Barbara
Seen it?2017 | 98 min | Drama, Music
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (84% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and almost no 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 loves a strong drama. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 38 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
An actress will play Barbara, the French singer. The shoot will soon start. The actress works on her character, her voice, the songs, scores, the gestures, knitting, scenes she has to learn, things are going okay, there's progress, development, she is even overwhelmed. The film director also works, through his encounters, through archives, music, he let's himself be submerged, overwhelmed like the actress, by the actress.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 68 on Metacritic
- AudiencesBelow par
5.9 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 2 Cannes awards: Cannes Film Festival: Poetry of Cinema, Cannes Film Festival: Best Film. Plus 4 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerWeak
$3 million worldwide
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 3K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Mathieu Amalric
- Jeanne BalibarBrigitte / Barbara
- Mathieu AmalricYves Zand
- Vincent PeiraniRoland Romanelli
- Aurore ClémentEsther, la mère de Barbara
- Grégoire ColinCharley Marouani
- Fanny ImberMarie Chaix, l'assistante
- Pierre MichonJacques Tournier (âgé)
- Stéphane RogerLe producteur
- Marie DesgrangesLa phoniatre
- Erwan RibardMonsieur Victor