Monsieur Aznavour
France 2024

Opening 22 May 2025

Directed by: Mehdi Idir, Grand Corps Malade
Writing credits: Mehdi Idir, Grand Corps Malade
Principal actors: Tahar Rahim, Bastien Bouillon, Marie-Julie Baup, Camille Moutawakil, Narine Grigoryan

Fancy a journey through time, accompanied by exquisite French chansons and world-class acting? Opening in 1930s France, the biopic Monsieur Aznavour, directed by Mehdi Idir and Grand Corps Malade, explores the life and art of Charles Aznavour (Tahar Rahim), the legendary French singer and songwriter of Armenian descent. The viewer is taken on a captivating journey encompassing Aznavour’s beginnings from nothing to his rise to the fame throughout the 1940s and 50s until his later years performing before mesmerized audiences in sold-out venues.

A remarkable feature of this biopic is that it manages to seamlessly intertwine a deep insight into the artist’s personal struggles and state of mind with the outside world in which he operates. Against this backdrop, the viewer witnesses how young Aznavour’s family has to survive with almost nothing and how he perseveres through numerous prejudices on his path to becoming a singer. Similarly, later scenes portraying Aznavour’s endeavors to survive as an artist during the Nazi occupation of France and his subsequent journey to New York provide essential context for the societal dynamics of the time.

New beginnings—arguably already molded by his family’s experience as immigrants—serve as a central motif in Aznavour’s life as portrayed in the movie. In his earlier years as a musician, he leaves behind the familiar as he embarks on a daring journey to New York and subsequently relocates to Montreal with his singing partner and close friend Pierre Roche (Bastien Bouillon) to further his career. Later on, driven by an insatiable desire to fulfill his potential, he repatriates to France, which also means bringing his eight-year long partnership and deep bond with Roche to an end. In another pivotal moment in his career, he boldly parts ways with Edith Piaf (Marie-Julie Baup), with whom he has shared a long-standing protégé relationship.

As ambitious and resilient as Charles Aznavour is, he remains a human being with his own fragilities, frustrations, and fears. Even at the height of his career, he remains uncertain about how his performance will be received, standing in disbelief as the audience rises in a standing ovation. Despite having achieved immense success by any possible measure, it is ultimately his inner critique that keeps him from slowing down even in the face of family tragedies.

With its touching narrative and Tahar Rahim’s exceptional performance, Monsieur Aznavour is a cinematic experience not to be missed. You will leave the theater with the finest French chansons echoing in your ears! (Cicek Gurkan)