A Monster in Paris

A Monster in Paris

French theatrical release poster
Directed by Bibo Bergeron
Produced by Luc Besson
Screenplay by Stéphane Kazandjian
Story by Bibo Bergeron
Based on The Phantom of the Opera
by Gaston Leroux
Starring Matthieu Chedid
Vanessa Paradis
Music by Matthieu Chedid
Sean Lennon
Patrice Renson
Edited by Pascal Chevé
Nicolas Stretta
Production
company
Bibo Films
France 3 Cinéma
Walking the Dog
uFilm
uFund
Canal+
France Télévisions
CinéCinéma
Le Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral de Belgique
Distributed by EuropaCorp Distribution
Release dates
  • 12 October 2011 (2011-10-12)
Running time
 90 minutes[1]
Country France
United States
Language French
English
Budget $28,300,000(€25,000,000)
Box office $186,099,800

A Monster in Paris (French: Un monstre à Paris) is a 2011 French 3D computer-animated musical comedy fantasy adventure film directed by Bibo Bergeron, produced by Luc Besson, written by Stéphane Kazandjian, distributed by EuropaCorp Distribution, features the voices of Sean Lennon, Vanessa Paradis, Adam Goldberg, Danny Huston, Madeline Zima, Matthew Géczy, Jay Harrington, Catherine O'Hara, and Bob Balaban and based on a story he wrote. Some aspects of the film are (very loosely) based on Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera. It was released on 12 October 2011. It was also produced by Bibo Films, France 3 Cinéma, Walking The Dog, uFilm, uFund, Canal+, France Télévisions, CinéCinéma, Le Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral de Belgique and Umedia. Its music was composed by Matthieu Chedid, Sean Lennon and Patrice Renson. It was edited by Pascal Chevé and Nicolas Stretta.

Plot

The film is set in 1910; the story beginning by documenting the flooding of the River Seine that year.

Shy projectionist Emile has a passion for film and is in love with his co-worker at the cinema, Maud. His friend, an exuberant inventor and delivery driver, Raoul, picks him up from work to transport him in his bizarre vehicle (called "Catherine"), to obtain a new belt for his projector. In purchasing a new belt, Emile also buys himself a new camera, which is almost stolen by a thief. The story also introduces Lucille, Raoul's childhood friend: a cabaret singer at the club L'Oiseau Rare ("The Rare Bird"), whose aunt Carlotta tries to marry her to the wealthy Police Commissioner, Victor Maynott. One evening, Raoul brings Emile to make a delivery to the Botanical Gardens. In the absence of the Professor who works there, the place is guarded by his assistant, a proboscis monkey named Charles. Here, Raoul experiments with an "Atomize-a-Tune" mixture which temporarily gives Charles the voice of an opera singer and an unstable "super fertilizer" which instantly grows a sunflower seed into a giant sunflower, which topples towards Raoul and Emile. In the ensuing disorder, an explosion occurs and the two chemicals are mixed. Everyone is unscathed, but Emile is convinced he has glimpsed a monstrous creature, a photo of which later appears in the newspapers.

An investigation is launched into the whereabouts of the creature by Maynott's second in command, Pâté, but is fronted by Maynott, in the hope of popular support for his mayoral candidacy. At the same time he tries unsuccessfully to seduce Lucille. Meanwhile, Lucille is trying to find a new musician for her show, and turns down the cabaret’s waiter, Albert. Trying to vacate the cabaret, Albert stumbles across the creature and flees, terrified. Upon seeing the creature, Lucille is frightened, but hears it sing and discovers it is not dangerous but has a lovely singing voice. She therefore welcomes it, under the name of Francœur (meaning "honest heart"). It is then revealed that the creature is a flea that the fertilizer, amidst all the other chemicals in the laboratory explosion, enlarged to human scale. During the investigation, Emile and Raoul's role in the laboratory incident is discovered. For Maynott's interest in the creature, they receive the Medal of Honor. On a challenge set earlier by Lucille, Raoul uses this to get the best seats at Lucille's show at the 'Rare Bird', where Francœur and Lucille sing as a duet. After the show, Emile and Raoul congratulate Lucille on her show, but Lucille reveals the identity of Francœur, which Albert reports to the police. Emile, Raoul, and Francœur narrowly escape and Albert is arrested for lying to the police.

The following day, Maynott opens the Montmartre Funicular, which serves Montmartre and the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur. The trio, along with Francœur and Charles, decide to feign the death of the creature. When Maynott discovers the creature hiding under the stage, Francœur and his friends are chased through the streets of Paris by Maynott. The chase concludes at the tip of the Eiffel Tower. After a battle to protect Francœur from Maynott, a gunshot from Maynott and Francœur's sudden disappearance leads everyone to believe he is dead. Maynott is then arrested by Pâté on the basis that Francœur is innocent, while Emile and Maud fall into each other's arms. Later that evening Lucille is distraught by the "death" of Francœur; but Raoul convinces her to sing anyway. Whilst struggling to begin, she hears Francœur, restored to his natural size, sing in her ear. Some time later, the absent Professor returns from his trip; and when the three friends explain the situation, he permanently returns Francœur to human size. Francœur receives second billing on the posters advertising Lucille's show. Lucille and Raoul later share their first kiss in Lucille's dressing room.

