X
- 2023
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 1 h 56 m
- 2023
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 1 h 56 m
Summary Carmen (Melissa Barrera) survives a terrifying and dangerous illegal border crossing into the US, only to be confronted by a lawless volunteer border guard who cold-bloodedly murders two other immigrants in her group. When the border guard and his patrol partner, Aidan (Paul Mescal)—a Marine with PTSD—become embroiled in a deadly standof...
Directed By: Benjamin Millepied
- 2023
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 1 h 56 m
- 2023
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 1 h 56 m
Carmen
59
4.3
Where to Watch
Summary Carmen (Melissa Barrera) survives a terrifying and dangerous illegal border crossing into the US, only to be confronted by a lawless volunteer border guard who cold-bloodedly murders two other immigrants in her group. When the border guard and his patrol partner, Aidan (Paul Mescal)—a Marine with PTSD—become embroiled in a deadly standof...
Directed By: Benjamin Millepied
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 26 Critic Reviews
59
50% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
46% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
4% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 26 Critic Reviews
59
50% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
46% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
4% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Admittedly, Carmen is an acquired taste. But if you’re in the mood for something that will stun your senses, I highly recommended it.
The evocative, if narratively slight, doomed romance is charged with otherworldly intensity.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 12 User Ratings
4.3
17% Positive
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
50% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
33% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 12 User Ratings
4.3
17% Positive
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
50% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
33% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
IN A NUTSHELL:
Congratulations to dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied in his directorial debut. He reimagines the famous French opera Carmen into a modern dreamscape with original songs and musical score.
Writing credits go to Loic Barrere, Alexander Dinelaris, and Lisa Loomer.
THINGS I LIKED:
I'm such a fan of Melissa Barrera. As soon as I saw she was in this, I was all in. She gets better and better with each of her films. She can sing, dance, and act like a pro. Beyond that, she looks a lot like my son's girlfriend from Cuba!
The haunting musical score by Nicholas Britell is excellent.
When I lived in Spain, I went to Flamenco dance lessons! It was fun and interesting to see that element embedded into the story. The woman at the beginning of the movie was really great.
The movie is supposed to take place around the Mexican/US border somewhere, but the movie was actually filmed in Oz, Australia.
There's an interesting scene where one character washes another's feet and rubs them with oil, reminiscent of Jesus Christ anointing the feet of His disciples.
The fight scene was cleverly done in dance form.
All of the choreography is just beautiful to watch. Dancers will love that element of the movie. It's fun to watch how the story moves forward with what we learn in the dance sequences, as well as how things are "said" through dance.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
The first 11 minutes are in Spanish. We hear accents and voices from Mexico mostly, but also from Spain.
Those who are unfamiliar with the French opera, Carmen, won't have a clue what's going on in the beginning or how it relates to the opera.
It would have been nice to have some singing at the beginning of the film. We don't hear a song until 15 minutes into the movie.
This is definitely an artsy-fartsy film that won't be everyone's cup of tea.
I hated seeing Melissa Barrera smoke and go topless. (Yep, that's the protective mother in me.)
TIPS FOR PARENTS:
Kids will be extremely bored.
We see a one-legged man in a wheelchair
Racist names for Mexicans
A lot of Spanish is spoken without subtitles
We see an unmarried couple take off their clothes (pants on)
Report
O Paul Mescal está muito sexy no papel de um militar simpático a imigrantes, mas o filme infelizmente não ajuda muito: tem uma fotografia encantadora especialmente quando filme o deserto e a cultura latina, mas cai num tom tão melancólico, depressivo, fazendo uso amplo de slow motion, que dá até sono em muitos momentos. Tudo isso numa tentativa de contornar um roteiro superficial. 20 minutos a menos cairia bem ao filme, quis se levar muito a sério.
Report
Carmen is a largely enjoyable outing, fueled by a fresh take on the narrative and two leads with great expressiveness and a lot of on-screen chemistry. Barrera's dancing is truly beautiful, the choreography is inspired, and the gorgeous score pulls it all together.
Millepied’s foray into directing does well to shine the spotlight on Barrera and Mescal’s chemistry, as well as demonstrating how you can tell a story through movement alone.
Ambitious ideas and stunning visuals do not make for a great film, but Millepied should consider following his instincts to fight for an all-dance musical for his next feature.
The dancing and photography are striking, and the acting’s perfectly fine. But the sum of it all is a moony inertia, lacking any awakening spark of life.
Millepied’s debut . . . is a woefully pretentious and uninvolving slog, an arthouse screen-saver only sporadically ignited by its two best components: composer Nicholas Britell and Almodovar regular Rossy de Palma as a flamboyant nightclub owner-performer.
Aside from being known as Natalie Portman's husband, Benjamin Millepied is a highly regarded dancer and choreographer. However, it's essential to acknowledge that this doesn't necessarily translate to proficiency as a film director.
Carmen is a visually captivating film that boasts an engaging style. The two lead actors, Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal, do their best to immerse themselves in the atmosphere. However, despite these elements, the film fails to breathe life into its story. It never gets the spark that would make it explode and, at times, seems to stagnate without making any significant breakthroughs.
While it may pique your interest due to its deviation from typical mainstream offerings, it's worth noting that Carmen is not a film that readily opens its doors to friendliness or accessibility.
However, even if the film doesn't intrigue you, I highly recommend listening to the soundtrack, which proves to be the standout feature of the movie. Personally, I discovered the soundtrack first, and it motivated me to give the film a chance.
Report
The photography and sound design are cool, but the acting and the writing are bad. Paul Mescal is on autopilot, and Melissa Barrera's performance doesn't transmit much. So much style over substance
Report
Production Company
Chapter 2,
Goalpost Pictures,
TF1 Studio,
France 2 Cinéma,
Marvelous Productions,
Screen New South Wales,
Spectrum Films,
Adelaide Film Festival,
Canal+,
Ciné+,
France Télévisions
Release Date Apr 21, 2023
Duration 1 h 56 m
Rating R
Tagline Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame...
Awards
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
London Critics Circle Film Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Miami Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
