The Wasteland Reviewer

Nouvelle Vague (2025) Written Review

What a fall movie season Richard Linkater is having, isn’t he? Linklater has such a fascinating and successful career as he was one of the driving forces of the independent film movement in the 90s while still delivering crowd-pleasing and heartfelt mainstream features as well. You have The Before Trilogy and Boyhood. You also have School of Rock and Bad New Bears. This fall, Linklater is certainly leaning into some of his biggest influences and his own love for storytelling. Blue Moon has already come and impressed many critics with Nouvelle Vague on its tail. This new biopic and drama (with a good helping of humor) follows a young Jean-Luc Godard (one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and a foundational piece of the French New Wave movement) as he creates his first film which has gone down as one of the most influential films of all time, Breathless. 

How does Linklater bring this period in French cinema to life? Linklater and cinematographer David Chambille are doing some impressive work on this film to replicate this style and era of filmmaking. You have that specific, boxed aspect ratio that gives it an old camera feel. You have gorgeous and striking black-and-white visuals that feel so raw and engrossing. There are even moments when the grain and imperfections of the film stock happen on screen. There is some truly breathtaking framing and blocking in this film. Godard’s iconic black sunglasses are leveraged multiple times to capture iconic shots from films accentuated with his cigarette smoke…breathtaking and gorgeous. There is an intimacy of how the camera navigates the confined spaces that Godard shoots in Breathless while also offering up some iconic Linklater motifs with long, walking shots of people conversing. In a quirky and Wes Anderson style, each of the famous filmmakers featured in the film get little portrait shots with their names. There is just so much personality in the way Linklater has crafted Nouvelle Vague. Throw in plenty of gorgeous and emotive music from the era and you have yourself a truly engrossing experience. There are some moments that drag as Godard (and as a result Linklater) wanders through this abstract filmmaking process. But it is hard to argue that every frame of this film isn’t engrossing. 

Does Linklater’s biopic offer up a compelling and engaging story? Nouvelle Vague is certainly a film about making films as it navigates so many of those basic elements that we have seen before. But that doesn’t mean following Godard through his creative process isn’t impressive and engaging. We see this confident and assured cinephile who witnesses the impressive work of his peers, the praise they have received. This sparks something in Godard, and we get to witness his process and bold venture even step of the way. The creative conflicts and frictions that follow the whole filming of Breathless certainly makes for entertaining and thoughtful conflict. There is good drama throughout, but it is nicely balanced with a charming sense of humor. There are quite a few moments with some sharp dialogue and banter that will get the audience laughing. This is not a film that has too many overt moments of rich emotion but there are subtle beats that are threaded through for sure. The central dynamic of Godard and Jean Seberg gives the film plenty of life with capturing such a unique and impactful creative process. There are a few writers on this project, and you can feel some differing perspectives at moments, but Linklater pulls it all together in a well-structured and entertaining romp. 

How does the cast that Linklater brings together expand and explore this compelling story? When you are bringing a legendary filmmaker to life, you had better make sure you get the right bit of casting. Guillaume Marbeck IS indeed the right bit of casting. Godard is a figure with plenty of idiosyncratic elements to his personality and his persona that presents. Marbeck is so confident in how he holds himself, his cigarette, and peers through those sunglasses. This is a fully realized character on so many levels and Marbeck disappears into this confident, offbeat, and visionary creator. Godard is the focus, but Seberg is the other significant piece to the Nouvelle Vague puzzle. Zoey Deutch was an inspired bit of casting. She captures such a range of expressions throughout the film. Charming. Flirtatious. Frustrated. Confidence. Alluring. Deutch captures each of these perfectly when the film calls for it. Her impressions of Otto Preminger are also so on point and fun. The friction between Marbeck and Deutch is quite compelling. The rest of the cast is exquisite. Each member of this cast fully embodies their characters (no matter how big or small the role). Few films in recent memory feel so authentic and organic with the great character work of its ensemble. 

Is Nouvelle Vague another win for Linklater? This is a gorgeous work of art. The attention to detail and how this period is brought to life is breathtaking. The costumes. The hair. The makeup. The locales. All of it. Marbeck is excellent as Godard with a great supporting cast and a dynamic turn from Deutch. This is a wonderful slice of French New Wave charm.