In a mid-credits scene, Raoul, Lucille, Francœur, Maud, Emile, Charles, Carlotta, and Pâté scatter super-fertilized sunflower seeds to drain the flooded Seine. In a second post-credits scene, Maynott is shown in the same cell as Albert and the thief from earlier, forced to endure the duo's appalling singing.

Cast

Character French English
Francœur Matthieu Chedid (as -M-) Sean Lennon
Lucille
Vanessa Paradis
Raoul Gad Elmaleh Adam Goldberg
Victor Maynott François Cluzet Danny Huston
Maud Ludivine Sagnier Madeline Zima
Madame Carlotta Julie Ferrier Catherine O'Hara
Albert Bruno Salomone Matthew Géczy
Emile Sébastien Desjours Jay Harrington
Inspector Pâté Philippe Peythieu Bob Balaban

Reception

The film was released in 2011 in France, Canada, Belgium, South Korea, Russia and Ukraine, released in 2012 in Croatia, Kuwait, Hungary, the UK, Ireland, the USA, Malta, Israel, Estonia, Germany, Turkey, Sweden, Portugal, Netherlands, Lithuania, Taiwan, Mexico, Italy and Japan and released in 2013 in Peru. The domestic release earned a total of $56,816,664 at the box office, and internationally $106,126,173. Total home video sales are $23,145,963.(Via The-Numbers.com) The film received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it received an aggregate score of 85% based on 20 reviews (17 "fresh" and 3 "rotten").[2]

Awards

Annie Awards 2014

César Awards, France 2012

Soundtrack

The soundtrack includes both songs and short clips from the film, in both French and English. The soundtrack of the English version was released in the UK a few days after the film's release on both CD and digital download. The album is credited to Vanessa Paradis & (-M-)

French version

  1. "Les actualités (Interlude)" (0:27)
  2. "La valse de Paris" (0:43)
  3. "La Seine - Cabaret" (Vanessa Paradis -) (1:17)
  4. "Emile et Raoul" (2:00)
  5. "Sur les toits" (1:28)
  6. "Maynott" (1:05)
  7. "La rencontre" (1:45)
  8. "Un monstre à Paris" (-M-) (2:18)
  9. "Le baptëme" (Interlude) (Lucille) (0:11)
  10. "Francœur"/Lucille (2:13)
  11. "Brume à Paname" (1:01)
  12. "Cabaret" (1:02)
  13. "La Seine" (Vanessa Paradis & -M-) (2:48)
  14. "Perquisition" (0:59)
  15. "Sacré cœur" (0:56)
  16. "Papa Paname" (Vanessa Paradis) (2:23)
  17. "Sue le fleuve"/"Tournesol" (1:15)
  18. "Tour Eiffel infernale" (2:29)
  19. "L'amour dans l'âme" (-M-) (1:30)
  20. "Flashback" (1:39)
  21. "U p'tit baiser" (Vanessa Paradis & -M-) (2:24)
  22. "Funky baiser" (5:13)

English version

  1. "Interlude - the News" (0:27)
  2. "La Valse de Paris" (0:43)
  3. "La Seine and I Cabaret" (Vanessa Paradis -) (1:17)
  4. "Emile et Raoul" (2:00)
  5. "Sur les Toits" (1:28)
  6. "Maynott" (1:05)
  7. "La Rencontre" (1:45)
  8. "A Monster in Paris" (Sean Lennon) (2:18)
  9. "Interlude - Lucille 'The Baptism' (0:11)
  10. "Francœur - Lucille" (2:13)
  11. "Brume à Paname" (1:01)
  12. "Cabaret" (1:02)
  13. "La Seine and I" (Vanessa Paradis & Sean Lennon) (2:48)
  14. "Perquisition" (0:59)
  15. "Sacré Cœur" (0:56)
  16. "Papa Paris" (Vanessa Paradis) (2:23)
  17. "Sue le Fleuve - Tournesol" (1:15)
  18. "Tour Eiffel Infernale" (2:29)
  19. "Love is in My Soul" (Sean Lennon) (1:30)
  20. "Flashback" (1:39)
  21. "Just a Little Kiss" (Vanessa Paradis & Sean Lennon) (2:24)
  22. "Funky Baiser" (5:13)

References

  1. ↑ "A MONSTER IN PARIS (U)". British Board of Film Classification. 2011-10-21. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
  2. ↑ "A Monster in Paris (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2015-01-30.

External links

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