The Accusation (2021 film)

The Accusation
Theatrical release poster
FrenchLes Choses humaines
LiterallyHuman Things
Directed byYvan Attal
Screenplay by
  • Yaël Langmann
  • Yvan Attal
Based onLes Choses humaines
by Karine Tuil
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRémy Chevrin
Edited byAlbertine Lastera
Music byMathieu Lamboley
Production
companies
Distributed byGaumont
Release dates
  • 9 September 2021 (2021-09-09) (Venice)
  • 1 December 2021 (2021-12-01) (France)
Running time
138 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Budget€7.9 million[1]
Box office$1.4 million[2]

The Accusation (French: Les Choses humaines, lit. 'Human Things')[3] is a 2021 French courtroom drama film directed by Yvan Attal. The screenplay, written by Attal and Yaël Langmann, is an adaptation of the 2019 novel Les Choses humaines by Karine Tuil. It had its world premiere on 9 September 2021 at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, and was released in France by Gaumont Film Company on 1 December 2021.

Plot

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Alexandre Farel is the son of a prominent television presenter, Jean Farel. Claire, his mother, left Jean and lives with Adam Wizman, who is also separated from his Orthodox Jewish wife, with whom he has a daughter, Mila. When Alexandre returns from finishing his studies in the United States, he accompanies his mother for an evening and meets Mila. Together, they go to a party for the former students of Lycée Henri-IV. The next day, the police arrest Alexandre, who has been accused of rape by Mila. He denies the charge and argues that the act was consensual. The event sends the families into a breakdown as their lives are torn apart by the trial.

Cast

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Production

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The palais de justice of Créteil serves as the setting of the film.

The screenplay is inspired by the novel Les Choses humaines by Karine Tuil, published in the summer of 2019, which notably won the Prix Interallié and the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens. Karine Tuil herself was inspired by a news story that occurred on the Stanford University campus (the 2015 rape case of Stanford student Brock Turner) to write the novel.[4]

Yvan Attal directs his partner Charlotte Gainsbourg in the film as well as their son, Ben Attal — both of whom already starred in his previous film, My Dog Stupid, released in 2019.

Principal photography began in August 2020.[5] Filming especially took place in the courthouse of Créteil (Val-de-Marne).[6] Filming took place in Paris until 7 November 2020.[7][8]

Release

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The Accusation had its world premiere on 9 September 2021 at the 78th Venice International Film Festival.[9] The film was also screened at 47th Deauville American Film Festival on 11 September 2021.[10] It was theatrically released in France by Gaumont Film Company on 1 December 2021.[11]

Reception

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Box office

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The film sold 182,074 admissions in France,[12] grossing a domestic total of $1.3 million.[2]

Critical response

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The Accusation received an average rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars on the French website AlloCiné, based on 28 reviews.[13] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10.[14]

Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "The film tends to overstay its welcome, mostly because Attal doesn't know when to cut a scene short, or otherwise cut away, and let us think for ourselves".[3]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
César Awards 25 February 2022 Best Adaptation Yaël Langmann, Yvan Attal Nominated [15]
Miskolc International Film Festival 17 September 2022 Emeric Pressburger Prize for Best Feature Film The Accusation Nominated [16]

References

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  1. ^ Domenech, Claire (15 February 2023). "Le pactole touché par Yvan Attal pour "Les choses humaines"". Capital.fr (in French). Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b "The Accusation (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b Mintzer, Jordan (10 September 2021). "'The Accusation' ('Les Choses humaines'): Film Review | Venice 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Les Choses Humaines : Yvan Attal tourne un film sur le consentement". Orange / Cinéday. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Les Choses humaines : Yvan Attal adapte le roman éponyme de Karine Tuil". Première.fr. 11 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Créteil : Yvan Attal tourne un film avec Charlotte Gainsbourg au palais de justice". Le Parisien (in French). 14 August 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  7. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (25 August 2020). "Yvan Attal shoots The Accusation". Cineuropa. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Les Choses humaines". TSF.fr (in French). 13 October 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  9. ^ "78 Mostra internazionale d'arte cinematografica – La Biennale di Venezia – Programma" (PDF). Mostra de Venise (in Italian). Retrieved 23 November 2021..
  10. ^ "Les Choses humaines". Festival du cinéma américain de Deauville. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Les choses humaines d'Yvan Attal en salle partout en France". blog.gaumont.fr (in French). 1 December 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  12. ^ "Les Choses humaines". JPbox-office.com (in French).
  13. ^ "Critiques Presse pour le film Les Choses humaines". AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  14. ^ "The Accusation". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  15. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (26 January 2022). "Adam Driver, 'Annette,' Celine Dion Biopic and 'Lost Illusions' Lead France's Cesar Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  16. ^ "FESTIVALS: CineFest 2022 Announces Full Lineup". Film New Europe Association. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
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