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The Moderns

  • 1988
  • R
  • 2h 6m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
The Moderns (1988)
The Moderns: Nick And Oiseau
Play clip1:54
Watch The Moderns: Nick And Oiseau
3 Videos
36 Photos
Period DramaComedyDramaRomance

A struggling artist is hired to forge paintings, causing him to cross paths with his ex-wife and her powerful new husband.A struggling artist is hired to forge paintings, causing him to cross paths with his ex-wife and her powerful new husband.A struggling artist is hired to forge paintings, causing him to cross paths with his ex-wife and her powerful new husband.

  • Director
    • Alan Rudolph
  • Writers
    • Alan Rudolph
    • Jon Bradshaw
  • Stars
    • Keith Carradine
    • Linda Fiorentino
    • Wallace Shawn
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    2.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Alan Rudolph
    • Writers
      • Alan Rudolph
      • Jon Bradshaw
    • Stars
      • Keith Carradine
      • Linda Fiorentino
      • Wallace Shawn
    • 26User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos3

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:01
    Official Trailer
    The Moderns: Nick And Oiseau
    Clip 1:54
    The Moderns: Nick And Oiseau
    The Moderns: Nick And Oiseau
    Clip 1:54
    The Moderns: Nick And Oiseau
    The Moderns: Cast And Crew On Art Forger David Stein
    Featurette 1:25
    The Moderns: Cast And Crew On Art Forger David Stein

    Photos36

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    Top cast45

    Edit
    Keith Carradine
    Keith Carradine
    • Nick Hart
    Linda Fiorentino
    Linda Fiorentino
    • Rachel Stone
    Wallace Shawn
    Wallace Shawn
    • Oiseau
    Geneviève Bujold
    Geneviève Bujold
    • Libby Valentin
    • (as Genevieve Bujold)
    Geraldine Chaplin
    Geraldine Chaplin
    • Nathalie de Ville
    Kevin J. O'Connor
    Kevin J. O'Connor
    • Hemingway
    John Lone
    John Lone
    • Bertram Stone
    Charlélie Couture
    • L'Evidence
    • (as Charlelie Couture)
    Elsa Raven
    Elsa Raven
    • Gertrude Stein
    Ali Giron
    • Alice B. Toklas
    Gailard Sartain
    Gailard Sartain
    • New York Critic
    Michael Wilson
    • Surrealist Poet
    Robert Gould
    • Blackie
    Antonia Dauphin
    Antonia Dauphin
    • Babette
    Véronique Bellegarde
    • Laurette
    • (as Veronique Bellegarde)
    Isabel Serra
    • Armand
    David Stein
    • Art Critic
    Hubert Loiselle
    Hubert Loiselle
    • Art Critic
    • Director
      • Alan Rudolph
    • Writers
      • Alan Rudolph
      • Jon Bradshaw
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews26

    6.62.1K
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    Featured reviews

    Nullness

    Wooden

    A couple years ago I saw Trouble in Mind, and was immediately absorbed in the atmospheric world the film portrayed. I have since been dying to see another movie by the same director. Well, I've just seen the Moderns, and was immediately disappointed. While the film shares the same claustrophobic tendencies of the previous work, in this one it doesn't seem as deliberate, but more a matter of budgetary restraints. I never got the feeling that I was watching Paris, or 1920's Paris, for that matter. All I got was the sensation of watching stilted actors playing dress-up. The dialogue and plot for this movie is b-movie crust, which can be good, but the dreariness of the action and the way in which the film was filmed left it almost completely vacant of any charm. Cute references to pop culture from the 20's only sounds contrived and makes the film more apparent of what it isn't. One should get the feeling one is watching the 20's unfold without the crutch of references. We are never given any reason to care for any of the actors. They are cartoonish, but not cartoonish enough for them to be relieving and enjoyable. This movie takes itself far too seriously to be enjoyed as camp, which makes scenes involving fake suicide and real suicide all the more dour. The sets are perhaps more wooden than the characters, Hart's art atrocious. Hemmingway appears as a jocular Ethan Hawke ruffian, a pale shadow compared to Hart's masculinity. Lampooning famous people can be fine, but not when the only purpose of it is to rip them off and make them a clown with no real relevance to the story. I did, however, like the portrayal of Gertude Stein as a cliquish art snob. That's a more fair assessment. To be missed or slept through.
    rpaulsondc

    A fun romp through a Movable Feast

    Rudolph sets an interesting atmosphere in this film about artists in Paris between the wars. Most of the scenes are borrowed from Hemingway's "A Movable Feast," and the dialog liberally pokes fun of the author. Some characters play better than others - Wallace Shawn's Oiseau is memorable, as is John Lone's Creepy, enigmatic part. I enjoy Carradine's artist character - though I understand that some people are rubbed the wrong way by his performance. Linda Fiorentino is somewhat annoying in her part, as is Genevieve Bujold. Still, as other comments note, the soundtrack is really quite impressive - and worth having on its own. Overall, if you like Rudolph's films, and you want to see an interesting take on some of Hemingway's autobiographical ramblings, this is a fun one to watch. This is a film that I first went to see by accident, but liked more an more as time went on - personally I put it in a class with "Diva" for atmosphere - some characters work, and others don't, and you either like the movie or you hate it. I, for one, like it.
    8turkam

    Rudolph's best! (Along with perhaps Choose Me).

