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Poster for L'engrenage

L'engrenage

1961 · 90 min

A dry, bittersweet French drama about ambition and ingratitude, moving at a steady pace with a quietly cynical edge.

Overview
Georges Calin, the son of a northern industrialist, comes to Paris to work as a film director. A letter from his father recommends him to a fashionable director, Albert Fromond. The initial reception is frosty, and Georges is introduced to another director in decline. Risquard. Risquard, interested above all in his father's fortune, entrusted Georges with menial tasks. At the same time, Georges meets a young girl, Marianne, who helps him fight to succeed in the profession. Now famous, Georges forgets about the girl, who is no longer of any use to him.

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
    Pacing
    measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
    Attention
    engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
    Themes
    • ambition
    • betrayal
    • class
    Places
    • big city
    Era
    contemporary
    Audience
    adult
    Form
    None
    Content intensity
    • Gore none
    • Language mild
    • Violence none
    • Sex mild
    All scales, 0 to 10
    Scales, 0 to 10
    ScaleValue0 to 10
    Action1
    Horror0
    Humour3
    Realism7
    Romance3
    Tension3
    Darkness4
    Complexity4
    Emotional weight4

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    Where to watch in the UK

    No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

    Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

    Details

    Genres
    comedy, drama
    Directed by
    Max Kalifa
    Starring
    Jean Houbé, Monique Messine, Billy Nencioli, Lucien Raimbourg, Ada Lonati, Micheline Bezançon, Gérard Cany, Michel de Séréville
    Runtime
    90 min
    Country
    France
    Languages
    French

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