The Innocent

... and then I discovered he was the Director as well! It probably explains why he got the job, but not really why he'd want to come across so badly in this. He was so awful that I nearly gave up about 20 minutes in, but stayed around for Noemie Merlant - who really makes this film - and Roschdy Zem, who I'd not seen before but does a very nice turn as the errant (but convincingly loving) husband. As a variant on the "heist caper" it's quite nicely done, with some humorous moments, but because I didn't empathise at all with Garrel's character it was hard to see the ending as "happy" - as I'm sure was intended. If you can cope with Garrel, I'm sure it's fine.

I like Louis Garrel - he has something about him that I usually find engaging to watch on screen. Here, though, the story is all just a little too far-fetched! He ("Abel") takes his mother "Sylvie" (Anouk Grinberg) to prison where she runs an acting class and where she has hooked up with "Michel" (Roschdy Zem). Now "Abel" is a bit sceptical about his mother marrying an ex-con and soon he and his best mate "Clémence" (Noémie Merlant) and carrying out some fairly clumsy surveillance on the man. "Michel" is no fool though and before we know it, the spying pair are mixed up a plan to pinch a great supply of caviar from a van in a petrol station car park! What ensues here does raise the odd smile and is generally an adequate little drama - but it still tends a little too much to weak slapstick inso far as it's a comedy. It's also a love story and a family drama that is better than soap, but only just - it's like we are watching an incomplete episode in the lives of people that we don't really know - nor get to know, either. Merlant is a breath of fresh air and she gels well with her increasingly hapless pal "Abel" as we head to a denouement with a few twists to keep us guessing. I did quite enjoy it, but it's totally forgettable fayre, sorry.

A lighthearted effort that manages to work as a comedy, romance, and heist film, which isn't easy to do. There are absurd moments but the plot is cohesive, flows well, and has no wasted action. What won me over were scenes like the acting lessons given by ex-convicts, which was funny, and the distraction ploy that suddenly got very real, which was unexpected and emotional. Anouk Grinberg is a delight and has a fine scene during a confrontation at the hospital too. And my goodness, there's Noemie Merlant again being amazing. Isn't she one to keep an eye on? Entertaining stuff from Louis Garrel.

There is a scene in 'L'innocent', the 2022 film directed by Louis Garrel, that I found extremely strong. Garrel plays the title role and his hero is named Abel, as in all four films written and directed by him so far. Abel along with his best friend Clémence must attract the attention of a refrigeration truck driver in a restaurant at a roadside stop, and keep him busy while their accomplices execute a burglary. Things don't go exactly according to plan, and although they rehearsed the scene like good amateur actors, the two have to improvise a dialogue. What spontaneously occurs to both of them is to confess their feelings to each other. Reality mixes with theater in this film and this scene is symbolic. Unfortunately this beautiful idea is forgotten or abandoned towards the end in favor of a more commercial and conventional cinematic approach. If the whole movie was up to this scene, this would have been a great movie. As things stand, we are only dealing with a pleasant but uneven entertainment, which left me with a feeling of slight failure. Sylvie Lefranc is an actress who has been organizing theater workshops in prisons for over two decades. In one of these occasions she meets Michel, who is nearing the end of a five-year sentence for burglaries. The two fall in love and marry in prison shortly before Michel's release. For her it is the third marriage in the last ten years, for him an opportunity - apparently at least - to start a new and different chapter in life. Sylvie's son Abel is very stressed by his mother's new marriage, suspects Michel of continuing his illegal activities and does everything he can, together with his friend Clémence, to stop and later break up his mother's relationship. Abel also has a complicated history. He is a widower, his wife died in a traffic accident in which he was also involved, and Clémence was the best friend of the missing wife. In addition, Michel has surprises in store for everyone. On the one hand, he seems to be genuinely in love with Sylvie and does everything to make her life beautiful and fulfill her wishes and dreams. On the other hand, Abel's suspicions may not be unfounded. All four main characters of the film do what they do out of love, but most of the time they do the wrong thing, which complicates them and those around them. This is the main comedic effect of the film and the story works quite well for about two-thirds of the film. However, the screenwriters could not avoid a classic trap: they succeed in complicating their heroes lives and getting them into impossible situations, but they don't know how to credibly resolve these situations. In this case, Louis Garrel and his colleagues changed the tonality, and from a social and family comedy the film becomes a heist thriller with an ending - demonstratively symmetrical with the beginning of the film - which looks forced and unbelievable. Despite this problem, I would recommend the film for its relaxed approach, for the interesting ideas in its first part and for the performances of the actors: Garrel himself with his Abel full of good intentions that he cannot turn into deeds, Noemi Merlant with another role (Clémence) that confirms her in the first ranks of today's young and talented French actresses, and Roschdy Zem once again flaunting his dangerous charisma. 'L'innocent' could be more, but even so there are enough and good reasons to watch it.

