "Petits arrangements avec la mort"(Coming to terms with death), an intimate study on grieving the death of loved ones, that revealed a real ‘’auteur de films’’. From the first 5 minutes of Lady Chatterley I felt a pure cinephilic joy. This film is so intelligently composed, framed, and directed, that you do not SEE the ‘’mise en scene’’, you are literally swept by the rhythm and the beauty of each scene, and forget about its construction. That for me is the proof of a very clever ‘’mise en scene’’. Marina Hands is stunning as Constance: Her beauty is luminous,and I am looking forward to see her again in "Le Scaphandre et le Papillon" . Jean-Louis Coulloc’h, a non-professional actor has the necessary physical presence as the gamekeeper, and his awkwardness is often very touching. Hippolyte Girardot, as Sir Clifford, is perhaps the most surprising choice of the casting. Pascale Ferran was very successful in establishing a perfect balance between the sensuality, that is never too erotically charged, of the couple and of the situations in which they evolve, and the powerful impact of the environment in which they move. Rarely a director has used natural settings, like forests, meadows, rivers, rural houses, etc. as authentically as Pascale Ferran did in this movie. Nature, beautifully shot by Julien Hirsh, and the protagonists of the story are totally and perfectly intertwined, and never appear as being two different elements of the same film. What is also incredibly strong in this film, is the respect that Pascale Ferran has for the characters and her actors. Everything is perfectly honest but restrained and the sensuality remains beautiful and exhilarating all the time, never threatened by any faux-pas or risqué move. Whatever your age, you can project yourself in these two marvelous characters without feeling embarrassed or voyeuristic. D.H Lawrence would have been proud of her.
 
3. PRIVATE FEARS IN PUBLIC PLACES (COEURS) Alain Resnais (France, 2006) 

I can’t believe that this man, one of the greatest French living directors (Hiroshima Mon Amour, On Connait La Chanson, Mon Oncle d’Amerique, La Guerre Est Finie, Providence) who is pushing 86, is preparing to shoot his 18th full length feature film in 2008. He also directed many extraordinary shorts and a very moving documentary on the Holocaust, Night And Fog in the late fifties and early sixties. Resnais's cinematographic creativity is fresher and more satisfying in its honest simplicity, but brilliant style, than the efforts of many younger, and more commercially susscessful, contemporary film makers. This time, he has the nerve to shoot a whole film,supposedly taking place in the newly built and already very “in” sections of the 13th arrondissement in Paris, entirely in a studio’s sound stage. And practically the whole time, he makes us believe that it is really snowing outside. Once again he adapts a play from the very popular British playwright Alan Aickbourne ("Smoking-No Smoking" was already an adaptation from the same author). The story is typical of this genre of very British “théatre de boulevard’’, but it is completely “Frenchified” . The characters could not be more French: A shy real-estate agent secretly in love with his colleague who is not as repressed and prude as it looks, a depressed and lonely bartender and his nasty sick and bed-ridden old father, a young woman looking desperately for a lover through classified ads, an alcoolic veteran mourning the separation from his beautiful Italian mistress. All these people, most of them played incredibly well by some of the veteran actors of Resnais ‘’ensemble” (Sabine Azema, André Dussolier, Pierre Arditi, and Lambert Wilson) and two newcomers, Isabelle Carré and the beautiful Laura Morante (who was so moving in ‘’The Son’s Room’’ of Nanni Moretti) come and go through all kinds of chance encounters and dramatic situations interspersed with very funny but always a bit melancholic episodes. The camera work of Eric Gautier is stunning. But it is the very efficient ‘’mise en scene’’, that reminds you of the charm and elegant visual style of some Hollywood romantic comedies of the forties and fifties. You cannot help but thinking about Lubitsch, Walsh, or Capra. A must.  

4. LIFE OF OTHERS Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck (Germany, 2006).

It is difficult to believe that this very disturbing story, a fiction but so realistically told that it might be based upon real facts that happened in Berlin a few years before, and a couple years after the fall of the wall, is a first film. The 30 year-old (at the time of shooting) German director shows an incredible assurance and know-how in both writing a very well constructed script, shooting and editing with a very tight and precise technique. He avoids the usual spectacular and artificial ‘’show-off” shots so common in political thrillers, and directs very good actors with an obvious respect for their characters and personalities. Ulrich Muhe, in particular, is brilliant as a captain of the infamous Stasi, the state police of the former East-Germany, whose assignment is to do a complex surveillance job on a very popular playwright, played by Sebastian Koch who was very good in ‘’Black Book”, and his girlfriend, a famous actress,played by the beauttiful Martina Gedeck ("Mostly Martha"). He is under pressure from his boss, who himself is a minion of the Minister of Culture, a strange and ambiguous fellow who is madly in love with the actress and calculates that he could get rid of the playwright by finding something politically bad about him. All this takes place in the turbulent context of the approaching end of the communist regime in East Germany, and the acceleration of the the repression by the Stasi. Sadly enough Ulrich Muhe, a well known stage and TV actor in East-Germany who was a militant of the liberation movement from the communist regime there, died of cancer a few months after the film’s release. This little masterpiece of efficient cinema won many awards in international film festivals and ended up with winning the Oscar for Best Foreign film in Hollywood in 2007. The musical score by the French composer Gabriel Yared ("The English Patient") is a perfect accompaniment.  


5. ZODIAC David Fincher (U.S.A, 2007) 

  I had not seen Fincher’s 1995 "SE7EN", a serial killer story, that got good reviews. But I was very impressed by the innovative storytelling process, the superb, mostly digital, cinematography, and a very tight editing that keeps your attention focused, in spite of a slightly overlong 2 hours and 38 minutes running time, of this new serial killer story, an adapatation of the autobiographical and very successful book by Robert Graysmith. But the length of this movie is totally logical if we consider that this true story of the maniaco-obsessive search by newspaper cartoonist Graysmith, played very efficiently by Jake Gyllenhaal, of the famous self-nicknamed Zodiac serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco area in the Sixtes and the Seventie is taking place over an almost 20 years span. Graysmith is helped, during the first ten years or so by a colleague, a chain-smoking alcoholic crime reporter played very convincingly by Robert Downey Jr., and a policeman played by a good Mark Ruffalo, who becomes progressively skeptical about the elusive pursuit of this murderer-provocateur who sends clues to the newspaper about his crimes, and in the end was never charged for any of them. And even though Fincher takes the unusual decision to keep the same physical appearance of the major protagonist from the beginning to end of the movie in spite of the number of years that elapse between them, the atmosphere of the wole film remains extremely realistic the whole time. This film is a great study of what real police work and investigative reporting are about. And it also describes almost clinicallly the effects that such an obsessive beahavior can have on a marriage (Chloe Sevigny is very good as the wife of the cartoonist who dumps him and takes her children away when she realizes that a normal family life with him has become impossible ) and on relationships with colleagues and friends. But once again, what makes this film one of the most creative American movies of the last couple of years is his masterful directing and editing.

