Monsieur Aznavour

Great movie, well made, the story is very well presented and the cast is fantastic, it was a really emotional movie.

The story shows the life of a famous composer, singer, musician Charles Aznavour. There was a bit of everything, from his family life, his relations with famous singers and composers to his personal career going all the way to New York.

I was very impressed with the cinematic elements of the film, the angles, the colours, the effects, the director definitely knew what he was doing.

I would like to recommend this movie to everyone who likes the french "chanson" and the french culture!

Bon lecture!

A nice movie about a grandiose figure of French and world culture.

However, the taste after watching is very sweet. Such an aftertaste, as after you took sugar from a sugar bowl with a big spoon and put it in your mouth as a child. There is not enough disclosure of dramatic and tragic moments of the hero's life, which happen in the life of each of us. Even being under occupation during WWII was shown quite easily and naturally, with the exception of a couple of scenes.

Even if you are not a fan of Aznavour's work and songs, the film is recommended for viewing to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Europe during the almost whole 20th century!

I enjoyed the film tremendously. The main actor, Tahar Rahim, who was fabulous in the movie The Prophet, managed to convey well Charles Aznavour's personality, voice, and mannerisms, in a very nuanced and subtle interpretation, after reportedly taking singing and piano lessons and undergoing three daily hours of makeup during the shooting. The film depicted well the obstacles that Aznavour had to overcome in his life and his sometimes difficult relationships with his loved ones. Born of Armenian immigrants, he was not particularly handsome, being a short man with a raspy, sometimes nasal voice. At first, he sang in duo with Pierre Roche and then met famous French singer Edith Piaf and worked for her in various roles. He learned a lot from her but had to leave at some point to pursue a solo career. He managed to reach the top with sheer determination, energy and hard work, at the price of tremendous familial sacrifices. It was very pleasurable to hear all along so many hit songs he wrote (He wrote more than a thousand songs, either for himself or for other artists) and I think the film succeeds in showing his perfectionism and creative process, the use of rhythm for instance regarding jazzy songs that became enormous hits.

To be honest, I did not really know what to expect from this movie. Of course I have heard from Charles Aznavour and know a bit about his background, but his songs sometimes seemed too theatrical. So, unbiassed, I went to see the movie. It was absolutely beautiful, rich in details, very close attention to different time frames during which the movie was set (e.g. The clothing) and the acting simply is very good. Now understanding the often personal background to Aznavour's songs, I came to appreciate them even more. The end was chosen carefully (no spoiler!) and moved me - together with most of the audience - to tears. Go see it, it is a gem!

This was my first encounter with Charles Aznavour - a really important iconic figure and symbol of France. The story is very compelling and what a hard life he had before his breakthrough. One fact really surprised me - the song "What's the Difference" - Dr. Dre feat. Eminem and Xzibit was inspired by and contains a horn section in the instrumental, as well as a sample of "Parce Que Tu Crois" by Charles Aznavour.

The movie shows so many aspects and questions that are universal to human beings. What is the price of fame? Where is the line between working all the time and spending time with family? The constant drive of an artistic spirit to always do more and the feeling of never enough.