Overview
A young poet's dreams clash with the harsh realities of the Parisian art world.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- propulsive
- sumptuous
- period drama night
- literary film evening
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an energetic, beautifully acted adaptation that gives Balzac's complex social themes cinematic force.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lucien enters Parisian literary and theatre circles from a lower-class printing background and must navigate their entrenched hierarchies.
The 1830s and 1840s Paris setting ties personal advancement to publishing, theatre, criticism, and elite patronage.
Lucien discovers the dark side of the arts business as literary and theatrical success depend on publicity and compromise.
The film's Parisian literary, theatrical, and aristocratic milieus provide a lavishly staged backdrop for Lucien's ascent.
Films like Lost Illusions, and why
The Leopard
lavish historical drama, literary ambition, and the corrosive influence of social status and artistic institutions
A Royal Affair
period literary drama examining class mobility, romantic desire, and the moral compromises of cultural prestige
The Favourite
energetic historical drama about ambition, media influence, and compromised ideals in a vividly reconstructed society
Movie Details
- Director
- Xavier Giannoli
- Release Date
- 2021-10-20
- Runtime
- 149 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (578)
Cast
- Benjamin Voisin
- Cécile de France
- Vincent Lacoste
- Xavier Dolan
- Salomé Dewaels
- Jeanne Balibar
- André Marcon
- Louis-Do de Lencquesaing
- Gérard Depardieu
- Jean-François Stévenin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Brew, OVID, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, France Channel Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Lost Illusions about?
- A gifted provincial poet enters Parisian literary society, where artistic ambition collides with class prejudice, commercial pressure, and seductive influence.
- What is Lost Illusions like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lost Illusions as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Lost Illusions violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Lost Illusions.
- What did critics think of Lost Illusions?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an energetic, beautifully acted adaptation that gives Balzac's complex social themes cinematic force.
- Which films are like Lost Illusions?
- Films with a similar feel include The Leopard, A Royal Affair, and The Favourite.
- How long is Lost Illusions?
- Lost Illusions runs 149 minutes.
- Where can I watch Lost Illusions?
- In United States, Lost Illusions streams on Amazon Prime Video, Brew, OVID, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, France Channel Amazon Channel.