6. EASTERN PROMISES David Cronenberg (U.K- Canada, 2007)

This very interesting Canadian director is probably,along with Scorsese, one of the most original storytellers working in the North-American film industry over the last twenty years. Not all of his films are equally good, and some of them (Crash, Videodrome) border on a sometimes shocking taste for the horrific and the macabre. But his best movies, like "History of Violence" (2006), "Naked Lunch", "Dead Ringers", or "Spider", are very powerful material and visually stunning. The very complex script of this film, shot in beautiful dark colors by his regular director of photography Peter Suschitzky, was cleverly written by the British screenwriter Steven Knight. It tells the story of a midwife Anna (excellent Naomi Watts) in a London hospital who finds a diary, written in Russian, and a business card for a fancy London restaurant “The Trans-Siberian”, in the belongings of a drugged and severely beaten adolescent who dies in her arms while delivering a baby girl. Anna decides to track-down the family of the girl and this process, that will prove very dangerous for people aware of the existence of the diary, put her in contact with the owner of the restaurant, Semeyon, (Armin Mueller-Stahl in one of the best roles of his long career),and his neurotic and violent son Kirill, played by French actor Vincent Cassel at his scarriest. She will also meet with Nikolai, the mysterious and somewhat sexy driver, bodyguard and dead bodies “cleaner”, played in a very deadpan and seductive way by Vigo Mortensen, who already delivered a superb performance in "History of Violence". It turns out that Semeyon is the godfather of a very powerful Russian crime organization in London, who has played, we will learn later, a very nasty role in the death of the adolescent girl. We will also find out that Nikolai is a Russsian government agent working with the London police to infiltrate the Russian gang. That gang has also to battle Chechen killers from another gang seeking revenge. All kinds of violent and sometimes very touching episodes mark this film in both very dramatic and suspenseful ways. One of them involves one of the most spectacular and hair-raising battles between naked men in a Turkish bath that I have ever seen in a commercial film. For film buffs I will mention that the role of Stepan, Anna’s Russian uncle, who will translate the diary against his own judgment, is played with lots of gusto by Jerzy Skolimowski, one of my favorite Polish directors of the sixties and seventies ("Walkover", "Le Depart", "The Shout", "Rysopsis" , "Deep End", "Ferdydurke", etc). Do not miss this minor but very satisfying masterpiece of precise storytelling and directing, that forces the viewer to ask himself uneasy questions about some serious moral dilemmas the characters, especially Anna and Nikolai, have to face. Besides, the whole experience is pure cinephile’s pleasure.  

 7. I’M NOT THERE Todd Haynes (U.S.A, 2007)

This film was perhaps the nicest surprise of the year. I never expected such a risk-taking experience where the director, Todd Haynes, embarks on a very creative cinematic and musical essay trying to define some of the many contradictions found in the persona of Bob Dylan in the early stages of his career. So, instead of a traditional linear and chronologically correct itinerary illustrating the various battles and complicated relationships that the singer had to live, fight, or passively refuse, with friends, co-workers, lovers, managers, fans, or with his own internal demons, Haynes prefers to reflect in an impressionist, or sometimes expressionist, style, on the importance of some fragmented episodes of his life, as if they had been perceived by different parts of his personality. That is why these various elements of who he might have been at different stages of his life are played by half a dozen different actors or actresses. The most surprising performances are offered by Cate Blanchett as a rock star in London, Ben Wishaw as a poet, Marcus Carl Franklin as a very young black guitarist, and Heath Ledger as an actor. Both Julianne Moore and the French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg manage to create some very moving characters too. The music score is very rich and helps recreating some sense of the different periods involved. The sets also play a very significant role in establishing links with Dylan various social or cultural environments in the sixties. And of course there is a plethora of original recordings of Dylan’s own songs played and sung by himself or others. A very complex and precise cutting job, and the alternance of equally beautifully shot sequences in black and white and color, add an almost surreal atmosphere (like in very strange scenes in an old Western village with Richard Gere as Billy the kid) to this haunting film that should be seen more than once. At the end of two hours and 15 minutes of projection, you feel a bit dizzy but are ready to ask for more  


8. THE SAVAGES Tamara Jenkins (U.S.A, 2007).

Another very nice surprise. When I saw the trailers, I thought that it was sort of a comedy. But believe me, it is not. Despite some much needed very humorous sequences, this is a film that deals with a dead serious topic: How can two adult sibblings, a brother and a sister in their mid-forties, who are both confronted by serious personal problems ranging from different types of failure to achieve their goals to inability to make serious decisions about their own lives, deal with the sudden decline of their father who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and starts to have episodes of dementia, They are called by the management of a retirement home in Arizona, where he causes some difficult situations for the other guests and staff members, and where he obviously is not welcome any longer, to take care of him. The dual problem that they have is that that father abandonned them earlier in life, is not particularly happy to see them, and that they have little choice but to find a nursing home closer to where they live on the East Coast to be able to take care of him. This experience is a very painful but self-revealing one for both of them. Both actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman, in a more sober than usual and very touching performance, and Laura Linney, who plays a very different character than in her previous films, are very convincing in their expression of pain, annoyance, frustration, and difficulty to communicate honestly with each other and with the dying father (great Philip Bosco). The very nuanced cinematography adds an authentic feeling of winter depression to the atmosphere. This movie deals in a very non-Hollywood honest way with those serious matters that are aging and its related miseries, fear of dying, solitude of non-married middle-age persons, and honesty in communicating with other family members in times of crisis. The whole treatment by Tamara Jenkins is so perfectly balanced that, at the end of the movie, you are very grateful to her for helping you to accept certain difficult situations that might affect you someday with a more healthy and humane perspective. And it is true that several really funny well-paced moments, help a lot.


9. THE COMEDY OF POWER (L’IVRESSE DU POUVOIR) 

Claude Chabrol (France, 2005) I have been following the very prolific career of Claude Chabrol (56, and soon 57, full length feature films in 50 years), who was associated with the early stages of the French New Wave in the lates Fifties, since his first film “ Le Beau Serge” . This ‘’classic’’ was shot in black and white with a limited budget in his native rural Creuse in 1958. I have to confess that after a first decade of very good films, his work was marked by ups and downs, as far as originality and quality are concerned. And frankly, I disliked several of his movies produced between the mid-seventies and the early nineties. But then, over the last 15 years, the 77 year-old veteran director, has been progressively climbing back to the top of his art. I did not see his last film, “La Fille Coupée En Deux”, but “The Comedy of Power” is probably one of the most typical examples of the ‘’Chabrol style’’, a mix of irony, ferocious observation of the hypocrisy and double standards of the French bourgeois class, and passion for strong women. Chabrol has always recognized being influenced by Alfred Hitchcock, and once again this influence is obvious in this film. Not only because of his way to depict the darkest and most evil inner secret sides of his protagonists, but also because of his very fluid and precise framing of each sequence, where shots and camera moves actually mean something and reflect the intentions of the director. Sometimes, like in Hitchcock’s films, they can be deceptive and lead you to a false perception of a situation or of the intentions of the character. His way of directing his leading actresses, in this case the always very expressive Isabelle Huppert with whom he worked in 7 other films, is also somewhat Hitchcockian. This particular story involves a very tenacious, honest but ambitious, female judge who is in charge of a case involving corruption of high-profile executives of a large French oil group that, under the cover of the state, conducted some illegal operations for their own profit. This film obviously refers to the famous Elf-Aquitaine trial, and its hero the judge Eva Joly. It will also remind you of course of the Enron affair in the U.S. Isabelle Huppert plays a role that is very different from her previous impersonations of bad, neurotic, or criminal women. But you completely believe in both her moments of strength and of weakness, when she realizes that her obsession with success in prosecuting those powerful men at the same time threatens to ruin her marital and family life. François Berléand is great as the powerful corrupt and sick executive. Eduardo Serra’s photography is as efficient as ever.

