My Journey Through French Cinema
Cohen Media Group | Release Date: June 23, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
87
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The New YorkerAnthony LaneJun 26, 2017
It would be a shame if the film were to be seen only by those already interested in French cinema. Anyone with an eye for grace, industry, resilience, rich shadows, and strong cigarettes should go along. Like the kid on that terrace in Lyon, you see the light. Read full review
100
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranJun 22, 2017
As its title indicates, My Journey Through French Cinema is personal with a capital “P,” a passionate, opinionated, drop-dead fascinating documentary essay about that country’s film history put together by a clear-eyed enthusiast who was born to tell the tale. Read full review
100
The New York TimesManohla DargisJun 22, 2017
Its explanatory title doesn’t begin to convey just how exhilarating or inspiring a documentary this truly is, and how excellent a trip this well-respected French director takes you on. Read full review
90
Village VoiceJordan HoffmanJun 20, 2017
The key word in the title is My. Bertrand Tavernier’s three-hours-and-change film-essay is not a history lesson. It’s an invitation to take the seat next to a renowned director as he shares the movies that mean something to him. Read full review
90
Screen DailyAllan HunterJun 19, 2017
Tavernier is a life-long cinema fan and every frame of this three hour documentary is a reflection of his passion, infectious enthusiasm and generous spirit. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeMark FeeneySep 6, 2017
A glorious late-summer pendant. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsJul 6, 2017
Modeled on Martin Scorsese's engaging first-person documentaries on the cinema, this one has its own avid personality and scholarly charm. Whoever you are, you'll learn a lot. Read full review
88
The Seattle TimesJohn HartlJun 22, 2017
The variety of inspirations (not to mention the visual quality of the film clips) is astonishing. Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerJul 14, 2017
It’s a great introduction to French cinema for all those who have yet to make its acquaintance. Read full review
80
Time Out LondonDave CalhounSep 15, 2017
This is Tavernier’s own film story so don’t expect a linear, full history of the cinema of the time. However, it’s anything but dry, as the film swoons with passion for Gallic films and filmmaking. Read full review
80
Total FilmTom DawsonSep 12, 2017
[Bertrand Tavernier] pays heartfelt tribute to the directors, stars and composers who ignited his passion. Read full review
80
TheWrapRobert AbeleJun 23, 2017
One of the biggest takeaways from "My Journey” and Tavernier’s enthusiasm for the confluence of image, performance, writing and sound is something hard to ignore the next time you see a contemporary film: the care of shot selection that previous generations deployed, and that barely exists in today’s sloppy, keep-filming-and-figure-it-out-later ethos. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerJun 19, 2017
Tavernier focuses on a dozen or so major and minor auteurs, showcasing their artistry in hundreds of film clips that he comments on with historical insight and aesthetic precision. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreJun 28, 2017
It’s worth the three hour investment in time only if you keep a notepad to jot down the hidden gems in France’s rich post-war film tradition. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireJun 23, 2017
The movie, then, is not just a niche film but a film for a niche of a niche. Rather than being ideal for people who know a bit about French cinema and want to know more, it’s best suited to people who know a considerable amount about French cinema (and culture) of the early sound era and want to delve deeper. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyJun 21, 2017
This focus on minutiae doesn’t paint a complete picture, nor is it meant to. But it underlines a point too rarely made: Every film is an accumulation of things the average person wouldn’t notice. If there’s a real educational function to criticism, it isn’t to inform, but to teach an audience how to look. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineClayton DillardJun 19, 2017
Bertrand Tavernier's exquisite documentary consistently avoids mere hagiography by looking to the films themselves. Read full review
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