Augustin, King of Kung-Fu

1999 1h 24m FR

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 18

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The solitary and largely self-contained Augustin (Jean-Chretien Sibertin Blanc), on obscure young actor of bit-parts and advertisements, has but one ambition - to play the lead role in a Kung Fu epic. But hours of Kung Fu practice alone in his room are not enough. Augustin knows he must pack up and start a new life in China... or at least that part of China within bicycling distance: Chinatown in south-east Paris. There he meets Ling (Maggie Cheung), a young Chinese woman who practices ocupuncture, and little by little, Ling's needles awaken emotions in Augustin that his virginal body had never dreamed of. Where will this lead him? To Kung Fu stardom, maybe not, but to another destiny, a quirky but logical continuation of the same dream.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Bernard Campan
Boutinot
Jean-Chrétien Sibertin-Blanc
Augustin
Paulette Dubost
Madame Haton
Maggie Cheung
Ling
Jackie Chan
[archive footage]
Darry Cowl
René
Pascal Bonitzer
The movie director
Patricia Dinev
Chantal

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Anne Fontaine
Writers: Anne Fontaine, Jacques Fieschi, Gilles Taurand
Languages: French
Countries: France, Spain

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Spain.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Part of the "Augustin" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Anne Fontaine, shot by Christophe Pollock. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Olivier Lebé. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Luc Barnier shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bernard Campan and Jean-Chrétien Sibertin-Blanc and Paulette Dubost carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Anne Fontaine directs. Christophe Pollock behind the camera. Olivier Lebé scores. Luc Barnier cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France, Spain. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
227 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: France, Spain.
4Part of the "Augustin" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Anne Fontaine, shot by Christophe Pollock. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Olivier Lebé. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Luc Barnier shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Bernard Campan and Jean-Chrétien Sibertin-Blanc and Paulette Dubost carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0208694 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 18 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.