Monsieur Aznavour
Short description
This drama follows the life of Charles Aznavour, tracking his journey from a poor childhood as the son of Armenian immigrants to his global success as a singer. Starting in Paris during the 1930s, the story depicts his early struggles with a lack of funds and a voice that others doubted. Through persistence and ambition, he navigates triumphs and failures across cities like Paris and New York, eventually gaining the attention of Edith Piaf. The narrative explores his devotion to music and the personal sacrifices made to achieve fame.
The film was directed by Mehdi Idir, who previously directed Patients in 2017 and School Life in 2019. Idir also co-wrote the screenplay with Grand Corps Malade. Tahar Rahim stars as Aznavour, appearing alongside Marie-Julie Baup as Edith Piaf and Bastien Bouillon as Pierre Roche. A total of 70 cast members and 74 crew members are credited in the production, which was a joint effort between France, Belgium, and Bulgaria.
Produced with a budget of 28 million USD, the movie earned 16 million USD at the worldwide box office. Audience reception has been consistent across platforms, with the film receiving a rating of 7.2/10 on IMDb from 4,200 votes and a matching 7.2/10 on TMDB from 368 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- Tahar Rahim sang himself in the film. Before filming, he specifically took vocal lessons and piano lessons, and also studied Aznavour’s body language for a long time.
- While preparing for filming, Tahar Rahim (who played the main character) lost weight. Before the start of each shooting day, he spent a lot of time in the makeup chair.
- The project was sponsored by Charles Aznavour himself (while he was alive), so Tahar Rahim had free access to the Aznavour family, which he used to talk to Aznavour's wife, his sister, and his children.
- Marie-Julie Bau decided not to rewatch Olivier Dahan’s drama “La Vie en Rose” (2007) before playing Édith Piaf. Instead, she took singing lessons and studied relevant materials (read interviews, listened to concert performances, etc.) for several months, and, like Tahar Rahim, spent long hours in the makeup chair at the beginning of each shooting day.
- Charles Aznavour personally chose Granaz Kor Malad and Mehdi Idir as the directors and screenwriters of the biopic. He passed away on the day a meeting was scheduled to discuss work on the project. Due to Aznavour's death, work on the project had to be postponed, and Malad and Idir temporarily turned to the comedy "School Life" (2019).
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
