Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Cézanne and I

R Released Mar 31, 2017 1h 54m History Drama Biography TRAILER for List
53% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Painter Paul Cézanne (Guillaume Gallienne) develops a strong friendship with writer Émile Zola (Guillaume Canet) in 19th-century France.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Cézanne and I

Critics Reviews

View All (49) Critics Reviews
J. R. Jones Chicago Reader The lifelong friendship between painter Paul Czanne and novelist Emile Zola gets a sensitive but occasionally soapy treatment from French writer-director Danile Thompson (Jet Lag). Apr 27, 2017 Full Review Ann Hornaday Washington Post It's a touching evocation of friendship, brotherly competition and artistic courage at the cusp of a new century. Rated: 2.5/4 Apr 20, 2017 Full Review Wendy Ide Observer (UK) The film wears its luxuriant production design with the same satisfaction as the newly wealthy Zola does his brocade dressing gown. Rated: 3/5 Apr 17, 2017 Full Review Leo Brady AMovieGuy.com Cezanne and I is a film about friendship conflicting with creation. Rated: 3/4 Feb 15, 2021 Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site The director apparently wanted to concentrate on Cézanne's private woes and sufferings. But why should that concern and the broader social concern be mutually exclusive? Feb 10, 2021 Full Review Erin Blackwell Bay Area Reporter Alas, Paul Cezanne and his friend Emile Zola, the titular "Me," are not so well-served by director Daniele Thompson. Jun 8, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (4) audience reviews
william k Well-made biographical drama is focused on the legends' complex and explosive friendship, with fully believable performances by Canet and Gallienne, and enhanced by Jean-Marie Dreujou's remarkable camerawork, but somehow neglects to explore or even explain the protagonists' importance in art and literature history. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A tad heavy on friends-who-show-their-artistic-passion-and-love-to-each-other-by-constantly-yelling, but otherwise enjoyable! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Aside from some interesting shots of the beautiful Provencal landscape, whose colors were, too, exaggerated to look like a painting, the movie offers very little. What's most evident is the research that went into the writing. Still raw and unpolished, the writing doesn't create a coherent story that combines both the story of Cezanne and Zola's bromance, and their art. Several aspects of the movie didn't even ring true. Cezanne is largely portrayed as a loser, hostile and moody, cut off from the Parisian art world. No mention of him being largely admired by his peers (in 1900, Maurice Denis even paints "Homage to Cezanne" with some of the most famous painters of the time, surrounding one of Cezanne's paintings). Even though in real life he rarely drew nudes from life and more from imagination, in the movie we see him drawing nudes from life most of the time. The movie is pretentious for all the wrong reasons, and offers the bare minimum. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Colorful, with a boring directing. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Cézanne and I

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Papa: Hemingway in Cuba 11% 54% Papa: Hemingway in Cuba TRAILER for Papa: Hemingway in Cuba The Devil's Violinist 31% 45% The Devil's Violinist The Liberator 38% 65% The Liberator Life 64% 45% Life TRAILER for Life LBJ 56% 54% LBJ TRAILER for LBJ Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Painter Paul Cézanne (Guillaume Gallienne) develops a strong friendship with writer Émile Zola (Guillaume Canet) in 19th-century France.
Director
Danièle Thompson
Producer
Albert Koski
Screenwriter
Danièle Thompson
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
France 2 Cinéma, G Films, Orange Studio, Pathé, Alter Films
Rating
R (Nudity|Language|Sexual References)
Genre
History, Drama, Biography
Original Language
French (France)
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 31, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 8, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$257.1K
Runtime
1h 54m
Most Popular at Home Now