Barbara is a 2017 French drama film directed by Mathieu Amalric. It stars Jeanne Balibar and Mathieu Amalric. It tells the story of an actress who prepares to portray the famous French singer Barbara. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2017. It was released in France on 6 September 2017.
Plot 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 Jeanne Balibar as Brigitte Mathieu Amalric as Yves Zand Vincent Peirani as Roland Romanelli Aurore Clément as Esther Grégoire Colin as Charley Marouani
Release The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2017. It was released in France on 6 September 2017.
Reception Critical response 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. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
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." 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."
Accolades Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Cannes Film Festival 27 May 2017 Poetry of Cinema Barbara Prix Jean Vigo 12 June 2017 Best Film Barbara Louis Delluc Prize 15 December 2017 Best Film Barbara Lumière Awards 5 February 2018 Best Film Barbara Best Director Mathieu Amalric Best Actress Jeanne Balibar Best Cinematography Christophe Beaucarne César Award 2 March 2018 Best Film Barbara Best Director Mathieu Amalric Best Actress Jeanne Balibar Best Original Screenplay Mathieu Amalric, Philippe Di Folco Best Cinematography Christophe Beaucarne Best Editing François Gédigier Best Sound Olivier Mauvezin, Nicolas Moreau, Stéphane Thiébaut Best Costume Design Pascaline Chavanne Best Production Design Laurent Baude
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