I Am Not Madame Bovary

Released Nov 18, 2016

2h 8m

Comedy

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I Am Not Madame Bovary: Trailer 1

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Tomatometer

54 Reviews

68%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

A café proprietor petitions the Chinese legal system after she is swindled by her ex-husband.

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Critics Consensus

I Am Not Madame Bovary's sly social commentary and well-constructed story anchor director Feng Xiaogang's visually experimental approach.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

Bingbing heads a terrific ensemble, although the sly anti-bureaucratic fun does feel a little overextended at 137mins.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 28, 2017

Full Review

Simran Hans

Observer (UK)

The film is uneven and lagging in pace. Still, it's frequently beautiful ...

Rated: 3/5

May 28, 2017

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

A film that luxuriates, through that beguiling round frame, in breathtaking, never-seen-before screen imagery.

Rated: 4/5

May 26, 2017

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Colin Stacy

Vague Visages

I Am Not Madame Bovary brilliantly executes its high-concept, formal experimentation perfectly. In doing so, it embodies a vision that harmonizes the theoretical with the actual.

Dec 6, 2023

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Paired with a complex performance from lead actress Bingbing Fan, an otherwise slight, arguably trite narrative makes this sharply observed beauty of a film all the more bitter and brittle.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 3, 2019

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Laura Davis

One Room With A View

Innovative aspect ratios and artful photography make I Am Not Madame Bovary a delight to watch, but it just doesn't leave enough to chew on.

Rated: 2/5

Mar 4, 2019

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isla s

One of my first thoughts about this film was that it reminded me of Wes Andersons 'Isle of Dogs' film, partly as its set in Asia but moreso due to the lighting, camerawork/cinematography and also the heavy use of tribal drumming, though there's narration present as well, which I think also applied to Isle of Dogs. It has a real quirkiness to it, this film. I liked how different scenes are shown in different aspect ratios, with the first part of the film almost entirely seen in a big round circle shape, that turns rectangular later. I also thought it had the feel of a traditional folk tale or similar. There's some witty dialogue present and as I did enjoy the cinematography, with some nice landscape panoramas and sunrise/sunsets shown. There is an emphasis on symmetry shown in the way some scenes are shown, if that makes sense. It depicts a sort of battle of wits and I thought it was amusing seeing how those in authority squirmed with the prospect of how to deal with the unhappy wife (divorced or otherwise). I wouldn't say its an entirely funny film as such but the story does have some moments or aspects that may make you smirk or oyu may otherwise find somewhat pleasing. If your not keen on reasonably slow and somewhat arty films then this may be a little plodding for your taste but if yout interested in quirky and amtospheric Asian films with an element of social commentary, then I'd say this is definitely worth seeing, yes.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

The film is aesthetically pleasing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Audience Member

Didn't finish... The premise of this movie is just silly...

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

Stylistic approach to a wonderful literary piece. I'm never a fan of Fan Bing Bing's acting and you don't see it much on here cos the camera is always faraway. Wise choice. The ending was actually quite satisfactory. I still don't particularly like the character cos she reminds me of a few people I know growing up who just doesn't give up after proven wrong and holds grudge forever. This is not exactly a movie you'd enjoy after a long work day.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

Bold and beautiful, and surprisingly funny.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

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Audience Member

A misguided, claustrophobic vignette takes away from the power of the story and the performances. With almost the entire film confined to a circular frame, with the action confined to less than half the screen, I Am Not Madame Bovary never seems to get started. The framing device makes for a compelling start, but then takes over everything until more time is spent contemplating the vast amount of negative space on the screen as opposed to the story. Maybe that was what the filmmaker intended, by it seems like a waste of the performers' time and talents.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

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Feng Xiao-Gang

Director

Fan Bingbing

Li Xuelian

Tao Guo

Zhao Datou

Da Peng

Wang Gongdao

Feng Xiao-Gang

Narrator

Liu Hua

Lao Hu

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Synopsis

A café proprietor petitions the Chinese legal system after she is swindled by her ex-husband.

Director: Feng Xiao-Gang
Screenwriter: Liu Zhenyun
Distributor: Well Go USA
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 18, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 6, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $436.6K
Runtime: 2h 8m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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