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Gemma Bovery

Play trailer Poster for Gemma Bovery R Released May 29, 2015 1h 39m Romance Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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54% Tomatometer 89 Reviews 43% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
After moving to the French countryside with her husband (Jason Flemyng), a British beauty (Gemma Arterton) draws the attention of a local baker (Fabrice Luchini), a young playboy and her magnetic ex.
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Gemma Bovery

Gemma Bovery

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Critics Consensus

Gemma Bovery's bursts of charm -- among them Gemma Arterton's winsome performance in the title role -- are often enough to compensate for its lack of focus.

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Critics Reviews

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Tara Brady Irish Times A heavily eroticised Arterton enlivens the lumpy Franglais dialogue and Luchini wrings laughs from the unlovely vantage of voyeuristic saddo. But that's not enough to hold the film together, or, indeed, the viewer's interest. Rated: 2/4 Mar 7, 2016 Full Review Mark Kermode Observer (UK) Arterton has flirty fun with the title role, and her scenes with Luchini boast a satirical crackle that's missing elsewhere. Rated: 3/5 Aug 23, 2015 Full Review Charlotte O'Sullivan London Evening Standard Poor Arterton. She's genuinely gifted, but comes across as a lightweight. Rated: 2/5 Aug 21, 2015 Full Review Sergio Benítez Espinof The final perception of the production is that of having attended a meritorious effort to preserve the genius of the comic as much as possible. [Full Review in Spanish] Apr 15, 2020 Full Review Bertie Archer One Room With A View For all its Gallic charm, Gemma Bovery fails to find le note juste. As the film describes Flaubert's source material, nothing happens but at the same time it's (somewhat) interesting. Rated: 3/5 May 4, 2019 Full Review Daniel Barnes Dare Daniel The film is relatively light-hearted and digestible for a tragedy, with an intoxicating sensual intelligence that forgives the occasional flights of flippancy. Rated: 3.5/5 Apr 19, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jeffrey P B It was OK. Typical literary trope of bourgeois frustration, so satisfied boredom and self-indulgence consumes. I found the ending rather pressing, a bit of a stretch just for metaphorical thrills. Slow paced and rather pedestrian. If it weren't for Gemma, I would have turned it off very early. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/21/23 Full Review isla s I enjoyed this as a French film centering on English/British people. Its mostly in French but not entirely and I liked the subtlety it has. There are some thoughtful moments and nice settings, in lush gardens and the like. There are some fairly amusing moments, though it is a fairly cringe-y sort of comedy present at times. As the film went on and the plot progressed, I found it more amusing and ridiculous but in a good way, so it's fair to say I enjoyed it and I would recommend it to others, yes. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member - Gemma Bovery is a lush and sexy French village drama - Have I purposefully avoided reading Gustave Flaubert's groundbreaking classic about the tragic Madame Bovary? Yes. What can I say? Ill-fated stories generally tend to put me off. So why did I want to see a retelling of this tale set in modern-day Normandy? BECAUSE FRANCE. Who doesn't love stories set amidst freshly baked bread, an abundance of local wine, gossiping villagers, and the verdant French countryside? And I'm a sucker for imaginative retellings. This one, I am happy to say, did not disappoint. The movie opens with local baker Martin Joubert (Fabrice Luchini, L'Hermine, Bicycling with Molière) baking his bread for the day while listening to a broadcast about his favorite novel, Madame Bovary. He left his career at a publishing company in Paris to take over his father's bakery in the village, hoping for a quiet, peaceful life. But life in the country seems to be quite the opposite of what everyone expects. When Gemma Bovery (Gemma Arterton, Quantum of Solace, Tamara Drewe) arrives in the tiny village with her husband, Charles (Jason Flemyng, X-Men: First Class, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), she is instantly enchanted. It may have been his idea to relocate from London, but she is fully on board with his decision and determined to learn French, fix up their chateau, and completely immerse herself in this new life. Martin, ever the romantic, can't help but draw parallels between his new neighbors' names and their home in the village where Flaubert once lived. Gemma, for all her good intentions, gradually becomes bored of her quiet life. And the subtle expression of this boredom creeping in is what grabbed my attention and pulled me completely into her story. I love the French countryside, but I'm a true city girl at heart, and my personal experience of staying in a similarly small French village for a time made me sit up a bit in recognition and empathy as I watched the heroine seek a remedy to her boredom. The unforeseen problems with their ancient house, the lack of varied company, and their relative isolation all combine to chip at Gemma's marriage and make her seek the more exciting company of a neighboring college student. Martin (who has officially stepped into stalker territory by now) takes it upon himself to save Gemma Bovery from Emma Bovary's fate, and in so doing he manages to help her along the same destructive path. When confronted with Martin's conviction of her life imitating Flaubert's art, Gemma's confident assertion that she is simply herself, and that she (unlike her namesake) is capable of being happy, was an inspiring moment that, for me, sealed this film as a solid, decidedly modern retelling. Gemma Bovery made me laugh, it made me think, it tugged at memories and emotions like old friends...it even made me long to revisit the French countryside (just for a little while). Best enjoyed with a glass of wine and dark chocolate. ---------- This review was first published on Narrative Muse, http://www.narrativemuse.co/movies/gemma-bovery, and was written Micah Orsetti. Narrative Muse curates the best books and movies by and about women and non-binary folk on our website http://narrativemuse.co and our social media channels. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member A Charming little Movie. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Ah, the English-French culture clash! Loved the sad-faced neighbour and his forever critical wife. And their dog Gus. And then the local Englishman who loves France for its cheese and wine (only?). And his gushy French wife. And the local Adonis' mother. These are all truly memorable comic characters. I found these more interesting than the central couple, the Boverys. They make it well worth watching. The odd well-chosen Anglo-Saxon word or phrase (sometimes in French!) puts everyone in their place, including poor Gus! Nice soundtrack too. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member It's flaky and lacking in depth, but it still works Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Gemma Bovery

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Movie Info

Synopsis After moving to the French countryside with her husband (Jason Flemyng), a British beauty (Gemma Arterton) draws the attention of a local baker (Fabrice Luchini), a young playboy and her magnetic ex.
Director
Anne Fontaine
Producer
Philippe Carcassonne, Matthieu Tarot
Screenwriter
Anne Fontaine, Pascal Bonitzer, Pascal Bonitzer
Distributor
Music Box Films
Production Co
Canal+, Gaumont, France Télévision, Ruby Films, Ciné, Orange Cinéma Séries, Albertine Productions, Cinéfrance 1888, British Film Institute, France 2 Cinéma
Rating
R (Sexuality/Nudity|Language)
Genre
Romance, Comedy, Drama
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
May 29, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 29, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$191.5K
Runtime
1h 39m
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