10. LETTERS FROM IVO JIMA Clint Eastwood (U.S.A, 2006)

One of the most claustrophobic and depressing films that I ever seen. But what a piece of great cinema. I consider Clint Eastwood as one of the most important American film directors of the last two decades. I think that " Unforgiven" (1992), for which Eastwood was awarded an Oscar for best director, remains one of the best American movies of the early nineties. But here, he creates a very important rupture both in terms of style and theme, with the rest of his work. He is taking an enormous risk in filming from a Japanese standpoint and in Japanese (with sub-titles) the famous 1945 Iwo Jima battle between American soldiers trying to invade this tiny inhospitable island in the middle of the Pacific, and the Japanese soldiers who have orders to defend it at any cost including their lives from their government that believe that the US might use it as a launching pad to invade Japan. In fact he makes us share the terrible intimacy of these soldiers in their very uncomfortable underground bunkers and tunnels as they wait for the American attack and progressively realize that they will all die in the name of the Emperor, but also for a stupid lack of intelligent strategy and rationale on the part of their top military brass. The ambiguity of the situation is that we cannot help but feel empathy with the general Kuribayashi, played by the great actor Ken Watanabe, who has been assigned as a commander of the island to punish him for incorrect political and pro-American sentiments, whose strategy to defend the island is not shared by his staff and some soldiers. We also feel sympathy for one of his officers, the aristocratic former olympic champion Baron Nishi, and a couple of simple soldiers like this baker, Saigo, who did not want to go the battle and writes painful letters to his wife. In fact the whole film is constructed around the letters written by these soldiers, that were unearthed 40 years later, some of them read in voice-over by the general and the simple soldier. But at no time does Eastwood let himself be trapped in moral or political judgment. His cameras, that do a superb job in black and white and sometimes color under the masterful direction of cinematographer Tom Stern ("Million Dollar Baby" and "Mystic River") capture the essence of the emotions of these men, and the rough terrain around. The battle scenes, with the help of savy computers, are hyper realistic. This film, that was shot in Iceland, at Iwo Jima and in Californian studios, is everything but hollywoodian. It demonstrates the senseless stupidity and the ambiguities of wars, where so many millions of people die without real reasons. It studies without pretensions the complexity of the moral fights and contradictions that notions like honor, pride, heroism, patriotism, duty, fear, resentment, and blind obedience, in wartime, can generate in individual as well as collective consciences. And it is a great example of cinematographic freedom.

10.(tie) NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Joel and Ethan Coen, (U.S.A. 2007)

I have not always been a fan of the Coen brothers films, but out of the 12 feature films they made together I really enjoyed "Fargo", "Miller’s Crossing", and "The Big Lebowski". To me this one is their best so far. I often thought that their approach to script-writing, directing, and editing was a bit too simplistic, heavy-handed, and formulaic at times. But I have to admit that I had a lot of pleasure watching this “Neo-Western” taking place around 1980 in Western Texas. Anyway I've always been a sucker for any film including lots of small Texan towns and desertic landscapes, especially if they are treated well by one of their natives, Tommy Lee Jones who did a splendid job, both as director and actor, in "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" in 2005. Here TLJ plays, with great gusto and empathy for his character, an aging sheriff about to retire, who is very depressed about the rising crime rate in that area of Texas, and tries without great energy to do his job. He will be soon facing a demoniac serial killar, who uses a cattle stun gun to execute his many (I lost count halfway throough the movie) and mostly innocent victims. This smiling but terrifying psychotic guy, sporting a very strange hairdo, played with sometimes overzealous mannerism by Javier Bardem, is tracking down a bag containing 2 million dollars that was taken by pure chance by a poor welder (Josh Brolin) who discovered it while hunting at the site of a terrible massacre resulting from a botched drug deal in the middle of the desert. The whole story, sometimes a bit complicated to follow, revolves around this guy trying to escape some Mexicans and the serial killer who tries to get the money back, his wife whom he tries to protect and send away, the sheriff who tries to arrest the killer and prevent the welder’s wife from being killed, and a bounty chaser who tries to get that same money back for his corrupt corporate big city clients. Lots of violence, lots of chases, lots of spectacular landscapes, and lots of bravura acting moments, as well as incredibly beautiful and efficient cinematography, coupled with a very smart editing job.

Runner-up:

 DANS PARIS Christophe Honoré (France, 2007) Dans Paris: Like so many films of the early sixties, it is a film about ruptures. Ruptures between generations, ruptures between life styles, ruptures between sexual tendencies, ruptures within families, ruptures between men and women. In this case two brothers are involved. Paul , the oldest beautifully played by Romain Duris is returning to Paris, in an advanced state of depression, to live in his divorced father’s apartment, after the end of a difficult love affair with a beautiful, but demanding, young woman. He spends his days in or on the bed of his younger and much livelier brother, Jonathan, played by Louis Garrel. The father, played by the great Guy Marchand (remember him in "Cousin Cousine"?) does what he can to help. The brief visit by the mother (still stunning Marie-France Pisier) called to help in a crucial scene, is a very emotional moment. The relationships between the characters are described with a lot of finesse and maturity, that sometimes remind us of Eric Rohmer’s style. All these movements inside and outside of the apartment are filmed with an evident cinematic pleasure and great elegance by Honoré. But do not count on seeing much of Paris.This is a not a film about Paris, but about characters whose lives evolve within a restricted area of Paris. And for a cinephile it is a real treat to detect all the references to all these directors of the New Wave that Honoré loves so much: Godard (who in some way could be partially identified with Paul) and Truffaut, or more specifically his ‘’projection’’, Antoine Doinel- Jean-Pierre Léaud, who sometimes can be partially identified with Jonathan. But the marvelous sequence where Paul sings on the phone a love duo with his former mistress, is a direct homage to Jacques Demy.

Other films I liked a lot this past year:  
BLADE RUNNER , THE FINAL CUT Ridley Scott (U.S.A, 1982, 2006)
LA TOURNEUSE DE PAGES (The Page Turner) Dennis Dercourt (France, 2006)
DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGENES) Rachid Bouchareb (Algeria, 2006) 
MICHAEL CLAYTON Tony Gilroy (USA, 2007)
I saw THERE WILL BE BLOOD, the glorious epic by Paul Thomas Anderson in early January 2008. Otherwise it would have been No, 4 or 5 on my ten Best List

French Olive oil

French Olive oil: A very expensive golden elixir, but worth its price. Some brands are available in the U.S.

