# Barbara (2017 film)

Barbara is a 2017 French drama film directed by Mathieu Amalric. It stars Jeanne Balibar and Mathieu Amalric. It tells the story of an actress who prepares to portray the famous French singer Barbara. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2017. It was released in France on 6 September 2017.

## Plot

Brigitte is preparing for the role of the famous French singer Barbara. The actress carefully studies the character, gestures, manners, and intonations. She learns the music scores, mimics her facial expression, but, as Brigitte does and more and more of it, she gradually merges with the character. The director is also preparing to shoot the film: he studies archival footage and painstakingly selects the music. He is inspired and even possessed—but with Barbara or with her new incarnation?

## Cast

* Jeanne Balibar as Brigitte
* Mathieu Amalric as Yves Zand
* Vincent Peirani as Roland Romanelli
* Aurore Clément as Esther
* Grégoire Colin as Charley Marouani

## Release

The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2017. It was released in France on 6 September 2017.

## Reception
### Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 84% based on 19 reviews, and an average rating of 7/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Jay Weissberg of Variety praised Jeanne Balibar's performance in the film, saying: "She has not only Barbara's look but also her gestures down pat, and the uncanny way in which the editing conflates actress with subject keeps interest relatively high." Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "a self-reflexive and sometimes screamingly self-indulgent work that's strictly for hardcore French viewers and festivals."

### Accolades

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Cannes Film Festival | 27 May 2017 | Poetry of Cinema | Barbara | Won |
| Prix Jean Vigo | 12 June 2017 | Best Film | Barbara | Won |
| Louis Delluc Prize | 15 December 2017 | Best Film | Barbara | Won |
| Lumières Award | 5 February 2018 | Best Film | Barbara | Nominated |
| Lumières Award | 5 February 2018 | Best Director | Mathieu Amalric | Nominated |
| Lumières Award | 5 February 2018 | Best Actress | Jeanne Balibar | Won |
| Lumières Award | 5 February 2018 | Best Cinematography | Christophe Beaucarne | Won |
| César Award | 2 March 2018 | Best Film | Barbara | Nominated |
| César Award | 2 March 2018 | Best Director | Mathieu Amalric | Nominated |
| César Award | 2 March 2018 | Best Actress | Jeanne Balibar | Won |
| César Award | 2 March 2018 | Best Original Screenplay | Mathieu Amalric, Philippe Di Folco | Nominated |
| César Award | 2 March 2018 | Best Cinematography | Christophe Beaucarne | Nominated |
| César Award | 2 March 2018 | Best Editing | François Gédigier | Nominated |
| César Award | 2 March 2018 | Best Sound | Olivier Mauvezin, Nicolas Moreau, Stéphane Thiébaut | Won |
| César Award | 2 March 2018 | Best Costume Design | Pascaline Chavanne | Nominated |
| César Award | 2 March 2018 | Best Production Design | Laurent Baude | Nominated |