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On a Magical Night

Play trailer 1:59 Poster for On a Magical Night 2019 1h 27m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
65% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 33% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
After 20 years of marriage, Maria decides to leave her home, go to the hotel across the street and contemplate her life.
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On a Magical Night

On a Magical Night

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Critics Consensus

It isn't quite as exceptional as the titular evening, but On a Magical Night offers enough Gallic whimsy to satisfy audiences in the mood for some romance.

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Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher The Times (UK) 06/22/2020
2/5
Yet, somehow, inexplicably, the movie is ponderous and flat, and needlessly freighted with tedious exchanges about the transience of love and the requirements of fidelity. Go to Full Review
Simran Hans Observer (UK) 06/21/2020
3/5
[An] impish, rarefied morality play. Go to Full Review
Phil Hoad Guardian 06/17/2020
3/5
On a Magical Night finally feels recitative of past lovelorn material - especially given the classic Paris setting - rather than fully alive. Go to Full Review
Josh Parham Next Best Picture 06/05/2022
7/10
There are moments when the pace isn’t as engaging and some of the set pieces fall flat, but Honoré still manages to keep things moving in a way that makes this fanciful character study interesting. Go to Full Review
Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall 06/25/2020
4/5
Even with the film's somewhat wacky tone, Honore constantly finds deeper observations that resonate strongly. Go to Full Review
Scott Wilson One Room With A View 06/22/2020
3/5
Like a magical realist A Christmas Carol for couples two decades into a marriage, On a Magical Night is a playful and adult examination of long-term commitment. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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02/08/2020 There's something rather charming, perhaps magical even, about Christophe Honore's latest bonkers of a film in which a long time married couple reassess their marriage after the husband found out that his wife has been having a series of extra-marital affairs with various, mostly younger, men. Moving to the hotel room across their apartment for one night to consider their options separately, they are both visited by various metaphorical and imaginary characters who tries to help them decide whether to carry on or call it quits. This is an entirely Gallic conceit, done in a splendidly matter-of-fact manner, and the way past, present and future collide here has a It's A Wonderful Life feel to it that only a French film can get away with. Deliberately theatrical in its presentation and styling, the film throws realism and caution to the wind, and the end result is a funny and often profound and resonating film, if you can go with its heightened stylings, and especially so for those in the audience who are in similarly long term relationships. The central quartet of actors are gamed and their delightful performances, though at times exaggerated, only serve to highlight the fantastical nature of the film and thankfully never cross into caricatures or panto. Part What-If fantasy, part farce, this might not be everyone's cup of tea but I find its ruminations on the concepts of love, memories and human nature endearing and certainly undeniable. This film might be light as a soufflé but it's also delicate and enjoyable if it's done right like this one is. See more Read all reviews
On a Magical Night

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Movie Info

Synopsis After 20 years of marriage, Maria decides to leave her home, go to the hotel across the street and contemplate her life.
Director
Christophe Honoré
Producer
Philippe Martin, David Thion
Screenwriter
Christophe Honoré
Production Co
Bidibul Productions, Scope Pictures, Les Films Pelléas, France 2 Cinéma
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
French (France)
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 8, 2020
Runtime
1h 27m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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