Nouvelle Vague

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Carlos F Beautiful depiction of 1960’s Paris, the interesting and determined personalities in the world of film, and their effect on society at a time when people were more intelectually engaged, more curious, more aware, less self-centered in the toxic way we are today… Also, I loved getting a window into the production of Godard’s “Breathless” and his artistic influences at the time Make sure you are well rested and relaxed, because the subtitles are easy to read and properly timed, but there is so much dialogue in French, that often you won’t be able to finish reading one line before the next one comes… don’t let that frustrate you, because the characters are so rich and the situations so endearing that you’re still able to follow the plot and thoroughly enjoy the movie Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/08/25 Full Review Michael Deee For fans of Breathless, its pretty great. Its the best vintage recreation Ive ever seen in a film. And in the pantheons of narratives films about making a film, its remarkably good. Whether youre a stickler for the detail of original movie or not, it a very enjoyable watch. If youre not a fan of the French New Wave, then this might be a bit of a bore. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/08/25 Full Review Linda It was a delightful experience to see the film industry arguing over a new style and focus. It makes you to see Breathless again. Thanks TCM for showing the film once in a while. Both funny and fraught with conflict. Linklater even identifies the real people who were called in to build the new vision of film. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/06/25 Full Review Scott J This is an important, enlightening view of New Wave’s apostle and emergence. What I found increasingly tedious were the continual (seemingly scores of) cited quotes and mini-soliloquies from Godard’s character justifying his motivation and rationale for breaking the mold. Overboard… it just doesn’t seem natural or realistic. I think rebel artists such as Godard internalize more than what was depicted. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/05/25 Full Review Robin C “Nouvelle Vague” In the late 1950s, the French New Wave film movement revolutionized movies. Jean-Luc Godard (Guillaume Marbeck), a movie critic for Cahiers du Cinema, is the last of the new directors to break out and does it in grand style with his debut creation in “Nouvelle Vague.” Any film nut worth his salt knows Godard’s classic crime drama, his debut film, and its stars Jean Paul Belmond on Jean Seberg as Michel and Patricia, respectively. Director Richard Linklater, who is on a roll with his terrific “Blue Moon,” also out in theaters, creates a fun look at a small, but important, piece of cinema history. Godard is envious of his friends and their success in creating New Wave film, particularly Francois Truffaut (Andre Rouyard) and his debut, “The 400 Blows (1959).” The critic and wannabe director goes to his friend and money-guy Georges de Beauregard (Bruno Dreyfurst) to secure financing. Then, he needs to have a script (by Truffaut) and his stars. Michel is played by first-timer to the big screen Aubry Dullin and, besides looking like the late actor, Belmondo, also exudes his sassy charm. The only “name” in the film, Zooey Deutch, puts the perfect spin on playing Jean Seberg, the sole American in a story about the New Wave players – besides Truffaut, Linklater rolls out the likes of Claude Chabrol (Antoine Besson), Agnes Varda (Roxane Riviere), Jean Cocteau (Jean-Jacques Le Vessier), Eric Rohmer (Come Thieulin), Roberto Rossellini (Laurent Mothe), Jacques Rivette (Jonas Marmy) and many others. Linklater uses “les jours” as chapters in this play about prima donnas, egos and making a movie guerrilla-style. Set with a 20 day shooting schedule, as imposed by producer Beauregard, Godard the “artiste,” though, travels to a different production tune, making his internal “inspiration” dictate the actual shoot. As the jours tick by, we see the auteur in action, declaring his “visions” of filmmaking, like only two takes, using only natural light and improvisation over script. Some days no film rolls in the camera or just one shot in a day or cancelling a day because of “bad pizza.” For the producer, it is like dealing with a spoiled child. But, the film eventually wraps – in 20 jays. Linklater’s homage to the New Wave is obvious, as is his love of film and filmmaking. There is obvious pride in telling the story of the making of a movie, and a classic one at that. The whole of “Nouvelle Vague” is a labor of love, not just for the director but all the players, too. And, for us film buffs. The subject – the making of “Breathless” – is handled in a way that puts you there, like fly on the wall, watching the creative process in guerrilla filmmaking. Godard can be maddening as the young, uncompromising intellectual who wants his vision on the screen. Linklater creates that vision quite well, indeed. B+ Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/05/25 Full Review Irwin F So much better than I expected. Highly recommend it. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/04/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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