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L'Écume des jours

Original title: L'écume des jours
  • 2013
  • Tous publics
  • 2h 11m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
17K
YOUR RATING
Audrey Tautou in L'Écume des jours (2013)
Set in a charmingly surreal Paris, wealthy bachelor Colin spends his time developing his pianocktail (a cocktail-making piano) and devouring otherworldly dishes prepared by his trusty chef Nicolas. When Colin learns that his best friend Chick, a fellow acolyte of the philosopher Jean-Sol Partre, has a new American girlfriend, our lonely hero attends a friend's party in hopes of falling in love himself. He soon meets Chloe and, before they know it, they're dancing to Duke Ellington and plunging headfirst into a romance. Their whirlwind courtship is tested when an unusual illness plagues Chloe; a flower begins to grow in her lungs. To save her, Colin discovers the only cure is to surround Chloe with a never-ending supply of fresh flowers.
Play trailer1:56
6 Videos
99+ Photos
Tragic RomanceComedyDramaFantasyRomance

Wealthy, inventive bachelor Colin endeavors to find a cure for his lover Chloe after she's diagnosed with an unusual illness caused by a flower growing in her lungs.Wealthy, inventive bachelor Colin endeavors to find a cure for his lover Chloe after she's diagnosed with an unusual illness caused by a flower growing in her lungs.Wealthy, inventive bachelor Colin endeavors to find a cure for his lover Chloe after she's diagnosed with an unusual illness caused by a flower growing in her lungs.

  • Director
    • Michel Gondry
  • Writers
    • Michel Gondry
    • Luc Bossi
    • Boris Vian
  • Stars
    • Romain Duris
    • Audrey Tautou
    • Gad Elmaleh
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    17K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Michel Gondry
    • Writers
      • Michel Gondry
      • Luc Bossi
      • Boris Vian
    • Stars
      • Romain Duris
      • Audrey Tautou
      • Gad Elmaleh
    • 46User reviews
    • 141Critic reviews
    • 54Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 10 nominations total

    Videos6

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:56
    Official Trailer
    Exclusive Clip
    Clip 1:27
    Exclusive Clip
    Exclusive Clip
    Clip 1:27
    Exclusive Clip
    Mood Indigo: First Kiss (US)
    Clip 0:44
    Mood Indigo: First Kiss (US)
    Mood Indigo: Honeymoon (US)
    Clip 2:20
    Mood Indigo: Honeymoon (US)
    Mood Indigo: Colin Meets Chloe (US)
    Clip 1:28
    Mood Indigo: Colin Meets Chloe (US)
    "First Kiss"
    Clip 0:44
    "First Kiss"

    Photos173

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    Top cast57

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    Romain Duris
    Romain Duris
    • Colin
    Audrey Tautou
    Audrey Tautou
    • Chloé
    Gad Elmaleh
    Gad Elmaleh
    • Chick
    Omar Sy
    Omar Sy
    • Nicolas
    Aïssa Maïga
    Aïssa Maïga
    • Alise
    • (as Aïssa Maiga)
    Charlotte Le Bon
    Charlotte Le Bon
    • Isis
    Sacha Bourdo
    Sacha Bourdo
    • La souris
    Vincent Rottiers
    Vincent Rottiers
    • Le religieux
    Philippe Torreton
    Philippe Torreton
    • Jean-Sol Partre
    Laurent Lafitte
    Laurent Lafitte
    • Le directeur de société
    • (as Laurent Lafitte de la comédie française)
    Alain Chabat
    Alain Chabat
    • Gouffé
    Zinedine Soualem
    Zinedine Soualem
    • Le directeur de l'usine d'armement
    Natacha Régnier
    Natacha Régnier
    • La marchande de remèdes
    Marina Rozenman
    • La duchesse de Bovouard
    Mathieu Paulus
    • Le Chuiche
    • (as Matthieu Paulus)
    Frédéric Saurel
    • Le Bedon
    • (as Fred Saurel)
    Wilfred Benaïche
    • Le sénéchal
    Alex Raul Barrios
    • Jésus
    • (as Alex Barrios)
    • Director
      • Michel Gondry
    • Writers
      • Michel Gondry
      • Luc Bossi
      • Boris Vian
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews46

    6.517.1K
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    Featured reviews

    9marjoline-delahaye

    Fabulous use of surrealist effects!

