The title translates to “New Wave,” the French movement that revolutionized cinema in the early ’60s by rejecting traditional conventions to experiment with visual style and other non-traditional approaches. This film details the making of one of the most influential productions, “Breathless,” by a young cinema writer Jean Luc Godard (later becoming one of the most influential filmmakers of his time). His lackadaisical attitude toward typical strictures like a script and schedule resulted in frustration from his producer, crew and actors. Director Richard Linklater has shot this in traditional aspect ratio, black and white with subtitles and he introduces every major historical character with their name. To create the period look even further, he added cue dots, the small black circle in the upper right corner that signifies it’s time to change reels. The actors are mostly French (with the exception of Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg) and they seem to be enjoying themselves. The feeling of experimentation is captured with a playful nostalgic approach that chronicles this bold era of cinematic history. It’s more of a documentary told in a narrative style, but still captures some of the thrills and challenges of this new movement. 
(3 / 5)
