4 million or two episodes of the saga Twilight

A good year for the film. Despite the economic crisis and the illegal downloading on the Internet continues to grow ("Les Echos" of yesterday), on both sides of the Atlantic the public is entertained is by going to see movies in the classroom. France, attendance this year could just 200 millions of entries, a predicted national Centre of cinematography. The never-seen since 1982. But it's still an estimate since it remains a week for the final results, including a long weekend which weigh blockbusters as "Arthur and the revenge of Maltazard" for Luc Besson and especially "Avatar", in James Cameron's 3-d film. Far from shouting victory, the National Federation of French cinemas (v. FNCF) also qualifies: "It eventually perhaps the year around 196-197 million entries", indicated yesterday. Is a level near that of 2004, the year of the release of "Shrek".

Last year was completed on a score of 189 million entries 20.4 million made by "Welcome to the Ch'tis" of Dany Boon. 2009 will therefore record 5 additional attendance. And this although no feature is able to cross the cap of 10 million viewers. This year, the big winners in terms of entries are large productions, from American studios such as "Age of ice" (7.8 million entries according to the French "The Film" weekly of December 18), "Harry Potter and the prince of mixed blood" (6 million), "Up", the Disney movie which opened the Cannes Film Festival (4.4 million) or two episodes of the saga "Twilight". These "big machines" have allowed Hollywood to restore its market share in the French territory to 45. While that of the hexagonal films returned to 39... a score while in withdrawal of the exceptional level of 2008 (45.7) but which would fade to want our European neighbours.

Entertainment despite the crisis

In times of crisis, the French came to entertain with French comedies: "The Petit Nicolas" (5.4 million entries), "Lol" (about 3.65 million), "Coconuts" (more than 3 million entry), or finally "OSS 117" and "Neuilly mother" in a tissue of Pocket about 2.52 million entries.

Despite a trend clearly trending upward, the operators complete a good year. "Observed large disparities." Small cities record decreases of 10 to 15 attendance, and for the medium-sized cities of setbacks that can reach up to 5. "However, in the gran of the cities, attendance is strong increase", says the v. FNCF.

Another flat: the French cinema is doing well at the national level, should accuse a decline of 23 of its attendance from abroad, according to estimates of Unifrance, the body responsible for the promotion of hexagonal films abroad. Since the beginning of the year and the date of December 3, "Coco before Chanel" of Anne Fontaine is the most seen French film beyond the borders in 2009, with more than 5 million tickets abroad, either 299.1 million euros of revenue. Follow: "long ago that I love you", film by Philippe Claudel, Kristin Scott Thomas (nearly $ 1.6 million entries) and "Paris" (1.1 million). While the study last week, he took the head of the box-office with 289.397 entries made at the international, "Arthur and the revenge of Maltazard" will shock no doubt not the deal in 2009, but looks - the image of the majority of the films of Luc Besson - as one of the spearheads of French cinema abroad in 2010.