Nights of Cabiria (PG)

Giulietta Masina (director Federico Fellini's wife) deservedly won the best actress award at Cannes for her portrayal of Cabiria, a down-at-luck prostitute who lives and works on the shabby outskirts of Rome, in this 1957 Fellini movie which is now on release in a newly restored 35mm print.

Nothing good ever seems to happen to Cabiria. We first meet her as she's cruelly robbed of her money by her then boyfriend. She's later robbed again by another fellow, the unctuously charming Francois Perier. She also has a disastrous evening with an Italian film star and is humiliated in front of a boorish audience when hypnotised by a stage magician.

Fellini's unfailing hand at turning in impressive set-pieces is in evidence in Cabiria's trip to a local shrine, which is staged like a noisy but cheerless modern-day rock festival.

The film also features the talents of another great Italian director, Pier Paolo Pasolini, who was brought in to provide authentic street dialogue for the prostitutes.

But it's Masina, with her gloriously expressive face and touching belief in a better future while still reeling from the hard knocks life has dealt her, who makes the film such moving and exquisite viewing.

It's tempting to see Bertrand Tavernier's latest film It All Starts Today as his attempt to find a French equivalent to the gritty brand of social realism pioneered by Blighty's very own Ken Loach.

Set in an economically deprived area of northern France, it follows head teacher Daniel as he tries to do his best for his pupils in the face of wretched economic conditions and bureaucratic indifference. Filmed with a restless handheld camera and boasting some searingly honest performances, it bears all the hallmarks of the Loach style. But where Loach would have instinctively zeroed in on the lives of the pupils' families, Tavernier's film sees them only as passive victims in need of saving by his two dashing heroes - Daniel (appealingly played by Philippe Torreton) and social worker Samia, shining emblems of middle-class benevolence.

Despite a few nice scenes, especially those between Daniel and his kids in the classroom, It All Starts Today feels a little too worthy and patronising to be truly effective.

Tavernier might be sympathetic to the plight of the poor, but does he think the only way we can identify with them is to filter their stories through the experiences of these two resolutely respectable characters? Good intentions don't equal good movies: must try harder next time, Bertrand.

It's easy to dismiss veteran French film-maker Eric Rohmer for simply making the same film over and over again. Sure enough, with its cast of well-to-do, educated French folk endlessly mulling over their love lives at mealtimes, on walks and in bookshops, it's safe to say that Rohmer's on familiar territory with An Autumn Tale.

But in his case consistency is a virtue: this tale of widowed wine-maker Magali, who agrees to two blind dates set up by her friends Isabelle and Rosine, is as quietly charming as such earlier Rohmer successes as Pauline At The Beach and his other films based around the seasons.

The performances have a wonderful improvised air to them - Beatrice Romand's portrayal of Magali, a touching mixture of toughness and vulnerabilty, is a particular stand-out. It's amazing that, at the age of 78, Rohmer can turn out a film as fresh and as natural as this. More of the same, please.

Edward Lawrenson Nights of Cabiria: newly restored and still exquisite

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