Nouvelle Vague

Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless heralded the arrival of the French New Wave, revolutionizing the way we make, watch, and think about cinema. The latest from Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater — also at the Festival with Blue Moon — is a love letter to Godard’s legendary 1960 feature debut, meticulously recreating the circumstances of its creation in the youthful spirit of its source material.

Having spent several years writing for Cahiers du cinéma, Godard (Guillaume Marbeck), not yet 30, declares, “The best way to criticize a film is to make one.” So off he goes, convincing George de Beauregard (Bruno Dreyfürst) to fund a low-budget independent feature and whipping up a treatment — there was never a proper script — with fellow New Waver François Truffaut (Adrien Rouyard) based on a news item about a gangster and his girlfriend.

They cast amateur boxer Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin) and American starlet Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch) as leads and assemble a crew that includes former war photographer Raoul Coutard (Matthieu Penchinat). The shoot is chaotic and seemingly amateurish, with the capricious Godard condemning the rules of continuity, coming up with ideas on the fly, taking extended breaks — and ultimately winning over all involved thanks to the bold clarity of his vision.

Though reverential, Nouvelle Vague is Linklater at his most lighthearted. The Slacker director knows a thing or two about resourcefulness and youthful rebellion, and highlights the creative process that prevailed during the making of Breathless. This homage to a turning point in cinema history has plenty to delight, but the film’s key message is art and freedom.

ANITA LEE