Good Work

1999, Drama, 1h 30m

43 Reviews 2,500+ Ratings

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critics consensus

Beau Travail finds director Claire Denis drawing on classic literature to construct a modern tragedy fueled by timeless desires. Read critic reviews

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Good Work Photos

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Movie Info

Foreign Legion officer, Galoup, recalls his once glorious life, leading troops in the Gulf of Djibouti. His existence there was happy, strict and regimented, but the arrival of a promising young recruit, Sentain, plants the seeds of jealousy in Galoup's mind. He feels compelled to stop him from coming to the attention of the commandant who he admires, but who ignores him. Ultimately, his jealousy leads to the destruction of both Sentain and himself.
  • Genre:
    Drama
  • Original Language:
    French (Canada)
  • Director:
    Claire Denis
  • Writer:
    Claire Denis, Jean-Pol Fargeau, Herman Melville
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     original
  • Box Office (Gross USA):
    $271.6K
  • Runtime:
  • Distributor:
    New Yorker Films
  • Sound Mix:
    Surround, Dolby SR
  • Aspect Ratio:
    Flat (1.85:1)

Cast & Crew

Denis Lavant
Galoup
Michel Subor
Commander Bruno Forestier
Grégoire Colin
Gilles Sentain
Richard Courcet
Legionnaire
Claire Denis
Director
Claire Denis
Writer
Jean-Pol Fargeau
Writer
Herman Melville
Writer
Jérôme Minet
Executive Producer
Charles Henri de Pierrefeu
Original Music
Eran Zur
Original Music
Agnès Godard
Cinematographer
Nelly Quettier
Film Editing
Arnaud de Moleron
Production Design
Judy Shrewsbury
Costume Design
Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Good Work

All Critics (43) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (6)
Full Review… Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly Full Review… Chris Vognar Dallas Morning News Full Review… Ed Gonzalez Slant Magazine Full Review… Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Full Review… Michael Thomson BBC.com Full Review… Wesley Morris San Francisco Examiner Full Review… Annlee Ellingson CineWomen Full Review… Dennis Lim Out Magazine Full Review… Jas Keimig The Stranger (Seattle, WA) Full Review… Piers Marchant Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Full Review… Rob Aldam Backseat Mafia Full Review… Matt Brunson Film Frenzy
View All Critic Reviews (43)

Audience Reviews for Good Work

  • Dec 11, 2013
    Claire Denis' treatment of the modern French Foreign Legion rolls in its own time but the story that it weaves is well worth the wait. Very well filmed.
    John B Super Reviewer
  • Jan 04, 2013
    it's a visual poem over the thinly disguised bones of billy budd but it can't really be described, only experienced. the remarkable denis lavant strikes again. nice work indeed
    Stella D Super Reviewer
  • Dec 17, 2009
    Engrossing exploration of masculinity follows a group of French Foreign Legionaries stationed in Djibouti, whose harsh surroundings harbor suspicion and conflict. Director Claire Denis displays her usual flair for observation and subtext.
    Matthew L Super Reviewer
  • Mar 07, 2008
    Not an easy film to watch because it often goes back and forth from past to present. But visually, the film is gorgeous. The director knows where to frame her landscapes and how to frame her actors. Finally, the final sequence is just memorable. It might seem completely out of there, but there is more than it seems. The film is NOT straightforward in terms of narrative, but we just need to dig a little to understand deeply the soldiers.
    Linda K Super Reviewer
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