Microbe and Gasoline (Microbe et Gasoil) (2016)
84%RT Audience Score: 72%
Awards & Nominations: 5 nominations
Microbe and Gasoline brings Michel Gondry’s distinctive gifts to bear on an oft-told tale, with thoroughly charming results
Microbe and Gasoline” is like a quirky, indie road trip movie that you didn’t know you needed. The two main characters, Microbe and Gasoline, are total opposites but somehow their friendship just works. Michel Gondry’s direction brings a sense of whimsy and fantasy to the film, making it a fun and charming ride. It’s not a groundbreaking masterpiece, but it’s definitely worth a watch for the small pleasures it offers. Plus, who doesn’t love a good bottle rocket and sparkler show?
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Scott Rudin Productions,
Distributor
Screen Media Films
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Versailles, Yvelines, France
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some sex-related material involving young teens
Year of Release
2015
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:1.66 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 44m
-
Language(s):French, Japanese
-
Country of origin:United States, France, Italy
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 1, 2016 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Genre(s)
Comedy/Adventure
Keyword(s)
starring Ange Dargent, Théophile Baquet, Diane Besnier, Audrey Tautou, Vincent Lamoureux, Agathe Peigney, directed by Michel Gondry, written by Michel Gondry, comedy, adventure, R rating, box office gross $57.5K, Screen Media Films, road trip, France, small house on wheels, friendship, coming-of-age, unique personalities, loners, insecurities, strengths, charming, bittersweet, emotional, wit, warmth, lo-fi, low-stakes, authenticity, abandon, creativity, whimsy
Worldwide gross: $303,787
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $379,208
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,806
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 41,353
US/Canada gross: $63,802
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $79,642
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,691
US/Canada opening weekend: $11,882
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $14,832
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,609
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Théophile Baquet – Théo
Diane Besnier – Laura
Audrey Tautou – Marie-Thérèse
Vincent Lamoureux – Steve
Agathe Peigney – Agathe
Director(s)
Michel Gondry
Writer(s)
Michel Gondry
Producer(s)
Georges Bermann
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
5 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (60) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (55) | Rotten (5)
Dramatizing the two boys’ respective insecurities and strengths, Gondry has crafted a pair of loners who complement each other but aren’t so outrageously different that their companionship feels forced.
September 6, 2016
Violet Lucca
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
We appreciate the unique personalities of these two kids, and we’re glad they found each other.
July 29, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
Richard Roeper
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
The laughs are sometimes bigger than expected, and so are the emotions stirred by the bittersweet finale.
July 28, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
John Hartl
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
Director Gondry conveys a feeling of happy fantasy: two against the world, managing despite everything.
July 21, 2016 | Rating: 2/5
Matthew Lickona
San Diego Reader
TOP CRITIC
Charming, melancholy, and, in the end, not terribly memorable, “Microbe & Gasoline” shows the gifted filmmaking eccentric Michel Gondry pulling back to more personal territory.
July 21, 2016 | Rating: 2.5/4
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
Packed with wit and warmth, “Microbe and Gasoline” is a minor key showstopper. It’s proof you don’t always need a huge fireworks display, sometimes a bottle rocket and a few sparklers will do the trick.
July 15, 2016 | Rating: A-
Adam Graham
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
Much like the work of Mark Twain, ‘Microbe and Gasoline’ is a warm and welcoming shade of rose-tinted glasses.
July 3, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Michael J. Casey
Michael J. Cinema
This is not earth-shaking material, and Gondry has a tendency toward preciousness and self-consciousness, but in the current cinema world, small pleasures stand out.
February 14, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
Microbe & Gasoline offers a fun little ride, even if its charms won’t linger for very long in your rear-view.
July 20, 2019 | Rating: 3.25/5
Josh Goller
Spectrum Culture
A lo-fi, low-stakes charmer from Michel Gondry, light years removed from the insufferable manic quirk of Mood Indigo, but still a disconnected effort just barely tethered to its own meager narrative.
April 1, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Daniel Barnes
Dare Daniel
The performances by Ange Dargent and Théophile Baquet could not be better, and it’s their authenticity and abandon that make this film a fine addition to the coming-of-age canon.
August 8, 2017
Peg Aloi
Arts Fuse
Michel Gondry leaves the creativity and whimsy to his characters, resulting in his best work in ages.
August 7, 2017
Jessica Baxter
Hammer to Nail…
Plot
Two teenage friends build a small house on wheels and embark on a road trip across France, navigating their respective insecurities and strengths along the way in Michel Gondry’s charming comedy-adventure, Microbe and Gasoline.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film in the Fresh Kernels summary.
Michel-Gondry.jpg
