Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, a cinematic homage to Jean-Luc Godard and the birth of the French New Wave, is officially arriving this awards season. After earning an 10-minute standing ovation at Cannes this year, the black-and-white period drama will debut in theaters on Oct. 31, before streaming on Netflix starting Nov. 14. Here’s everything to know about the upcoming film.
WHO’S IN THE CAST?
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Guillaume Marbeck stars as Godard, capturing the auteur during the frenzied 23-day production of his debut film Breathless. Zoey Deutch plays American actress Jean Seberg, delivering a performance already being buzzed about for awards consideration. Aubry Dullin portrays Jean-Paul Belmondo, one of the key figures of the French New Wave. The cast is rounded out by portrayals of Francois Truffaut, Claude Chabrol, Eric Rohmer and Jacques Rivette, prominent contemporaries in Godard’s creative orbit.
WHO’S BEHIND THE SCENES?
Five-time Oscar nominated Linklater (Before Sunrise, Boyhood), directs his first French-language feature and his first Cannes Competition entry since Fast Food Nation (2006). The film is written by Holly Gent, Laetitia Masson and Vincent Palmo Jr. Netflix acquired U.S. rights for a reported $4 million making it one of the most expensive Cannes deals for a foreign-language film. Shot entirely in black-and-white and framed in 4:3 aspect ratio, the film blends vintage French aesthetics with Linklater’s signature emotional depth and narrative clarity.
During a Cannes press conference for the film in May, Linklater said: ““I felt like I was 28 years-old making this film. I had to erase my experience and get back to my first film mentality. [Making this movie] was like going back in time.”
WHAT IS THE PLOT?
Nouvelle Vague is a reimagining of the 1959 shoot of Breathless, Godard’s debut and a cornerstone of modern cinema. The film dives into the artistic revolutionary choices and the chaos behind the scenes and takes viewers to the streets of Paris in 1959 and examines the relationships among a generation of filmmakers on the cusp of global influence. With jump cuts, handheld cameras, voiceovers and a referential tone, Nouvelle Vague invites viewers into the birth of a revolution in filmmaking.
AWARDS CHANCES?
Netflix is planning a full campaign, including pushes for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay as well as for its stars Deutch, Marbeck and Dullin.
It still remains to be seen if the will be submitted by France as its Best International Feature Oscar entry. The film qualifies in nearly every respect (French financing, location, language, and cast) despite having an American director and lead actress. Netflix has a track record for international Oscar winners like Roma and All Quiet on the Western Front, positioning Nouvelle Vague as a serious contender.
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