Why I’m glad to see the back of Call My Agent!

By James Delingpole

For the past few weeks I have been binge-watching the Netflix series Call My Agent! (or Dix pour cent, as it is more satisfyingly known in France). Though it’s not quite as exquisite, multilayered and beguiling as my all-time favourite French drama Le Bureau, it has a similar appeal: strong, well-drawn characters in a distinctive setting in another country (France, obvs) where they do things differently because everyone is just so damned French.

This time it’s not about foreign intelligence services but a movie talent agency which, though perpetually on its uppers (for the purposes of that TV concept known as ‘jeopardy’, I suppose), nevertheless seems to have on its books all the most bankable stars in France. They crop up, playing themselves, in cameo roles. You can detect the series getting more popular and successful because the level of celebrity it attracts increases, from ones you’ve never heard of in season one to stars such as Isabelle Huppert, Monica Bellucci, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Sigourney Weaver in the later ones. Continue reading “Why I’m glad to see the back of Call My Agent!” →

Comme une Française: Sortir vs Partir: How to say you’re leaving in French

Sortir and Partir are two irregular French verbs with very similar meanings — but we don’t always use them in the same way! Both verbs can be loosely translated to “I’m leaving” in French. But what does each verb really mean, and how can we use them more fluently in French conversation? Let’s learn.

Take care and stay safe. 😘 from Grenoble, France. Géraldine