The Speech (2020)
The Speech (2020), directed by Laurent Tirard, starring Benjamin Lavernhe and Sara Giraudeau.
score
Synopsis
Meet Adrien! He's 35. He's stuck in a mid-life crisis. He's neurotic and hypochondriac. Tonight he's stuck in an endless family dinner and his girlfriend is not answering his texts. On top of that, his dumb brother-in-law asks him to prepare a speech for his wedding. Could it get even worse?
- Laurent TirardDirector, Screenplay
About the film
The Speech (French: Le Discours) is a 2020 comedy film written and directed by Laurent Tirard, based on the 2018 novel Le Discours by Fabrice Caro. It stars Benjamin Lavernhe and Sara Giraudeau. The film was selected for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. It screened at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival on 1 September 2020. It was released in France on 9 June 2021.
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The Speech (French: Le Discours) is a 2020 comedy film written and directed by Laurent Tirard, based on the 2018 novel Le Discours by Fabrice Caro. It stars Benjamin Lavernhe and Sara Giraudeau. The film was selected for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. It screened at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival on 1 September 2020. It was released in France on 9 June 2021.
Cast
Production
The Speech was produced by Olivia Lagache for Les Films sur Mesure, and co-produced by Le Pacte, France 2 Cinéma, and the Belgian company Scope Pictures.
Principal photography began on 21 October 2019, and lasted six weeks, wrapping on 2 December in Paris.
Release
The Speech was included in the Comedy Films section of the official selection of the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, which was cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. It was screened for press and industry in an online edition of the Cannes Marché du Film in June 2020. The film was subsequently selected to be screened at the 13th Angoulême Francophone Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 1 September 2023.
The film was initially scheduled to be released in theaters in France on 23 December 2020, which was rescheduled to March 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As cinemas in France remained subject to outright closures, the film was further postponed to an indefinite date. The Speech was finally released in France on 9 June 2021 by Le Pacte. The film was distributed in Belgium on 23 June by Cinéart.
Critical reception
The Speech received an average rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars on the French website AlloCiné, based on 30 reviews.
Cineuropa's Vittoria Scarpa gave the film a positive review, noting its "subtle sense of melancholy which lends depth to the story and resonates with the viewer". La Nación's Milagros Amondaray gave the film a similarly positive review, concluding that "[w]hen it isn't cheesy or forced, The Speech is a welcome celebration of mistakes." Clarín's Nazareno Brega gave the film a negative review, finding the main character unlikeable and annoying.
References
External links
The Speech at IMDb
Text from The Speech (film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Speech_(film)
Trivia
- It grossed US$ 3.0 million worldwide.
- It premiered on September 1, 2020, a Tuesday.
- It runs 1h27 — a typical feature length.
- Its original title is "Le Discours".
- This film's quiz has 10 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosLes Films sur Mesure, France 2 Cinéma, Le Pacte
- CountriesFrance
- LanguagesFrench
- Box officeUS$ 3,044,720
- StatusReleased
Videos
Photos
Cast
-
Benjamin Lavernhe
Adrien -
Sara Giraudeau
Sonia -
Kyan Khojandi
Ludo -
Julia Piaton
Sophie -
François Morel
Le père d'Adrien -
Guilaine Londez
La mère d'Adrien -
Sébastien Chassagne
Sébastien -
Sarah Suco
Karine -
Sébastien Pouderoux
Romain -
Adeline D'Hermy
Solène -
Marilou Aussilloux
Isabelle -
Christophe Montenez
Le mec de Solène -
Laurent Bateau
Le médecin -
Jean-Michel Lahmi
Le prof de techno -
Niels Tolila
Justin -
Fabienne Galula
La mère de Justin -
Émilie Ascensao
Fille ivre - Hanna Castera Nathalie l'infirmière
Quiz about this movie
Questions from the whole catalogue.
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Dead Tired
6.0
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Seis Vezes Confusão
6.2
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Five
7.0
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Grandes Garotos
6.0
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Copacabana
6.6
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Troca de Talentos
6.2
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Karaoke Comedy from the 2020s
5.8
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LOL 2.0: Anne’s Golden Hour Comedy from the 2020s
6.1
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Jim Jefferies: Freedumb
7.3
Crew
- Laurent Tirard Director
- Laurent Tirard Screenplay
Questions about this film
What is The Speech about?
The Speech: Meet Adrien! He's 35. He's stuck in a mid-life crisis. He's neurotic and hypochondriac. Tonight he's stuck in an endless family dinner and his girlfriend is not answering his texts. On top of that, his dumb brother-in-law asks him to prepare a speech for his wedding. Could it get even worse?
Who directed The Speech?
The Speech was directed by Laurent Tirard in 2020.
Who stars in The Speech?
The cast of The Speech includes Benjamin Lavernhe, Sara Giraudeau, Kyan Khojandi, Julia Piaton and François Morel.
How long is The Speech?
The Speech runs for 87 minutes, or 1h27.
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Page updated on 09/13/2026.
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