A Self-Made Hero

Released Sep 30, 1996

1h 45m

Comedy

List

67%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

79%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

This acclaimed French satire focuses on Albert Dehousse (Mathieu Kassovitz), a restless young man living in a small village, who longs to be a World War II hero but is denied military service because his mother is a war widow. When Albert finds out that his late father wasn't as upstanding as he'd thought, and that his mother has been a Nazi collaborator, he leaves his home and family and heads to Paris to join the French Resistance, passing himself off as a hero despite his sheltered life.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

In a larger sense, it's about our human weakness for inventing stories about ourselves, and telling them so often that we believe them.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Russell Smith

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Maria Garcia

Film Journal International

Clever as the commentary may be, you simply don't care what happens to the protagonist.

Jul 10, 2007

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jun 30, 2005

Full Review

Steve Rhodes

Internet Reviews

The first half of the film is hopelessly muddled with the latter half being relatively better.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

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Audience Member

It is simply a masterpiece, the best movie from its author Audiard and perhaps THE best movie. This work around memory, fiction and destiny goes deeper in my mind then Citizen Kane. Yes, it's that good. Coppola's jury gave it the 96 Cannes scenario prize, it shoud have been the palme d'or.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A very discrete hero...The movie begins with a little tale by Jean-Louis Trintignant which end is "the most beautiful life you can live is the one you invent"...A coward provincial leaves his little village at the end of WWII to "make it happen": he wants to be a hero although he cannot join the army. In Paris he meets a real soldier who tells him all about the army. Reading newspapers, he starts to invent his life as a French resistant till he becomes a leading light in the ministry of the army. The photography iand the pace of the film are fantastic. A wonderful script for a beautiful story.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Kasovitz est un brillant acteur dans ce film brillant.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A story about a man who deceives his way into success - in spectacular style and audacity. Kinda muddled, and I've yet to see a film from Audiard that really impressed me.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ce film est admirablement joue, l'histoire originale et interessante mais... mais j'ai pas accroche, voila, les temoignages sont superflus et compliquent superficiellement la trame. De plus, impossible de ressentir la moindre emotion.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"Les plus belles vies sont celles qu'on s'invente" Kassovitz parfait (super real ET acteur...), la voix d'Anouk Grinberg, Dupontel fantastique. Et surtout le scenario. En plus j ai decouvert Deniaux grace Ã ce film. Dernier point: j adore le principe selon lequel des enfants heureux donnent des adultes malheureux car forcement decu de la vie..Avec Requiem c'est le seul film que j'ai vu 2fois de suite au cinÃ© (fan je vous dis...lol)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

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Jacques Audiard

Director

Mathieu Kassovitz

Albert Dehousse

Anouk Grinberg

Servane

Sandrine Kiberlain

Yvette

Albert Dupontel

Dionnet

Nadia Barentin

The General's Wife

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Synopsis

This acclaimed French satire focuses on Albert Dehousse (Mathieu Kassovitz), a restless young man living in a small village, who longs to be a World War II hero but is denied military service because his mother is a war widow. When Albert finds out that his late father wasn't as upstanding as he'd thought, and that his mother has been a Nazi collaborator, he leaves his home and family and heads to Paris to join the French Resistance, passing himself off as a hero despite his sheltered life.

Director: Jacques Audiard
Producer: Patrick Godeau
Screenwriter: Jean-Francois Deniau, Alain Le Henry, Jacques Audiard
Distributor: Strand Releasing
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 30, 1996, Original
Box Office (Gross USA): $119.5K
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Dolby