A Man of His Time
Seen it?2026 | 155 min | History, Comedy, Drama
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (80% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh and history buffs. If you loved Mr. Turner, start here.
- The mood
- Funny with heart.
- The pace
- Unhurried and epic, at 2 hr 35 min.
- What might put you off
- It's long: 2 hr 35 min.
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
September 1940. Henri Marre arrives alone in Vichy as the authoritarian regime settles in. Broke, estranged from his family, and carrying copies of his self-published manifesto Notre Salut (Our Salvation), the 49-year-old is determined to secure what he believes is his rightful place in the new administration. In his writing, Henri sets out his patriotic convictions and his engineer’s methodology: efficiency above all. Claiming he wants to help save France after defeat, he does whatever is required to remain useful, serving the machinery of the new order with increasing skill. But he may be pursuing something more urgent: escape from his own ruin
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
80% on Rotten Tomatoes, 69 on Metacritic
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
Award season hasn't happened yet, so this isn't counted.
- Reach & staying powerWeak
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 34K people sought it out in the past year, and interest is climbing
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Emmanuel Marre
- Swann ArlaudHenri Marre
- Sandrine BlanckePaulette Henri
- Mathieu PerottoGasque
- Harpo GuitHarpo
- Mathilde Abd El KaderCorinne
- Jean-Baptiste MarreMaux
- Bruno BorsuCitoyen
- Claudine Barthel FournierArlette
- Yoann BlancLemoine
- Thierry de PerettiDommange