    I went in to the theater without checking out the reviews beforehand, completely open-minded. I was drawn in by the word "surrealist" in the description, and curious to see whether the movie was going to compare with the early day movies like the 1902 A Trip to the Moon. This was when the totally new possibilities of film were being enthusiastically embraced, and for those long-gone creators the sky was the limit. I wasn't disappointed. It is fabulous how the director has created the most absurd situations and effects, giving the viewer the feeling of bouncing from one surrealist painting into another. It looks like a movie which must have been incredibly time-consuming to bring together, and in my mind Michel Gondry has totally succeeded. Bravo also to Marie-Charlotte Moreau, for her wonderful editing to bring about this beautiful result.
    6comicman117

    A Mood Shift Issue

    Mood Indigo is an interesting film based off the novel by French author, Boris Vian. With Michel Gondry's sharp direction, a tone of satire and some funny moments, Mood Indigo should really work. However, watching the film all the way through, I can't help but wonder if the movie would have been better had it not featured so many random and nonsensical scenes that overall didn't do anything for the picture. Mood Indigo is an unusual movie that fits Gondry's style (eg. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), and from a filmmaking standpoint, it is fascinating to watch.

    The film is set in a surreal Paris, and tells the story of a wealthy bachelor named Colin (played by Romain Duris), who spends his time developing a cocktail-making piano known as a pianocktail (not the most subtle of names), and devouring strange moving dishes prepared by his chef, Nicolas (played by Omar Sy). Colin learns that his best friend, Chick (Gad Elmaleh), who is a fellow assistant of philosopher, Jean-Sol Partre (played by Philippe Torreton), has a new American girlfriend (played by Aissa Maiga, who is actually a Senegal born French actress doing an admirable job pretending that her French accent is low), and so he decides to attend a party in hopes that he may find someone for himself. There he meets Chloe (played by Audrey Tautou) and the two fall in love. Eventually an illness comes over Chloe, one very strange illness, as a flower begins to grow in her lungs. The only way Colin can save her, is to supply her with an endless amount of fresh flowers.

    The opening of Mood Indigo introduces us to what most of the film's tone will be as we are treated to a variety of things happening: people using typewriters in a room; then we cut to a man getting out of a bathtub; we see a rat, who is just a small guy in a rat suit etc. Every single thing we see in the introduction relates in some way to some form of technology. The film seems to have a fascination with using technology in weird and unusual ways. I haven't read the book it's based off of, but from what I've heard, it also conveys unusual and bizarre things in it. This makes it interesting to watch, but I couldn't possibly imagine few directors, other than Gondry, making this film work in any way, even if it ultimately makes little sense. Among the things that I find fascinating and weird at the same time in the film include: throughout the film when objects are thrown and touched, multiple versions of them appear suddenly out of the blue; during the dance, the entire background of the area is blue; the ringer in Colin's room is treated like a bug, and falls apart into little tiny robotic bugs anytime it makes a sound; the two couples, Chick and Alise, and Colin and Chloe (who are getting married), ride in small cars throughout the building in order to get to the wedding; and a man gets in a rocket suit with wings of sorts and goes into the sky, only for him to eventually fall back into the sky, among others.

    Much like most of Gondry's films including The Silence of The Sleep and Eternal Spotlight of The Sunshine Mind, this film is more about the fantastical elements, than it is about the actual performances. That said, this film features a fine cast, and most of the actors, including Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, and Omar Sy, are giving good performances. There are many things in this film that are honestly not needed, such as the small man in the rat suit, and the bird human lady at the ice rink. Some of these elements serve the story no purpose and are just there to give the film an even weirder feeling.

    About an hour within the film, it takes a tonal shift and becomes more depressing as the wife become sick. This shift comes out of the nowhere, but given the story, it actually works. The lack of technology makes this apparent, as Gondry makes the film's tone bleaker and depressing, with Chloe just about dying. By the end of the film, everything is in black and white, which is done to represent Colin's loss of faith and feelings. One scene in particular, features a nice dangerous bit of music, as Colin chases his shadow down the road back home.

    Aside from a few scenes, this film is never really boring. I can't really recommend this film for the average moviegoer, but any film geek, like myself, would probably find it fascinating, even if the film inconsistent in some regards.
    8Sergeant_Tibbs

    The spirit of filmmaking.

    It's been a long time since I've been acquainted with Michel Gondry. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep are two of my all-time favourite films. Be Kind Rewind was an unfortunate misfire but I already warmly welcome his style. However, I've never seen him quite so unrestrained like this. Mood Indigo is a truly fantasy world. No dream, no drugs, and nothing is how you'd expect. Not even dancing, not even a handshake. To say the world of Mood Indigo is surreal and absurd is an understatement and no words can quite grasp the chaos on screen. It's like an R-rated Dr. Seuss. Like Gilliam's Brazil. But, it's an absolute delight. Things may not make sense at any point, but it's not about symbolism, it's about expressionism. The characters are deeply human, and that's what counts. All these inventions, twists, obscurities all about emotion. And Mood Indigo constantly had me bellying with laughter or sinking an anchor in my stomach when tragedy strikes even when I wasn't sure what was happening.

