BPM (Beats per Minute) explained

BPM (Beats per Minute)
Native Name:
Director:Robin Campillo
Music:Arnaud Rebotini
Cinematography:Jeanne Lapoirie
Distributor:Memento Films
Runtime:140 minutes
Country:France
Language:French
Budget:$5.8 million[1]
Gross:$7.7 million[2]

BPM (Beats per Minute), also known as 120 BPM (Beats per Minute), (French: 120 battements par minute) is a 2017 French drama film directed by Robin Campillo and starring Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Arnaud Valois and Adèle Haenel. The film is about the AIDS activism of ACT UP Paris in 1990s France. Campillo and co-screenwriter Philippe Mangeot drew on their personal experiences with ACT UP in developing the story.

It had its world premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, followed by screenings at other festivals. At Cannes it won critical acclaim and four awards, including the Grand Prix. It went on to win six César Awards, including Best Film, and other honours.

Plot

In the early 1990s, a group of HIV/AIDS activists associated with the Paris chapter of ACT UP struggle to effect action to fight the AIDS epidemic. While the French government has declared its intent to support HIV/AIDS sufferers, ACT UP stages public protests against their sluggish pace, accusing the government of censoring and minimizing the fight against the virus. When the pharmaceutical company Melton Pharm announces its plans to reveal its HIV trial results at a prominent pharmaceutical conference the following year, ACT UP invades its offices with fake blood and demands it release its trial results immediately. While ACT UP makes some headway with its public protests, its members fiercely debate the group's strategy, with conflicting goals of showmanship and persuasion, with conflicting aesthetics of positivity and misery. ACT UP struggles to plan a more effective Gay Pride parade than in previous years, bemoaning the depressing, "zombie" atmosphere the AIDS epidemic had created.

The film shows a number of large meetings in a lecture theatre where the radical element demand more direct action and others aim to bring the scientists to meetings where they can get them to communicate results sooner. A deaf person points out they can do direct action AND pursue meetings with the labs. But soon some radicals have attacked Helene, the mother of a teenager who contracted HIV through blood transfusion. Helene had pushed for politicians to be tried and jailed for their mishandling of blood screening (which is how her son got HIV). To some this is against ACT-UP principles as prison is an unsafe place where people get HIV. The group always seem to be arguing.

The film gradually shifts from the political storyline of ACT UP's actions to the personal stories of ACT UP members. Foreshadowing later events in the movie, Jeremie, a youth who lives with HIV in the group sees his health deteriorate rapidly. Per his wishes, the group parades in the streets after his death, putting his name and face to the ranks of AIDS victims. Newcomer Nathan, a gay man who doesn't live with HIV, begins to fall in love with the passionate veteran Sean, who is HIV-positive. Nathan and Sean start a sexual relationship, and discuss their sexual histories. Sean got HIV when he was sixteen from his married maths teacher. Sean is already exhibiting signs of the disease's progression and soon his T-cell count is down to 160. Nathan offers to care for Sean as he gets worse. When Sean is released from hospital to Nathan's apartment for end-of-life care, Nathan euthanizes him. ACT UP holds a wake at their home. As per Sean's wishes, later they invade a health insurance conference, throwing his ashes over the conference-goers and their food.

Production

Director Robin Campillo co-wrote the screenplay, describing himself as "an ACT UP militant in the '90s",[3] meaning he did not have to carry out any other investigation into how to accurately portray the experience. One scene was also based on his experience with the AIDS epidemic, as he said "I've dressed up a boyfriend on his death".[3] Co-screenwriter Philippe Mangeot was also involved in ACT UP.[4]

At Cannes, Campillo explained his decision to go ahead with directing the film, saying "BPM is above all a film I wanted to make where the force of words transforms into pure moments of action".[5] The budget of $5 million was raised in months.[3]

The film was shot in Paris and partly in Orléans, including at the former La Source hospital.[6] [7]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival on 20 May 2017.[8] On 24 June, it went to the Moscow International Film Festival,[9] followed by the New Zealand International Film Festival in July.[10] With the number of films at the Toronto International Film Festival being reduced from 2016, BPM (Beats per Minute) was nevertheless selected for the 2017 festival in September.[11]

At Cannes, The Orchard acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[12] It has been released in France on 23 August 2017 as scheduled.[13]

Incidents

On 4 February 2018, a group of Christian protesters holding icons and singing church chants disrupted the screening of BPM at the Romanian Peasant Museum in Bucharest. Displaying banners with nationalist and Christian messages,[14] the protesters claimed that "a film with this plot is inadmissible to be screened" at the Romanian Peasant Museum, because "it is a film about homosexuals", and "the Romanian peasant is Orthodox Christian."[15] After half an hour of dispute, the police took the protesters out of the cinema.[16] The screening of BPM was part of a series of events dedicated to LGBT History Month. Director Tudor Giurgiu, a supporter of LGBT rights and witness to what happened, criticized in a Facebook post such demonstrations and asked for protection measures in cinema halls where LGBT-themed films are screened.[17]

