Release Date – 30th January 2026, Cert – 12, Run-time – 1 hour 46 minutes, Director – Richard Linklater
Jean-Luc Godard (Guillaume Marbeck) turns his hand from film criticism to filmmaking, however it seems everyone else involved in the largely improvised production of Breathless has no clue what he’s trying to do.
Nouvelle Vague is undoubtedly catering to a rather niche audience, those interested in the production of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, and the birth of the French New Wave. It would be easy to hear the base of the film and brand it as pretentious, and the opening stages could easily come across that way, however as production gets underway what we’re treated to is The Disaster Artist in ’60’s France.
Godard (Guillaume Marbeck) – whose dialogue largely consists of quotes, in a film full of great ones – sets out with the belief that “the best way to criticise a film is to make one,” trading in his critic role at Cahiers du Cinéma to become director. However, with little in the way of script it seems he’s making everything up on the spot, cancelling days of shooting in the morning because ideas haven’t come together. It comes at the frustration of cast, crew and producers who often find themselves standing around with nothing to do, or no clue as to what they’re meant to do. “This is utter madness, and it’s only the beginning” observes one crewmember before the real chaos has been unearthed.
Instead of pretentiousness the screenplay by Holly Gent and Vincent Palmo (translated by Michèle Halberstadt and Laetitia Masson) focuses on lightness and manages to bring that out in the humour throughout the film. Making for entertainment whether you have or haven’t seen the film. When watching the film I knew nothing about it going in, and hadn’t seen Breathless. While for those who have seen the film there may be an amusing insight, particularly when it comes to famous shots and sequences, those unaware of the film won’t find themselves shut out. Even with all the shots and elements the film tries to cover, which eventually cause it to feel a little on the long side.
Yet, with the humorous angle that the screenwriters and director Richard Linklater create, alongside the cast, there’s an easily disarming tone to the whole thing. One that welcomes all viewers in, establishing early on a film that works well with an audience, for a likable and smoothly entertaining time. Simply watching the production unfold, and it manages to make something out of that without feeling thinly spread. Bringing you in to the filmmaking process, not overly trying to look into Godard’s mind or methods and instead placing us in the shoes of everyone around him as a much-loved slice of French New Wave is pieced together before, and in some ways, with them and the audience. And somehow, like with Breathless, Nouvelle Vague manages to pull it off.
A consistently amusing look at the improvised production of Breathless, there’s no pretentiousness about Nouvelle Vague as it creates a humorous and entertaining time for both those aware and unaware of the film. It’s a real pleasant surprise, The Disaster Artist but with knowledge and love that the film turns out a classic of its kind.
Just A Little Bit Random 