Hey, Stéphane, I apologize for having waited so long to answer your request on French olive oil, but several recurrent nasty colds in October and November slowed me down quite a bit. I confess: I am an olive oil addict. But believe me, it is a topic that is dear to my heart of ‘’méridional’’ who was born and raised in an area full of olive trees, as you were able to see in July during our vacation in the département du Gard. We always used olive oil at home, even though my mother used a commercial brand, usually the very decent Puget, a very old family-owned company from Marseilles, that in the fifties and sixties sold its olive oil in conic containers made of carton that were both pretty and useful since they protected the oil from various sources of light. Light and heat are the worth enemies of olive oil, along with oxygen. This is why you should always keep a bottle of olive oil tightly capped or stopped, store it away from direct sunlight, and away from any source of heat, especially in the kitchen. Olive oil, especially the cheap kind, can become rancid very rapidly. In fact never keep an opened bottle of olive oil for more than 3 months. Nowadays, Puget is owned by a megagroup, Lesieur, and it is probably the best selling French brand of commercial olive oil. Among its 3 extra-virgin oils I prefer the ‘’fruitée’’, that I used to prepare the baked fresh thyme and garlic chicken that we ate in the house we rented in Pompignan in July. But, even though Puget is still quite fine for everyday use, its quality is not the same as it used to be and it does not have the subtle, and exhilarating aroma of a 100% French olive oil. The reason is that it is no longer made exclusively from French-grown olives, but probably from a blend of olives coming from other countries from the European Community.  

The French production (4,000 metric tons) is so small that it does not even cover 5% of French domestic consumption. So France imports 95% of the olive oil it needs from Spain, Italy, Greece, and North-Africa. As you know I use a large amount of olive oil in my cooking, since we would never use a different oil to make salad dressings, bake or broil chicken-based dishes, or even fry eggs. I love making mashed potatoes with olive oil instead of butter. And naturally, between May and October, I pour it liberally on tomatoes, and other cold or warm vegetable dishes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and crusty baguette. I use it, along with Dijon mustard and thyme, as an emulsion to coat a leg of lamb or a pork tenderloin. And of course it is a very important component of my ratatouille. So you will not be surprised that I buy about 2 full liters per month during the summer months. But if you want to know the truth, I do not use French olive oil in my everyday cooking, it would be too expensive. I use a very decent Greek olive oil, made 100% from Kalamata olives, that I buy at Trader Joe’s for 7.99 dollars a full liter. I tried other cheap extra-virgin olive oil from Spain and Italy, like the ones you find at Whole Foods, but none, except maybe the Spanish Zoe, of them was as flavorful as my Greek oil, which by the way is always sold in a slightly greenish glass bottle, and has an expiration date clearly marked on the bottle.  

It is very important to buy an olive oil that is very young, no more than 18 months after harvest time. As a matter of fact the optimum taste of an extra-virgin oil lasts only a few months. That is why you should never buy an olive oil that does not have a date either of production, or of limit of consumption. Before you choose one that you like, go to a store where they have open samples, and try a few different oils. Remember that a fine olive oil, like a fine wine, needs to be looked at, smelled, and tasted very carefully. It is best to taste it straight from the bottle in a small plastic spoon, and not on bread. Once you put the content of that small spoon in you mouth, do not swallow it right a way. Let some air enter you mouth and roll it around your tongue and back to your taste buds, and let the full power of the fruit slowly invade your palate and your soul. If you close your eyes you can actually hear the provençal cicadas sing in your head. Learn to recognize the different aromas and organoleptic characteristics of the oil: Is it peppery, fruity, herbaceous, bitter, complex, very mild or very ripe? Does its bouquet (like for a wine) have notes of fresh artichoke bottom, of anise seed, of raw almonds, of lavender, of apples, or is it slightly citrussy? It will take time, but eventually, you will enjoy the ‘’degustation’’ of fine extra-virgin French olive oil as much as you derive a lot of pleasure from wine tastings.  

About that delicious olive oil that we bought at the farmers market in Saint-Hippolyte-du Fort last summer 

  Me too Stéphane... I mourn the end of that great bottle of ‘’L’Olivette’’, this very silky and fruity extra-virgin olive oil that we bought at the farmer’s market in Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, during our summer vacation. I wanted to call the very informed salesman who took care of us, since I was curious to know what variety of olives were used to produce that oil and in what village they were harvested. But I could not find any phone number corresponding to the address mentioned on the bottle: L’Olivette des Garrigues, 34690 Fabrègues. Fabrègues is a very small town a few miles West of Montpellier. But we cannot be sure that this ‘’brand’’ of oil, that is not sold in stores, is made from olives harvested in the Fabrègues area, even though some olive trees planted around there produce good fruit. I would guess that this guy, who is probably a small broker or wholesaler, buys its oil from a cooperative or independent ‘’moulin’’ (mill), bottles it and stick that fancy pretty label bearing the rather common name of ‘’L’olivette’’ on it . Anyway, it was very smooth and probably barely filtered. Its very low level of acidity, less than 0,5% according to the label, and the fact that it had been extracted and bottled just a few months before we bought it, were the main reasons for its suavity and fresh fruity aftertaste, with just a faint note of spice in the finish. Judging by that taste, I would say that this oil was not produced in the neighboring area of Nimes, the youngest (2004) of the 8 government-certified AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) areas of production of French olive oils. These AOC ‘’ Huile d’Olive de Nimes’’ oils that are produced by 7 coops or privately owned mills, derive for more than 70% from ‘’Picholine’’ olives, that give them a more assertive, slightly bitter and peppery flavor, than the one we had in l’Olivette. Its aroma reminded me more of a ‘’huile d’olive de la Vallée des Baux’’, another AOC located between Maussane-Les-Alpilles and Les Baux-de-Provence, not too far from Saint-Rémy (where Van Gogh painted some beautiful olive trees). In any case it did not bear any mention of the area of origin, which would indicate an AOC, or even the label ”Huile d’Olive de France“ guaranteeing that it was a 100% French olive oil. But I am ready to bet that it was an authentic French olive oil and not one of these cheap blends of dubious origin that too many unscrupulous traveling salesmen sell to ignorant tourists during the summer at their stands in open and farmers markets in Provence and Languedoc.
My friend Kiki last year brought me back a bottle of a very silky olive oil from the well-known Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille from Maussane, in the Alpilles, near Les Baux-de-Provence. It is one of my favorite French olive oils and belongs to the category of ‘’fruité noir’’ (fruity, coming from mature black olives). This oil was awarded the Gold Medal at the 2007 Concours Général Agricole in Paris, in that particular category of oil.  

What make French olive oils different from olive oils from other producing countries? 

