User reviews

Luxembourger writer-director Anne Fontaine has tackled all kinds of subjects and often attracted big names, recently international ones, to her films. Here she tackles a coming of age drama that appears to be based on a real-life story although no source material is credited. (N.B. When the film was released in the UK it transpired that the screenplay was based on the autobiographical novel "En finir avec Eddy Belleguele." Author Edouard Louis disapproved of the adaptation and did not want to be credited). Sissy schoolboy Marvin grows up to be an actor, who tells his hard-luck story on stage and in print. That's about all there is to it and the tale seems overstretched at nearly two hours; but it's done with great integrity, the screenplay is intelligent, and there are sincere performances from the two actors representing the boy at different ages. The elder Marvin is played by British actor Finnegan Oldfield, who seems only to work in France. Marvin gets to co-star in his play with the great Isabelle Huppert, who has been in three of Fontaine's films. Here she plays herself, which is a strange conceit. Also unusual is the structure, which has flashes forward until grown-up Marvin's story gradually predominates. The film will impress anyone who wants high quality work in all departments but particularly those who were bullied or are being bullied at school for their sexuality. "Reinventing Marvin" is an encouragement to rise above it.

A beautiful story. A reckoning with the oppressive past using art as a channel for overflowing sorrows and melancholies and transforming his own reality. The performances of Oldfield and Julies are very touching. I would given a 7,5 if I could.

A coming of age film , done in a different and somewhat unusual way. I do not share the opinion of "Horst in Transition/10th ofJuly 2018" who belittles the whole endeavour as forgettable. Sure, the stories about coming of age are often similar ( the story of "Romeo and Julia " has been told over and over too) and the idea of becoming "liberated" through "art" from a miserable social background-- has been the theme in "Billy Elliot" and "Fame" and many other films too. But I liked the way this film was done with flash-backs, with a slow moving rythm, with impressive actors-especially the poor white trash family, and the sharp contrasts between the heroes former life and the seemingly aimless search for his destiny in Paris among the rich, the "artsy fartsy", the "would be's" and the losers. Having some knowledge of fine arts, theatre and the gay world helps to like that film- It's not a american popcorn blockbuster for the masses !

Reinventing Marvin is a film I think everyone can relate to, at least on some level. When looking at the life of the main character and his journey (both figurative and literal), it is hard not to see aspects of our own lives--or at least that was the case for me. But then, isn't that the purpose of all films? To make us, the viewer, reflect on our own lives and therefore sympathize with the main characters? In that sense, the film is nothing special or unusual, but give the trailer a watch and if it looks like something you'd be into, give the film a try, you might get something out of it!