Overview
A poignant exploration of love and loss through the eyes of a heartbroken musician.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- whimsical
- melancholic
- dreamy
- quiet evening
- reflective movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film whimsical, melancholy, visually striking, and dreamily compelling, while noting occasional narrative missteps and tonal inconsistency.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nasser-Ali's last week opens onto formative memories that explain his relationship, artistic identity, and fatal decision.
The film evokes the proudly western-leaning Persian middle class of the 1950s through domestic life, fashion, music, and social rituals.
The protagonist's planned death is surrounded by whimsical encounters, grotesque humor, fairy-tale imagery, and an angel of death.
Babelsberg studio sets, Expressionist chiaroscuro, and exaggerated compositions evoke an artificial yet increasingly affecting lost world.
Films like Chicken with Plums, and why
Amélie
whimsical melancholy, heightened visual design, and emotionally resonant European storytelling
Persepolis
Iranian cultural context, autobiographical sensibility, and a blend of humor with poignant drama
The Science of Sleep
stylized memory, romantic longing, and bittersweet theatrical fantasy
Big Fish
Felliniesque artifice, eccentric characters, and melancholy filtered through comedy
Movie Details
- Directors
- Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi
- Release Date
- 2011-10-26
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (190)
Cast
- Mathieu Amalric
- Golshifteh Farahani
- Édouard Baer
- Maria de Medeiros
- Isabella Rossellini
- Éric Caravaca
- Chiara Mastroianni
- Mathis Bour
- Christian Friedel
- Enna Balland
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Chicken with Plums about?
- A heartbroken Persian violinist retreats into memories, fantasies, and family history during the final eight days of his life.
- What is Chicken with Plums like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Chicken with Plums as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Chicken with Plums violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Chicken with Plums.
- What did critics think of Chicken with Plums?
- Critics broadly found the film whimsical, melancholy, visually striking, and dreamily compelling, while noting occasional narrative missteps and tonal inconsistency.
- Which films are like Chicken with Plums?
- Films with a similar feel include Amélie, Persepolis, The Science of Sleep, and Big Fish.
- How long is Chicken with Plums?
- Chicken with Plums runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch Chicken with Plums?
- In United States, Chicken with Plums is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
