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Jason Palmer, Desiree Garcia, Sandha Khin, Andre Hayward, Frank Garvin ... see more see more... , Alma Prelec , Bernard Chazelle , Eli Gerstenlauer , Keith Gross-Hill , Jerry Quinn , Moreen McCarthy , Willie Rodriguez , Zerek Palmer , Beverly Palmer , Sharee Palmer , T.J. Palmer , Joe Della Penna , Vera Meyer , Kelly Kaleta , Vanessa Pope , Kevin Harris , Elizabeth Tingue , Gonzalo Digenio , Eddie Wakes , Karen Adelman , Suzanne Bouffard , Kelly Burk , Carolyn Glicklich , Chris Rowse

For his feature debut, writer-director Damien Chazelle has fashioned a contemporary musical, shot in 16 mm black-and-white on the streets of Boston and New York. During the film's opening credits, we ... read more read more...learn that Guy (professional musician Jason Palmer), a trumpet player, and Madeline (Desiree Garcia), a grad student looking for work, have broken up. The film then flashes back briefly to show how Guy's dalliance with Elena (Sandha Khin), an outgoing young woman he met on the subway, caused the breakup. The film follows Guy and Madeline as they try to make their way, post-breakup. Guy continues to play his gigs, though Elena doesn't seem quite as interested in his music as Madeline was. Madeline finds a job at the Summer Shack restaurant, pines for Guy, but eventually decides to leave Boston for New York. Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench features music by Justin Hurwitz and a score recorded by the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra. Chazelle, who is also a jazz drummer (he appears briefly in the film), originally made the film as a short for his senior thesis at Harvard, where he studied under documentary filmmaker Robb Moss. Chazelle and his cast and crew worked on the film for three years, as financing permitted, to expand it into a feature. Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench had its world premiere at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, where it was shown in the Discovery section. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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52% liked it

882 ratings

Critics

90% liked it

21 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 22 min.

Directed by: Damien Chazelle

Release Date: November 5, 2010

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DVD Release Date: May 3, 2011

Stats: 27 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (27)

  • FrizzDrop
    May 12, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    Mixing two separate yet compatible elements, Guy and Madeline fuses the cinema verite style of a gritty black and white documentary and the brash tones and rising melodies of an MGM musical, all in one sitting. Though the full impact of said MGM style was lost in the fray of tyin... read moreg the stylings together, the overall effort was astounding. The numbers had an originality that was more Miles Davis than Irving Berlin, which flowed well with the grainy shots of Boston. Threaded into the romantic entanglements of the two main characters was a deep love and appreciation for jazz, fueling the storyline forward by making some of the musical numbers performances that could indeed happen in real life, including a party scene and a jam session. Madeline's two songs on the other hand take place as she walks the streets, and my all-time favorite "When I Kissed the Boy in Park" while closing down a diner she waitresses in. There were some great scenes, including a game of 20 Questions between Elena and a strange old man, and Guy trying to track down Madeline. Altogether, it was confusing when addressing the dying relationships that lead to a reunion of the musicians, but the cute factor kept me watching.
  • gator681
    April 29, 2012
    gator681
    Look, I have a soft spot in my heart for any movie made nowadays in black and white. And it helps that "Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench" has a certain retro charm with its keenly styled musical numbers. But those oh so brief interludes cannot make up for the muddled narrative ... read moreof the break up of Guy(Jason Palmer), a trumpet player, and Madeline(Desiree Garcia), as they go their separate directions. That's not to mention the amateurish camerawork.

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Critic Reviews

Wesley Morris
December 16, 2010
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

"Guy and Madeline'' is the work of an artist - Damien Chazelle - you want to know better. It's whimsical and winsome and a touch quaint. Full Review

Betsy Sharkey
December 10, 2010
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

This is a story of few words, a lot of great music and countless emotional shadings. Full Review

Stephen Cole
December 3, 2010
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail

Guy and Madeline is a decidedly modern film, whose frightened, impulsive, charming characters could walk into our lives tomorrow. Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum
November 18, 2010
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

[An] extraordinary black-and-white retro dream of a feature debut... Full Review

Jeannette Catsoulis
November 5, 2010
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

Evokes a time when every love affair came with its own soundtrack, and every song seemed to be written only for us. Full Review

Ian Buckwalter
November 4, 2010
Ian Buckwalter, NPR

Chazelle demonstrates a stunning natural fluency in this outdated filmic grammar. It's as if he's spontaneously started writing gorgeous poetry in a long-dormant language. Full Review

Sura Wood
November 3, 2010
Sura Wood, Hollywood Reporter

Shot in black and white on 16mm in a spontaneous, stripped down style, it manages to be both low key, downtown cool and exuberant at the same time.

John Anderson
November 3, 2010
John Anderson, Variety

A magical amalgam of Jean-Luc Godard, Miles Davis, Morris Engel and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Full Review

J. Hoberman
November 2, 2010
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

The movie is at once fresh and retro, a casual three-mumblechord affair glamorized by its exuberant nostalgia for pop bop of the late '50s and the then-new wave excitement of Shadows and Breathless. Full Review

Christopher Long
June 28, 2011
Christopher Long, Movie Metropolis

A celebration of cinephilia and music and dance Full Review

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Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench Trivia

  • Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009) The film was originally Damien Chazelle's Harvard film thesis before he took time off from school to finish it  Answer »
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