Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2014

The comedy-drama English Vinglish (pictured) reveals the trials and triumphs of an ordinary Indian housewife, who decides that going to New York to take language classes is the only way to stop her family from making fun of her English skills. The dialogue is in Hindi and highly inflected English, but we can all relate to the struggles of a stranger in a strange land trying to be understood. On from June 28 at Cine Switch Ginza (4-4-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku; cineswitch.com)… The annual Festival du Film Français au Japon returns June 27-30 in Yurakucho. Highlights this year include Yves Saint Laurent, a biopic of the legendary designer, and La Cour de Babel, a documentary on what happens when 24 students from 24 countries meet in a French classroom (Yurakucho Asahi Hall and Toho Cinemas Nichigeki; unifrance.jp/festival)… Even more French films can be seen at the Jacques Tati Retrospective, which has been extended due to popular demand through July 4 at Image Forum in Shibuya (2-10-2 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku; imageforum.co.jp). Tati is known for his colorful comedies set in a rapidly modernizing post-war France.