A Magnificent Life

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A Magnificent Life

PG-13

Nov 2025

1h 30m

Biography

Animation

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

17 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

In 1955, Marcel Pagnol was over sixty and had just ended a prolific film career to return to his childhood love, the theatre. But his last two plays had suffered two resounding failures in quick succession. He is beginning to doubt the public's interest in his work, and thinks it might be time to make way for the younger generation. During a friendly dinner, the editor-in-chief of ELLE magazine commissioned him to write a weekly literary serial about his childhood, his Provence, his first loves. A few days later, when the ELLE messenger came to ask him for the famous pages at the beginning of his story, Monsieur Pagnol rushed to write them. He realized that his childhood memories were escaping him.

Justin Clark

Slant Magazine

Sylvain Chomet provides only a scant sense of Marcel Pagnol’s creative inklings, such as the ideas and themes that fuel the films that he fights so vehemently to make.

Rated: 2/4

Nov 20, 2025

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Peter Debruge

Variety

Chomet honors the man’s achievements but fails to convey why those who don’t already possess some level of fascination with Pagnol should care.

Jun 9, 2025

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

Chomet is careful to avoid overt melodrama. He’s made a film that’s reverential of a smart, artistic man, but doesn’t place him on too high a pedestal for us to see him.

May 21, 2025

Full Review

Luke Y. Thompson

Mortal Cinema (Substack)

...mostly conventional stuff, animating real humans in real settings, which, even in Chomet’s distinctly caricaturish style, feels like a waste of the medium.

Nov 26, 2025

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Mark Dujsik

Mark Reviews Movies

As biography, the movie isn't any more illuminating than reading an encyclopedia entry on the subject.

Rated: 2.5/4

Nov 21, 2025

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Kevin Wight

The Wee Review

Animated biopic of Marcel Pagnol may be standard fare beneath its surface, but what a gorgeous surface.

Rated: 4

Nov 11, 2025

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Stephen C

Based on a true story in 1.5 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG-13 for Some Suggestive Material, Brief Violent Content, Smoking and Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/21/25

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Sylvain Chomet

Director

Laurent Lafitte

Marcel Pagnol

Géraldine Pailhas

Augustine Pagnol

Sylvain Chomet

Screenwriter

Ashargin Poiré

Producer

Lilian Eche

Producer

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Synopsis

In 1955, Marcel Pagnol was over sixty and had just ended a prolific film career to return to his childhood love, the theatre. But his last two plays had suffered two resounding failures in quick succession. He is beginning to doubt the public's interest in his work, and thinks it might be time to make way for the younger generation. During a friendly dinner, the editor-in-chief of ELLE magazine commissioned him to write a weekly literary serial about his childhood, his Provence, his first loves. A few days later, when the ELLE messenger came to ask him for the famous pages at the beginning of his story, Monsieur Pagnol rushed to write them. He realized that his childhood memories were escaping him.

Director: Sylvain Chomet
Producer: Ashargin Poiré, Lilian Eche, Valérie Puech, Aton Soumache
Screenwriter: Sylvain Chomet
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: What The Prod, Picture Box, Bidibul Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Some Suggestive Material|Brief Violent Content|Smoking|Language)
Genre: Biography, Animation, Drama
Original Language: French
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 21, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 30m