The film was rather interesting even if we didn't avoid a few clichés and a development that deserved a better ending. I admit that the end seemed a bit ridiculous to me: how could this mother let such a thing happen to her son? What about Abel? Will he stay in jail? I also found certain scenes and their parallels with the end of the film rather awkward: the son who is going to marry in prison like his mother, the mother who chases the police truck to follow her son instead of her husband. I found it absurd all the same and the film would have deserved an end at the height of its development. Because yes, 2/3 of the film is rather interesting and looks like an investigation led by Abel in order to protect his mother. A kind of triangle of rather interesting characters is established: the dramaturgy comes from the fact that the mother does not know the actions of her son and the truth about Michel. And the truth will eventually come out in the end in the hospital and it works because we dread the husband-wife relationship as well as the son-mother relationship. But it is especially Michel who will see his wife leave him because of his actions and his lies. For me, there are certain scriptwriting mechanisms that don't work, such as parallelism at the end, and that doesn't seem very credible. Is Abel simply a Michael? I found that quite strange. The film contains some pretty well done comedy scenes. Special mention to Clemence who had a certain charm and a rather successful sense of humor (the scene with the caviar and the penguins, the scene where you have to distract the driver at the restaurant). The investigation also to find out more about Michel remains interesting but rather classic. It is not a surprise when we learn that he is planning another blow. But the real surprise is when his colleague will try to overtake him and everything goes wrong for Abel and Michel. A film that still gives a story where we get attached to the characters because we understand their motivations as well as the stakes of their burglary. The choices of music are rather interesting and stick well at times even if the songs are few. A comic and dramatic film at times A good film despite everything even if the end disappointed me even if I had a good time and laughed at many passages of the film but pleasant despite the imperfections.

I really don't know what to think about it. What's this, a comedy, a thriller, a drama? It hesitates between all of those elements and that mixes me up. Good directing, good acting, but you always wonder what are you going to see, but this time in the not so good way. Because, I know, that most of time when you don't know what to deal with, it may be exciting. Not here. Sorry. But honestly, it is a good entertainment, it's impossible to get bored and that's the most important, no matter my sensitiviy and taste. After all, there is no rule in story telling, nothing at all prevents a story to be a mix up between comedy, horror, drama, crime, science fiction.... Nothing.

I've never seen any of the movies Louis Garrel has directed but I think he is a competent actor in every movie I've seen him in. I finally watched one of his movies as a director and it was really good. "The Innocent" succeeds at being part funny part emotional. The story is interesting with efficient moments of tension that would make you unable to look away or feel-good moments that could make you smile. The story is a bag filled with a wide range of emotions but it works mostly due to the actors' solid performances. Noémie Merlant in particular did a great job. She was effortlessly funny, her crying was believable and her character always felt natural. The only other role I've seen from her was Marianne in "Portrait of a Lady on Fire", where she did a good job as well but in this movie it felt like she was held back for a bit. In "The Innocents", she steals the show by delivering the best performance of the movie. The editing was kind of sloppy at first but it got better as the film progressed. Every actor did a good job, the story is engaging, Noémie Merlant was great, it was well shot, well edited... A very good movie.

A bit of delicacy, a bit of mystery, a bit of emotions, a bit of laughter and a bit of spontaneity. A movie that doesn't pretend to be something it's not, bringing a nice story with talented actors (I discovered here Noémie Merlant who is sparkling and heady just as champagne: super talented and refreshing persona!). Probably has this very French « je ne sais quoi » that some reviews here couldn't catch, nothing tacky but nuances that you quietly get in their finess. It can be a bit uneven at times particularly at the beginning but everything holds nicely in the end. I would say it's a movie about family, it is entertaining and of good taste.

Even though the movie is rated as a comedy, 90% of it is drama, with only 2-3 scences with medium laugh. The action is surrounding the main character Abel, through the life of his newly married mother with an ex prisoner. There are a few scenes that showcase love and appreciation, especially between elder people, which I find great because not a lot of movies are doing that. The only funny character was Clemence, which is a secundary character with not a lot of screen time, but she ends up an important part in the plot. I was expecting a lot more funny scences, as I had great experiences with some French movies, but even the music and the way it was filmed reminded me of a drama waiting to happen.

I read critics lauding this film using superlatives like 'amazing', 'hysterically funny' and 'a delight'. With great hopes we handed over our money and went in. I enjoy French comedies but they have proven to be hit and miss over the years. This one is a big MISS. It's also a mess. The acting was fine, as was the plot, so what was it? I can only put it down to the script, direction and editing, which is pretty much most of how a film is made. Apart from not being even mildly humorous it was just so disjointed. Some scenes made little sense. I do give it points for the scene in the diner. That was quite well made and hinted at a completely other film the director might be more proficient at.