'Nobody wants to see somebody die for an hour and a half'

In the film above, a supposedly aspiring filmmaker gets firmly rejected by a series of Hollywood producers (and one actress). The twist is, he's actually presenting storylines from French-cinema masterpieces, including a Palme d'Or winner.

The tagline at the end is 'Great movies Hollywood would never make', and the spot is an effort by the Alliance Française de Singapour to promote the output of the French film industry.

So, mission accomplished. You proved that serious dramatic films about the human condition wouldn't get much support in Hollywood. Like, duh. 

And that's the problem. You're preaching to the choir here. The message is likely to resonate just fine with that subset of the population that's already predisposed to enjoy dramatic French films. But is Hollywood-bashing a sound strategy that will send new converts flocking to the screenings the Alliance hosts? Suffice to say Ad Nut will not be wagering the acorn stash on that outcome.

Nonetheless, the journey here is enjoyable. In particular, Ad Nut implores you to watch for the grandmotherly actress Lynn Marie Stewart, who absolutely steals the film with her valiantly earnest attempts to talk our ambitious auteur out of his depressing ideas. 

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for some unknown reason has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over the world and presents them for your viewing pleasure. Because Ad Nut loves you. Need more ads? Visit Ad Nut's colleagues: Campaign UK | Campaign US | Campaign India | Campaign Turkey | Campaign Middle East