To answer the second part of your question as to what make French AOC olive oils different from olive oils from other producing countries I would say: To me they are better because they are produced in much smaller quantities than in other countries, under very strict production and quality standards. These standards are as diverse and constraining and deal with several factors such as the density of olive trees planted per acre, or plot, the yield, the method of harvesting, and the production techniques guaranteeing the non usage of heat and chemicals in the process, etc. Also because, like it is the case for French AOC wines, these oils are made from specific varietals of olives grown in very well defined geographic areas that reflect very distinctive terroir tastes and aromatic characteristics. The olives are harvested in the fall, then crushed, usually within 24 hours, between two granite wheels to create a paste, that is then pressed according to very old traditional methods to extract a mix of water and oil. Then this fluid mix is decanted or more ad more often centrifuged to separate the oil from the water. The oil will be stored first in metallic barrels and later bottled. So, French olive oils are made of pure fruit juice extracted by only mechanical means within a few hours after harvesting, at low temperature under 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They are not subjected to any heat or chemical treatment. The only accepted treatments are: sorting, washing, crushing, mixing to obtain a paste, extraction by pressing or other purely mechanical means, centrifugation, and decantation. They have a very low level of acidity (percentage of free oleic acids content per weight). In Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra, it always has to be inferior to 0,8%. And in most very good oils this acidity level goes down to under 0,2 to 0,5%. This very important factor, and the total absence of organoleptic defects, contributes to their smoothness and fruitiness. Most of the time, the olives are harvested by hand, which preserves their structural integrity and original characteristics. They fall on nets or plastic tarps placed on the ground under the trees. Nowadays, a few growers use mechanical harvesting means, but more often in larger groves. And when a year turns bad, for climate or infestation-based reasons, some small traditional producers prefer not to extract oil at all from their olives. One reason for the high price of French Extra Virgin olive oils, especially the AOC is the need to use between 5 and 7 kilos of olives to obtain one liter of oil. And the mills still crushing olives through granite wheels and using traditional presses rather than more modern, efficient and productive centrifugation-based systems, need to be even more selective in their mostly hand-picking of adequate olives with a low water content. Besides, in French stores most of the time you will find only Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, and sometimes “Virgin” (a blend of extra-virgin oils with a higher level of acidity but less than 2%). But no so-called “pure”, “refined”, or ”light” olive oils that you find in American stores. These inferior oils are in fact blends of various low-quality olive oils containing very little extra-virgin oil, and a large percentage of refined oils, that most of the time have been chemically processed trough non-mechanical means, and heated. This is a big ‘’no-no’’ for connoisseurs and serious professionals. I will not elaborate on pomace olive oil (huile de grignons), produced from pulp, skin, and solid materials like broken pits, left after pressing or centrifugation, mixed with a little virgin olive oil, and processed with heat and solvents, that is often used in cheap restaurants offering Indian or Middle-Eastern cuisine. You should also know that nowadays, the label ‘’première pression à froid’’ (first cold pressing) does not mean much any more since no serious oil producer, especially in AOC zones would proceed with a ‘’second pressing’’, and in any case all bona fide Extra-Virgin oils are cold- pressed. Besides as said earlier, many modern oil mills do not use traditional hydraulic presses made of ‘’scourtins’’ (round discs) any more, but other types of mechanical and centrifugal extractors. So, in 2007, most of the time the label of an AOC French olive oil will bear that description: “ Huile d’olive de qualité supérieure obtenue directement des olives et uniquement par des procédés mécaniques’’ (Olive oil of a premium quality obtained directly from olives and only through mechanical process). You no longer will necessarily find the mention of ‘’first cold pressed’’ on the label. The essential info that you must find on the label, besides the name of the mill or the grower, are a geographical origin (Provence, Nimes, Nyons etc. or more simply ‘’Huile d’olive de France’’), the level of acidity , the year it was harvested or a date indicating when the oil will no longer be considered as fresh, the number of centiliters or milliliters contained in the bottle or the can, and the quality description mentioned earlier. On the label of some AOC oils, you might also see the following indications: ‘’fruité vert’’, ‘’fruité noir’’ or ‘’ fruité mûr’’, indicating that the type of aroma, specific flavor, and fruitiness of the oil comes from ‘’ripe black olives’’, ‘’ripe green olives’’ , or simply ripe olives that have reached a perfect level of maturity. Some of them might have been crushed and pressed a little longer than 24 hours after being harvested to increase precisely that ‘’mature’’ and extra-rich aroma and taste. Always keep in mind that the color of an olive is the result of its degree of maturity. They are no such things as varieties of green, purple, and black olives. They all start as green fruit.  

France’s production of olive oil is very limited, and it is concentrated in areas close to the Mediterranean Sea. 

  The fact that French olive oils are produced in small quantities partially explain their high price. France produces only 4,000 tons of olive oil per year, making it only the 15th producing country in the world. Per comparison, the largest one, Spain, produces 1,179,100 tons (43,3% of the world’s total production). Italy come second with 550,000 tons (20,2% of the world output). Greece, which is the largest consumer of olive oil per capita in the world, is in third place with 367,000 tons (13,5%) and Morocco 4th, with 280,000 tons (10.6%). Olive growers from Turkey, make an enormous marketing effort to promote their olive oil in the U.S (they have a beautiful store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago), are the 5th world producer with 120,000 tons (6,6%). The next largest producers in decreasing order of gross annual tonnage are Tunisia, Syria, Algeria, Portugal, Jordan, Argentina, Libya, Lebanon, and Croatia. Brazil intends to become a major producing country in the near future. As you can see, even though California’s production is expanding rapidly, the United States are not yet ranked among the top 15 producing countries. There are approximately 30,000 olive growers in France located in 12 départements : Alpes-maritimes, Alpes de Haute Provence, Var, Bouches du Rhône, Gard, Hérault, Aude, Pyrénées Orientales, Ardèche, Vaucluse, Drôme, Corse. But not all of them produce oil. A lot of their olives are either used as edible food, or in condiments and apetizers. The others are used to make commercial oil used in the soap and cosmetic industry. Except for a microscopic production of olive oil, used exclusively by the locals, in the tiny Island of RÉ, just off La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast, practically all the French “oliveraies” (olive groves), ‘’domaines et coopératives oléicoles” and “moulins” (olive growers, cooperatives, and privately-owned mills that process the oil) are in the south of France between the Italian and the Spanish borders, often a few miles off the Mediterranean coast. Two areas of production, the region of Nyons in the département of Drôme, and the Southern part of Ardèche, are a little farther north, about 50 km north-east and north-west of Avignon. Even though it is not yet recognized as an AOC, the region of Languedoc , including the areas of Minervois, where very good red and rosé wines are also produced, the area around Montpellier, and the Roussillon near the Spanish border, are other areas where very good and fruity extra-virgin oil producers can be found. The Minervois area is located north of Narbonne and East of Beziers, in Southern Languedoc. In fact, the whole Languedoc-Roussillon region is the 2nd largest producing area of olive oil representing 16% of the total French production.

Some of the best are produced in specific areas, and it shows on the label 

At this time, there are only 8 areas of production awarded the official AOC (Appellation d’origine Contrôlée) by the official French Institute of Registered Appellations of Origin (INAO). The 8th one, Huile d’Olive de Provence was officially recognized in March of 2007. And in 2008, a 9th AOC, Pays d’Oc, might be introduced But very good French extra-virgin olive oils can be produced or distributed without having an AOC label. The ‘’Huile d’olive de France’’ certificate granted by AFIDOL, the official French Association of producers of olives, olive oil, and olive-based products, is a guarantee that they are produced in France from exclusively French-grown olives, and according to strict standards. They are perfectly fine and some of them earn big prizes at the Concours Général Agricole de Paris, a very serious national show and competition for agri-food products. But for the AOC oils, the most prestigious competition, is the Concours des AOC, that is organized by AFIDOL in NYONS in May. According to AFIDOL, more than 220 mills extract olive oil in France, but only 75, for now, are certified as producing AOC-labeled oils. But many mills produce different qualities of oils: Some are Mono-varietal, some result from a mix of varieties of olives, sometimes from different French areas. Some bear the AOC label, some not, but it does not mean that the non AOC oil is not as good. Several of the mills mentioned here below produce both AOC and Non-AOC oils  

The 8 regions recognized as AOC are:

Nyons (and more particularly the area of Les Baronnies) in the département de la Drôme,

North of the Mont Ventoux, about 50 miles due north-east of Avignon. It was the first AOC officially recognized in 1994. The main variety of olives used there is the Tanche, that is pressed when it is very black, ripe to the point of having a wrinkled skin. They are well balanced, mild, and can be paired with practically every type of food. About 20 mills, coops, and private growers are producing good olive oils there but only 12 have the AOC ‘’huile d’olive de Nyons’’ label. One of the best is Moulin à huile DOZOL-AUTRAND. http://www.moulindozol.com/ (available in the U.S,) . It got the gold medal at the Nyons competition for this AOC in 2007. The Coopérative oleicole du Nyonsais www.coop-du-nyonsais.fr/olives , in Nyons, Le Vieux Moulin in Mirabel les Baronnies (not an AOC), Huilerie RICHARD http://www.huilerie.com/ , in Nyons, Moulin Jacques RAMADE (http://www.moulinramade.com/) in Nyons, Ferme de BLUYE in Plaisans, that obtain the silver medal at the Nyons competition this year. The Moulin de Haute Provence in Buis les Baronnies, are also very good producers. RICHARD, Cooperative oleicole du Nyonsais, and Le Vieux Moulin are available in the U.S.  

