Film show: French comedy thumbs its nose at political correctness and tackles racism

The wait is over for fans of Marvel super hero Spiderman. The Tom Holland-fronted film has been generating as much built-up excitement as the arrival of an old beardy man in red suit on Christmas Eve. We take a closer look.

Film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Eve Jackson about the week’s film news, including the new Paris-set and female-led spy thriller "The 355" starring Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong'o and Penélope Cruz, as well as the French-language adaptation of Philip Roth's 1990 novel "Deception" directed by Arnaud Desplechin, plus the Icelandic nature vs nurture film "Lamb" starring Noomi Rapace.

Film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Eve Jackson about the week's film news, including why this year's Golden Globe Awards were hardly talked about. They also discuss Paul Thomas Anderson's affectionate period comedy "Licorice Pizza", the French film "Between Two Worlds", starring Juliette Binoche as a writer who goes undercover as a cleaner to report on what life is like for the nation's lowest earners; and the actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg's documentary about her mother – the actress and singer Jane Birkin.

Film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Eve Jackson about Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro's new film "Nightmare Alley," starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. They also chat about Amazon Prime's "Spencer", starring Kirsten Stewart as Princess Diana, as well as prolific French writer-director Claude Lelouch's 50th movie, "Love is Better than Life". Finally, they tell us about the online event MyFrenchfilmfestival.com, which gives people the chance to watch a selection of French films from wherever you happen to be on the planet.

We look to the Mexican papers as journalists there protest after a high-profile journalist is murdered outside her home. Antwerp customs officials sound the alarm on what they call a greater security threat than terrorism: the international drug trade. Also, French rugby star Antoine Dupont graces the cover of GQ France. Finally, Taylor Swift finds surprising support in Chile's president-elect after she's criticised by former Blur frontman Damon Albarn!

Film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Eve Jackson about the week's film news, including "Red Rocket", the story of a washed-up porn star from indie powerhouse director Sean Baker. He's known for his movies about the often impoverished members of the American underclass. Baker's film "Tangerine", shot on an iPhone, centered on Black transgender sex workers, while Oscar nominee "The Florida Project" offered a look at life living in a motel.

The 94th Academy Awards have whittled down their selection and announced the nominees for this year's Oscars. Film critic Lisa Nesselson considers the frontrunners and tells us why "The Power of the Dog" and "Dune" are competent, if curious, frontrunners.

French actress Isabelle Huppert has appeared in over 120 films and was just awarded a Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the Berlin International Film Festival. FRANCE 24 film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Alison Sargent about Huppert's new film "Les Promesses", an involving and entertaining look at contemporary French politics. The thriller sees Huppert star alongside Reda Kateb as a mayor in suburban Paris forced to choose between personal ambition and loyalty to her working-class constituents.

Prolific actor Gérard Depardieu takes on the role of iconic French inspector Jules Maigret in Patrice Leconte's latest take. FRANCE 24's film critic Lisa Nesselson tells us why she thinks Depardieu was born to play this role.

Critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Marjorie Hache about the latest on the big screen and streaming platforms. We begin with the new adaptation of French verse play "Cyrano de Bergerac". British director Joe Wright has made a musical version starring Peter Dinklage as the would-be suitor. We also discuss the new super villain "Morbius", as well as French film "Petite Nature" or "Softie", the story of a 10-year-old boy who has a crush on his teacher.

Film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Eve Jackson about the week's film news, including first-time director Omar El Zohairy's award-winning Egyptian feature "Plumes", or "Feathers". They also discuss iconic French director Cedric Klapisch’s ballet drama "En Corps", or "Rise", as well as Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz’s "Inexorable" and Jean Renoir's restored 1939 classic "The Rules of the Game".

Hot on the heels of the success of "Drive My Car" at the Academy Awards, Ryusuke Hamaguchi returns with a three-part feature that puts his talent for dialogue and visual storytelling in the spotlight. Lisa Nesselson extolls the charms of "Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy" and tells us why the prolific Japanese filmmaker should be receiving armfuls of awards in the years to come.