X
  • 2015
  • R
  • Broad Green Pictures
  • 1 h 58 m
  • 2015
  • R
  • Broad Green Pictures
  • 1 h 58 m

Summary When Samba (Omar Sy) is suddenly ordered to leave France, he enlists the help of Alice (Charlotte Gainsbourg), an emotionally vulnerable immigration advocate with little experience but plenty of heart. As the immigrant aspiring chef and the burned-out corporate executive tentatively explore an unexpected bond, they inspire each other to ...

Directed By: Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano

Written By: Delphine Coulin, Muriel Coulin, Éric Toledano, Olivier Nakache

  • 2015
  • R
  • Broad Green Pictures
  • 1 h 58 m
  • 2015
  • R
  • Broad Green Pictures
  • 1 h 58 m

Samba

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 22 Critic Reviews
53
User Score Mixed or Average Based on 15 User Ratings
4.6
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary When Samba (Omar Sy) is suddenly ordered to leave France, he enlists the help of Alice (Charlotte Gainsbourg), an emotionally vulnerable immigration advocate with little experience but plenty of heart. As the immigrant aspiring chef and the burned-out corporate executive tentatively explore an unexpected bond, they inspire each other to ...

Directed By: Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano

Written By: Delphine Coulin, Muriel Coulin, Éric Toledano, Olivier Nakache

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 22 Critic Reviews
53
36% Positive
8 Reviews
59% Mixed
13 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review

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

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 22 Critic Reviews
53
36% Positive
8 Reviews
59% Mixed
13 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
83
Jul 28, 2015
Samba finds a much stronger rhythm when it stops contriving and simply shines a light on the joy and pain (and musical interludes) of lives lived in the margins.
By Leah Greenblatt FULL REVIEW
70
Jul 21, 2015
Running a full reel longer than needed, the film’s balance of romance, humor and pathos starts to slip in the final stretch... though the emotional notes ring true.
By Peter Debruge FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Mixed or Average Based on 15 User Ratings
4.6
33% Positive
5 Ratings
40% Mixed
6 Ratings
27% Negative
4 Ratings

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

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Mixed or Average Based on 15 User Ratings
4.6
33% Positive
5 Ratings
40% Mixed
6 Ratings
27% Negative
4 Ratings

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
7
alejandro970
Sep 4, 2022
El drama sobre el viacrucis de un inmigrante en París tiene cierto atractivo pues nos coloca en los zapatos del personaje aunque el ritmo de la trama no es del todo absorbente. Aún así, tiene la película cierto potencial.
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7
DawdlingPoet
Feb 2, 2022
This is a sobering and insightful film, with the main theme being perseverence. Its not what I'd call a comedy, even though there are certainly some lighter moments in it, its not a film that I found myself specifically laughing at. Its easy to feel sorry for the main (titular) character. It has a good soundtrack and overall I'd recommend it, yes.
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63
Jul 19, 2015
Even as Samba struggles to hold onto his identity, the film becomes entangled in an identity crisis of its own.
By Nick Prigge FULL REVIEW
60
Jul 21, 2015
Sy is such an attentive listener in close-up that you instantly grasp the frazzled Alice’s attraction; if she’s less well defined, Gainsbourg’s nervy intelligence and clenched-jaw resistance to sentimentality hold the interest nevertheless.
By Mike McCahill FULL REVIEW
50
Jul 23, 2015
Mr. Toledano and Mr. Nakache, who wrote the scattered screenplay, have a well-honed touch for comic beats and a feel for workaday details. That comes in handy when their points about French identity miss the mark, or when the main characters share special moments without really acquiring depth.
By Nicolas Rapold FULL REVIEW
40
Aug 5, 2015
In its inclusive attempt to be all things to all people, Samba ends up inadvertently trivializing the topics it’s trying to stand up for.
FULL REVIEW
33
Jul 22, 2015
On the evidence of their worldwide smash "The Intouchables," as well as their latest comedy-drama Samba, writer-directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano specialize in well-intentioned, crowd-pleasing bullshit.
FULL REVIEW
See All 22 Critic Reviews
7
DogeGamer2015
Oct 2, 2021
Es una película disfrutable; la trama es buena y la actuación de Omar Sy es excelente; es muy recomendable.
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5
Brent_Marchant
Jul 31, 2015
This mildly entertaining, sometimes-funny, sometimes-touching story of an undocumented worker living in Paris is the kind of movie one would probably want to like, but, unfortunately, the film largely misses the mark. Its episodic nature proves less than satisfying, keeping the picture from living up to its potential, despite yet another terrific performance by leading man Omar Sy. With some reworking, this could have been another winner in the same vein as its creators' previous effort, "The Intouchables," but, sadly, the film never reaches the same quality level as its predecessor.
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Details

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Production Company Quad, Ten Films, Gaumont, TF1 Films Production, Korokoro, Canal+, Ciné+, TF1, Cinémage 8 Développement, Indéfilms Initiative, Société des Producteurs de Cinéma et de Télévision (Procirep), Angoa-Agicoa
Release Date Jul 24, 2015
Duration 1 h 58 m
Rating R
Genres
Tagline Sometimes those with nothing have the most to lose.
Website http://www.gaumont.fr/fr/film/Samba.html
View All Details

Awards

Lumiere Awards, France
• 1 Nomination
César Awards, France
• 1 Nomination
European Film Awards
• 1 Nomination

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