Vallée des Baux-de-Provence

This AOC, that was recognized in 1997, is located in the northeast part of the département des Bouches du Rhône, in a very pretty hilly area called ‘’Les Alpilles’’ ,near the charming medieval village of Les Baux. This zone of production uses a larger panel of varieties of olives: Salonenque, Aglandau, Grossane, and Verdale, are the most common, along sometimes with the Béruguette. Most of these oils are made from several (often 5) varieties of olives which give them complexity and richness. They can be herbal, or peppery, always ‘’sexy’’. Some of the best producers are: CASTELAS (owned by a provençal couple, the Hughes, who lived for many years in Arizona, in Les Baux http://www.castelas.fr/ Moulin Jean-Marie CORNILLE in Maussane-Les Alpillles http://www.moulin.cornille.com/ Both are available in the U.S. (see: Retail sources later) Other very good oils from that area are: Moulin Saint-Michel in Mouriès, http://www.moulinsaintmichel.com/ and Chateau d’Estoublon, that produces also very nice wines, http://www.estoublon.com/ in Fontvieille (available in the U.S.)  

Aix-en-Provence

This area is not exclusively centered around the beautiful city of AIX, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, but expand to villages and small towns such as La Fare les Oliviers, Eguilles, Miramas, Berre, Lançon de Provence, or Salon de Provence. The AOC was recognized in 1999. The main varieties of olives used in that area are the Salonenque, Aglandau, Verdale and Grossane, along with the Cayanne and the Bouteillan. Pretty close to Les Baux in taste and texture, but with a little more spice. Some of the best producers are: Moulin des Costes, in the charming village of Pélissanne. http://www.moulindescostes.com/ Château Virant, in Lançon de Provence http://www.chateauvirant.com/ Mas des Bories in Salon de Provence http://www.masdesbories.com/ (These 3 oils are available in the U.S) The oliveraie du Mas Mérici, in Berre, is another fine oil, but not available in the U.S.. Same for the oils from Moulin à huile de La Fare Les Oliviers in La Fare les Oliviers, and the Château Calissanne, that as far as know are not sold in the U.S.

Haute Provence

Recognized in 1999, this beautiful area is located along the Valley of the Durance River, Giono’s country, not far from the famous lavender fields, a little higher up. The main variety of olive there is the Aglandau. The oils are very sweet, floral and fruity, with a light touch of bitter almonds. I love them. One of the better known “moulin” is le Moulin de l’Olivette in Manosque http://pagesperso-orange.fr/moulinolivette , in the département of Alpes de Haute Provence, that you can sometimes find in the U.S.. It got a gold medal in Nyons in 2007. Another good one is le Moulin des Pénitents, in Les Mées, but I do not think it is available in the U.S.  

Nice

Recognized as an AOC in 2001, this small area is concentrated in the Département des Alpes Maritimes between Vence and Menton. The main variety of olive used is the Cailletier, a small olive harvested when it is quite ripe (black). The oils are very aromatic, almost pungent, but soft and with a low level of bitterness. Some of the better known Moulins are: Le Moulin de la Brague http://www.moulin-opio.com/ , in Opio, a very pleasant oil in a tin can widely available in the U.S, and ALZIARI, http://www.alziari.com/ in Nice a very old mill that also produces olive oils from other regions than Nice. Available in the U.S. Also André Giauffret, in Colomars, who got the gold medal in Paris in 2007. And let’s not forget the the Oliveraie de la Sirole, in Colomars, that obtained the silver medal in Nyons in 2007.  

Corse (Corsica)

This AOC, recognized in 2004, is comprised of 4 areas of productions in two regions, Corse du Nord and Corse du Sud, that use mostly the Sabine variety in the North and the Germaine in the South. But over the last 20 years several growers have been planting Picholine, the variety from the Nimes area, in the Eastern part of the Island. . I have to admit that I never tasted an oil from Corsica, and that I do not know much about them. From what I read, the Cooperative Oleicole de Balagne , in Corbara that got a gold medal at the Concours agricole in Paris in 2007 is quite good. José Rioli, in Cervione, who got the silver medal Also the oil from Patrick BARTOLI, in Olmetto, that obtain the gold medal in Nyons in 2007 for this AOC. Also the oil from MARQUILLIANI, in Aghione that obtain the silver medal at the same competition. I do not think that any of them are available in the US.  

Nimes (Yeah....)

This AOC area , label obtained in 2004, covers essentially the largest part of the département du Gard, from the Ardèche border, to Beaucaire along the Rhône River and from Anduze, at the foot of the Cévennes mountains to the Mediterranean coast. It also covers a small part of the North-Eastern area of the département de l’Hérault, close to Montpellier. The Gard is the second largest producing Département after Bouches du Rhône. The varieties of olives used are the delicious Picholine, (at least 70%), and in a much smaller proportion, the Négrette and the Noirette. Some of the best producers are: Le moulin de Villevieille in Villevieille (Coopérative oléicole de Sommières) This AOC is my personal favorite. it obtain the gold medal for this AOC in the Nyons Competition on 2007. Moulin à huile Paradis, from the Domaine du Moulin du Portal, in Martignargues. it is not an AOC but it won a gold medal in Paris in 2007 , as a Huile d’olive de France in the ‘’fruité mûr’’ category. Domaine de Pierredon, in Esterzagues. It obtain the gold medal in 2007 in Paris for this AOC. http://www.moulinpierredon.com/ Moulin des Ombres in Meynes. a very good AOC that obtained a gold medal in 2005 http://www.moulindesombres.com/ Moulin des Costières in ST. Gilles. another great AOC http://www.moulindescostieres.com/ Unfortunately, I do not know if any of them are available in the U.S.

