Eiffel
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Eiffel
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Eiffel is a French fictionalized historical romantic drama -- about the creation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris during the late 1800s -- with passionate sex scenes and nudity. As well as the historical element of the story, the film focuses on a fictional love story involving engineer Gustave Eiffel (Romain Duris) and Adrienne Bourgès (Emily Mackey), a former love of Eiffel's. The pair are seen having sex on a number of occasions, one of which is quite graphic and features topless nudity. Many characters smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol, with one party being particularly rowdy. Eiffel is a widowed single father who is charismatic, confident, and determined. He occasionally loses his temper but is generally caring. Potentially distressing scenes include two river rescues and a pregnant woman losing her child after being accidentally impaled on a spike. The engineering and design scenes are fascinating and show how impressive a structure the Eiffel Tower is. The film is in French with English subtitles and an English dubbed version is also available.
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What's the Story?
In EIFFEL, gifted engineer Gustave Eiffel (Romain Duris) embarks on his ambitious project to create a 300-meter-high landmark in Paris. Professional problems arise but the unexpected return of his lost love, Adrienne Bourgès (Emily Mackey), proves to be the biggest disruptor in Eiffel's life, as he becomes trapped in a love triangle.
Is It Any Good?
In a historical movie about a man called Gustave Eiffel trying to build the world-famous Eiffel Tower, you can be pretty sure he'll make it. But to Eiffel's credit, finding out how he did it is an entertaining journey. The film is at its best when it reveals the incredible feats of engineering behind Paris' iron giant. Impressive for getting these ideas across in a compelling way, the movie's enthusiasm for Eiffel's engineering skills shines through.
Eiffel's not just about the tower, though. A fictional love story has been bolted onto Eiffel's life. His love interest, Bourgès, is played excellently by Mackey. But the melodrama is not strong enough to have an impact. The mystery behind Eiffel and Bourgès' past is drip fed throughout the movie to add intrigue. But despite some twists and turns, their love story is functional but unremarkable. An interesting look at a landmark most people will be familiar with, Eiffel isn't a towering success but still manages to sell the majesty of the structure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Eiffel portrayed sex. Was it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Discuss some of the positive character strengths in the movie. What examples of perseverance, communication, integrity, and teamwork can you give from the film?
Along with the Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel also helped design the Statue of Liberty in New York City. Can you think of any similarities between these two structures? What might each represent?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 3, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: December 4, 2022
- Cast: Romain Duris, Emma Mackey, Pierre Deladonchamps
- Director: Martin Bourboulon
- Studio: Blue Fox Entertainment
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: STEM, History
- Character Strengths: Communication, Integrity, Perseverance, Teamwork
- Run time: 108 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: some sexuality/nudity
- Last updated: January 12, 2023
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