X
  • 2012
  • PG-13
  • The Weinstein Company
  • 1 h 49 m
  • 2012
  • PG-13
  • The Weinstein Company
  • 1 h 49 m

Summary Set in occupied WWII France, War of the Buttons tells the tale of pre-teen rebel Lebrac and the "war" he leads between two rival kid gangs from neighboring villages. Once Lebrac falls for Violette, a young Jewish girl who is new in town and in danger of being exposed by the Nazis, the children are faced with putting their own conflicts a...

Directed By: Christophe Barratier

Written By: Stéphane Keller, Thomas Langmann, Philippe Lopes-Curval, Louis Pergaud, Christophe Barratier

  • 2012
  • PG-13
  • The Weinstein Company
  • 1 h 49 m
  • 2012
  • PG-13
  • The Weinstein Company
  • 1 h 49 m
War of the Buttons
Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 14 Critic Reviews
41
User Score Mixed or Average Based on 6 User Ratings
4.5
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary Set in occupied WWII France, War of the Buttons tells the tale of pre-teen rebel Lebrac and the "war" he leads between two rival kid gangs from neighboring villages. Once Lebrac falls for Violette, a young Jewish girl who is new in town and in danger of being exposed by the Nazis, the children are faced with putting their own conflicts a...

Directed By: Christophe Barratier

Written By: Stéphane Keller, Thomas Langmann, Philippe Lopes-Curval, Louis Pergaud, Christophe Barratier

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 14 Critic Reviews
41
7% Positive
1 Review
64% Mixed
9 Reviews
29% Negative
4 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 14 Critic Reviews
41
7% Positive
1 Review
64% Mixed
9 Reviews
29% Negative
4 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
75
Oct 19, 2012
Moving without being melodramatic, War of the Buttons is a tale of the worst -- and the best -- that people of all ages are capable of.
By Michael O'Sullivan FULL REVIEW
60
Oct 11, 2012
War of the Buttons deftly folds France's unsavory collusions into a rather more rousing tale of resistance. I don't doubt that some of these heroics happened. But the way they're framed conveniently takes the edge off saying sorry.
By Ella Taylor FULL REVIEW
50
Oct 25, 2012
But when there's such a lighthearted, boys-at-play manner about the story's established aspects, it creates an odd disconnect from the World War II tolerance lessons that the filmmakers seek to add. War and persecution are bad, kids - except when it's all in good fun.
By Tom Russo FULL REVIEW
42
Oct 10, 2012
The use of a real war to give added emotional heft to this already potentially manipulative story make this film an act of callous calculation behind the beautiful shots of the French countryside.
FULL REVIEW
40
Oct 12, 2012
The slick filmmaking - the movie has a glossy, Hollywood-ready feel that sometimes tips into the cutesy - works against its themes.
By Rachel Saltz FULL REVIEW
25
Oct 11, 2012
The parallels between the kids' war and the real one are made far too obvious by Christophe Barratier, who made the equally treacly "The Chorus" and infests the movie with nonstop musical goo.
By Kyle Smith FULL REVIEW
12
Oct 10, 2012
By the time the drama is wrapped up with a bow and every child has learned a valuable life lesson, even the gap-toothed little tyke there solely for comic relief has begun to grate.
FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Mixed or Average Based on 6 User Ratings
4.5
33% Positive
2 Ratings
33% Mixed
2 Ratings
33% Negative
2 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Mixed or Average Based on 6 User Ratings
4.5
33% Positive
2 Ratings
33% Mixed
2 Ratings
33% Negative
2 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company La Petite Reine, TF1 Films Production, Studio 37, Mars Films, Logline Studios, Canal+, Ciné+, Région Auvergne, Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC)
Release Date Oct 12, 2012
Duration 1 h 49 m
Rating PG-13
Genres
Tagline The French Resistance came in all shapes and sizes.
Website http://www.lanouvelleguerredesboutons-lefilm.fr/
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Awards

Buster International Children's Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Palm Springs International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination

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