Richard Linklater is no stranger to film festivals and at CIFF 2025 the lineup was sure to include Linklater’s love letter to the French New Wave with his 2025 release, Nouvelle Vague. Completely shot on film, Linklater depicts the birth of the genre through the dramatization of the making of the film, Breathless.
Audiences who are familiar with Breathless are treated to a film that honours the film in a fresh manner. The entire cast of Novelle Vague are each chosen to be a look-alike to the original cast and crew members who created the classic film. Guillaume Marbeck has been tapped to portray the eclectic and spontaneous director, Jean-Luc Godard. Aubrey Dullin is cast to play the leading man, Jean-Paul Belmondo. The most surprising yet demanding performance was by Zoey Deutch who was given the task to portray Jean Seberg. Each of the actors seamlessly entered Linklater’s fictionalized world, all of which embody the legends in the making.
Marbeck’s version of Godard can be identified through his sunglasses and occasional cigarette. Dullin is the spitting image of Belmondo when donning a fedora, and Deutch goes full Seberg who is seen sporting a blonde pixie cut. The main cast has undeniable comedic and witty chemistry, who are supported by a stellar supporting cast. The black and white film feels like a breath of fresh air, with the gritty reels acting in stark contrast to modern-day cuts and saturation.The choice to use film not only pays homage to the French New Wave, but highlights how Linklater evokes a sense of nostalgia from the time period. The costumes, accents and setting create an atmosphere that draws in viewers into Paris 1959.
Linklater explores the complications of revolutionsizing the visual medium by making Godard a character with aspirations and a tendency to break the rules that defined Hollywood. The crux of the film is Godard’s spontaneity which makes his character clash with Seberg who is a product of traditional Hollywood. Belmondo acts as a mediator between the two, constantly breaking the ice and disarming Seberg’s hostility towards the director.
Audiences like the cast and crew, are inevitably tied to Godard’s dream and are unable to leave the production. Watchers are witnessing a cultural movement take place through the perspective of major key players. The audience also recognizes the doubts that are placed upon the shoulders of those who are trying to implement change in an industry that was becoming stagnant. Linklater sets up the film so that audiences have a love-hate relationship with his vision of Godard, where watchers cannot help but to root for his vision but loathe his directorial approach.
The film also depicts its own version of star-crossed lovers through the budding relationship between Belmondo and Seberg. Deutch and Dullin were extremely playful with one another that created a sense of trust both on-screen and off-screen. The relationship would also create tension as Deutch would express Seberg’s doubts about the film as she risks her career to star in this new genre of film.
The drama and stakes of revolutionizing film is undercut by Godard’s stubbornness creating a light and comedic tone that Linklater employs to feel sympathetic towards Godard’s ambition. The film is ultimately a journey that follows unconventional and bold artists who are dedicated to changing the craft, pushing the French New Wave into the limelight.
Cinephiles can be pleased to know that Nouvelle Vague will be released on Netflix on Nov. 14. Information about CIFF can be found on the website.
Details about the film and its release can be found here.
