CinefestOZ – A Faithful Man

Best known as one of Gallic cinema’s finest young actors, Louis Garrel steps behind the camera for his second, critically-acclaimed feature, a delightfully playful and oh-so-French romantic comedy about three impossibly attractive Parisians.

Garrel stars as Abel, a dashing journalist whose girlfriend, Marianne (Laetitia Casta), informs him in the opening scene that she has fallen pregnant, and is leaving him to marry the father (who happens to be Abel’s best friend). So begins a tale that stretches over a number of years, filled with unexpected joys and heartbreaks; Marianne will remerge into his life, as will Eva (a radiant Lily-Rose Depp), the impetuous younger sister of the man he was abandoned for.

Shifting points of view as nimbly as its players, this beguiling tale, co-written with the legendary Jean-Claude Carrière (Belle de jour, Cyrano de Bergerac), effortlessly navigates through the bric-à-brac of loves and secrets with a winning, New Wave-esque sensibility; Paris’ streets and cafés appear almost magically unchanged since Truffaut’s 1960’s. However it’s Garrel’s carefully considered yet light touch that charms and captivates, leaving audiences feeling an enduring sense of satisfaction.