French drama set in spring 1936, in a working-class district north of Paris. In the center of town is a...
French drama set in spring 1936, in a working-class district north of Paris. In the center of town is a small square, a few shops, lopsided buildings, cobbled streets and the peeling façade of the neighborhood music hall: the Chansonia. In this blue-collar neighborhood, the triumphant election of the Popular Front government is greeted with enthusiasm and hopes for a brighter tomorrow, yet stirs up all kinds of extremism.
Among the new government's promises is a law guaranteeing paid holidays for workers. Three residents – Pigoil, Milou, and Jacky – still sulk over the closing of the Chansonia four months ago. Supported by the locals who live to the rhythm of Monsieur TSF's radio, the three friends decide to use their holiday by producing the 'hit' musical the Chansonia has always needed.
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63 %82 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
58 %3,741 reviewsAudience score rating
"Schematically scripted tale revels in its multiple story arcs, but shows signs of battle fatigue in the later reels."
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Variety
Variety"Lacking the vital quirkiness of Amélie, and saddled with banal if perky musical numbers, it soon feels predictable despite tip-top ensemble playing and Tom (Changeling) Stern’s sweeping cinematography."
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Total Film
Total Film"So shameless in its pandering, sentimental vision of Frenchness as to constitute something of a national embarrassment."
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The New York Times
The New York Times"It's pleasant and amusing. If I had seen it before I was born, I would have loved it."
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Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert"French director Christophe Barratier has bought into the romantic notion of how a stage show comes together but he also wants to force-feed us great lumps of reality."
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Otago Daily Times
Otago Daily Times"They don't make movies like this anymore."
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New Zealand Herald
New Zealand Herald"Paris 36 has a beguilingly authentic sound and offers a blend of impassioned sentiment and harsh, even brutal grit"
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Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times"The movie is almost rescued by the wonderful 1930's style songs (written by Reinhardt Wanger and Frank Thomas) that populate its final act."
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Hollywood Reporter
Hollywood Reporter"Beautifully realised homage to 30s theatre and French cinema, this is thoroughly charming and entertaining throughout."
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Empire Magazine
Empire MagazineParis 36 (Faubourg 36) | Details
- Runtime
- 121
- Genre
- Drama
- Country of origin
- France, Germany, Czech Republic
