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Madame Bovary

Play trailer Poster for Madame Bovary R 2015 1h 58m Romance History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
43% Tomatometer 68 Reviews 27% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Trapped in a loveless marriage and desperate for excitement, a doctor's wife (Mia Wasikowska) seeks love and fulfillment outside the bonds of matrimony.
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Madame Bovary

Madame Bovary

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Critics Consensus

Over the years, Flaubert's Madame Bovary has proven an exceedingly difficult novel to film -- and this version adds another disappointing entry to the list.

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Critics Reviews

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Robert Everett-Green Globe and Mail 07/03/2015
2/4
Barthes feels the need to improve on Flaubert, adding and dropping scenes and inventing social metaphors - mainly spiderwebs and corsets. Go to Full Review
Linda Barnard Toronto Star 07/02/2015
2.5/4
For a film about passion, it feels oddly flat and often passionless. Go to Full Review
J. R. Jones Chicago Reader 06/18/2015
With her thousand-mile frown, Mia Wasikowska was born to play Victorian heroines, though she's a little too intelligent and self-aware for Flaubert's Emma Bovary. Go to Full Review
Joanne Laurier World Socialist Web Site 08/13/2020
It is Rhys Ifans playing the merchant of fancy goods that fuel Emma Bovary's relentless desires, who brings much needed energy and vitality to the movie. Go to Full Review
Sarah Marrs Lainey Gossip 10/16/2017
There is a lot to admire about Barthes' production values, but little to actually enjoy in the storytelling. Go to Full Review
Jay Kuehner Cinema Scope 10/10/2017
Most crucially and delectably, it is language-Flaubert's mots précises-that sways with seductive power and portent, which Barthes taps for all its symbolic suggestion. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ray T Jan 14 For an adaptation of a book that centers itself around passion this film is cold, heartless, and leaves me wondering how on Earth I am supposed to empathize with the main character See more Jelisije J 04/07/2024 A movie that failed to adapt from its source material that left a husk of what should have been adapted. See more Vander A 07/21/2023 Wow these reviews are really surprising. But if you are a Flaubert fan, and if you have indeed read the book, and you know Flaubert's realistic message about life in all his work, you will have a much greater opinion of this movie than some of these negative reviews. This is an excellent adaptation and Mia W., whose quiet beauty perfectly casts her as the naive heroine, discovering her passions unfortunately too late to save her from a marriage devoid of equal passions for lust and life. The only negative I thought was the usually great Paul Giametti ill, and under, used in a small part. But the movie is overall excellent. See more 02/04/2021 The characters were not developed enough at all. She is "in love" but you never see them anywhere outside of bed really. When she feels for the black haired guy, then next thing is in bed with brown haired guy, I was like, "Did I miss something here????"" I felt nothing for her, she was greedy, selfish and while women were poor and working and walking by her, she had on RICH clothing. Did not care for the movie. Very empty. I am going to watch the 1949 one and hope for more! I must say, as others, I loved the scenery and the music. That saved it for me. But very very underdeveloped characters that one feels nothing for. See more 11/26/2020 Beautiful period adaptation of Flaubert's novel that deals with its complicated heroine! I feel that in this version, Flaubert's book main message is being respected. It is mostly about a woman wanting to experience all the pleasures of life and not being able to do it. Because of herself as well as because of her environment. I thought the actors and actresses were perfect in their role. In the end, Madame Bovary finds herself without friends and solutions. She understands how naive she has been with men and has no woman friend. Her whole world has collapsed. The cinematography and the costumes are simply gorgeous, but they're more than eye-candy, they are integrally connected to the emotional changes in Emma and the times in which she lived. See more 09/15/2020 I have not read much of the book so I can't speak for how well it follows, but I really liked the movie. The acting was excellent and there was barely any swearing or nudity. It was the first time I'd ever gotten jealous over a character's wardrobe. Emma Bovary's clothes were absolutely gorgeous. See more Read all reviews
Madame Bovary

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Movie Info

Synopsis Trapped in a loveless marriage and desperate for excitement, a doctor's wife (Mia Wasikowska) seeks love and fulfillment outside the bonds of matrimony.
Director
Sophie Barthes
Producer
Sophie Barthes, Felipe Marino, Jaime Mateus-Tique, Joe Neurauter
Screenwriter
Sophie Barthes, Felipe Marino
Distributor
Alchemy
Production Co
Scope Pictures, Left Field Ventures, A-Company Filmproduktion
Rating
R (Some Sexuality/Nudity)
Genre
Romance, History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 12, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 12, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$44.2K
Runtime
1h 58m
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