    I must admit Alan Rudolph's work is hard to either greatly admire or sternly criticize. He has become one of these directors, like David Cronenberg or Paul Verhooven, that some love and some despise. But, the reality is it is hard to know where such directors stand. I must say that my feeling that Rudolph's films were too much like his mentor Robert Altman's has been changed upon seeing "The Moderns." While I am a huge fan of Altman, it has been hard for me too admire directors that seem too merely imitate him. But, this film is much more surreal than anything that Altman has done, especially in recent years. The film also establishes a clear mood and setting. Rudolph also selects very solid shots throughout the film. If there has been one disadvantage of the cinema medium over stage, it is that the audience can not see an actor's immediate response to a given situation because the focus is on another character. But, here Rudolph lets you inside virtually each of the characters. The cast is also solid. Keith Carradine is at his best. It is a shame that he now apparently has to go to Iceland to find cinematic roles, but if one thinks Jeff Bridges is an underrated actor there is proof- at least in this film--- that Carradine has been overlooked even more. I also think Wallace Shawn is great here, which is amazing considering that I am NOT a fan of the film "My Dinner with Andre." And, lastly Mark Isham's score is brilliant in this film. It may not be a film for all tastes, and because of its simplistic nature it is understandable why this film gets lost in the shuffle when it comes to discussions about great films from the 80s. Nevertheless, I think it is a remarkable film if not for anything else it does prove that an American can make a great movie set in Paris, which is not a musical, even if it was (as this film was) shot in Montreal!
    8dane11

    Quirky, Fun, Interesting

    Alan Rudolph does not make movies for everyone to see. His movies seem like personal projects that interest him at the time. Some of his movies I haven't been able to get involved in (Trixie, Mortal Thoughts, Afterglow) but with The Moderns, I was pulled in quickly. The story focuses on Keith Carradine's ex-patriot Nick Hart, a painter who has the ability to duplicate famous works of art with his brush. He's hired to create forgeries by Mademoiselle de Ville (Geraldine Chaplin).

    But the story doesn't stop there. There are other ex-patriots around, including young Ernest Hemingway, comically portrayed by Kevin J. O'Connor; who is constantly drinking, philosophizing and pursuing women. It's not a flattering look at Hemingway, but somehow it adds to the whole ambience of the film and seems to ring true. And then there is Linda Fiorentino, a former lover of Nick's, and her husband, the rich and icy Bertram Stone (John Lone). The characters are odd and quirky, the story is uneven at times, and meanders a bit, but it is never boring. This movie has such style and depth that it pulls the viewer in, like we're trying to see the work that is under the painted canvas. That's what this movie is about -- the greater depth of art. What is art and what is crap? What is love and what is hate? What is real and what is illusion? As a director, Alan Rudolph pulls us along cleverly, with a hint of intrigue, the dichotomy of Nick's love and Hemingway's carousing, a taste of passion and the beauty of art. Then there are the characters who are well-layered works of art themselves. Maybe this movie isn't a masterpiece, but it leaves us chipping away at the paint trying to see what treasure is underneath. It's a movie to be enjoyed
    7Loulou-8

    Very stylish interpretation of 1920s Paris

    This is a fairly enjoyable tale set in the art world of 1920s Paris. The look of the film and the mood it creates are the most important things; far more important than the enjoyable, yet slow-moving plotline.

    It is highly imaginative and its representation of icons such as Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein add an extra dimension to the film.

    The only true weak points are some of the dialogues between the two leads; it is sometimes out of place and almost too 'modern'!

    All the performances are good but John Lone and Keith Carradine are especially suited to their parts.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Isabella Rossellini screen-tested to play Nathalie DeVille, but lost to Geraldine Chaplin.
    • Quotes

      Oiseau: [while observing his own faked funeral] If it weren't for me, these people would think surreal was a breakfast food!

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: A Time of Destiny/Bellman and True/High Season/The Moderns/Tokyo Pop (1988)
    • Soundtracks
      Parlez-moi d'Amour
      Music by Jean Lenoir

      Lyrics by Jean Lenoir

      Performed by Charlélie Couture

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    FAQ20

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Wilde Jahre in Paris
    • Filming locations
      • Montréal, Québec, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Nelson Entertainment
      • Alive Films
      • Nelson Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,011,497
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $20,283
      • Apr 17, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,011,497
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 6 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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