Linklater | 2025 | France & USA

Pour moi, this was a romp. I have some awareness that if you don’t have a preexisting relationship with À bout de souffle, this would be hard to get excited about. But as somebody who went out of his way in Paris to walk the street where Godard filmed the last sequence of that film, not geeking out at the reimagined behind-the-scenes wasn’t an option for me.

The simple joy to be had here is that of watching somebody’s love letter to a film (and historical moment) of which you are also fond. I’ve seen it called a “hangout movie” but if that’s the case, it’s À bout de souffle itself that I enjoyed hanging out with.

The performances are wonderful, executed with a profound tenderness for the beloved figures being portrayed (while never settling for mimicry). It’s one for the film nerds, made by film nerds. Unable to view it as anything but, I found it rather joyful.