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Gagarine

Play trailer 1:39 Poster for Gagarine Released Apr 1, 2022 1h 37m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 45 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Teenager Youri (gifted newcomer Alseni Bathily) has lived his whole life in the tight-knit community of Gagarine, even being named after the famed Russian cosmonaut who inaugurated it in 1963. From the heights of his apartment, the science wiz dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when plans to demolish his home are leaked, Youri joins the resistance, embarking on a mission to save Gagarine, resolved to keep both the building and its community alive. Working tirelessly with best friend Houssam (Jamil McCraven) and Diana (Lyna Khoudri), a mechanically-minded Roma girl he has a crush on, Youri ingeniously transforms the housing project into his own "starship" before it disappears into space forever.
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Gagarine

Gagarine

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Critics Consensus

Balancing whimsy-tinged magic realism against serious themes of community and displacement, Gagarine is as bracingly original as it is ultimately poignant.

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Critics Reviews

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Ronda Racha Penrice TheWrap Through the very real circumstances of the Cité Gagarine, directors Liatard and Trouilh put faces and names to the many public policy discussions conducted in private that destroy both the lives and legacies of real people. Apr 1, 2022 Full Review Odie Henderson RogerEbert.com The camaraderie between the characters is so strong and effective that Liatard and Trouilhs occasional forays into magical realism feel intrusive and forced. Rated: 3/4 Apr 1, 2022 Full Review Joe Morgenstern Wall Street Journal It’s a piece of urban history seen through the lens of magic realism, a fragile but beguiling fantasy, tethered now and then to gritty reality, about a do-gooder doing the best he can against daunting odds. Apr 1, 2022 Full Review Hector A. Gonzalez Loud and Clear Reviews Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s feature debut, Gagarine, is a beautifully told story about shattered dreams with magical realism attached to it. Rated: 3.5/5 Mar 24, 2024 Full Review Javier Ocaña El Pais (Spain) Just when the movie flails and meanders, Liatard and Trouih surprise us with an extraordinary tonal and genre shift... [Full review in Spanish] Jun 7, 2022 Full Review Soham Gadre Film Inquiry Charming and sympathetic portrayals by Alséni Bathily and Lyna Khoudri make Gagarine feel warmly satisfying and make it a passable and peculiar French indie. Jun 5, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Raph G How strange and ethereal must be the feeling of being the last man standing, when everything and nothing are at stake... Gagarine will fly you to a very special place. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Touching, imaginative, original, thought provoking. Stuttered occasionally, particularly at character intersections and relationship development. Main character never quite felt fully fleshed out. Would have enjoyed a deeper dive into his psychology, the character always seemed slightly at odds with his eccentric behaviour. Still though, these really are not that big an issue, it's a beautiful film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review dave d 'Gagarine' was first a short documentary French film turned into a feature length fictional drama. It should have stayed a short as this was stretched and mostly unenjoyable. When you only have 45 minutes (AT MOST) of material or words on the page you simply can't expect a 97 minute feature to work. The movie once again shows the disconnect between the real people watching movies and elitist critics. Newcomer Alséni Bathily turns in an eye-opening performance as Yuri which is the best part of the picture. Too many unexplained montages in a film that is way too contemplative. With supporting characters criminally underdeveloped and the stakes never really explained, 'Gagarine' in a colossal wasted chance to put the underserved in focus. That focus should have been SOLELY on people displaced from their homes and relationships potentially altered forever. Giant swing and a miss. Final Score: 3/10 Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Mauro L (Mauro Lanari) "Balancing whimsy-tinged magic realism against serious themes of community and displacement, Gagarine is as bracingly original as it is ultimately poignant" (RT). Suffused with an extraordinary demure halo, glocal, mic-mac, innernaut-cosmonaut maximized from the banlieue to the moon and from deep space to the suspended return: a memorable debut. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/02/24 Full Review isla s This film has a lovely dreamlike feel to it. It depicts young adults trying to escape their barren surroundings, dreaming of a better, more exciting life, wondering what may exist, to be explored in space. I suppose in a way its an example of a compelling escapist, or immersive, film, that does well at pulling the viewer in to the world of the characters on screen. I can certainly relate to having a curious imagination. It is a bit of an arty film, so possibly may be a little too abstract for some peoples taste but its definitely got a nice warmth to it, which I enjoyed. I particularly liked the library footage of space explorations shown in between scenes set on Earth and the floaty/dreamlike music softly played in the background at times. I also liked the use of bright colours, particularly red, to emphasise some brief scenes as depicting imagined scenarios. Yes, I'd recommend this film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review wayne m Gagarine is an intriguing and beautiful film. One that combines realism with magic with great skill. Set in Cite Gagarine in Paris it concerns itself with a group of young friends coming to terms with losing their home. Cite Gagarine are high rise apartments built in the 1970s and named after famed Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The main character is named Youri too and he is a 16yo boy trying to keep the block of apartments afloat by undertaking repairs. The commnunity wants to keep the block alive but the council is determined to demolish them. Youri also has a fascination with space and the film blends quite well the realistic nature of everyday life and his 'magic world' of looking to the stars. Alseni Bathily is superb in the lead role. This is a lovely film that was compelling to watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Gagarine

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Movie Info

Synopsis Teenager Youri (gifted newcomer Alseni Bathily) has lived his whole life in the tight-knit community of Gagarine, even being named after the famed Russian cosmonaut who inaugurated it in 1963. From the heights of his apartment, the science wiz dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when plans to demolish his home are leaked, Youri joins the resistance, embarking on a mission to save Gagarine, resolved to keep both the building and its community alive. Working tirelessly with best friend Houssam (Jamil McCraven) and Diana (Lyna Khoudri), a mechanically-minded Roma girl he has a crush on, Youri ingeniously transforms the housing project into his own "starship" before it disappears into space forever.
Director
Fanny Liatard, Jérémy Trouilh
Producer
Julie Billy, Carole Scotta
Screenwriter
Fanny Liatard, Jérémy Trouilh, Benjamin Charbit
Distributor
Cohen Media Group
Production Co
Haut et Court, France 3 Cinéma
Genre
Drama
Original Language
French (France)
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 1, 2022, Limited
Runtime
1h 37m
Aspect Ratio
Digital 2.39:1
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