Provence 
 
This AOC was recognized in March of 2007, and the first oils bearing this new label have been bottled in November of 2007. So it is too early to have an idea of any specific style they might have. The mills and cooperatives oléicoles for this new AOC are in fact located on several dozens of villages and townships in 7 départements: Alpes- de- Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Vaucluse, Gard (only 9 villages, though) , and Drôme (only one village).However I do not understand why the Gard and the Drôme, that do not belong to the Provence region, are part of this AOC. Besides many townships listed in the official document are already listed in 5 of the other AOC. And , since I do not have yet a list of the mills benefiting from the new AOC Provence label, I have no way to recommend any specific oil. I am glad though, that the Var and the Vaucluse are included since they have several good producers, that were not listed before since these two départements were not included in the first 6 AOC. I am thinking in particular of the Moulin à huile Gervasoni, in Aups (Var), that produces the very good oils of Eric Martin. They obtained two gold medals in Paris in 2007 in the Huile de France (fruité mûr and fruité vert) category. Also of the Moulin du Haut Jasson, in La Londe des Maures (Var) that obtained a silver medal in Paris in 2007 in the huile de France, fruité vert category. The Moulin à huile du Vieux Château, in Mérindol, (Vaucluse), is also very good and got a bronze medal in the Huile d’olive de France, fruité vert, in Paris. Now, as far as oils from other non AOC producing areas are concerned, let’s not forget what I said earlier: Very good or excellent extra-virgin olive oils that are not listed under an AOC label , but have at least a label ‘’Huile d’olive de France’’ certifying that they are made according to high standards from French grown olives exclusively, are produced by either individual growers and mills or ‘’coopératives oléicoles’’, in many parts of the Languedoc and Roussillon regions.
You can find their addresses and a description of their products in the ‘’annuaire’’ section of the AFIDOL (http://www.afidol.org/) the French trade organization. A few French non producing companies, that have very nice stores in Paris and other large cities, like ‘’A l’Olivier’’ (http://www.alolovier.com/ ), Huilerie Leblanc (http://www.huile-leblanc.com/ ), and OetCO (Oliviers et CO) (http://www.oliviersandco.com/ ), distribute and sell in their shops or on line very good olive oils from all over Europe, including France of Course. Some of their oils are sold in the U.S. OetCO has more than 50 stores in the world, including 11 in the United States. The company was created in 1996, by an authentic Provençal gentleman, by the name of Olivier Baussan, who also created the L’Occitane chain of provençal products. Its selection of French AOC oils is relatively small but excellent  


Where can you buy French olive oils in the United-States?

First a reminder: Do not be surprised by the high price of the French olive oil you will find in this country. As I said earlier, good quality French olive oil is very expensive, about 3 times more expensive than the Italian, and 5 times more expensive than the Spanish oil. But if it can comfort you, that same premium oil is also very expensive in France. A liter (100 cl or 33.6 fl.oz) of good Extra-virgin AOC will cost between 20 and 50 euros ( 29.00 to 73.00 dollars). So it is better to limit yourself to buying bottles, or even better tins, with a content of 16.8 fl.oz =half a litter or 50 cl.) So it is an oil that you will not buy for everyday use but rather to give that extra-fancy and tasty finish to a salad, or a pasta dish, to douse on a good goat cheese, or to add at the last minute on a broiled filet of halibut. And of course, in the summer time, it will be perfect with a buffala mozzarella and tomatoes salad (caprese), or in a good niçoise salad. A few drops will also enhance the taste of a fresh artichoke bottom, or grilled red peppers and zucchinis. And I love to rub some on a lamb chop, before grilling, or to mix it with some lemon juice and pour it over some taboulé, hummus, or smoked salmon.

1. In stores 

As mentioned earlier, your safest choice would be to buy it in one the OLIVIERS & CO stores (O&CO). Unfortunately, for the time being they have stores only in the following cities: New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, Newport Beach, and Short hills, NJ. You can also buy from them on line (http://www.oliviersandco.com/ ). But you will have to add the cost of shipping. They sell: Moulin Fortuné Arrizi, from Haute–Provence, 45.00 dollars for a 16.8 fl.oz (half a liter) La Cravenco, AOC from Les Baux-de-Provence, 41.00 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz Moulin Dozol-Autrand, AOC from Nyons, 42.00 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz or 24.00 dollars for 8.4 fl.oz ( 25.cl = ¼ of a liter ) Château Virant AOC from Aix-en-Provence 37.00 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz If you are lucky to live in a big city, you might find, like we have in Chicago, stores specializing in oils and vinegars. OIL AND VINEGAR (http://www.oilvinegar.com/ ) is a Dutch-owned company that has franchise shops in 11 countries, including the U.S (Chicago, Seattle, Missoula, Bozeman, Houston area, and Charlottesville) Or in large fancy food and grocery chains like Whole Foods and Wild Oats. But in Chicago, these stores have given the preference to Italian and Spanish oils.
KERMIT LYNCH in Berkeley, CA http://www.kermitlynch.com/ , the famous wine merchant who introduced lesser known but good wines from Languedoc and Provence to American wine drinkers , sells oilve oil from Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille 

2. On the web

The only potential problem is that you cannot be certain that the bottles they have in stock are from the most recent harvest (2006-2007), unless it is specified on their site. E-mail them to inquire and make sure. Otherwise do not buy. Several sites are worth exploring: WORLD HARVEST (http://www.worldsfood.com/) in Columbia, Missouri They sell: Château d’Estoublon, AOC Vallée des Baux-de- Provence 35.00 dollars for a tin container of 16.8 fl.oz Moulin Jean- Marie Cornille, AOC Vallée- des- Baux, from Maussane les Alpilles, 34.00 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz They also sell monovarietals (picholine or Grossane) from the same mill for 40.00 dollars Castelas, AOC Vallée des Baux-de-Provence, 35.00 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz (50 cl) Moulin de la Brague, an AOC Nice from Opio in the Alpes Maritimes 28.00 dollars for 16.8 fl. oz GOURMET.COM (http://www.igourmet.com/) They sell : Mas des Bories, a very good AOC Aix-En-Provence, 24.99 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz They also offer a monovarietal made from Aglandau for the same price. This oil is also sold in Milwaukee, WI at Larry’s Market , 8737 N. Deerwood Drive, Milwaukee WI, 53209 Tel: 800-355-9650 The reason is that Nico and Roxanne Derni, the owners of Mas des Bories, lived in Milwaukee for many years before Nico decided to go back to his native country, and bought the Mas. ZINGERMANS. COM (http://www.zingermans.com/) in Ann Arbor, Michigan They sell: Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille, AOC Vallée-des-Baux de Provence 35.00 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz and 65.00 dollars for a full liter. Castelas, AOC Vallée- des- Baux 35.00 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz Moulin Alziari, AOC Nice, 30.00 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz
Eric Martin, from the area of Tourtour, Var 55.00 dollars for a full liter FORMAGGIO KITCHEN, (http://www.formagiokitchen.com/) They sell: Château d’Estoublon, AOC de la Vallée des Baux. A pretty large panel of their oils ( AOC and monovarietals) ranging from 47.95 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz to 71.95 dollars for a full liter of AOC, and 89.95 dollars for a special bottle (50 ml) of Estoublon Couture, made from Picholine olives. Moulin Jean-Marie-Cornille, AOC Vallée-des-Baux de Provence, several sizes from 8.4 fl.oz to a full liter, from 19.95 dollars to 67.95 dollars CYBERCUCINA (http://www.cybercucina.com/ ) Tel: 800-796-0116 They sell: Le Moulin de la Brague, AOC Nice, Opio, 29.79 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz Château Virant, AOC Aix-en-Provence Life in Provence, a private label from the Nice area, 19.95 dollars for 16.9 fl.oz A l’Olivier, garlic and herbs infused olive oil in tin , 16.50 dollars for 8.3 fl.oz SHOPOLIVES.COM (http://www.shopolives.com/ ) They sell: An AOC from Aix-en- Provence (I could not read the exact brand) 20.87 dollars for 25 fl.oz (75 cl.) a real bargain if it is fresh... An extra-virgin from MarquOlive, that I believe come from the Nyons area for 9.56 dollars for 17 fl.oz. another bargain if it is fresh and good. But better inquire about it. And check the shipping price that might be as expensive as the oil... AMAZON.COM (http://www.amazon.com/ ) They sell: Castelas AOC Vallée-des-Baux 44.99 dollars for 25 fl.oz (75 cl) Moulin de la Brague , AOC Nice, huilerie d’OPIO, 29.99 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz (in tin) or in bottle. A l’Olivier, Extra-Virgin, 26.95 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz Huilerie J. Leblanc, Extra-Virgin, 31 dollars for 1 liter (32 fl.oz) and 19.00 dollars for 16.8fl.oz (500 ml) SUR LA TABLE (http://www.surlatable.com/) They sell : Castelas, AOC Vallée-des-Baux 34.95 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz A l’Olivier, Extra-Virgin 18.95 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz (in tin) ZABAR , New York , (http://www.zabars.com/ ) 800-697-6301 I was a little bit disappointed that this famous food emporium where I used to spend hours, offers only 2 brands of French Olive oil: They sell: The extra-virgin from A l’Olivier , 28.98 dollars for 750 ml (25 fl.oz) Castelas, unfiltered AOC, 21.98 dollars for 16.8 fl.oz
 
