On a Magical Night
| On a Magical Night | |
|---|---|
 French theatrical release poster | |
| French | Chambre 212 |
| Directed by | Christophe Honoré |
| Written by | Christophe Honoré |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Rémy Chevrin |
| Edited by | Chantal Hymans |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Memento Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
| Countries | |
| Language | French |
| Box office | $3 million[2][3] |
On a Magical Night (French: Chambre 212, lit. 'Room 212') is a 2019 comedy film written and directed by Christophe Honoré and starring Chiara Mastroianni.[4] It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where Mastroianni won the award for Best Performance.[5][6]
Premise[edit]
College lecturer of law Maria has been married to Richard for twenty years. After revealing her history of affairs with other men, she leaves their Paris apartment and spends the night in a hotel across the street. She is visited by her ex-lovers, as well as Richard's younger self.
Cast[edit]
- Chiara Mastroianni as Maria Mortemart
- Vincent Lacoste as Richard Warrimer at 20 years old
- Benjamin Biolay as Richard Warrimer at 40 years old
- Camille Cottin as Irène Haffner at 40 years old
- Carole Bouquet as Irène Haffner at 60 years old
- Marie-Christine Adam as Maria's mother
Production[edit]
The film's working title was Musique de chambre.[7] Christophe Honoré wrote the screenplay of the film for Chiara Mastroianni, imagining her as "a Cary Grant-type character."[8] It is Honoré's first film that was shot in a studio.[8] It was shot in six weeks, five of which were in the studio.[8] Filming wrapped on 19 March 2019.[9]
Release[edit]
The film had its premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival[10] on 19 May 2019.[11] It was released in France on 9 October 2019.[3][1] It was released as video on demand via virtual cinema on 8 May 2020.[12]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
On a Magical Night grossed $0 in the United States and Canada and $2.9 million in other territories.[2][3]
Critical response[edit]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 66% based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "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."[13] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 53 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[14]
Stephen Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "Breezy and bright, with the stylized look and feel of a stage play".[15] Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote, "At 90 minutes, the film feels endless, and we have too much time to notice that the two actors playing Richard seem like two totally different people, and that the film has holes in its fantasy logic you could drive a truck through."[16]
Chiara Mastroianni won the Best Performance award in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.[17][18]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "On a Magical Night (Chambre 212)". Cineuropa. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Chambre 212 (2019)". The Numbers. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ a b c "On a Magical Night (2019)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "The Screenings Guide 2019". Cannes Film Festival. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Cannes festival 2019: full list of films". The Guardian. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (25 May 2019). "Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' Wins the Palme d'Or at Cannes". Variety. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ Lemercier, Fabien (12 March 2019). "Christophe Honoré about to wrap the shoot for Chambre 212". Cineuropa. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ a b c Lemercier, Fabien (21 May 2019). "Christophe Honoré • Director of On A Magical Night". Cineuropa. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ Lemercier, Fabien (18 April 2019). "France, Spain and the US rule the roost in Un Certain Regard". Cineuropa. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ Lemercier, Fabien (7 May 2019). "Charades charges headlong towards Cannes with a slate of 19 titles". Cineuropa. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ Malinjod, Eugénie (19 May 2019). "Chambre 212 (On a Magical Night), as seen by Christophe Honoré". Cannes Film Festival. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (8 May 2020). "New Movies to Watch This Week: 'Becoming,' 'Valley Girl,' 'How to Build a Girl'". Variety. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ "On a Magical Night (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ "On a Magical Night Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ Dalton, Stephen (19 May 2019). "'On a Magical Night' ('Chambre 212'): Film Review | Cannes 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (24 May 2019). "Cannes Film Review: 'On a Magical Night'". Variety. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (24 May 2019). "Brazil's 'Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão' Wins Cannes Un Certain Regard Award". Variety. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (24 May 2019). "Cannes' Un Certain Regard Prizes Led By 'The Invisible Life Of Euridice Gusmao'; 'Beanpole's Kantemir Balagov Named Best Director". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
