The French New Wave is considered to be one of the most influential cinematic renaissance in film history. Rejecting traditional cinematic conventions, The French New Wave experimented with numerous cinematic techniques so they could give their films more personal expression. They achieved this by filming primarily on-location on a tight budget. Using natural light, jump cuts, and handheld cameras to give their films more authenticity and spontaneous feel. One of the most prominent films to come out of the French New Wave is Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, which is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time. Needless to say, American filmmaking Richard Linklater had a tall order for him with his latest film Nouvelle Vague, which documents the making of Breathless in the style of the French New Wave. And with an easy heart, Linklater succeeds with what is possibly one of the most charming films of the year that is an essential for cinephiles.
Jean-Luc Godard (Guillaume Marbeck) is an aspiring filmmaker who spends his days attending cinema clubs and writing film reviews for Cahiers du Cinema in the late 1950s Paris. After a trip to the 1959 Cannes Film Festival, he meets Georges de Beauregard (Bruno Drefurst) , a producer who agrees to produce Godard’s latest film. After securing funding, and his cast starting Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin) and Jean Sebert (Zoey Deutch), they begin filming on the streets of Paris. However, none of them could have prepared themselves for the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless.
The first word that comes to mind when describing Nouvelle Vague is charming. It’s such an easy film to digest. It’s simple, light, and unpretentious. We’re just watching this group of characters make a movie, and that’s all it needs to be. Some might call it shallow, but it’s so effortlessly charming that I didn’t mind in the slightest. Its simplicity is the key to its success. Linklater, alongside cinematographer David Chambille and editor Catherine Schwartz, distills the essence of the French New Wave with striking precision. From the subtle camera movements and crisp black-and-white cinematography to the sharp jump cuts underscored by that breezy ‘60s jazz, we are fully immersed into the French New Wave. They may not fully capture Godard’s brilliance, but they come close enough to make it a delightful, heartfelt homage that carries his spirit through every frame.
It’s not just the filmmaking spirit of Godard that Nouvelle Vague channels, but the entire ethos of the French New Wave itself as it contains with what feels like an Avengers-level lineup of cinematic legends, all portrayed by a cast of relative unknowns. None of them try to imitate the figures they’re playing; instead, the film aims to capture who these icons were. Their presence, their energy, their pulse. Whether it’s Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg or Aubrey Dullin as Jean-Paul Belmondo, you can feel the sheer magnetism of these artists radiating through every frame. But the standout is Guillaume Marbeck as Jean-Luc Godard.
Marbeck nails Godard’s restless, mercurial nature. One moment he’s surrounded by his crew, lost in the chaos of creation. In the next, he leaves the set to sit in a café, idly playing pinball while the rest of the world tries to make sense of his vision. He refuses to write a proper script, and gives his actors next to no direction, insisting they’ll dub the dialogue later. He’s brilliant, erratic, and impossible to pin down. Marbeck captures that contradiction perfectly with a balance of genius and madness that made Godard who he was.
Overall, Nouvelle Vague is a simple, charming, and effortlessly enjoyable film. It’s not perfect, nor does it try to be, but it’s absolutely essential viewing for any cinephile. It’s a love letter to one of cinema’s greatest pioneers, capturing the restless creativity and freewheeling spirit that defined an entire movement.
My Rating: A-
Leave a Reply