Lost Illusions (Illusions Perdues) Encore screening. Nambour Majestic Cinema

Trailer HERE

This is grand French cinema at its most lavish, and finest. An all-star cast dazzles in the spectacular and exhilarating new film by Xavier Giannoli (Marguerite, AF FFF16; The Singer, AF FFF13), an adaptation of Balzac’s classic novel about a young idealist who learns that anything can be bought and sold.

1821. Handsome poet Lucien (Benjamin Voisin - Moving On and Summer of 85, AF FFF21 - in a star-making turn) is poor, but highly ambitious. Failing to make a name for himself in his provincial hometown, he naively follows his married patroness (a radiant Cécile de France) to the glamorous beau monde of Paris.

But Lucien has entered a society far more dangerous than he realised, and the venomous denizens of the salons (brought to life by a superb ensemble including Jeanne Balibar, Gérard Depardieu and Xavier Dolan) conspire to keep him out of their ranks. Lucien…