Reception

Critical reception

On the French review aggregator AlloCiné, the film has an average review score of 4.5 out of 5 based on 31 critics,[18] making it the highest rated film of the year.[19] It holds a 99% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 135 reviews, with a weighted average of 8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Moving without resorting to melodrama, BPM offers an engrossing look at a pivotal period in history that lingers long after the closing credits roll."[20] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 84 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[21]

Jada Yuan, writing for Vulture.com, spoke of being moved to tears by the film, praising it as "a unique, intimate portrait of the community from the inside".[22] The Toronto Stars Peter Howell observed French critics at Cannes were generally excited about it and opined it deserved a top award.[23] The Hollywood Reporter critic David Rooney positively reviewed the dialogue and the youthful cast, while criticizing the pace.[24] Tim Robey, writing for The Daily Telegraph, gave it three of five stars, complimenting the comedic moments and a sex scene, balancing awareness of risk, with one character being HIV positive, and sexiness.[25] Vanity Fair critic Richard Lawson hailed it as a "half sober and surveying docudrama, half wrenching personal illness narrative".[26] Lawson and The Hollywood Reporter critics compared the film to the play The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer.[3] [24] [26]

Accolades

It competed for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.[27] [28] In July 2017, it was listed among 10 films in competition for the Lux Prize.[29] It was selected as the French entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[30]