3. In Chicago

When I arrived in Chicago in January 1970, the only olive oil I could find when I was lucky was a decent but very boring Italian extra-virgin in funny plastic containers from Pompeian. Thirty eight years later, the choice of olive oils in grocery stores, supermarkets and specialty food stores or wine stores is very wide, and in a very large panel of geographical origins, and prices. We even have a few specialized stores that sell all kinds of fancy oils and vinegars, as well as ‘’gourmet” products using olive oils such as tapenades, spreads, condiments, flavored and infused oils etc. Some of the best ones are: OLD TOWN OLIVE OIL, 1520 North Wells St. Chicago, IL 60610. This a nice store that sells very good quality extra-virgin olive oils in bulk from various countries like Italy, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey , Australia, and Spain, as well as from California. But they do not sell yet French olive oil. They assured me they were working on it. You can taste samples. CITY OLIVE , 5408 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60640 Tel: 773-878-5408 http://www.cityolive.com/ The very pleasant and competent owner, Karen Rose has not only showed a lot of taste in furnishing and decorating her very seductive boutique at the heart of Andersonville, but she also was able to put together a very intelligent panel of olive oils, salts, and vinegars, as well as appetizers and condiments, from some of the best independent growers and producers of quality products from 3 continents. She knows her stuff and can expertly provide good advice to the neophyte as well as the “advanced gourmet or cook” . Besides, spending time in that store has a very relaxing effect and tasting the various oils, vinegars and salts, can stimulate the potential creative cook in you. As far as French olive oils are concerned, she sells: Moulin St. Michel, a beautiful AOC from the Vallée- des- Baux-de Provence Moulin de la Brague, Huilerie d’OPIO, AOC Nice 29.99 dollars for 50 cl (16.8 fl.oz) Castelas , AOC from la Vallée des Baux de Provence, 39.99 dollars for 50 cl. Coopérative du Nyonsais, AOC from Nyons 37.99 dollars for 16.8 Fl.oz And a very good oil from La Fare les Oliviers , in the Bouches du Rhône. She also sells some infused and flavored oils (basil, chili peppers, etc) from OLIVIERS AND CO, 39.99 dollars for 500.ml (16.8 fl.oz) Another store I like is :
OIL AND VINEGAR , (http://www.oilvinegar.com/) 82 Old Orchard Ct. Skokie, IL 60077 Tel : 847-763-1446 It is located in the Old Orchard (Westfield)Shopping Center in Skokie) This very nicely appointed store, that belongs to a Dutch group of franchise stores located in various parts of the world, is also offering olive oil in bulk from a few different producing countries like Greece, Italy, Spain, and France. The beautifully lit (from behind a glass panel) glass jars contain good quality extra-virgin oils. You can taste them, then buy a bottle of the size you prefer and have it filled with your olive oil of choice. When it is finished, bring it back to the store, and the pleasant staff will clean it for you and refill it. They have only one French Extra-virgin olive oil, but it is quite good, well balanced, fruity and mild. This ‘’huile d’Olive de France’’ is produced by l’OULIBO, (http://www.loulibo.com/) a coop located in BIZE, Aude, in the Minervois, a wine producing area of Languedoc north of Narbonne and east of Beziers. This luscious oil is made, by very traditional pressing means, from the delicious Lucques olives, when they reach the ‘’fruité noir’’ stage, as well as other olives like the Picholine, the Bouteillan, or the Aglandau. . A 25 cl (8.4 fl oz) bottle will cost you 3.50 dollars and the oil content itself 15.00 dollars. It is not cheap, but the advantage is to always buy a small quantity of fresh oil. Right now, the store is out of stock but it should be back in about a month.

That olive oil from L'OULIBO is alos sold by the bottle in places like TEA TOGETHER in New York City. FOX & OBEL , 455 East Illinois St. Chicago, IL 60611 Tel : 312-410-73-01 This really nice food emporium actually has quite a nice selection of olive oils that you can taste; They sell : Castelas, AOC Vallée des Baux de Provence, 38.99 dollars for 50 cl (16.8 fl.oz) Chateau Virant, AOC Aix-en-Provence 39.99 dollars for 50 cl or 22.99 dollars for 25 cl Le Vieux Moulin, an oil from the Nyons area, in Mirabel les Baronnies, 27.99 dollars for 50 cl (16.8 fl.oz) Domaine le Grand Servan, a good non- AOC, Provence oil from Tarascon in the Bouches-du-Rhône 21.99 dollars for 8.4 fl.oz SAM’S WINE & SPIRITS 1720 N. Macey St. Chicago, IL 60614 Tel : 312-664-4394 This huge wine store has a decent cheese and fancy food dept. They sell : Château Virant , AOC Aix-en-Provence in Lançon de Provence, 22.99 dollars for 25 cl Le Vieux Moulin, from Mirabel les Baronnies, 25.99 dollars for 50 cl. (16.8 fl.oz) TREASURE ISLANDS various addresses in the Chicago area They sell: Moulin de la Brague, huilerie d’Opio, AOC Nice 25.99 dollars for 50 cl. (16.8 fl.oz) Huilerie J. Leblanc Extra Virgin non-AOC 17.99 dollars for 50 cl. WHOLE FOODS various addresses in the Chicago area: Not a single French olive oil
 
My 5 personal choices:

CASTELAS, MOULIN JEAN-MARIE CORNILLE, MAS DES BORIES, MOULIN DE LA BRAGUE, CHATEAU VIRANT.

P.S :Dec 30, 2007: Stéphane, I opened the bottle of Chateau Virant AOC olive oil , from Aix-en-Provence, that you got me for Christmas and it was fresh and delicious. Thanks. I put a few drops on the remnants of this goat cheese that you bought , the ''Clochette'' and it improved its taste considerably. In fact this cheese proved to be quite interesting.