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The Girl On The Bridge Details

1999 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 3992 members

In his magical, erotic eighteenth feature, French director Patrice Leconte (RIDICULE, MONSIEUR HIRE) captivates viewers from the first elegant black and white frame. In the prologue, fragile beauty Adele (Vanessa Paradis) recounts her wayward, sadly promiscuous past in a comically matter-of-fact manner. Despite the lighthearted .. Read more

Starring Vanessa Paradis, Daniel Auteuil, Mireille Mosse, Bernice Cortez
Director Patrice Leconte
Genres Drama, World Cinema

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The Girl On The Bridge

In his magical, erotic eighteenth feature, French director Patrice Leconte (RIDICULE, MONSIEUR HIRE) captivates viewers from the first elegant black and white frame. In the prologue, fragile beauty Adele (Vanessa Paradis) recounts her wayward, sadly promiscuous past in a comically matter-of-fact manner. Despite the lighthearted telling, Adele sees her life (all twenty-two years of it) as a tragic run of bad luck, leading her to a bridge on the Seine. She is saved from suicide by the arrival of Gabor (Daniel Auteuil) who jumps in after her. After the rescue, Gabor whisks Adele away to be the new assistant for his knife-throwing act. She blooms under his tutelage, and Gabor reaches new heights of his craft conceding that before Adele, he too, was lost. They happily traverse the Mediterranean, performing for thrilled crowds, and find they share a mystical, telepathic bond that comes in handy in casinos. As their feelings deepen, the knife-act becomes an erotic substitute, fraught with sexual tension (particularly in the beautiful scene beneath a railway bridge set to Marianne Faithful). Will the two realize in time that like the torn half of a dollar bill that Gabor gives Adele, each is useless apart

Starring Vanessa Paradis, Daniel Auteuil, Mireille Mosse, Bernice Cortez, Nicola Donata, Demetre Georgalas, Catherine Lascault
Director Patrice Leconte
Studio PATHE DISTRIBUTION
Run time DVD: 1 hr 28 mins
Certificate Certificate 15
Genres Drama, World Cinema
Language DVD: French
Subtitles DVD: English
Released DVD: 20 Nov 2000
Production year: 1999
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (6) of The Girl On The Bridge

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    Three years after Ridicule, director Patrice Leconte filmed this romantic fantasy in shimmering black and white. Middle-aged knife-thrower Daniel Auteuil talks the elfin Vanessa Paradis out of jumping off a bridge into the Seine, turning her desperation to his advantage by hiring her as his assistant. Their relationship deepens, and darkens, as they tour the south of France, although romance is hampered by the flings she has at every port of call — not to mention the daggers he flings at her every night! With Marianne Faithfull warbling on the soundtrack and sumptuous visuals from Jean-Marie Dreujou, this is an elegant, nostalgic treat, short enough to leave you wanting more.

    • Radio Times
  • "...Shot in sumptuous black and white, replete with dizzy, swooping shots of Paris, Monaco, Athens and Istanbul, GIRL ON THE BRIDGE is like a pocket anthology of your favorite foreign movies..."

    • New York Times
  • Most helpful member's review of The Girl On The Bridge

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  • 21 out of 22 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    magnificent and magical

    I have wanted to see this film for sometime as I had heard rave reviews. I was not dissapointed one bit.

    It's the story of two people who are down on luck, one is a pesamist the other an optimist. Things work out for them and they learn that being together is what makes their luck, or is it just the fact that they believe in each other.

    I recommend this to everyone. You will be totally moved.

      • A customer from Liverpool
  • Most recent members' review of The Girl On The Bridge

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  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Give it a whirl

    Ok, so it's shot in black and white and the dialogue's in French - but don't give up on it just yet. Girl on the Bridge is a stunning romance with a twist; together the knife thrower and his assistance are luck itself - apart, well...

    the camera hangs its arms around Paradis during this film and never really lets go, although the European backdrops are beautifully captured too.

    This is no rom-com, but a deliciously sharp look at love.

      • james from Norfolk
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Rating breakdown

3,992 Member ratings
  • 100
415
  • 90
347
  • 80
854
  • 70
768
  • 60
677
  • 50
355
  • 40
255
  • 30
144
  • 20
120
  • 10
57

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    • In his magical, erotic eighteenth feature, French director Patrice Leconte (RIDICULE, MONSIEUR HIRE) captivates viewers from the first elegant black and white frame. In the prologue, fragile beauty ...