Samba is a 2014 French comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache.[4][5] It is their second collaboration with actor Omar Sy following The Intouchables (2012).
| Samba | |
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.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Éric Toledano Olivier Nakache |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | Samba pour la France by Delphine Coulin |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine |
| Edited by | Dorian Rigal-Ansous |
| Music by | Ludovico Einaudi |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Gaumont |
Release dates |
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Running time | 119 minutes[1] |
| Country | France |
| Languages |
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| Budget | €15.4 million[2] ($16.8 million) |
| Box office | $39.2 million[3] |
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2014.[6] It was released theatrically in France on 15 October 2014,[7] and received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 24 July 2015.[8]
Premise
editSamba Cissé (Sy), a migrant from Senegal to France, works as a dish washer in a hotel. After a bureaucratic slip-up lands him in detention, he is ordered to leave France. With the help of a businesswoman (Charlotte Gainsbourg), he fights to stay in France.
Cast
edit- Omar Sy as Samba Cissé
- Charlotte Gainsbourg as Alice
- Tahar Rahim as Wilson
- Izïa Higelin as Manu
- Hélène Vincent as Marcelle
- Liya Kebede as Magali
- Clotilde Mollet as Josiane
- Isaka Sawadogo as Jonas
- Jacqueline Jehanneuf as Maggy
- Youngar Fall as Lamouna
- Christiane Millet as Madeleine
- Sabine Pakora as Gracieuse
- Olivier Nakache as the poney club host
- Éric Toledano as the bartender
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 61% based on 67 reviews, with an average score of 5.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Samba isn't the finest effort from directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, but the film's shortcomings are partly balanced by its big heart and talented cast."[9] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the film has a score of 53, based on 22 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[10] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B–" on an A+ to F scale.[11]
Peter Debruge of Variety called the film "A highly polished, widely appealing big-budget French movie." He praised Sy's performance, writing, "If nothing else, the pic cements Sy's position as one of France's most magnetic screen personalities, even more compelling to watch in serious scenes than in the obligatory comedic bits."[12]
However, Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter criticized the film's plot: "The film's message is lost amid too many plot contrivances." He concluded that it is "another crowdpleasing social dramedy from the makers of Intouchables, though one that wears out its welcome without bringing its message home."[13] Mark Adams from Screen Daily in his review said that it is a "well-meaning and occasionally joyous film that is ultimately too scattershot in its format and tone to really work".[14]
References
edit- ^ "Samba (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
- ^ "Samba (2014)". JP Box-Office (in French).
- ^ "Samba (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- ^ Obenson, Tambay A. (16 May 2014). "Cannes 2014 News – Omar Sy Teams Up w/ His 'Intouchables' Directors On 'Samba'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- ^ Milanesi, Antony (16 May 2014). "Omar Sy révèle la première photo officielle du film "Samba" sur Twitter" (in French). RTL. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Zeitchik, Steven (22 July 2014). "TIFF 2014: Reitman, Baumbach and Rock to premiere new films". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Heslassy, Elsa (15 May 2014). "Cannes: Gaumont Turns Buyers' Heads With Omar Sy's 'Samba'". Variety. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ "French Romantic Drama 'Samba' Set for U.S. Theatrical Release in July". Sinuous Magazine. 19 June 2015. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ "Samba (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ "Samba". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Tom, Brueggemann (26 July 2015). "Arthouse Audit: Is 'Phoenix' This Year's 'Ida'? 'Mr. Holmes' Stays Strong". IndieWire. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (17 September 2014). "Film Review: 'Samba'". Variety. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Mintzer, Jordan (5 September 2014). "'Samba': Toronto Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Adams, Mark (18 September 2014). "Samba". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
