The behind the scenes of the filming of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (1960), a landmark of the French New Wave film movement.

Richard Linklater’s latest film, ‘Nouvelle Vague’, is exactly what its title suggests: a film about the French New Wave, and more specifically about the making of what is arguably its most iconic work, Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’. Shot in black and white, the film recreates late-1950s Paris, placing us in a moment when a group of critics and writers were about to create some of the most influential films of all time.

It’s clear throughout that this is a film made with deep affection for the period and the people who defined it. Linklater treats the era as an extraordinary creative explosion, when figures who wrote passionately about films suddenly found themselves behind the camera, rewriting the rules as they went. One of the ways the film expresses this enthusiasm is by trying to include almost everyone who mattered at the time, packing the film with appearances by critics, filmmakers and cultural figures, sometimes to the point where it begins to feel a little crowded, and I felt that prevented ‘Nouvelle Vague’ from developing a strong narrative of its own.

Godard himself is presented as notoriously difficult, a first time director whose working methods baffle actors and producers alike. The film captures that tension well, showing both the confidence and the arrogance that fuelled his work, and while his influence is never in doubt, he often comes across as abrasive and self-absorbed. He’s played by Guillaume Marbeck, who leads a predominantly French cast, with Zoey Deutch the lone American as Jean Seberg.

As a loving homage, ‘Nouvelle Vague’ is thoughtful and clearly sincere, but it can also feel a little too in love with its subject to fully grip as a film in its own right. There’s plenty here to appreciate, particularly for those already invested in this period of cinema history, but I never felt it could quite shake the sense of being a respectful tribute rather than a film to be truly swept up in.

Rating: 3/5

Directed By: Richard Linklater

Starring: Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch, Aubry Dullin, Bruno Dreyfürst, Benjamin Clery and Matthieu Penchinat

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt31688586/