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s) Result
Cabourg Film Festival18 June 2017Audience AwardRobin Campillo[31]
Cannes Film Festival17—28 March 2017Grand Prix[32]
FIPRESCI Prize[33]
François Chalais Prize[34] [35]
Queer Palm
César Awards2 March 2018Best FilmHugues Charbonneau, Marie-Ange Luciani, Robin Campillo[36] [37]
Best DirectorRobin Campillo
Best Original Screenplay
Best Supporting ActorAntoine Reinartz
Best Supporting ActressAdele Haenel
Most Promising ActorNahuel Pérez Biscayart
Arnaud Valois
Best Original MusicArnaud Rebotini
Best SoundJulien Sicart, Valerie de Loof, Jean-Pierre Laforce
Best EditingRobin Campillo
Best CinematographyJeanne Lapoirie
Best Costume DesignIsabelle Pannetier
Best Production DesignEmmanuelle Duplay
Chicago International Film FestivalOctober 2017Gold Q-HugoRobin Campillo[38]
European Film Awards9 December 2017Best Film[39]
Best ActorNahuel Pérez Biscayart
Best EditorRobin Campillo[40]
Globes de Cristal Awards12 February 2018Best Film[41]
Best ActorNahuel Pérez Biscayart
Guldbagge Awards22 January 2018Best Foreign FilmRobin Campillo[42] [43]
International Film Festival of India28 November 2017Golden Peacock (Best Film)[44]
Best ActorNahuel Pérez Biscayart
Independent Spirit Awards3 March 2018Best International FilmRobin Campillo[45]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association3 December 2017Best Foreign Language Film[46]
Lux Prize14 November 2017Best Film
Lumières Awards5 February 2018Best Film[47]
Best Director
Best ActorNahuel Pérez Biscayart
Best ScreenplayRobin Campillo and Philippe Mangeot
Best Male RevelationArnaud Valois
Best MusicArnaud Rebotini
Merlinka Festival13 December 2017Best Queer Film of the YearRobin Campillo[48]
National Society of Film Critics6 January 2018Best Foreign Language Film[49]
New York Film Critics Circle3 January 2018Best Foreign Language Film[50]
Online Film Critics Society28 December 2017Best Foreign Language Film[51]
San Sebastian Film FestivalSeptember 2017Sebastiane Award[52]
Satellite Awards11 February 2018Best Foreign Language Film[53]
Vancouver Film Critics CircleDecember 2017Best Foreign Language Film[54]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association8 December 2017Best Foreign Language Film[55]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 120 battements par minute (Beats Per Minute) (2017). JP's Box-Office. 4 November 2017.
  2. Web site: BPM (Beats Per Minute) (2017) - International Box Office Results. Box Office Mojo. 19 April 2018.
  3. Web site: Cannes: '120 Beats Per Minute' Director Says 'I Was an ACT UP Militant' . Kilday . Gregg . . . 20 May 2017 . 29 May 2017.
  4. Web site: Cannes 2017 : avec « 120 battements par minute », les corps en lutte d'Act Up conquièrent les cœurs . Regnier . Isabelle . . 20 May 2017 . 29 May 2017.
  5. Web site: AIDS Activism Movie 120 Beats Per Minute Honored with Prestigious Award at Cannes . Gilchrist . Tracy E. . . 28 May 2017 . 29 May 2017.
  6. Web site: Lemercier . Fabien . 2016-07-20 . Shooting set to begin for BPM (Beats per Minute) . 2024-02-29 . Cineuropa.
  7. Web site: 2016-09-26 . L'ancien hôpital de La Source accueille le tournage du film 120 battements par minute . 2024-02-29 . La République du Centre.
  8. Web site: 2017 Screenings Guide. Cannes Film Festival. 26 May 2017.
  9. Web site: 120 BEATS PER MINUTE . . 29 June 2017 . 24 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180324024509/http://39.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff39/eng/films/?id=39089 . dead .
  10. Web site: Cannes trifecta of winners take top slots at NZ International Film Festival . Gibson . Nevil . . 27 June 2017 . 2 July 2017 . 26 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170626232027/https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/cannes-trifecta-winners-take-top-slots-nz-international-film-festival-ng-204558 . dead .
  11. Web site: TIFF announces first batch of this year's movies — including two Matt Damon films . Howell . Peter . . Toronto Star Newspapers . 25 July 2017 . 1 August 2017.
  12. Web site: The Orchard Lands Cannes Competition Pic 'BPM'; Samuel Goldwyn Inhales Tribeca's 'Holy Air'. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Patrick. Hipes. 23 May 2017. 26 May 2017.
  13. Web site: 120 Battements par Minute. Memento Films. 5 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170827175234/http://distribution.memento-films.com/film/infos/80. 27 August 2017. dead.
  14. Web site: Proiecția unui film cu tematică gay, premiat la Festivalul de la Cannes, întreruptă în această seară de un grup de credincioși, la Muzeul Țăranului Român . . George-Andrei . Cristescu . 4 February 2018 . ro. Adevarul Holding.
  15. Web site: SCANDAL la Muzeul Țăranului Român - Proiecția unui film, întreruptă de credincioși: 'Hey Soros, leave them kids alone...' / VIDEO . Știri pe surse . Alexandra-Maria . Cioroianu . 5 February 2018 . ro.
  16. Web site: Scandal la Muzeul Țăranului Român. Proiecția filmului 120 de Bătăi pe Minut a fost întreruptă de un grup religios . Elle Romania. Ringier Romania. Ștefana . Macovei . 5 February 2018 . ro.
  17. Web site: VIDEO/Scandal la MȚR. Un film cu tematică gay, întrerupt de un grup de credincioși. Tudor Giurgiu: "E ireal, rușine!" . . 4 February 2018 . ro. Ringier Romania.
  18. Web site: 120 battements par minute. AlloCiné. 17 October 2017.
  19. Web site: Les meilleurs films selon la presse. AlloCiné. 17 October 2017.
  20. Web site: 120 Beats Per Minute (2017). Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. 9 April 2018.
