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Breathless

Play trailer Poster for Breathless R 1983 1h 45m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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61% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 49% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Jesse Lujack (Richard Gere) is a small-time hustler who, while leaving Las Vegas in a stolen car, shoots and kills a police officer. When his picture turns up in the papers, Jesse hides out in Los Angeles with a French student, Monica Poiccard (Valérie Kaprisky), whom he knows from a previous affair. Monica is bewitched by his reckless behavior, enough so that she keeps quiet even after learning that he's wanted. But when police identify her as Jesse's lover, she has second thoughts.
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Breathless

Critics Reviews

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Time Out 06/24/2006
A wanton, playful film, belying the stated despair by its boiling energy. Go to Full Review
Vincent Canby New York Times 08/30/2004
3/5
I still don't understand why Mr. McBride and Mr. Carson elected to do the film but, considering the more obvious possible pitfalls, they could have done a lot worse. That is meant to be praise. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 08/12/2004
2.5/4
The result is a stylistic exercise without any genuine human concerns we can identify with -- and yet, an exercise that does have a command of its style, is good-looking, fun to watch, and develops a certain morbid humor. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Jul 14
3/5
…brooding, moody, but not above capturing moments of joy, Jim McBride's remake of Breathless deserves its newly fashionable cult reputation, if only for depicting the act of love as an enjoyable, sensuous thing shared between similarly minded people… Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews May 18
2/4
...a periodically watchable yet mostly tiresome endeavor... Go to Full Review
Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand 08/19/2023
McBride and Carson try to find their own approach to the fugitive lovers on the run picture, updating it with oversaturated colors, a high-energy soundtrack of classic rock and contemporary punk rock songs, and lots of steamy sex and nudity. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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David K Jan 27 The star here is the extensive use of rear projection to create a somewhat surreal feel. Watch it. It's almost fun. See more Dean S 08/17/2024 A mini cult 80s gem of a film. Richard Gere and the gorgeous Valerie Kaprisky are the star crossed lovers on the run from the LAPD, lots of sex, and a great soundtrack makes this one of those time capsule films that might of passed you by. Quentin Tarrantino himself has called this film a personal favourite. Catch it if you can 👍 See more Abe A 01/20/2024 The movie was cartoonish, unlike Belmondo's rendition which hit the nerve perfectly. Gere's role was far too affectedly zany and Kaprisky a bit too wooden. The Silver Surfer insert was silly but in keeping with the cartoonish zeitgeist. Gere's trying to act like Silver Surfer, who he idolizes...but he doesn't have any of Silver Surfer's powers, or Silver Surfer's questioning of morality of his decisions, nor Silver Surfer's Prometheus-like or Christ-like qualities--it just seems like tacked-on symbolism that's poorly thought out. In the original Breathless Belmondo idolizes Bogie and acts tough like Bogie, but that symbolism makes sense and is a better character fit; this one doesn't. The relationship between the two main characters feels strained and unnatural in the remake, probably because neither character is lifelike or realistic. When Gere's affected role spilled over into silliness, as in the last scene of the movie, it further distanced itself from the nuance of Belmondo's portrayal in 1960. I watched the original Godard version and this McBride remake in tandem on the same day, and the gulf in technique, characterization and thematic treatment is night and day. See more dave s 08/09/2022 Despite the fact that it has a strong performance from Richard Gere and an electric sort of energy, you've got to wonder why director Jim McBride would even consider doing a remake of Jean-Luc Godard's French New Wave-classic Breathless. Gere plays Jesse, an immature, repugnant narcissist who demands the love of Monica (Valerie Kaprisky), a girl he met over the course of a few days in Las Vegas. On top of it being a bad idea to remake a cinematic landmark, the movie fails in a couple of other ways. The supporting cast is brutal throughout, including Kaprisky, who seems to be reading her lines from a teleprompter. Her relationship with Jesse never feels real, especially when she comes to realize that he is a murderer and career criminal. Whoa, what a catch!! And really, could Jesse be any more of an annoying character? Could he not have had his showdown with the police earlier in the movie? Lesson learned? Don't remake films that are as iconic as the original Breathless. See more 06/22/2022 Guy had girl, guy stalks girl, guy (kinda) gets girl, even though girl is gettin got with someone else, and it all ends in a blaze of glory. Jesse (Richard Gere) is a petty criminal drifter who is obsessed with The Silver Surfer comics and Jerry Lee Lewis — he also loves to steal cool cars. After accidentally killing a cop in Barstow — at the edge of the desert — he completes his journey to Los Angeles in the hopes of reuniting with a French college student, Monica (Valerie Kaprisky). Breathless is a remake of a French New Wave film of the same name, with French criminal and American muse. Right when Monica thought she was out, Jesse pulls her back in (or is it the other way around?). This back and forth, plus Jesse evading the police as his profile grows from a description to a full-page photo, makes up the entirety of the movie. I enjoyed this movie for being very Los Angeles — orange skies with palm tree sunsets, unbuttoned shirts, convertible cars, seedy dive bars, that shot through one of those giant donuts. There are some silly moments — Jesse must not look at the road for a full seven seconds while driving at one point — but the final third actually makes this a more enjoyable movie. It's very attractive people making very poor decisions, but you still want them to make it. See more 09/21/2021 Hot movie, everything is great except the murder. (Happens early, not a spoiler) That clearly should have been left out. Doesn't fit the tone of the story. Other than that it's a fun and sexy ride. See more Read all reviews
Breathless

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Movie Info

Synopsis Jesse Lujack (Richard Gere) is a small-time hustler who, while leaving Las Vegas in a stolen car, shoots and kills a police officer. When his picture turns up in the papers, Jesse hides out in Los Angeles with a French student, Monica Poiccard (Valérie Kaprisky), whom he knows from a previous affair. Monica is bewitched by his reckless behavior, enough so that she keeps quiet even after learning that he's wanted. But when police identify her as Jesse's lover, she has second thoughts.
Director
Jim McBride
Producer
Martin Erlichman, Richard M. Greenberg
Screenwriter
Jean-Luc Godard, L.M. Kit Carson, Jim McBride
Distributor
Orion Pictures
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 13, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2018
Runtime
1h 45m
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