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      Breathless

      Released Feb 7, 1961 1 hr. 30 min. Crime Drama List
      96% 80 Reviews Tomatometer 90% 25,000+ Ratings Audience Score Petty thug Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) considers himself a suave bad guy in the manner of Humphrey Bogart, but panics and impulsively kills a policeman while driving a stolen car. On the lam, he turns to his aspiring journalist girlfriend, Patricia (Jean Seberg), hiding out in her Paris apartment while he tries to pull together enough money to get the pair to Italy. But when Patricia learns that her boyfriend is being investigated for murder, she begins to question her loyalties. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Jul 23 Buy Now

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      Breathless

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      Breathless

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      Critics Consensus

      Breathless rewrote the rules of cinema -- and more than 50 years after its arrival, Jean-Luc Godard's paradigm-shifting classic remains every bit as vital.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Raymond S I don't get the "greatness" out of this thin soup. Only one thing stuck with me, the ambition of the famous writer. "Å bli udødelig, for så å dø" Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/24 Full Review Geffrey2.0 Had a good nap watching this. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/10/24 Full Review Abe A Every time I watch Breathless I see something different. The movie doesn't change; I do. The last time I saw it, maybe seven or eight years ago, I couldn't understand what I'd liked so much about it; it seemed empty and overrated. Today, after completing my most recent viewing, it's certainly right up there with the very best movies I've ever seen. It has the economy of plot and action of great art, an unusual intensity of characterization, a Parisian bonhomie and an intrepid cinema verite style that marries form with idea, one that fits ideally the subject matter. I didn't recall how suspenseful the movie actually is until I rewatched it; the dramatic tension and stepwise build-up to an impressive climax is striking. Belmondo, Seberg, cinema verite and this plot seem to come together in a unique fusion that may not be repeatable in a slower plot with different theme. It's unique. If you squint hard enough you can see the influence of this film on Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and many others. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/24 Full Review matthias s Picture this: a paper-thin plot meandering at a snail's pace, and in walks Michel Poiccard, a poster boy for cringe-worthy sexism! But wait, it gets even better – The perfect Patricia Franchini inexplicably falls head over heels for this guy! (How?!) If you're into romanticizing toxic relationships, then "Breathless" is the right film for you! But if you'd rather watch paint dry, go ahead and give it a whirl. One-star for patricia! Rated 1 out of 5 stars 11/15/23 Full Review Dani G One of Goddard's best. More sophisticated than previous work of him, but with the same essence that marked the filmmaker's career Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/08/23 Full Review Allan C Director Jean-Luc Godard's classic film, written by François Truffaut, is just as cool and rock and roll as it was when it first came out. BREATHLESS broke all the rules of cinema at the time and still has an energy to it you still don't see in many films. Jean-Paul Belmondo plays a small-time con man and thief who ends up wanted by the police following the murder of a motorcycle cop. Even cooler than Belmondo is his American journalist girlfriend, Jean Seberg. I'm a sucker for 1960s French New Wave cool, and this movie epitomized that sensibility. It's not an aesthetic that will appeal to all audiences, but for cinephiles who love this sort of thing, BREATHLESS is a cinematic high point. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/29/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Breathless

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      Critics Reviews

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      Roger Angell New Yorker The camera in Breathless, which was wielded by Raoul Coutard, is jumpy, fluid, irritable, and comic -- alive with glimpses, sudden turns, rude stares, and angry changes of mood. Jan 22, 2024 Full Review Archer Winsten New York Post It is a thin story, filled to the brim with extraordinary character of the modem, wild, criminal youth, as exemplified by Belmondo. Aug 11, 2022 Full Review Jake Wilson The Age (Australia) A hip, jokey thriller in which the sketchy plot serves as an excuse for stylistic flourishes and philosophical asides. Oct 5, 2018 Full Review David Harris Spectrum Culture In an era before social media, Breathless presages the hyper-narcissistic age we embody where everyone with a phone and an Instagram account can create and curate whatever type of existence they choose. Feb 27, 2024 Full Review Penelope Gilliatt Observer (UK) Breathless seems to me the most original, insolently gifted and shattering work the young French directors have, yet produced. Jan 22, 2024 Full Review Pauline Kael KPFA (Berkeley, CA) Breathless, the most important New Wave film which has reached the United States, is a frightening little chase comedy with no big speeches and no pretentions. Oct 17, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Petty thug Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) considers himself a suave bad guy in the manner of Humphrey Bogart, but panics and impulsively kills a policeman while driving a stolen car. On the lam, he turns to his aspiring journalist girlfriend, Patricia (Jean Seberg), hiding out in her Paris apartment while he tries to pull together enough money to get the pair to Italy. But when Patricia learns that her boyfriend is being investigated for murder, she begins to question her loyalties.
      Director
      Jean-Luc Godard
      Screenwriter
      Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut
      Production Co
      Imperia, Les Films Georges de Beauregard
      Genre
      Crime, Drama
      Original Language
      French (France)
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Feb 7, 1961, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 29, 2011
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $47.1K
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