The Cousins

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The Cousins

1959,

1h 52m,

Drama

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Watchlist

94%

16 Reviews

Tomatometer

81%

100+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

16 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Reserved, bourgeois college student Charles (Gérard Blain) comes to stay with his devil-may-care cousin, Paul (Jean-Claude Brialy), who lives the fast life in Paris. Sensitive Charles, thrown into the whirlwind of his cousin's social circle, meets pretty Florence (Juliette Mayniel) at a party and believes he has found true love. When Florence breaks his heart, Charles concentrates on his studies with renewed fervor, but soon tensions between the two cousins take a dark turn.

Richard Brody

The New Yorker

May 13, 2013

The director tackles his great theme-the puncturing of bourgeois moralism, albeit at a price-with a joyful, quasi-Nietzschean derision.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Mar 26, 2009

Concise progression, fine technical aspects, and the look at innocence destroyed by the profane keeps it absorbing, despite the slightly pretentious treatment at times.

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Tom Milne

Time Out

Jun 24, 2006

A fine, richly detailed tableau of student life in Paris, and Chabrol's first statement (in his second film) of his sardonic view of life as a matter of the survival of the fittest.

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Jean-Luc Godard

Cahiers du Cinéma

Sep 2, 2021

The story which Claude Chabrol tells in his second film, Les Cousins, is of beautiful simplicity, or if you prefer, simple beauty.

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Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Oct 24, 2014

Reversing the setting and characters of Le Beau Serge, Claude Chabrol discovers the acerbic stylization that he would for the rest of his career polish and sharpen

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Eric Melin

Scene-Stealers.com

Nov 16, 2011

3/4

Les Cousins seems to hold contempt for almost every person it characterizes. Although the characterizations are right on, some of the movie relies too much on melodrama and easy plot devices.

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Harry W

Jul 31, 2017

Chabrol creates a darkly ironic film that impresses with its stunning cinematography and mise-en-scène, excellent performances (especially Jean-Claude Brialy) and a depressing story about how it doesn't matter to be a good guy in a decadent society when good guys always lose.

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Claude Chabrol

Director

Gérard Blain

Charles

Jean-Claude Brialy

Paul

Claude Cerval

Clovis Dalbecque

Geneviève Cluny

Geneviève

Guy Decomble

Bookseller

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Synopsis

Reserved, bourgeois college student Charles (Gérard Blain) comes to stay with his devil-may-care cousin, Paul (Jean-Claude Brialy), who lives the fast life in Paris. Sensitive Charles, thrown into the whirlwind of his cousin's social circle, meets pretty Florence (Juliette Mayniel) at a party and believes he has found true love. When Florence breaks his heart, Charles concentrates on his studies with renewed fervor, but soon tensions between the two cousins take a dark turn.

Director: Claude Chabrol
Producer: Claude Chabrol
Screenwriter: Claude Chabrol, Paul Gégauff
Production Co: Ajym Films, Societe Francaise du Cinema pour la Jeunesse
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 23, 1959, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2017
Runtime: 1h 52m

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