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The Beat That My Heart Skipped

Play trailer Poster for The Beat That My Heart Skipped Released Jul 1, 2005 1h 47m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 98 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Tom Seyr (Romain Duris), a violent thug with a heart, grows weary of cracking heads for his smarmy, mediocre gangster father, Robert (Niels Arestrup), and longs for a chance at something else. A fortuitous encounter prompts Tom to renew his classical piano playing, like his mother before him, and he begins to study with piano teacher Miao Lin (Linh Dan Pham). But when he starts a passionate affair with Aline (Aure Atika), the wife of one of his cronies, his new happiness may be short-lived.
The Beat That My Heart Skipped

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Stylish and visceral, this able remake is infused with realism, grit, and a taut performance by star Romain Duris.

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Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Niels Arestrup is striking as the hero's slumlord father. Apr 7, 2010 Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian [Duris] is pure star quality: gloweringly sexy, hypnotically unstable and needy, combining rage and vulnerability in his handsome, delicate face. Jan 27, 2007 Full Review Philip Kemp Sight & Sound Altogether, Audiard's movie hangs together better than Toback's: it's more coherent in its construction, far less arbitrary in its dialogue, and more plausible and considered in its characterisation. Sep 28, 2006 Full Review Paul Dale The List Duris is phenomenal in the lead role -- a good-looking wire ball of tightly-wound ill temper -- as are the rest of the cast. Rated: 4/5 Apr 26, 2019 Full Review Hannah Brown Jerusalem Post This violent film, which swept the Cesar awards (the French Oscars) this year, provides a nuanced portrait of a conflicted young man who can never completely break away from the dark world in which he has grown up. Rated: 3.5/4 Mar 21, 2016 Full Review Urban Cinefile Critics Urban Cinefile Relying on the enigmatic and sultry charisma of Romain Duris, The Beat My Heart Skipped is a mesmerising portrait of a man torn by two very different sides of his personality. Oct 18, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Wow! (That's French for Wow!) Romain Duris is magnifique. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Compelling film of a thug who shockingly is spending his spare time attempting to become a concert pianist; but one can only fall so far from the tree Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I like this movie very much! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Great directing great cast Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/23/17 Full Review Audience Member Jacques Audiard's fourth full-lenght. His fifth, "A Prophet" gave him true recognition but his earlier efforts is also of excellent quality. We meet Tom. A man that's a semi-crook and mostly does violent one time jobs for a living. He's helping out his just as crooked father sometimes, or he is helping out his friends - for business or when they need cover for cheating sessions. He is not a happy man, but playing the piano seem to uplift him a bit. He never plays it as much as he really wants to, but he is changing this during the film, as he takes up lessons. Never a dull moment, great pace and some neat shots and scenes. Great acting and a very decent crime drama, with some mild action and thrilling moments. 7.5 out of 10 rats. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member "CHAOTIC | EMOTIONAL | ORIGINAL | POWERFUL | SPECTACULAR" (86-out-of-100) Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Beat That My Heart Skipped

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Cast & Crew

The Doom Generation 55% 62% The Doom Generation Watchlist A Prophet 96% 89% A Prophet Watchlist Time to Leave 74% 79% Time to Leave Watchlist Brothers 89% 85% Brothers Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Tom Seyr (Romain Duris), a violent thug with a heart, grows weary of cracking heads for his smarmy, mediocre gangster father, Robert (Niels Arestrup), and longs for a chance at something else. A fortuitous encounter prompts Tom to renew his classical piano playing, like his mother before him, and he begins to study with piano teacher Miao Lin (Linh Dan Pham). But when he starts a passionate affair with Aline (Aure Atika), the wife of one of his cronies, his new happiness may be short-lived.
Director
Jacques Audiard
Producer
Pascal Caucheteux
Screenwriter
Jacques Audiard, Tonino Benacquista
Distributor
Wellspring Media
Production Co
Why Not Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 1, 2005, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Nov 22, 2005
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.0M
Runtime
1h 47m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)