  21. Web site: 120 Beats Per Minute Reviews. CBS Interactive. . 16 March 2018.
  22. Web site: The French AIDS-Crisis Film That Had Journalists Weeping at Cannes . Yuan . Jada . . New York Media . 26 May 2017 . 27 May 2017.
  23. Web site: And the Palme d'Or at Cannes goes to — who knows?: Howell . Howell . Peter . . Toronto Star Newspapers . 26 May 2017 . 27 May 2017.
  24. Web site: '120 Beats Per Minute' ('120 Battements par minute'): Film Review, Cannes 2017 . Rooney . David . . . 20 May 2017 . 27 May 2017.
  25. Web site: Cannes 2017, 120 Beats Per Minute review: a vitally erotic, moving ode to activism . Robey . Tim . . 26 May 2017 . 27 May 2017.
  26. Web site: AIDS Drama 120 Beats Per Minute Is a Vital New Gay Classic . Lawson . Richard . . 20 May 2017 . 27 May 2017.
  27. Web site: The 2017 Official Selection . . 13 April 2017 . 13 April 2017 .
  28. Web site: 2017 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup: Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, 'Twin Peaks' and More . . . Winfrey . Graham . 13 April 2017 . 13 April 2017.
  29. Web site: Official Selection . . . 1 August 2017 . 2 October 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171002122725/http://www.luxprize.eu/official-selection . dead .
  30. Web site: Oscars: France Selects '120 Beats Per Minute' for Foreign-Language Category . . . Rhonda . Richford . 19 September 2017 . 19 September 2017.
  31. Web site: Le Palmarès des Swann d'Or 2017 . Cabourg Film Festival. 13 April 2018.
  32. Web site: 2017 Cannes Film Festival Award Winners Announced . Peter . Debruge . 28 May 2017 . 28 May 2017 . . Penske Business Media.
  33. Web site: Cannes Critics Prize 'BPM,' Closeness,' 'Nothing Factory' . John . Hopewell . 27 May 2017 . 27 May 2017 . . Penske Business Media.
  34. Web site: EXCLUSIVITÉ TÊTU : Tous les films en compétition de la Queer Palm au Festival de Cannes . Têtu. 4 May 2017. 13 April 2018. Naselli. Adrian.
  35. Web site: Cannes 2017 : 120 battements par minute décroche la Queer Palm . 27 May 2017 . 27 May 2017 . Ecran Noir . fr . Cannes 2017: 120 Beats per Minute wins the Queer Palm. wyzman.
  36. Web site: '120 BPM' Leads France's Cesar Awards Nominations . Richford . Rhonda . . . 31 January 2018 . 1 February 2018 .
  37. Web site: DIRECT. César 2018 : Camélia Jordana et Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, meilleurs espoirs . Parant . Paul . Catherine . Balle . . 2 March 2018 . 2 March 2018 .
  38. Web site: "Killing Jesús" Wins the Roger Ebert Award at the 2017 Chicago International Film Festival . Fagerholm . Matt . RogerEbert.com . Ebert Digital LLC . 23 October 2017 . 2 December 2017.
  39. Web site: Cabeza. Elisabet. 4 November 2017. 'The Square' leads 2017 European Film Awards nominations. Screen Daily. Screen International. 7 November 2017.
  40. Web site: Roxborough . Scott . Andrey Zvyagintsev's 'Loveless' Wins Two European Film Awards . . . 14 November 2017 . 25 November 2017.
  41. Web site: PHOTOS Globes de cristal: Doria Tillier sexy, Camile Cerf et Audrey Dana élégantes. La Rédaction. 13 February 2018. Voici. 13 February 2018. Prisma Média. 13 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180213141212/http://www.voici.fr/news-people/actu-people/photos-globes-de-cristal-doria-tillier-sexy-camile-cerf-et-audrey-dana-elegantes-643893. dead.
  42. News: Flest nomineringar till Borg – Östlund: "Det känns okej". Rebecca. Haimi. 4 January 2018. SVT. sv. 5 January 2018.
  43. Web site: Glädjetårar efter Sameblods succé. Leo. Pettersson. Aftonbladet. 22 January 2018. 22 January 2018. sv.
  44. Web site: IFFI 2017 complete winners list: Parvathy wins Best Actress; Amitabh Bachchan is 'Film Personality of The Year'. Showsha. Firstpost. FP Staff. 28 November 2017. 13 April 2018.
  45. Web site: Independent Spirit Awards: 'Call Me by Your Name' Leads With 6 Nominations . . . Hilary . Lewis . 21 November 2017 . 22 November 2017.
  46. Web site: Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. Crowns 'Call Me by Your Name' Best Picture of 2017 . Tapley . Kristopher . . . 3 December 2017 . 3 December 2017.
  47. Web site: '120 BPM' Tops France's Lumiere Awards . Rhonda . Richford . 5 February 2018 . The Hollywood Reporter. . 8 February 2018.
  48. News: '"120 otkucaja u minuti" najbolji film na Merlinka festivalu . TANJUG . 13 April 2018. . 14 December 2017 . sr.
  49. Web site: 'Lady Bird' Named Best Film of 2017 by National Society of Film Critics . Variety. . Kristopher . Tapley . 6 January 2018 . 6 January 2018.
  50. Web site: 'Lady Bird' Named Best Picture by New York Film Critics Circle. 30 November 2017. Variety. Penske Business Media. 30 November 2017.
  51. Web site: Get Out Wins Big at Online Film Critics Society Awards . Staff . . 28 December 2017 . 29 December 2017 .
  52. News: '120 BEATS PER MINUTE' by Robin Campillo, 18th Sebastiane Award . 29 September 2017 . Premios Sebastiane. 30 September 2017 . es-ES . Nieszawer. Céline .
  53. Web site: 'Dunkirk,' 'The Shape of Water' Lead Satellite Award Nominations . Pond . Steve . . 29 November 2017 . 2 December 2017.
  54. Web site: 'Lady Bird' Named Best Film of 2017 by Vancouver Critics Circle . Vlessing . Etan . . Prometheus Global Media. 18 December 2017 . 29 December 2017 .
  55. Web site: 'Get Out' Is In with D.C. Film Critic . The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association . Cision. . 8 December 2017 . 29 December 2017 .

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