Nouvelle Vague (2025)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A filmmaker captures the chaotic and revolutionary spirit of the French New Wave during the production of the iconic film Breathless.
The story
In 1959, the film follows the lives of film critics for Cahiers du Cinéma, including Jean-Luc Godard, who pledges to become a director after a polarizing experience at a film premiere. Following the success of his peer's film at the Cannes Film Festival, Godard decides to direct a film based on a short outline. He recruits a cast including Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. As production begins, Godard's unconventional methods—including constant script rewrites, a disregard for continuity, and a guerrilla filmmaking style—begin to challenge the patience and resolve of his cast and crew during the making of the landmark film Breathless.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Set in 1959, the film follows Jean-Luc Godard and his colleagues at Cahiers du Cinéma. After a polarizing experience at a film premiere, Godard commits to becoming a director. Following the success of Truffaut's 'The 400 Blows' at Cannes, Godard begins production on 'Breathless' based on a short outline. He hires Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, the latter of whom becomes frustrated by his avant-garde methods. Throughout the production, Godard ignores traditional continuity and demands a guerrilla style, leading to tensions with the cast and crew. Despite threats of cancellation from the producer, Godard pushes through, eventually casting himself in a role and filming a cameo by Jean-Pierre Melville. The film concludes with a post-production montage where Godard insists on jump cuts. The final epilogue reveals that 'Breathless' became a landmark of cinema, Belmondo became a star, and Seberg's life continued until her death at 40, while Godard's career spanned over 60 years.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- France; United States
- Original languages
- French
- Directors
- Richard Linklater
- Writers
- Holly Gent · writer; Vincent Palmo · writer; Michèle Halberstadt · dialogue; Laetitia Masson · dialogue
- Genres
- comedy-drama
- Themes
- film history; artistic rebellion; the creative process
- Tone and mood
- nostalgic; reverent
- Premise and plot tags
- making-of; biographical fiction
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, with a 92% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 76/100 on Metacritic. Critics praised it as a nostalgic tribute to the creative ferment of the French New Wave.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 92% · scale: percentage · review count: 193; Metacritic · score: 76 · scale: 100 · review count: 42
- Awards and nominations
- Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · Golden Globe Awards · nomination; Best Supporting Performance · Independent Spirit Awards · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was shot entirely in French.; It was filmed in black and white on 35 mm film.; Netflix paid $4 million for U.S. distribution rights after a heated bidding war.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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