Nouvelle Vague is the perfect film for anyone who truly loves movies—not just watching them, but living and breathing them. For cinephiles whose obsession with cinema borders on the addictive, this film speaks directly to that deep, unshakable passion. I know because it spoke to me in a way few films have in recent memory.
Shot in black and white and framed in the classic 1.37:1 Academy ratio, Nouvelle Vague immediately signals its reverence for the film that inspired it: Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (1960). While Breathless may not have launched the French New Wave single-handedly, it remains one of the movement’s most influential works.
Going in, I was excited to see how Richard Linklater—himself a cinephile and long-time admirer of Godard—would handle this material. The film explores Godard’s life as both critic and filmmaker, highlighting his tenure at Cahiers du Cinéma and the impact he had on cinema even before directing. He was, in many ways, the French equivalent of Roger Ebert: respected, admired, and deeply influential.
The film is full of subtle nods and Easter eggs, referencing the filmmakers Godard interacted with, many of whom also emerged from critic to director, shaping the French New Wave. Guillaume Marbeck delivers an outstanding performance as Godard, capturing the director’s intellect, energy, and passion in a way that feels utterly authentic. Zoey Deutch shines as Jean Seberg, embodying her charm and nuance while paying homage to Seberg’s iconic original performance in Breathless.
Linklater’s direction is a marvel. He doesn’t just recount history; he immerses us in it. The film recreates the textures, rhythms, and playful experimentation of Godard’s era—mirroring not just technical choices but the spirit of a cinephile pouring himself into his first film. It feels akin to the enthusiasm behind Linklater’s own debut, Slacker: a low-budget labor of love, driven by curiosity, intellect, and devotion to cinema.
A standout sequence features the cinematographer filming a circle of actors winking at him—not part of any scripted scene, but a spontaneous moment that captures the joy and reverence of filmmaking itself. It recalls the energy of Godard’s Band of Outsiders, linking the homage to the original French New Wave in a way both subtle and brilliant.
Ultimately, Nouvelle Vague succeeds on every level: it’s informative, entertaining, and deeply moving. It reconstructs not only the life of Godard but the atmosphere of an era, celebrating the boundless love of cinema that drives filmmakers and critics alike. For anyone who loves movies as more than just stories, this is a film to treasure.