    That's the spirit of filmmaking really, to feel how the characters are feeling, and this film achieves it admirably. But at times it is so dense that its hard to keep up. The special effects and production design are wonderful, but the way it's shot in HD does sometimes nullify its effects and brings us back to reality in a way it doesn't want (I would've preferred Gondry to not have his cameo). Sometimes the cast can't even keep up with it. I really wasn't sure about the cast at first. They're familiar faces, but they didn't seem to suit the tone, plus they felt too old. However, with the film's dark twist in the second half, so dark the film turns black and white, it did become apparent that these cast members fit this melancholic side of the world. I wish it wasn't so bloated in characters and was more restrained like The Science of Sleep. The great soundtrack definitely adds to its rich atmosphere too. I do hope this film will stick with me like his two best films. It may be manic, but it's thoroughly charming. Not Gondry's best but his best in a long while.

    8/10
    10j_wijnja

    fantastic movie based on a wonderful book

    To me, this movie does what movies are for: activate the imagination. In this case, touching a theme not as alien as one might wish it to be in a fantastic setting. The 'fantastic' way in which people and institutions appear is far from random; it feels to me like a hyperdream of familiar entities and sensations, their logical extreme. Rich, vivid imagination which enters your brain and puts hooks in it. Loved the book and Gondry made it even more alive for me. Quite a feat. If you do like the movie, please check out the book (and also other titles by Vian). Don't want to generalize too much but if you like movies by Terry Gilliams you will probably like this a lot, too. Rats, writing reviews is hard and I'm not very good at it; but i so disagree with the IMDb-grade for this film (currently 5.8) and the general reviews I've read so far that I had to create an account just to weigh in. So please go see this film and find out for yourself!

    Did I mention already that it is beautifully made, and at times very funny?
    5knoobe

    Doesn't satisfy.

    First of all, i must admit that I didn't read the book. So perhaps that's the reason I didn't get the purpose of this film.

    I was attending this movie with great expectations, I love the work of Michel Gondry and I couldn't wait to see Audrey Tatou and Omar Sy playing together.

    The special effects were great, and as I said before Michel Gondry is one of my favorites. But here's the thing, I was unhappy during the movie. I couldn't develop sympathy for the main characters, because the storyline felt missing too often. Combine that with the weird dialogs and the straying from one scene to another without a proper connection, you'll get why. The dialog, and I understand that this was adopted from the book, but in this movie it just didn't made sense.

    I couldn't feel what I wanted to feel about this movie, I wanted to like it so badly but I couldn't. I feel the film was more focused on the special effects than on the actual character development and storyline.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The original French title for this movie, L'écume des jours, translates literally to "the foam of the days" but more colloquially means "the froth" or "the remnants" of daydreams. The English-language title, Mood Indigo, is the title of a 1930 jazz composition by Duke Ellington, the musician who is often mentioned in this movie.
    • Goofs
      When Nicolas brings breakfast to Chloé and Colin the first time, the long shot from the back of the bedroom shows him entering the bedroom but there are no people up on the bed. The close shot from the end of the bed shows Chloé and Colin receiving the tray.
    • Quotes

      Chloé: [Last lines]

      Chloé: If we screw this moment, we try the next. And if we fail the next... we have our whole lives to get it right.

    • Crazy credits
      The end credits start on a background of footage of Duke Ellington playing the piano.
    • Alternate versions
      A shorter version than the 135 minutes original cut has been released in some countries, included France. This alternate version is 36 minutes shorter, and has been edited by Tariq Anwar and supervised by Michel Gondry.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Radio Dolin: Cancellation of Best Actress, Favorite Instagram accounts of Anton and the return "Amélie" (2021)
    • Soundtracks
      Take the 'A' Train
      Written by Billy Strayhorn

      Performed by Duke Ellington Orchestra (as Duke Ellington and his famous orchestra)

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    FAQ

    • How long is Mood Indigo?
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    Details

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    • Release date
      • April 24, 2013 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • France
      • Belgium
    • Official sites
      • Official site (France)
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Languages
      • French
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Mood Indigo
    • Filming locations
      • Paris, France
    • Production companies
      • Brio Films
      • StudioCanal
      • Scope Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €19,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $303,187
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $26,511
      • Jul 20, 2014
    • Gross worldwide
      • $10,435,322
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 11 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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