Barbara is a 2017 French drama film directed by Mathieu Amalric.[2][3] It stars Jeanne Balibar and Mathieu Amalric. It tells the story of an actress who prepares to portray the famous French singer Barbara.[4] The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2017.[5] It was released in France on 6 September 2017.[6]

Barbara
Film poster
Directed byMathieu Amalric
Written by
Produced byPatrick Godeau
Starring
CinematographyChristophe Beaucarne
Edited byFrançois Gédigier
Distributed byGaumont
Release dates
  • 18 May 2017 (2017-05-18) (Cannes)
  • 6 September 2017 (2017-09-06) (France)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Box office$2.9 million[1]

Plot

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Brigitte is preparing for the role of the famous French singer Barbara. The actress carefully studies the character, gestures, manners, and intonations. She learns the music scores, mimics her facial expression, but, as Brigitte does and more and more of it, she gradually merges with the character. The director is also preparing to shoot the film: he studies archival footage and painstakingly selects the music. He is inspired and even possessed—but with Barbara or with her new incarnation?

Cast

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Release

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The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2017.[5] It was released in France on 6 September 2017.[6]

Reception

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Critical response

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On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 84% based on 19 reviews, and an average rating of 7/10.[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8]

Jay Weissberg of Variety praised Jeanne Balibar's performance in the film, saying: "She has not only Barbara's look but also her gestures down pat, and the uncanny way in which the editing conflates actress with subject keeps interest relatively high."[9] Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "a self-reflexive and sometimes screamingly self-indulgent work that's strictly for hardcore French viewers and festivals."[10]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Cannes Film Festival 27 May 2017 Poetry of Cinema Barbara Won [11]
Prix Jean Vigo 12 June 2017 Best Film Barbara Won [12][13]
Louis Delluc Prize 15 December 2017 Best Film Barbara Won [14][15]
Lumières Award 5 February 2018 Best Film Barbara Nominated [16]
Best Director Mathieu Amalric Nominated
Best Actress Jeanne Balibar Won
Best Cinematography Christophe Beaucarne Won
César Award 2 March 2018 Best Film Barbara Nominated [17][18]
Best Director Mathieu Amalric Nominated
Best Actress Jeanne Balibar Won
Best Original Screenplay Mathieu Amalric, Philippe Di Folco Nominated
Best Cinematography Christophe Beaucarne Nominated
Best Editing François Gédigier Nominated
Best Sound Olivier Mauvezin, Nicolas Moreau, Stéphane Thiébaut Won
Best Costume Design Pascaline Chavanne Nominated
Best Production Design Laurent Baude Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Barbara (2017)". Box Office Mojo (IMDb). Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  2. ^ "The 2017 Official Selection". Cannes Film Festival. 13 April 2017. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  3. ^ Winfrey, Graham (13 April 2017). "2017 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup: Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, 'Twin Peaks' and More". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Barbara". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b Jurgensen, Gauthier (19 May 2017). "Cannes 2017 : avec Barbara, Mathieu Amalric offre un film à la chanteuse vingt ans après sa disparition". AlloCiné. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Barbara". AlloCiné. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  7. ^ "Barbara (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Barbara". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  9. ^ Weissberg, Jay (18 May 2017). "Cannes Film Review: 'Barbara'". Variety. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  10. ^ Felperin, Leslie (18 May 2017). "'Barbara': Film Review | Cannes 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  11. ^ Lodge, Guy (27 May 2017). "'A Man of Integrity,' 'Wind River,' 'Barbara' Take Un Certain Regard Awards at Cannes". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  12. ^ "Mathieu Amalric reçoit le Prix Jean Vigo 2017 pour Barbara". AlloCiné. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  13. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (13 June 2017). "The Jean Vigo Award goes to Mathieu Amalric". Cineuropa. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  14. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (15 December 2017). "The Louis-Delluc Award goes to Barbara". Cineuropa. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  15. ^ Richford, Rhonda; Mintzer, Jordan (15 December 2017). "Mathieu Amalric's 'Barbara' Wins France's Louis Delluc Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  16. ^ Richford, Rhonda (5 February 2018). "'120 BPM' Tops France's Lumiere Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  17. ^ Richford, Rhonda (2 March 2018). "Cesar Awards: '120 BPM' Takes Six Awards Including Best Film". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  18. ^ Nordine, Michael (2 March 2018). "2018 César Awards: 'BPM' Triumphs With Six Wins, Including Best Film". IndieWire. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
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