French Exit (2020 film)

French Exit
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Azazel Jacobs
Screenplay by	Patrick deWitt
Based on	French Exit by Patrick deWitt
Produced by	Christine Habeler Christina Piovesan Noah Segal Trish Dolman Katie Holly Oliver Glass
Starring	Michelle Pfeiffer Lucas Hedges Valerie Mahaffey Imogen Poots Susan Coyne Danielle Macdonald Isaach de Bankolé Tracy Letts
Cinematography	Tobias Datum
Edited by	Hilda Rasula
Music by	Nick deWitt
Production companies	Evolution Entertainment[1] Rocket Science[1] Screen Siren Pictures Elevation Pictures Blinder Films Terminal City Pictures[1] Saalgo Productions[1] Telefilm Canada[1]
Distributed by	Elevation Pictures (Canada)[2] Sony Pictures Classics Stage 6 Films (international)[3]
Release dates	October 11, 2020 (2020-10-11) (NYFF) February 12, 2021 (2021-02-12) (Canada)
Running time	110 minutes[4]
Countries	Canada United Kingdom[5]
Language	English
Box office	$1.6 million[6][1]

French Exit is a 2020 black comedy-drama film^[7][8] directed by Azazel Jacobs,^[9] based on the novel of the same name by Patrick deWitt, who also wrote the screenplay. It tells the story of a Manhattan heiress (Michelle Pfeiffer) who moves to Paris with her son (Lucas Hedges) with the little money they have left.

The film had its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 10, 2020, and was theatrically released in the United States and Canada on February 12, 2021. It received mixed reviews from critics, although Pfeiffer's performance was praised and she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

The bank seizes all the property of Manhattan heiress Frances Price several years after her husband's death. The close-to-penniless widow and her son, Malcolm, are left with few options. They sell everything in their house and relocate to a small apartment in Paris owned by Frances' sister, with the family cat, who happens to be Frances' reincarnated husband.

It was announced in May 2019 that Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges and Tracy Letts were cast in the film, with Azazel Jacobs directing and the novel's author Patrick deWitt writing the screenplay.^[10] Danielle Macdonald was cast in October.^[11]

Principal photography began in October 2019, with Paris and Montreal as the filming locations.^[12]

In September 2019, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the film.^[8] It had its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 10, 2020.^[13]

On August 20, 2020, the studio scheduled the film to be released on February 12, 2021.^[14][15] In February 2021, it was announced the film would begin a limited release in New York City and Los Angeles on February 12, before going wide on April 2.^[16]

It was selected to be presented to Berlin Film Festival in the section Berlin Special Titles.

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 64% of 181 critic reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "The smartly written French Exit offers proof that even the most caustic characters can be made entertaining – and even relatable – through a Michelle Pfeiffer performance."^[17] According to Metacritic, which reports a weighted average score of 56 out of 100, based on 32 critics, the film received "mixed or average reviews".^[18]

David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a "B−" and wrote: "Jacobs doesn't give us much else to hold on to. For all of its touching moments – and a series of closing grace notes that shimmer with a mystical flair missing from the rest of the film – this gossamer-thin adaptation is hampered by the same ambivalence that's haunted [Pfeiffer's character] Frances for so long."^[19]

Pfeiffer received critical acclaim for her performance with many critics dubbing it Oscar-worthy and Variety's Pete Dubruge writing that she delivered a role "for which she'll be remembered."^{[20][21][22][23][24]}

• Official website
• French Exit at IMDb