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The Story of Marie and Julien

Play trailer Poster for The Story of Marie and Julien 2003 2h 30m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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62% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A clock repairman (Jerzy Radziwiłowicz) reunites with his former lover (Emmanuelle Béart), while remaining entangled in a blackmail plot.

Critics Reviews

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Peter Bradshaw Guardian 11/12/2007
2/5
All the story's power is allowed to leak away by the deliberative heaviness with which Rivette pads through his 150-minute narrative, with its exasperating lack of dramatic emphasis. Go to Full Review
Geoff Andrew Time Out 06/24/2006
Far from bad, but academic and -- for once with this director -- overlong. Go to Full Review
Alan Morrison Empire Magazine 04/01/2006
3/5
An intellectual exercise in metaphysical romance -- Ghost for art-house audiences. But what it gains from structural analysis, it loses in emotional impact. Go to Full Review
Dan Sallitt Senses of Cinema 10/17/2018
I can't always see what [director Jacquees] Rivette gains by stripping his presentation down to such bare patterns of encryption, but his cerebrality paradoxically heightens the sensual impact of his imagery. Go to Full Review
Philip French Observer (UK) 11/12/2007
For a picture about the fantastic and supernatural, it's a surprisingly flat and unmagical affair. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 10/10/2006
B-
An intellectually dazzling but slow-moving, dreary and somewhat pretentious chamberwork. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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david f 02/17/2016 Mystery and romance intertwine in this talky continental drama. See more 08/02/2014 A very deliberately paced story, it keeps the viewer guessing what the movie is really about for quite some time. Yet somehow it's not boring. You do need to have patience to fully appreciate it, though. See more 08/16/2013 (***): [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Its overlong by at least 25 minutes, but the story did keep me interested throughout. Marginal thumbs up. See more 01/20/2012 Pure nightmare. There is no ground under your feet, no light from lighthouse. Only cold at your spine. Amazing how it can be done so simple. See more 11/17/2010 Wanna know the difference between French films and American films? Here's the answer. SPOILER: This is how the French handled the basic theme of "Ghost." With much intelligence, much mystery, slow revealing, slow pacing -- and, thank goodness, no Whoopi Goldberg whatsoever. RECOMMENDATION: It's Emmanuelle Béart. Be there. See more 09/27/2010 A modest little gem. As you probably guessed, this is about the relationship between Marie and Julien who reconnect after sharing an unspecified though likely intimate encounter one year ago. Not long after meeting Marie, I thought to myself, "There is something wrong with this woman" and I was right although not nearly in the way I expected. To reveal any more would be irresponsible, all I will say is that any seasoned moviegoer has seen dozens of this kind of movie, but I have not seen one handled quite this way which was very gratifying. It is slow, long, and methodical, there is absolutely no music soundtrack, and often you must watch people performing actions in silence. However if you are patient and curious enough to discover the secrets, there is quite a surprise in store, some genuinely erotic love scenes, and a teary, fulfilling conclusion. I've seen over 25 of Emmanuelle Beart's films and this rates among her finest, plus it features a cat named Nevermore who gives one of the best feline performances of all time! I'm very glad I went into this blind and you will be thankful too the less you know. See more Read all reviews
The Story of Marie and Julien

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Movie Info

Synopsis A clock repairman (Jerzy Radziwiłowicz) reunites with his former lover (Emmanuelle Béart), while remaining entangled in a blackmail plot.
Director
Jacques Rivette
Producer
Martine Marignac
Screenwriter
Jacques Rivette
Distributor
Bright Angel Distribution
Production Co
Pierre Grisé Productions, Cinemaundici
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 12, 2003, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Aug 23, 2005
Runtime
2h 30m
Sound Mix
Stereo