On a Magical Night

2019

1 hr. 27 min.

Comedy

Drama

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List

66%

32 Reviews

Tomatometer

33%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

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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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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Audience Member

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Christophe Honoré

Director

Chiara Mastroianni

Maria Mortemart

Vincent Lacoste

Richard Warrimer 25 ans

Camille Cottin

Irène Haffner 40 ans

Benjamin Biolay

Richard Warrimer 40 ans

Stéphane Roger

La Volonté

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71%

48%

In the Courtyard

57%

46%

Sibyl

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for Sibyl

95%

44%

Baden Baden

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for Baden Baden

95%

58%

Jeune femme

89%

44%

Haute couture

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On a Magical Night: Trailer 1

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

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.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 22, 2020

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Simran Hans

Observer (UK)

[An] impish, rarefied morality play.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 21, 2020

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Phil Hoad

Guardian

On a Magical Night finally feels recitative of past lovelorn material - especially given the classic Paris setting - rather than fully alive.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 17, 2020

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Josh Parham

Next Best Picture

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.

Rated: 7/10

Jun 5, 2022

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Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

Even with the film's somewhat wacky tone, Honore constantly finds deeper observations that resonate strongly.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 25, 2020

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Scott Wilson

One Room With A View

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.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 22, 2020

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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
Screenwriter: Christophe Honoré
Production Co: France 2 Cinéma, Les Films Pelléas, Scope Pictures, Bidibul Productions
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 8, 2020
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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