Beau travail
User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 17
  3. Negative: 4 out of 17

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  1. JeffA
    Jan 1, 2010
    1
    Ugh, another pretentious, boring "art" film. Truly lame. What is it with the french? I see so many of the worst films coming from there.
  2. Yvan
    Dec 9, 2009
    10
    A stunning, melancholy film. Easily one of the best of the decade.
  3. IanP.
    Apr 20, 2001
    10
    A masterwork - and most films I have seen lately would get ratings between 2-3.
  4. EricP.
    May 6, 2003
    3
    The tendency with some French films: to think that being vague can manufacture a sense of the profound. This is not the case. When the film was over, I simply didn't care about anything I had just watched. A saw little evidence of a creative vision being brought to life. It was shallow and lazy.
  5. MikeG
    Dec 4, 2004
    2
    The dancing is great, and the cinematography is wonderful. But it's a disjointed, often confusing movie, especially if you're not familiar with Billy Budd.
  6. Jean-ClaudeV.
    Dec 2, 2002
    8
    Dark, sinister, and distinctly French, this film did everything right except for the stock footage and narrative. An terrific final scene.
  7. JoshT.
    Sep 27, 2002
    10
    A mesmerizingly lyrical and enigmatic masterpiece; the best French film of the decade.
  8. MatthewD.
    Jan 22, 2004
    10
    Pure cinema. Easily the most powerful movie I've seen in years. Claire Denis' masterwork. Simply beautiful.
  9. JohnM
    Feb 14, 2008
    10
    Beautiful. And that ending..... elusive, yet unforgettable. One of the best concluding sequences I've ever seen.
  10. Elliott
    Nov 15, 2002
    10
    It's like a marvelous ballet acted on the most breathtaking set you've ever seen.
  11. MaxA.
    Dec 17, 2006
    2
    Brooding, plodding, self-conscious and silly. This is a caricature of a French art film. It goes nowhere for an hour and a half while the protagonist poses and smokes lots of cigarettes. In a word: merde.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Foreman
    63
    So minimalist in characterization and dialogue that the plot all but evaporates -- and so does any dramatic power.
  2. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    100
    Unique and unforgettable.
  3. San Francisco Examiner
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    100
    Elegant.
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