A Faithful Man
Directed by Louis Garrel
Nine years after she left him for his best friend, journalist Abel (Louis Garrel) gets back together with his recently widowed old flame Marianne (Laetitia Casta). It seems to be a beautiful new beginning, but soon the hapless Abel finds himself embroiled in all sorts of drama: the come-ons of a wily jeune femme (Lily-Rose Depp), the machinations of Marianne’s morbid young son (Joseph Engel), and some unsavory questions about what exactly happened to his girlfriend’s first husband. Shifting points of view as nimbly as its players switch partners, the sophomore feature from actor/director Louis Garrel—co-written with the legendary Jean-Claude Carrière—is at once a beguiling bedroom farce and a playful inversion of the patriarchal tropes of the French New Wave.
Reviews
“Steeped in New Wave lore… capturing [Paris] in a late-60s time warp, with pairs of ravishing lovers roaming the streets.”
“Dramatically dazzling. Taps into the French New Wave while attributing the lion’s share of the relationship power not to a man, but to a woman.”
“It can’t be overstated the simple pleasures of something that’s genuine but never cringe-inducing, and light but never sugary.”
“A pleasant confection. Playfully ruminates on how matters of the heart consume people.”
“As delicate and delightful as a well-whipped meringue: light, fluffy, sweet and delectable.”
Awards
Best Screenplay (Winner) – San Sebastián Film Festival
Official Selection – New York Film Festival
Official Selection – Toronto International Film Festival
Prix Louis Delluc (Nominee)
