A Magnificent Life (original French title: Marcel et Monsieur Pagnol) is the latest adult‐animated biographical drama from Sylvain Chomet. The film is being released in both dubbed English and its original French, with English subtitles — making it accessible to a wide audience. Chomet, known for his much-loved films The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist, brings his signature hand-crafted style to this tender portrait of the beloved French writer, playwright, and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol.
What is A Magnificent Life about?
In 1955, sixty-year-old Marcel Pagnol is a celebrated playwright and filmmaker who has stepped away from cinema after a prolific career. But his return to the theatre doesn’t go as planned — his latest two plays flop, leaving him questioning whether the public still cares. When the editor-in-chief of Elle magazine asks him to pen a weekly column about his childhood, Pagnol seizes the opportunity to reconnect with his roots. As his memory begins to fade, a magical apparition of “Little Marcel” — the young boy he once was — appears, and together they embark on a journey through his most cherished memories and encounters.
Where to watch A Magnificent Life
More playdates coming soon
U.S. trailer for A Magnificent life
Is A Magnificent Life a good film?
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a strong 86% Tomatometer from 14 reviews.
Brian Tallerico, of RogerEbert.com, commends Chomet for restraint: “he’s made a film that’s reverential of a smart, artistic man, but doesn’t place him on too high a pedestal for us to see him.”
The Hollywood Reporter argues that although “its storytelling proves more rudimentary … the ample visual pleasures prove their own reward.”
From Time Out, Philip De Semlyen writes: “No one who’s fallen for the timeless and charmingly antic worlds of Sylvain Chomet will be disappointed by this poignant eulogy …”
Title: A Magnificent Life
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Country: France / UK
Languages: English dub; French with English subtitles
Genre: Animated biographical drama
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Release (US): 2025
Notable previous works: The Triplets of Belleville, The Illusionist, The Old Lady and the Pigeons
More information on Sony Pictures Classics
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